This morning I returned to Dustin Road (Area L) of the Hoover Nature
Preserve with my camera to take pictures of the Prothonotary Warblers as they
discussed (fought over) who gets what territory. Because I found a location
where I was able to take good pictures and have a comfortable place to sit, I
 never got the entire area covered. I did however take pictures until I ran
out  of film. For those of you who are too young to remember, film is what
we used  prior to digital cameras. A lot slower and restrictive than
digital, but then  those of us in the Golden Buckeye Card Club are also slower and
more restricted  than we used to be. My Nikon F2 has served me well over
many years and I’m  beginning to think that it will outlast me.

I tallied 16 male Prothonotary Warblers in this small area in a short
period of time. At one point there were 5 males having a spirited discussion
over territorial rights. They were flying around the series of nest boxes I
have  at the site as a group. It appeared that they were all chasing each
other as  they banked, dove and occasionally landed, where upon they flared
their tail  feathers showing the white spots. This is their equivalent of a chip
on the  shoulder. The scene could have come out of the Battle of Briton
with them being  RAF Spitfires. Once they made a pass, all 5, that made me
wonder if I would need  a flack jacket. One passed over my head, one to my
right, one to my left, and  the last two between me and my camera which I was
holding upright at the time.

As I was leaving Steve Jones arrived (with a large lens digital camera).
His pictures will likely put mine to shame. I told Steve where the action was
 and now I’ll wait for him to post his pictures and make me jealous (while
I wait  for my film to be developed). Of course along with better equipment
Steve has  more talent with a camera. Steve mentioned the presence of
Prothonotary  Warblers, Osprey and Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Area N where he had
just come  from.

Birds of interest I observed this morning at Dustin Road  included:
Blue-winged Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern  Parula
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green  Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Prothonotary  Warbler
White-throated Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo


Charlie Bombaci
Hoover Nature Preserve
Delaware County


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