Members  of the Ohio Young Birders Clubs from Oak Harbor and Columbus 
participated in  their April field trip, Spring Fling in Central Ohio. Their day 
got off to an  inauspicious start when Greenlawn Cemetery, a usually 
productive spring birding  site, produced one (1) warbler, a Black-throated Green. 
They did have a few good  birds including a Red-breasted Nuthatch, but 
activity was slow. Their intrepid  leaders, Darlene Sillick and Joe Meara were 
not helped by the weather  conditions. After lunch at the Grange Audubon 
Center they headed north to meet  me at the Hoover Nature Preserve. 
The  first car arrived about 15 minutes ahead of the others. The proverb “
the early  bird gets the worm” got a rewrite to “the early birders get the 
cooperative  Prothonotary Warbler.” While we waited for the others I heard a 
male  Prothonotary calling from near the board walk. The two kids walked out 
on the  boardwalk with me. After encouragement via phishing a brilliantly 
colored male  Prothonotary Warbler flew in and landed, where else, on the 
boardwalk railing.  After flitting around to make sure we appreciated him, he 
was joined by a male  Yellow Warbler and a male Yellow-rumped Warbler. A nice 
start but unfortunately  it was still just the three of us.   
The  remainder of the group arrived and we walked out to the end of the 
boardwalk  where everyone watched the resident pair of Osprey. An immature Bald 
Eagle flew  into the Osprey “No Fly Zone” and got a greeting from the male 
Osprey. The eagle  headed elsewhere where it wouldn't get harassed. Other 
birds observed from the  boardwalk included many Double-crested Cormorants, a 
Caspian Tern among the  Ring-billed Gulls, and a male Wood Duck. 
I  wanted to take the group into the back of Area N for Prothonotary 
Warblers and  other resident species. The unusually high water made the usual 
route  impractical so I did a flanking maneuver and took them along the high 
ground.  Almost immediately we encountered two or three Northern Parula. Soon 
we began  hearing the “sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet” call of Prothonotary 
Warblers. In all  we saw or heard about 15 PROWs. A few other species that the 
kids enjoyed were  Red-headed Woodpecker, a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers at 
their nest cavity, an  Eastern Kingbird, Yellow-throated Warbler, a Pine 
Warbler, Spotted Sandpiper and  numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers. Back at the 
parking lot Darlene added a Black  & White Warbler. 
Sunshine  would have been nice but still it appears that everyone had a 
good time and saw  some nice birds. 
Charlie  Bombaci 
Hoover  Nature Preserve 
SPECIES  LIST 
Double-crested  Cormorant 
Great  Blue Heron 
Turkey  Vulture 
Canada  Goose 
Wood  Duck 
Mallard 
Osprey 
Bald  Eagle 
Red-tailed  Hawk 
American  Coot 
Spotted  Sandpiper 
Ring-billed  Gull 
Caspian  Tern 
Mourning  Dove 
Belted  Kingfisher 
Red-headed  Woodpecker 
Red-bellied  Woodpecker 
Downy  Woodpecker 
Pileated  Woodpecker 
Eastern  Phoebe 
Eastern  Kingbird 
Blue  Jay 
American  Crow 
Tree  Swallow 
Northern  Rough-winged Swallow 
Carolina  Chickadee 
Tufted  Titmouse 
White-breasted  Nuthatch 
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher 
American  Robin 
European  Starling 
Northern  Parula 
Yellow  Warbler 
Yellow-rumped  Warbler 
Yellow-throated  Warbler 
Pine  Warbler 
Black  & White Warbler 
Prothonotary  Warbler 
Song  Sparrow 
Northern  Cardinal 
Red-winged  Blackbird 
Common  Grackle

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