Today I began with the idea that I was taking John Yinger to the preserve to photograph Red-headed Woodpeckers. They have been his nemesis bird eluding him everywhere they were supposed to be. The day's activity added surprises to our jaunt after the Red-heads. While scanning Hoover Reservoir I found myself looking binoculars to binoculars with Dan Hall. Dan who is with Wild Birds, Unlimited in Westerville and a good friend, was leading a birding walk at the boardwalk at Area M of the preserve. Dan and his group joined John and me in Area N. The birds decided it was a party and they kept popping up for everyone to see. We had some nice species but the biggest surprise for me was a pair of adult Prothonotary Warblers feeding immatures. I was able to count at least three young PROWs looking for handouts. This is very late to encounter this as most PROW adults and juveniles are long gone into their migration south. I checked my records and found only one reference to finding young PROWs this late into August. 
The morning was much more productive than I expected as we had a nice array of birds at Area N. Double Crested Cormorants were on most of the snags in the open water. There were numerous Great Blue Herons, 7 Great Egrets and 3 Green Herons, all wading in the shallow water or working the water's edge. We observed 6 Osprey, likely the adults and offspring from this year's effort. Shorebirds were limited to Killdeer and a lone Spotted Sandpiper. Mud flats are beginning to become exposed but if the current weather forecast holds the outlook for the shorebirds at Hoover Reservoir is poor for this year. Also observed over the water in addition to Ring-billed Gulls were a Herring Gull and a Caspian Tern.
We saw 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos and 8 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. The hummingbirds appeared to be working spider webs looking for small but fuel efficient tidbits. Several Belted Kingfishers were making a racket while hunting near the old bridgehead.
Red-headed Woodpeckers did not disappoint us as they were active and in good numbers. Both adults and juveniles were flitting about and gleaning insects off the dead trees. With all the movement the white of their wings made like a drum corps program when they spin the flags.
Cedar Waxwings were in very good numbers. Flocks were descending on bushes and trees and working them over before being off to the next bush looking for what's on the menu.
Charlie BombaciHoover Nature Preserve

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