Green Heron Nest in Wythe County

[Allen Boynton]

While banding geese along New River, I found my first ever green heron nest at Jackson's Ferry.  Actually I did not see the nest, but I did see two pre-fledging young with both adults.  All were in a large black willow growing on the bank of New River, just upstream of the US-52 bridge.  The young were fully feathered, but still had down on their heads. 

 

There are many cliff swallows using the Jackson's Ferry bridge this year.  A visit a week ago to the Austinville bridge upriver found only two cliff swallows, and I am not sure that they were actually nesting there.

 

Allen Boynton

Troutdale, Virginia