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Photo: Scott G. Somershoe

The Great Blue Heron was the most common breeding species on the statewide colonial wading birds breeding survey.

During the 2008 breeding season, a statewide survey was made of colonial wading birds, and Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) and Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). The eight wading bird species were: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), Great Egret (Ardea alba), Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea), Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Green Heron (Butorides virescens), Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa vuikacea). Anhinga and Double-crested Cormorant were included as they can breed in wading bird breeding colonies.
Sites surveyed were those in the Wading Birds in Tennessee document in the Tennessee Important Birds Area Program, sites of which we were informed, and sites that were discovered doing field work. Each site was surveyed at least once during the breeding season, preferable mid-way during the nesting cycle, like, Eggs in Nest. Sites that contained multiple species, a second survey was encouraged as an early survey could miss species that start nesting later. A Survey Form was created to use with each survey. Survey results for each site can be found at Wading Birds Breeding Sites. Species summary by county that includes sites, species, and estimated breeding pairs can be found at 2008 Species Summary By County.

In addition in 2008, there were sites that were known to be active, but were not covered. These can be found at Sites for Future Surveys. Also, there were sites that were active in 2007, but not active in 2008. These and other recent inactive sites can be found at Historical Sites.

Featured are:

■ Wading Birds Map - Denotes locations of wading birds sites.
■ Wading Birds Breeding Sites - List sites by county within the three Grand Divisions--West, Middle, and East. There is a link for each site to its site page.
■ Species Summary - Summaries all of the surveys with links to a separate summary of each surveyed species.
■ Survey Form - Is the field survey form listing the information gathered for each site.
■ Contacts - Provides contact information for the TWRA State Ornithologist and the survey observers.
■ Links - Are links to various wading birds sites.

The Tennessee Colonial Wading Birds Breeding Survey is a continual project. Send observations, new sites, and other updated information to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, State Ornithologist, Scott Somershoe, P.O. Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204, 615-781-6653 (o), 615-781-6654 (fax), Scott.Somershoe@state.tn.us, UPS address: 440 Hogan Road, Nashville, TN 37220, FedEx address: 5107 Edmondson Pike, Nashville, TN 37211.

Photo: Scott G. Somershoe

Now I want every drop!