This afternoon I began a spring ritual, policing trash around the Hoover Nature Preserve in Delaware County. A majority of the trash is debris washed down the watershed by the high water of March’s rain and thaw. By starting now I will hopefully have the area in good shape before the Prothonotary Warblers return from their wintering grounds. Cleaning up does have its side rewards as I get to casually bird while collecting an unending lists of trash that has accumulated around the preserve.

Today took me to Old Sunbury Road east of Galena. Along with the expected common species, some birds of interest included:
Common Loon (10)
Double-crested Cormorant (61)
Wood Duck (9)
Ring-necked Duck (37)
Hooded Merganser (21)
Red-breasted Merganser (80+)
Osprey (1)
Bonaparte’s Gull (50+)
Caspian Tern (3)
Eastern Phoebe (4)
Tree Swallow (27)
Brown Creeper (1)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (6)

When I got back to my car I looked across Sunbury Road at the Hoover Meadows sign and thought,” Why not”. Since I was so close and had time I drove the 100 yards to Hoover Meadows and walked the trail to the back pond. It turned out to be a good decision. I started out with 3 Gadwall in the small 1st pond and hoped it was a good omen. I thought the highlight would be the Red-headed Woodpeckers at the 3rd pond until I almost literally ran over a flock of Wild Turkey. Apparently the tom and hens were so rapt in one another and I walk very quietly (while looking everywhere but where I’m walking) that none of us perceived the other until we almost needed an accident report. The species of note (to me) at Hoover Meadows included:
Black Vulture (1 mixed with the many TV’s)
Wood Duck (3)
Gadwall (3)
Wild Turkey (8)
Red-headed Woodpecker (3)
Eastern Phoebe (1)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (5)
Savannah Sparrow (4)
Swamp Sparrow (6)

Charlie Bombaci

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