Boone Lake Bluff City, TN Sullivan County Thurs. 17 Mar 2011 Discovered a nice, active, Red-tailed Hawk's nest which towers above the South Fork Holston River arm of Boone Lake. It can be seen above the ridge crest in a tall tree about 300 yards downstream and west of Charlie Worley Bridge which is the US11E southbound lane. It is on the right shoreline when facing in that direction from the bridge. It was observed from the best vantage position in the pulloff parking area underneath the south-bound traffic span on Lakeview Drive. You reach Lakeview Drive from the Old Bluff City Hwy (TN Rt. 44) by driving one-half mile from Rt. 44 to the location under the bridge. It is best observed with a spotting scope but enjoyable details may be had with binoculars. Look across the lake and to the left of the bridge against the sky. You probably can't see it from standing on the bridge and it is probably a good way to get seriously injured of killed. When the nest was discovered, the head of an adult Red-tailed Hawk was seen moving above the nest rim. Surely there were two adults at that nest at the same time because of the following development. It appeared that one hawk stood and flew off to the west about 150 yards and turned back to soar near the nest. It then appeared to return to the nest. It swooped up to the nest from a backside approach, and now had a brown and glistening snake of about 20 inches in length being carried in its beak. An adult Red-tail stood up on the nest and the bird bringing the snake dropped it into the nest and departed in less than a minute. The bird which stood in the nest, appeared to arrange the nesting material in the bowl of the nest and then settled back into a down position to evidently incubate eggs. It did not show interest in the snake. The exact timing and which bird came from where sounds out of synch and it was obvious that something took place that was not well observed. But you get the main picture of what went on. Let's go birding . . . Wallace Coffey Bristol, TN