[Bristol-Birds] Message from Naturalist about eagles and ospreys in upper Holston River area

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2014 15:16:26 -0400
Route 58 to Faust farm (2).jpg

 

Hi, all. I'm Caron and I've been paddling the North Fork 

of the Holston for years. I am excited about taking a few 

experienced birders along for a short trip to view the 

eagles in the Nottingham area near Hiltons. Depending 

on the amount of rain we get this evening, let's plan for 

Saturday or Sunday morning. Most of the North Fork 

in Scott County is very slow and quite shallow, and I 

have three kayaks I can share. For those of you who 

haven't paddled lately, flat water boats have improved 

a lot in the last few years and they are very lightweight 

and far less tippy than they used to be. These aren't the 

whitewater kayaks we see during the Summer Olympics; 

no flipping or rolling. These are 

designed for flat-water trips and fishing and are relatively 

comfortable and stable. I have all equipment including 

lifejackets, paddles, first aid kits, and a couple dry boxes 

for phones. We shouldn't have to get out of the boats more 

than once, and there are only two hairy spots on this section 

where old hand-built dams remain. Any amateur boaters 

are welcome, and nearly any physically active first-timer 

will find paddling a kayak to be pretty intuitive. A quick 

lesson and we can let the current take us sightseeing with 

little effort. Bring a lunch, sunscreen, sturdy shoes you 

don't mind getting muddy, and a couple drinks and we'll 

be set for a pleasant few hours.

 

I've enclosed a picture of the route between the Route 58 

bridge and a private farm on Route 896. The North Fork

is pretty slow, so expect this trip to take 3 or 4 hours. 

The put-in at the 58 bridge isn't a proper ramp; it's a goat

trail with some precarious roots to climb over, but it's the 

nearest public drop-in to the Faust farm. I will get permission 

from a friend who owns the farm just below Faust's to take 

out. As some of you may have heard, the owner of the property 

with the rumored nest appears to have liability concerns and 

isn't welcoming to hunters or nature lovers. However, the 

section of river around the Eagles' range is wide and shallow, 

and we should be able to tie off the boats and locate and 

document the birds from the water, which, as we all know,

is public property. I don't anticipate any trouble at all with 

viewing the birds as they hunt, and those of you with more 

experience than I should be able to spot the nest, too. 

 

On this trip you can expect a much more diverse environment 

and landscape than on the South Fork in Sullivan County. 

I regularly see our swallows, flycatchers, Kingbirds, and 

Cedar Waxwings in great numbers, Yellow Billed Cuckoos, 

Green Herons and Great Blues, Cormorants, and an assortment 

of dippers and small waders along with the usual backyard 

birds of our region. I saw one adult eagle at the Faust Farm

on April 27, one osprey in the middle of this route, and another

a little further down in between the Wadlow Gap bridge and 

the Weber City boat ramp. 

 

I've been talking to Wallace Coffey and explained, to his great 

amusement, that I've been seeing Ospreys and Bald Eagles for 

years all along the North Fork from Mendota to the West Carter's 

Valley bridge, and around Christian's Bend on the Holston River

and didn't realize the presence of these birds was undocumented 

or remarkable. Let's rectify that.  Please respond to my email or 

call me at 423-218-5610 so I can get a headcount and obtain

permission from the landowner to exit the river on his property. 

Because of the holiday I'm home for the next few days and if

anyone wants to tour the Holston but would like to try out a

kayak first, call me and well meet on Duck Island at Warrior's 

Path and we'll paddle around the lake a bit to check your comfort

level and get a quick lesson. Paddling local waterways is my favorite 

thing to do and a lifelong hobby, so I'm always happy to have a 

reason to put the boat in the water and more than happy to have the 

opportunity to learn more about our birds.

 

Caron Lipe

423-218-5610

Reservoir Road, Kingsport
[Bristol-Birds] Message from Naturalist about eagles and ospreys in upper Holston River area

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