This morning Linda and I birded at Highbanks Metro Park in southern
Delaware County. We walked the Scenic River Trail, Big Meadows Path and portions
of the  Dripping Rock Trail. Activity was sporadic, but somewhat constant,
and several of our finds were overly cooperative. There seemed to be a wave
of  Canada Warblers present as we found them in multiple locations and got
some  great close up looks. Canada Warblers are beautiful birds and always a
treat to  see.  We got excellent looks at Yellow-breasted Chats and I
located an area  with between 5 and 6 babbling from the top of shrubs or saplings.
They sounded  like they were working hard to outdo each other. Then there
was a Pileated  Woodpecker just feet off the Dripping Rock Trail feasting on
a trove of insect  larvae. It looked at us once and then continued feeding
as if we were not  around. I think they know when you didn’t bring the camera
with you.

Birds of interest we observed were Great Crested Flycatcher, Swainson’s
Thrush, Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart,
Canada Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager and Scarlet Tanager.

During the afternoon we headed over to the Hoover Nature Preserve and
monitored my nest boxes along Old Sunbury Road. The numbers were excellent and
the nest sites were spaced out all along the shoreline. We got great looks
at  the pairs interacting and I noted that there is a higher than normal
ratio of females using the nest boxes rather than natural cavities. I expect
this is a result of the high number of old stumps and trees that were lost
in  the wind storm last September and the two wind storms that hit the area
during  the winter. With the loss of so many natural cavities the birds have
taken to  the nest boxes as a main source of nesting sites.

Birds observed at Old Sunbury Road included Green Heron, Wood Duck and
ducklings, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Swainson’s Thrush, Wood Thrush,   Cedar
Waxwing (pair mating), Northern Paula, Yellow Warbler, Magnolia Warbler,
American Redstart, Prothonotary Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager,
and Orchard Oriole.

Charlie Bombaci
Hoover Nature Preserve


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