The weather was  acceptable with the temperature in the low 70’s when 
Shaune launched the SS  Hoover this morning but by the time we returned to shore 
it was starting to  really cook on Hoover Reservoir as the temperature raced 
for the 90 degree  mark.  We set out from the Twin  Bridges boat launch at 
Redbank Road and covered areas along the east shore going  south to Area Q.  
We located multiple  active Prothonotary Warbler territories. I’m not 
calling them nest sites as the  hatchlings have mostly fledged the nests and are 
lurking in the button bushes  and low branches of black willow or cottonwood 
trees. we did spot a few females  heading out to dispose of fecal sacs, 
implying nests with hatchlings still in  residence. Some of the fledglings we 
observed were quite well along in growth,  now as big as the parents, but 
still not completely into their immature plumage.  At this stage they really 
look motley with patches of their soon to be  golden-yellow coming in, but 
with splotches of gray pinfeather sticking out here  and there. Next year they 
get to impress us with their. brilliant torch  golden-yellow as they live up 
to the title of the golden swamp warbler.   
We observed high  numbers of Great Blue Herons all along our trek. With the 
water level at Hoover  Reservoir down, it prevented us from getting into 
some nooks that have been  productive in past years, but now providing east 
prey for the  herons. 
The Cliff Swallows  under the bridges were numerous and are having a 
successful year. The hatchlings  are almost ready to leave the roost and we 
spotted little heads popping out in  most nests. Several adults flew right next to 
us as they hunted insects for  their nestlings.  
A complete of our  observations from the boat follows. 
Charlie  Bombaci 
Hoover Nature  Preserve 
SPECIES  LIST 
Double-crested  Cormorant 
Great  Blue Heron 
Great  Egret 
Green  Heron 
Turkey  Vulture 
Canada  Goose 
Wood  Duck 
Mallard 
Osprey 
Red-tailed  Hawk 
Killdeer 
Ring-billed  Gull 
Mourning  Dove 
Chimney  Swift 
Belted  Kingfisher 
Red-bellied  Woodpecker 
Downy  Woodpecker 
Northern  Flicker 
Eastern  Wood-Pewee 
Acadian  Flycatcher 
Willow  Flycatcher 
Eastern  Phoebe 
Great  Crested Flycatcher 
Eastern  Kingbird 
Warbling  Vireo 
Red-eyed  Vireo 
Blue  Jay 
American  Crow 
Tree  Swallow 
Northern  Rough-winged Swallow 
Bank  Swallow 
Cliff  Swallow 
Barn  Swallow 
Carolina  Chickadee 
Tufted  Titmouse 
White-breasted  Nuthatch 
Carolina  Wren 
House  Wren 
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher 
Eastern  Bluebird 
Wood  Thrush 
American  Robin 
Gray  Catbird 
Northern  Mockingbird 
Brown  Thrasher 
European  Starling 
Cedar  Waxwing 
Yellow  Warbler 
Prothonotary  Warbler 
Common  Yellowthroat 
Field  Sparrow 
Song  Sparrow 
Northern  Cardinal 
Indigo  Bunting 
Red-winged  Blackbird 
Common  Grackle 
Brown-headed  Cowbird 
Baltimore  Oriole 
House  Finch 
American  Goldfinch 
House  Sparrow

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