[Bristol-Birds] Great Blue Herons on Butcher Fork
- From: Bill Cawood <b_cawood@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx, Bristol-birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 17:51:52 -0800 (PST)
I have seen some traffic on the BBC about GBH. I have been monitoring a colony
near Big Stone Gap on Butcher's Fork. The rookery is composed of two groups of
nests a few dozen meters apart situated in a stand of tall trees (mostly yellow
poplar) on a dry ridge above the small feeder stream to the South Fork Powell
River.
I saw some activity on February 25. This is in line with the last 4 years of
monitoring. I had thought that the Eastern set of nests were defunct but I
observed 4-8 birds standing on the nests in that section (the older section).
3 years ago I saw 17 birds flying in a unique formation along the broad bottom
below the rookery. A most inspiring and awesome sight.
On Saturday, March 4 I oberved 3 black vultutres feeding on a carcass beside
rte 58. I approached within a few meters as the birds fed beside the roaring
traffic. The ignored me. This is the closest I have ever observed black
vultures.
I also saw 3 red tail hawks. One was being mobbed by crows and jays. I have
never seen such cooperative behavior between corvids..
Today I saw 3 turkey vultures soaring over my yard.
Bill Cawood, Big Stone Gap, VA
----- Original Message ----
From: Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: Bristol-birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, March 5, 2006 8:15:17 PM
Subject: [Bristol-Birds] Great Blue Herons on the North Fork Holston
Don't believe we have had a report this spring on the status of the
Great Blue Heron nesting colony on the North Fork Holston River at Saltville,
VA.
Since the herons are nesting that far up the river from Kingsport, I wonder
what might be in between.
So today I started in Hawkins County at Kingsport, TN and searched the North
Fork Holston throughout Scott County, VA and into Washington County, VA to
Mendota.
I did not see a Great Blue nor any evidence of nesting.
For that matter, I did not see a single waterbird I can recall or any
species worthy of note. It was a dry run.
I hope someone will post the status of the colony at Saltville and maybe even
Damascus, VA.
I did look at Michelle King's Great Horned Owl nest and Rick Phillip's new
Netherland Inn rookery of Great Blue Herons at Kingsport. Both of these are
excellent discoveries.
So is the horned owl nest at Muddy Creek !
Let's go birding.....
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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