This morning we launched the H.M.S. Hoover to conduct monitoring of the Prothonotary Warblers at the Hoover Nature Preserve. Our area of coverage consisted of Area K, Area L and Little Walnut Creek. Last Sunday we covered Big Walnut Creek and tallied 31 PROW territories. Today we tallied 37 PROW territories. Along much of Little Walnut Creek we were almost constantly hearing the "Sweet, Sweet, Sweet, Sweet" song of the males. Almost most obliged us and came out to show off and sing for us. For me this is the ideal way to spent a morning. The Prothonotary Warblers are in excellent numbers in every area I have surveyed thus far.

To add to our morning's delight we had 16 Red-headed Woodpeckers. We watched them at their nest holes. In the morning sunlight they were a stunning sight. We located 4 new nest sites that I was not previously aware of. If all the old sites, and so far it appears that way, are still active, we have 20 active Red-headed Woodpecker pairs.

A few other highlights for the morning were:

A hen Ruddy Duck. We found her just floating around on the reservoir. Likely a procrastinator still going north.

The Bald Eagle nest is doing great. The eaglets are getting bigger and constantly showing about the rim of the nest. 

We observed 8 Spotted Sandpipers. Most were in pairs.

There were more Herring Gulls than usual. They were on logs in the water, the boardwalk and swimming near the others.

One Caspian Tern was joined by 10 Common Terns.

In addition to the Red-headed Woodpeckers we had several Pileated Woodpeckers. The show stopper here was the adult feeding hatchlings at a nest hole. When the adult left to look for more offerings the little ones stuck their heads out and begged for more.

The Cliff Swallows were attending their nests under the Old 3C Highway into Galena.

A Canada Warbler along the edge of Little Walnut Creek near the Route 3 bridge.

A great morning in all spent with great company. My big salute to Shaune for all the terrific help she has been.

Charlie Bombaci
Hoover Nature Preserve

Total list for the morning follows:
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Ruddy Duck
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Spotted Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Caspian Tern
Common tern
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
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
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Canada Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow


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