With limited time on another beautiful early Spring morning, I opted to run through the major access points along Hoover Reservoir this morning.  Like Alum yesterday, most of Hoover is still encased in ice, especially the northern reaches above Oxbow Island.  Major holes are along the shore down by the dam and at the Smothers Rd bridge, as well as south of the Sunbury causeway and north of it (by Deer Island).  Most of these openings had scads of ducks, with the Deer Island opening being particularly full.  The dam spillway was open, but most of its waterfowl have spread to other parts of the reservoir.  Mudhen marsh also had some open water.  Highlights included:

Pied-billed Grebe - 1 at Mudhen marsh
Mute Swan - 1 adult bird at Mudhen, co-existing with the Canada Geese...so far
Canada Goose - 500+ scattered over all open water and many grassy strips
Snow Goose - 1 Blue goose hanging with the Canadas at the Deer Island hole
Wood Duck - several pairs were lurking in the flooded woods at Mudhen marsh
Mallard - 800+, with numbers at all open water spots
Black Ducks - 40+, most of which were at the Deer Island hole
N.Shoveler - 4 at a hole above the dam
Green-winged Teal - 15+ at several spots
American Wigeon - 30+ at several ice holes, most at the Deer Island hole
N.Pintail - 30+ at the Deer Island hole
Ring-necked Duck - 160+, with 100+ at the Deer Island hole
Lesser Scaup - 50+ scattered over many of the open ice holes
Greater Scaup - 2 at the hole just south of the Smothers Rd bridge
Redhead - 20+, scattered over several of the open ice holes.  No-where common as at Alum.
Bufflehead - 10+, with 7 of them around the dam
C.Goldeneye - 16+, with 11 of them in holes in the southern third of the reservoir (below the Smothers Rd bridge)
Red-br.Merganser - 5 in the hole south of the Sunbury causeway
Hooded Merganser - 30+ scattered over most of the open water holes
Ruddy Duck - a single bird in Mudhen marsh, of all places
American Coots - small numbers at most locations
Gulls - 450+ Ring-bills, with a few juvenile Herrings, on the ice of the lower reservoir early

Turkey Vultures - 66 birds formed a nice kettle over the Sunbury causeway, rising from a traditional roost just east of there.
Blue Jays - raucous flocks of 5-6 birds at several locations.  Are they sneaking through on migration now?
American Pipits - flyovers at the dam and the Sunbury causeway
E.Meadowlarks - 4 singing in the fields along Oxbow Rd. before reaching the island.
Redwings - abundant, with singing birds at nearly every stop.
Rusty Blackbird - 1 on Oxbow Island, a regular 'trap' for them in this area (along with Hoover Meadows)
Cowbirds - 2-3 singing around Oxbow Island

The ice is booming and groaning at several of the access points in the middle and northern parts of the reservoir, allowing us a rare chance to experience one of the common sounds of Spring much further north.  With the warming trend at hand, this will soon be replaced by the 'crushed glass' sound of many small ice fragments clashing together with each wave.

Rob Thorn
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EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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