Finally done with repairs to my nest box trail, Linda suggested a morning  of
birding as I haven't been able to break loose for a while. We  did
preliminary scouting for the Christmas Bird Count to plot potential  routes for my teams
in the Hoover Reservoir Circle. We checked out Hoover  Reservoir from the dam
north to Galena. As noted by Rob Thorn, the water level  is very low, about
16 feet below normal, the lowest I remember seeing  it since 1988. There was
more activity today than I expected as we located  rafts of waterfowl in many
locations.

The most prominent species was Hooded Merganser as we observed rafts of 100
to 200 individuals off the East Walnut parking lot, Maxtown Road Launch Ramp,
Baldridge Launch Ramp and Oxbow Road. At the Maxtown Launch Ramp we observed
a  flock of Canada Geese glide in with a white morf Snow Goose in the
formation. We found a Red-shouldered Hawk perched near Hoover Meadows and a  flock of
21 Wild Turkeys foraging in a field on Rome Corners Road. Oxbow  Road was
filled with small songbird activity along its berm including  Yellow-rumped
Warblers, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Carolina Wrens, White-throated  Sparrows and
others. All this and more without getting out of the car.

Species logged in this morning include:
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Mallard
Lesser Scaup
Hooded Merganser
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Wild Turkey
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Charlie Bombaci
Hoover Nature Preserve

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