[Bristol-Birds] Two Bald Eagle's nests highlights of South Holston Lake BBC birders

  • From: "BBC Net" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "'bristol-birds'" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 21:26:21 -0500

 

the PLUS in  Soup 'n Sparrow +

 

Members of the Bristol Bird Club had

a wonderful day birding Saturday and

among the best finds were two likely

Bald Eagle nests on South Holston

Lake - one in Sullivan Co. and 

the other in Washington Co., VA.

 

The keen eyes and experience of

leader Rick Knight found them left

and right.

 

Eleven birders turned out for the

exciting day and the majority stood

as the very first in line for the South

Holston Ruritan Club's Soup and

Beans event just around the corner

from where the group began the

day with separate field trips and 

separate agendas, target birds and

different routes.

 

Charlie Ownes, the committee chair

for the Ruritan Club event met birders

in the parking lot and ushered them to

the event at exactly 11 a.m.   The

BBC members were the very first to

enter the all-day event and a Ruritan

worker held the door to welcome them

in as the door was unlocked. A couple

of dozen bowls of all kinds of soup and

beans were enjoyed by the group.  It

was everything anyone would want in

a Soup 'n Sparrow tradition event of the

Bristol Bird Club members.

 

Birders who took part in the 11 a.m. kickoff

of the Ruritan's college scholarship fundraising

lunch went on to Painter Creek Marina where

they took a float boat birding for the afternoon.

 

BBC BAEA search South Holston Lake 31 Jan 2015.jpg

 

Knight's field trip spent the afternoon (3 hours)

searching likely areas where eagles might be

found.

 

Shown above, the group heads along the shoreline

of Strawberry Ridge back into Big Jacob's Creek

cove where the first nest was observed in Sullivan

County.  It was a very large structure that appeared

to be larger than the Bald Eagle's nest frequently

visited near Bluff City on the South Fork Holston

River.  No eagles were present but return trips will

be made to watch this nest.

 

In the headwaters of the impoundment in Washington

County, VA, two adult Bald Eagles were discovered

perched together on a limb in a tall pine on a high ridge.

 

Just across a small cove was a massive Bald Eagle's

nest which seemed to have new features.

 

BBC BAEA nest search Avens Bridge Washington Co., TN 31 Jan 2015.jpg 

 

This nest is clearly as big as any in the

region.  The adult birds took flight and soared

above us, taking advantage of the gorgeous

winter day.  The air temperature was 43.7 degrees

throughout the hours of boating as we measured

it along the way.  Birding and boating were both

pleasingly comfortable.

 

This will be the seventh (7th) year the eagle pair has

nested in this same area with maybe three different

nests used there since the first year in 2009.

The pair had the first Bald Eagle's nest known

in the Tennessee River drainage of Southwest 

Virginia.

 

John Moyle and Knight  each provide birders a 

choice of great leaders, great places, great food,

unique target species and delightful experiences.

 

Moyle took his group on a traditional walking and 

birding event along eastern Sullivan County's top

birding area.

 

Remember that Knight leads a group of birders

to Burke's Garden in Tazewell Co, VA  Saturday, 

7 February 2015.  The group gathers at to have

breakfast at Hardee's in Tazewell and then heads

up into the valley to search for Golden Eagles and

Rough-legged Hawks.

 

 

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