I birded the north end of Hoover Reservoir (aka the Hoover Nature Preserve) during the intermittent storms of this morning, hoping for windblown strays.  I focused on Oxbow Island and Plumb & Wiese Rd accesses, using my car as a retreat from the periodic rainstorms.  Mudflats are still very low at all sites, making it good for herons (23 Great Blues & 5 Great Egrets for the 2 hours I was there) but challenging for shorebirds (too much expanse - only had Kildeer, Gr. Yellowlegs, and 4 Dunlin).  Oxbow Island had a fair accumulation of migrants, including flocks of Cedar Waxwings, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Redwinged Blackbirds.  Also present were smaller numbers of Blue Jays, sparrows (Swamp, Song & White-throated), kinglets (both kinds), and a few unusual warblers (Black-thr.Green and Blackburnian).  A flock of 80+ Tree Swallows was foraging over the waves off the east end of the island, magically appearing during the lulls in the wind & rain.  Plumb Rd had more flocks of waxwings, Robins, and Yellow-rumps, and the view of the upper-end mudflats from here is the best for herons, waterfowl (Mallards, Shovelers, Green-winged teal, 1 Horned Grebe), and gulls in the upper reservoir.

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