[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Snowy Egret in the Mountains



	Yesterday late afternoon Ron Selvey called to tell me that he found a
Snowy
Egret at Lake Osceola in Hendersonville.  The bird was still there when I got
there at about 7:15pm.  Snowy Egrets are quite unusual in the mountains.  The
bird was in the mud at the shallow end of the lake where the major streams flow
in.
        Some foolish local wanted to lower the lake to do some repairs on his
house and broke the dam valve.  Consequently, the lake level continues to drop
leaving large areas of mud flats.  The lakefront owners misfortunes, however,
are now birders fortunes.  Not only has it attracted the egret, but quite a few
shorebirds as well.  So far it has mostly been Yellowlegs (both), Solitary,
Least, and Spotted.  I think by the time all the goose eggs hatch in the nests
at this end of the lake the goslings are going to have a long walk to the
water.  I don't think that the valve will be repaired any time soon as they say
it will cost $50,000 and they don't have the money.  So this will continue to
be a good place to check for shorebirds for a while.
Marilyn Westphal/Hendersonville
mjwestphal@unca.edu