[Bristol-Birds] STORM DESTORYS SOUTH HOLSTON EAGLE NEST -- EAGLETS PERISH
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:17:31 -0400
South Holston Lake's Bald Eagle nest was destroyed by
Saturday's storm and two eaglets were killed.
Neighbors were able to get close enough to determine the
tragic development.
They reported the young to be about the size of big chickens --
white and fluffy.
The remaining part of the nest is about as large as an
over-sized basketball.
Officials with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland
Fisheries have been informed.
As the storm approached, neighbors checked on the welfare
of their eaglets and found them both alive and active.
Neighbors in the vicinity became very concerned after the
storm. Throughout the area, they were telephoning and
comparing notes with those who have a good view from
their property.
At first it appeared that all but a small portion of the eagle's nest
was greatly damaged but they thought they could still see
one eaglet moving around and a lot of activity from the
adults.
By mid-afternoon they were resolved that there was even
less of the nest and no activity in what is left . At 3:10 p.m.
Sunday one adult was perched on a nest tree branch.
Eventually, neighbors concurred and faced their loss, but not
before going well into this afternoon holding out what
little hope they could that the little ones could have survived.
"We feel that we have lost part of our family," wrote the
Bristol Bird Club's friends, Bill and Sandy Lawson.
For several years this nest as held its place in history as
South Holston Lake's first eagle nest and Southwest
Virginia first eagle nest.
Some of you have been to see the nest when it was
a massive monument to local ornithology and birding.
You have seen the proud adult eagles attend to their
nesting duties and watch the young grow and fledge.
Nature will fill its void but not the one in our hearts.
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