We  launch the HMS Hoover again today and we covered areas along the 
northwest  shoreline of Hoover Reservoir and upstream along the Little Walnut 
Creek. Shaune  and I were joined by Bernard. This was his first time out with us 
and it was  productive for all of us. I’ll start with the surprise of the 
day, a Peregrine  Falcon that did a flyover at low altitude, like under 50 
feet above us as it  zipped right over the boat. This alone would make for a 
great day but the good  times just kept rolling along for us. We checked both 
active Osprey nests and  found the adults and hatchlings are doing quite 
well. The pair at the natural  nest watched us as we sailed by at a safe 
distance. Their hatchlings are  slightly less far along than the nest further 
north of the reservoir. At Nest  Platform H2 the adults were busy feeding a 
hungry, growing and persistent  family. Their hatchlings are getting crowded at 
the nest and one is testing its  wings, flapping for all its worth even 
though it still lacks flight feathers.  Later we watched a Belted Kingfisher as 
it flew in and entered its nest cavity  in a bank along the shore. A pair 
of Red-headed Woodpeckers was busy chasing  European Starlings away from 
their nest tree. One perched at the end of a bark  less branch and flew out to 
catch flying insects and then return to its perch  only to repeat the routine 
over and over. The flashes of white when they are  flying catch your 
attention and then in the sunlight their colors of red, black  and white are 
striking. And of course we took time to admire the Cliff Swallow  as they flew to 
their mud nests under the bridges. The nests look like small  brown igloos 
striking sideways from the bridges. The young were sticking their  heads out 
looking for their next tidbit. A Wood Duck hen scooted her brood to  cover 
as we approached on Little Walnut Creek. 
My  primary goal, as always, was to locate and/or monitor Prothonotary 
Warblers. We  located 10 new territories bringing the year’s total to 132.  In 
all we locate 23 Prothonotary  Warblers, all but one were males. The lone 
female made her appearance in the  early afternoon. The males often provided us 
with great views as they sang with  gusto. Several Yellow Warblers tried 
their best to pretend they were PROWs but  they didn’t pass muster with us.  
A  list of the day’s birds follows below. 
Charlie  Bombaci 
Hoover Nature  Preserve 
SPECIES  LIST 
Double-crested  Cormorant 
Great  Blue Heron 
Green  Heron 
Turkey  Vulture 
Canada  Goose 
Wood  Duck 
Mallard 
Osprey 
Bald  Eagle 
Red-tailed  Hawk 
Peregrine  Falcon 
Ring-billed  Gull 
Rock  Pigeon 
Mourning  Dove 
Chimney  Swift 
Belted  Kingfisher 
Red-headed  Woodpecker 
Red-bellied  Woodpecker 
Downy  Woodpecker 
Northern  Flicker 
Eastern  Wood-Pewee 
Eastern  Phoebe 
Eastern  Kingbird 
Warbling  Vireo 
Red-eyed  Vireo 
Blue  Jay 
American  Crow 
Tree  Swallow 
Northern  Rough-winged Swallow 
Bank  Swallow 
Cliff  Swallow 
Carolina  Chickadee 
Tufted  Titmouse 
White-breasted  Nuthatch 
Carolina  Wren 
House  Wren 
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher 
American  Robin 
Gray  Catbird 
European  Starling 
Yellow  Warbler 
Prothonotary  Warbler 
Scarlet  Tanager 
Eastern  Towhee 
Song  Sparrow 
Northern  Cardinal 
Indigo  Bunting 
Red-winged  Blackbird 
Common  Grackle 
Brown-headed  Cowbird 
Orchard  Oriole 
Baltimore  OrioleAmerican  Goldfinch

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