[Bristol-Birds] Fw: we did not contact speedway about ravens

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:53:46 -0500
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Dexter Newman 
To: jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: February 13, 2013 10:02
Subject: RE: [Bristol-Birds] we did not contact speedway about ravens


This could start something like The Tower of London.  Quote from Wikipedia, 
"The ravens of the Tower of London are a group of captive Common Ravens which 
live in the Tower of London. The group of ravens at the Tower comprises at 
least seven individuals (six required, with a seventh in reserve). The presence 
of the ravens is traditionally believed to protect the Crown and the Tower; a 
superstition holds that "If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, 
the Crown will fall and Britain with it."[

 

Also, Lynda an I went to see the Harlequin duck Sunday and on our way down 
Riverport Road saw a Bald Eagle bathing in the water.  Could not get a camera 
on it before it flew.  Did get shots in the trees later.

 

Dexter Newman

JC

 

From: bristol-birds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:bristol-birds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Wallace Coffey
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 5:32 PM
To: Bristol-birds
Subject: [Bristol-Birds] we did not contact speedway about ravens

 

We did not talk with officials from the Bristol Motor Speedway

about the pair of Common Ravens with their nest under the

grandstands.

 

Some of us talked about that and decided the ravens needed

an opportunity to live this drama on their own.  We had found

that leaving a precarious and fragile situation alone for the 

South Fork Holston River Bald Eagle pair was the best thing 

we did.  Not only did the eagles make it thru last nesting

season with every peril you could imagine lingering just yards

from their nest, they were successful fledging and raising young.

They are using the nest again and now on eggs.

 

The only thing we did last year was to not increase road traffic

and birders going to the nest because it seemed so very 

approachable.  That probably made no difference for the eagles

but it may have made a difference to neighbors living on an 

extremely narrow street that two cars can hardly pass on without

one driving in the grass.

 

It was obvious that man was not encroaching on the eagles and

they are not encroaching on the ravens.  Both eagles and ravens

chose these uncertain locations to nest.  

 

We never told the landowner that the eagles were nesting

on their property.  We later learned they knew and knew 

we were watching.  

 

Official at Bristol Motor Speedway may be compelled to take

some type of action and we can't imagine what they could

do that would benefit the ravens.  It is possible neither our

birders nor the ravens might be satisfied with anything that

were to take place.

 

We've looked at the location and most of us believe the

ravens will need to tolerate a significant amount of disturbance

they obviously do not know is ahead.  

 

If they survive three days of racing and hatch eggs, fledge

and raise young, they will probably be good to nest there

another year.

 

It is possible all of this will happen and Bristol Motor Speedway

officials will never know the ravens are there.  Don't bet on it.

 

News headlines and TV newsrooms turning this into a

feature story that becomes a controversy is always a

possibility.  Neither birders no ravens can avoid whatever

happens.

 

Wallace Coffey

Bristol, TN
[Bristol-Birds] Fw: we did not contact speedway about ravens

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