The Big Creek GreenwayWildlife

Signs of a Black Bear Seen Near Highway 9

Jeff — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:25:03 +0000

Black Bear

We received an e-mail yesterday that someone had spotted Black Bear Skat (droppings) near Highway 9 on the Forsyth Big Creek Greenway. We haven’t verified the sighting, nor have we received any notifications of bear sightings in the area. That being said, black bears are indigenous to the region. They are generally shy, and will likely stay away from the area when people are around.

Here is a site with some safety techniques to remember should you encounter a bear. If you encounter one, please don’t try to interact, feed, or get closer to the bear. Also, never get between a bear and it’s cub.

Pictures of Green Heron Nests Added

Jeff — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:44:58 +0000

Green Heron Staring Down

I was able to get out on the Greenway Tuesday with my camera to get some pictures of the Green Heron nests just South of Haynes Bridge. There were fewer in the nests than the day before, though that could have been attributed to the heat of the day. Enjoy the pictures!

Green Heron Nests South of Haynes Bridge

Jeff — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:15:06 +0000

Thanks to Robert for the tip. I received an e-mail from him over the weekend that mentioned two sets of bird nests just south of Haynes Bridge Road where the trail splits. The nests are filled with Green Herons, that look as though they are about to leave the nests. Today I saw roughly a dozen birds remaining. You will easily notice the nests if you head south from the Haynes Bridge parking lot and watch for the large sections of droppings covering the trail on both sides when the trail splits.

When I walked that portion of the trail to verify the nests today, I didn’t have my camera. I will head back out tomorrow to try and get some good shots of the herons before they leave their nests.

On another note, I was lucky to see a young deer along the trail today heading to the birds nest. It is fairly common on the Alpharetta trail to see deer. If you have any tips on animal sightings, or would like to report seeing any animals, post an article to our new Community Forums.