Great Blue Herons were busy gathering and adding twigs to their nests at a new rookerie on Netherland Inn Rd in Kingsport this morning. One walker on the greenbelt trail that passed near the nest island stated that the birds were coming down to the riverbank within 20 feet of him as he was walking and gathering twigs, apparently paying him no mind. I went there this morning to get a couple of quick photos. I stood there in the early morning chill fascinated as I watched the large birds interacting with each other at the nest through my scope. I got some pics and was cold and hungry and decided to pack up the equipment and roll on down the road to the Burger King for a biscuit. I walked back up the trail to the car, put the equipment away, and got in and started the car to drive off with visions of ham biscuits drifting through my head. As I looked up one last time straight out the front car window at the river a large, heavy brown bird sailed by at about eye level over the river. A double take and I found myself looking at a superb view of an adult Bald Eagle now slightly down river and circling around the rookerie. The bird crossed the river and perched magestically in a large sycamore, brilliant white head gleaming in the early morning sun. I just about busted a leg getting the scope and camera equipment back out of the car. By the time I got ready to run back down to the river, the bird had flown out of sight on the other side of the island. I got down there as fast as I could with all the stuff I was carrying. Another fellow was already there and putting away his camera. I asked if he saw the eagle. He said he did and that it had flown down, caught a fish, and sat for a moment on the gravel bar below the island, then flew off down the river toward the confluence of the N. and S. Forks of the Holston. I could just imagine this view in my scope and camera and all the ooohs and ahhhs that would bring from viewers on Don Carriers new email list for bird photos. Well, my imagination is all that will be posted today as the eagle was gone before one shot could be had. Still it made for a really exciting morning! Oh well, here are herons at the nest this morning on the Holston. Rick Rick Phillips Kingsport, Tennessee
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