[Bristol-Birds] eaglets fledging in region; white wolf rumor amazing

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 21:31:53 -0400
Most Bald Eagle's nests in the region have probably fledged young.

 

The first eaglet to fledge at the Watauga Lake nest in Johnson County, TN

left its nest today (6/30/13)  and flew about 500 feet to a nearby perch
along the lakeshore.

It was away from the nest for about an hour before returning.  Its first
roundtrip flight

was a total of about a thousand feet.

 

The adult, male, parent of this eaglet had not been seen at the nest for
almost two weeks.

It was last seen at the nest Saturday, 18 June.  However, it returned to the
nest on

Saturday, 29 June and was there again today.  The mother of the two eaglets
was

seen at the nest daily over that period.  We suspect the male was always in
the

vicinity and was handing off food to the mother eagle who delivered it
directly to

the nest.

 

The eaglet, which fledged today, had been branching for almost a month.  The
younger

(and smaller) of the nestlings has not yet branched.  However, it is the
dominant of

the nestlings and usually wins fights over food brought to the nest and
usually takes

control of first feeding.

 

Meanwhile, the pair of Bald Eagles nesting on the South Fork Holston River

upstream from Bluff City in Sullivan County, TN, has raised only one young
this

year and it fledged about 12 June. It had been branching for weeks.  The
eaglet

is larger than its mother.  She frequently perches in a leafless treetop of
what we

call the staging tree and usually on the same limb.  The fledgling perches
with her

on a higher limb above her which has usually been occupied by the male or
the

eaglet's father.  This raise questions for us as to whether this eaglet is a
male.

 

The staging tree is about a 100 yards from the nest.  The eaglet comes and
goes

at will but has not been seen following an adult eagle downhill to hunt
along the

river.  The male is  believed to be in the vicinity but, like the Watauga
Lake male,

is not frequenting the nest at short intervals.

 

A Tennessee government official has reported that an active Bald Eagle nest
is

on Patrick Henry Lake in Sullivan County near Kingsport.  We received
information

about the location from several residents and reports of an individual who
was said

to be in possession of photos he made of the nest.  

 

I finally found the gentleman at home on Saturday, 29 June.  He said he had
made

a photo of an eagle flying past his home on the lake but said he had never
seen a

nest and  did not know anyone who claims to have seen a nest.  

 

One lady, who lived nearby, also reported a "white wolf" which had been seen
several

times in the same area and she reported the same gentleman I talked with had


photos.  The man told me the animals lived in a cave across the lake from
his

home and he did get photos.  After we discussed the animals, we both agreed
this

was a very light coyote male and his mate is a black female coyote which is
a bit

smaller.  The pair raised three young at the cave site.  He told me he
thinks the 

wolf ID originated from rumors among neighbors that a lady who lived across
the

river on a nearby road was known to have a pet wolf and there was a rumor
that it

had escaped.  He promised to email me photos of the coyotes.

 

Wallace Coffey

Bristol, TN
[Bristol-Birds] eaglets fledging in region; white wolf rumor amazing

Other related posts:
