I spent the morning policing trash at the preserve while checking the  status
of the water level near my nest boxes. The water is mostly gone at Area  N,
but there is a layer of mud up to your knees. I'll have to wait for it  to
harden before trying to walk out to the nest boxes for cleaning and  maintenance.
At all the other area I checked the water is still present around  the nest
boxes. Thus, no shorebird habitat of note yet.

Today I observed 17 Prothonotary Warblers, all juveniles, foraging in the
black willow trees and cottonwoods. This is the first time since April that I
haven't found any adults. It appears that the adults have begun their journey
south to their winter retreats in Central and South America. The juveniles are
 fully grown but still lack much of the adult's color. They will follow their
 parents south in drips and drabs over the next several weeks and then the
long  wait until next April to see them again.

2008 was another successful year for the Prothonotary Warblers at the  Hoover
Nature Preserve. I'm in the process of perfecting my records for entry to
NestWatch. Because of the high water I couldn't get to several locations and
this caused a slight dip in numbers, but I think the total identified
territories will be between 150 to 160 in 2008. Fledglings weren't confirmed for  all
sites but if the success rate matches the average of previous years there
should be approximately 500 fledged Prothonotary Warblers from the known nest
sites. I got the first indication of a good year back in April when I hosted an
Ohio Young Birder's Club Chapter and we tallied about 40 males in just Area
N. I'll post the final numbers by sections of the nest box trail in a follow-up
 posting.

There was activity other than Prothonotaries at Area N this morning.  Perched
at the end of the Area M boardwalk were 2 Great Egrets, surrounded by
numerous Ring-billed Gulls. About 25 Double-crested Cormorants were in the water
between Areas M and N. The young Osprey at the platform off Area M were  taking
short flights over the water and back to the platform. They aren't ready  to
take the big step yet. One of the adults was present and busied itself
harassing passing Great Blue Herons. It looked like a version of Osprey Skeet's.
Belted Kingfishers were on several snags off the Area N trail and several
Spotted Sandpipers were working atop the driftwood.

Along the old roadbed in Area N I observed several Yellow-billed Cuckoos,
Eastern Kingbirds, Green Herons, Red-headed Woodpeckers, a rather raggedy
looking Yellow-throated Vireo, and as I was walking back to the car, American
Crows mobbing a Great Horned Owl which they sent across the trail right in  front
of me.

Not a bad morning considering I was there policing trash. I guess I should
consider it a reward for a good deed.

Charlie Bombaci
Hoover Nature Preserve




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