Moss Island - Center Hill Lake
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Moss Island - Center Hill Lake |
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Colony Name:
Moss Island - Center Hill Lake
Colony Code: DeKalb-2
County:
DeKalb County
Geographical
Location.
Physiographic Province:
PIF 14 (Interior Low Plateaus [Eastern HIghalnd Rim])
Latitude and Longitude:
36.05486 and -85.76436
How
Obtained: GPS data from Melinda Welton and John Noel on May 24, 2008, during
DeKalb County Foray.
Nearest City/Town:
Smithville
Distance:
8 miles
Directions from town to colony:
Go north on Route 56 and cross Hurricane Bridge. One mile
north of the bridge, turn left to Hurricane Marina and Floating Mill
Recreation Area. At the convenience store in 0.75 mile, take the middle of
three small roads to the right and proceed to the boat ramp for the Floating
Mill Recreation Area (a fee area, but no fee is apparently needed if
birding). From the top of the steps that go down to the courtesy dock, scope
the embayment to the north. Moss Island is a small sandy island (sometimes
entirely absent during high water events, which occasionally inundate the
nests on the island causing nest failure) about 1 mile to the north of the
courtesy dock.
Owner: Corps of Engineers
Address:
Management Plan: None
Description.
General Description: Site is a small island in Center
Hill Lake.
General Habitat:
Freshwater Island
Specific Habitat:
Species of nest trees:
Size: 1-2 hectares
History.
This
colony has been active a number of years, but has varied in number of pairs
quite a bit, mainly tracking the number of trees large enough to support nests
(i.e. the more trees, the more nests).
|
Cumulative Breeding Summary |
| Year | Species | Maximum Number Adults Observed |
Total Number Active Nests |
Total Number Young Seen in Nests |
Estimated Breeding Pairs |
| 2001 | Great Blue Heron | 10+ | 20+ | 8+ | 20+ |
| 2002 | Great Blue Heron | ? | 20+ | ? | 20+ |
| 2003 | Great Blue Heron | c. 12 | 28 | 0 | 28 |
| 2004 | Great Blue Heron | c. 3 | 7-8 | 3+ | 7-8 |
| 2005 | Great Blue Heron | ? | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 2006 | Great Blue Heron | ? | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 2007 | Great Blue Heron | No Data | -- | -- | -- |
| 2008 | Great Blue Heron | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 2009 (to Feb. 14) | Great Blue Heron | 7 | 7-8 | 0 | 7+ |
| Comments: 2002. High water in May caused inundation of some nests in the lower branches of the few trees on the island, but exactly how many was hard to tell, as the leaves were out by then. Sometime between May and September, the large tree in which most of the heron nests were built fell over, perhaps from the weight of the nests (and young?) or perhaps from other causes. If this tree fell during the nesting effort, as seems likely, it must have caused partial or complete failure of nesting efforts during that season. 2003. March 21 - The heronry was split into two sections, one small section in the few small tress on the island and the other larger section in trees at the top of a hill to the south of the boat ramp. 2004-2008. In 2004, no activity was noted in the hilltop site, but the few small trees on the island were being used as a heronry. This continued to be the case during 2005-2008. 2009. February 14 - Data is from a survey by Carol D. Williams and Judy C. Fuson. |
2008
Survey Results.
Survey Dates:
February 15, March 5, March 15, March 21, March 29, April 12, and May 23
Survey Vantage Point:
Primary Observers: Stephen J. Stedman, 2675 Lakeland
Drive, Cookeville, TN 38506, 931-372-3763 (office),
sstedman@tntech.edu.
Additional Observers:
Melinda Welton, 5421 Old Harding Road, Franklin, TN 37064,
weltonmj@earthlink.net and John Noel,
5421 Old Harding Road, Franklin, TN 37064,
johnhnoel@earthlink.net.
|
2008 Breeding Surveys |
| Date | Species | Reproductive Stage | Survey Type (Nests) | Survey Type (Adults) | Total Number Adults | Total Number Nests | Number Active Nests | Number Young Seen | Estimated Breeding Pairs |
| February 15 | Great Blue Heron | -- | Actual Count | Actual Count | 0 | 4 | 0? | 0 | 0 |
| March 5 | Great Blue Heron | Building | Actual Count | Actual Count | 4 | 4 | 0? | 0 | 4 |
| March 15 | Great Blue Heron | Building | Actual Count | Actual Count | 6 | 5 | 0? | 0 | 4 |
| March 21 | Great Blue Heron | Building | Actual Count | Actual Count | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| March 29 | Great Blue Heron | Eggs in Nest | Actual Count | Actual Count | 10 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| April 12 | Great Blue Heron | Eggs in Nest | Actual Count | Actual Count | 7 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| May 23 | Great Blue Heron | ? | Actual Count | Actual Count | 9 | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Comments: |
2009
Survey Results.
Survey Dates:
February 14
Survey Vantage Point:
Primary Observers: Carol D. Williams and Judy C. Fuson
Additional Observers:
|
2009 Breeding Surveys |
| Date | Species | Reproductive Stage | Survey Type (Nests) | Survey Type (Adults) | Total Number Adults | Total Number Nests | Number Active Nests | Number Young Seen | Estimated Breeding Pairs |
| February 14 | Great Blue Heron | -- | Actual Count | Actual Count | 7 | -- | 7-8 | 0 | 7+ |
| Comments: |
