With a little luck I was able to observe the Common Merganser and ducklings
again today. I tried scoping upstream from the river edge at the pull-offs
on Herb Hodge Rd but could not relocate them. Then as I was looking from
the road farther up towards Huffman Hollow Rd a truck pull over to ask what
I was doing. Turns out it was Herb Hodge's son. I asked if he owned the
fields there and whether he minded if I walk out to look for the birds.
With his consent I walked out and was able to just catch the merganser
followed closely by the ducklings crossing the river to the far bank where
they promptly disappeared into the reeds. They again were close to where
Figgins Branch empties into the Watauga, or about even with the
intersection of Herb Hodge Rd and Huffman Hollow Rd. They are not likely
to be visible from the road. Maybe they will swim past the bird club
picnic again like they did in July 2016.
David Kirschke
JC, TN
On Sat, Jun 23, 2018 at 11:09 AM, David Kirschke <dlkirschke@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I kayaked from Watauga to Winged Deer Park this morning at saw a female
Common Merganser with 7 ducklings at Austin Springs. They were near the
rapids where Figgins Branch drains into the river. They might be seen from
Herb Hodge Rd.
David Kirschke
Johnson City, TN
Sent from my iPhone
