The H.M.S. Hoover hit the
water again today. We covered the last section of the southern east shore of
Hoover Reservoir and revisited an area along the upper eastern shore. 
The southern section of
Hoover Reservoir’s east shore from Lake of the Woods south to Area Q was
heavily hit by the high water after the rains from June 21 through June 25. It
was like a live version of Rachael Carson’s Silent Spring. Where in the past we
would have our hands full GPSing nest sites and counting birds we found an
absolute silence. All low nesting species usually found along the shore of
Hoover Reservoir were non-existent. Not a single Prothonotary Warbler,
Louisiana Water thrush, Yellow Warbler or Spotted Sandpiper  were to be found. The soiled foliage along the
shore line indicated that the high water mark was between 3 to 5 feet above
normal depending on the particular area. Events like this are the equivalent of
a hundred year flood. The heavy rains of the June 21 through June 25 period ranged
from 5.6 to 9.6 inches north of the reservoir. All this water followed the Big
Walnut Watershed south and into Hoover Reservoir flooding the shore areas. It
was also a worst case scenario; it occurred at night and caught many birds in
their nest cavities. Today’s silence was the result. However, the birds will
recover from this one-year disaster. 
On a more positive note we
observed hatchlings and fledglings of Bald Eagles, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk,
Canada Geese, Mallard, Wood Duck, Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, and
Prothonotary Warblers (north end of reservoir).
We located another new
Red-headed Woodpecker nest site bringing the year’s count to 24. The Red-headed
Woodpeckers are flouring at Hoover Reservoir and the Hoover Nature Preserve.
We located a new
Prothonotary Warbler territory near the Twin Bridges Boat Launch. When Shaune
first arrived the male was singing. When I arrived he went silent. Later as we
got the boat out of the water he finally started to sing again so I could GPS
the territory. 
It is always hard to see the
kind of destruction the June rains caused at Hoover Reservoir, but this is nature.
Nature is not restricted to “fuzzy bunnies.”
A list of the species
observed today follows.
Charlie
Bombaci
Hoover
Nature Preserve
Species:
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
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
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow


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