This morning Shaune Skinner, Kitty McLaren and I launched the HMS Hoover, Shaune’s boat, to look for Prothonotary Warblers on the islands and at locations along the shore of the upper part of Hoover Reservoir that I cannot access by foot. With banner [ BIRDERS ON BOARD] waiving in the wind we went forth with visions of Prothonotary Warblers dancing in our heads.



With the beautiful weather today we had to contend with an armada of boats filled with individuals fishing. I hold no ill feelings that often they were anchored where there was prime Prothonotary habitat and therefore we couldn’t check close for our golden jewels. They, the fishermen, were there because it is also prime habitat for good fishing. We located 18 new Prothonotary Warbler territories during the morning. Many of the territorial males presented themselves nicely, perching in the open, in the sunlight, and reared back their heads singing.



So far I have confirmed just over 100 Prothonotary Warbler territories at the Hoover Nature Preserve and areas outside it at Hoover Reservoir. I still have five areas that I haven’t checked at all yet and I need to do follow-ups in all the other areas where I have nest boxes.



Species located by boat today included:

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Turkey Vulture

Canada Geese with goslings

Wood Duck with ducklings

Mallard with ducklings

Osprey - there appears to be two pairs at Hoover Reservoir this year

Red-tailed Hawk
0AKilldeer

Spotted Sandpiper

Mourning Dove

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Chimney Swift

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Eastern Phoebe

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

Warbling Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Tree Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow

Barn Swallow

Carolina Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

House Wren

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

Gray Catbird

European Starling

Yellow Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Indigo Bunting

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

Orchard Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

House Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow



Charlie Bombaci

Hoover Nature Preserve

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