This morning and early afternoon I made a loop of several areas within the
nature preserve. Activity was hit or miss as one area would be productive and
the next quiet. With the reservoir free of ice the waterfowl are distributed
wide and far. The areas I checked included Oxbow Road, Mudhen Marsh, Hoover
Meadows and Old Sunbury Road. Outing total was 63 species but nothing
outstanding.

A warning to birders heading to the north reaches of Hoover Reservoir,
Delaware County is about to begin work to replace a small bridge on Sunbury Road
west of the Woodtown-Harlem Road/Sunbury Road intersection. The road will
likely  be closed until completion of the bridge replacement. I have not heard of a
 bypass to the work. To get to Hoover Meadows and Old Sunbury Road you will
need  to take a route from the west through Galena.

Species present:
Canada Geese
Mute Swan    (13)
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler    (6)
Green-winged Teal    (2)
Canvasback    (1)
Ring-necked Duck    (7)
Lesser Scaup    (5)
Bufflehead    (4)
Common Goldeneye    (8)
Hooded Merganser    (76)    Most in  the south cove at Oxbow Road
Common Merganser    (5)    Oxbow  Road
Red-breasted  Merganser    (223)    Over 100 at Oxbow  Road and nearly 100 in
the Old Sunbury Road coves along the east shore
Pied-billed Grebe    (1)
Horned Grebe    (1)
Double-crested Cormorant    (7)
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald eagle    (2)    East shore  just north of Oxbow Road
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
American Coot
Killdeer
Bonaparte's Gull    (5)
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull    (1)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl    (2)    Pine grove at  Old Sunbury Road
Red-headed  Woodpecker    (1)    Mudhen Marsh
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark    (17)    Miller-Paul  Road, south of Vans Valley Road
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Charlie Bombaci
Hoover Nature Preserve
Delorme 58 C (2) & (3)





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