After completing my "To Do" list this morning I was able to get to the preserve to do some follow-up monitoring at Oxbow Road, Wiese Road and the boardwalk at Area M. Things are progressing with the Prothonotary Warbler nests as signs of hatchlings being fed are becoming more common every day. It seems that the breeding cycle has accelerated a little each year. Global warming? At Oxbow Road we checked 9 Prothonotary Warbler pairs that we could get to and we heard several other males singing from areas we could not access due to the high water level. Other species at Oxbow that exhibited signs of nesting included Brown Thrasher, Baltimore Oriole, Gray Catbird, Tree Swallow, Wood Duck, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, House Wren, Downy Woodpecker. Northern Flicker, Warbling Vireo and Great Crested Flycatcher. At Wiese Road we checked 4 Prothonotary Warbler pairs. No boots so our coverage was limited. The open space created when the power company massacred the flora along the easement has had little upside. There are more edge birds to be seen but they seem a poor trade for the White-eyed Vireos, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Wood Thrush, Indigo Buntings that are absent this year. There are Yellow Warblers and Field Sparrows which are okay, but the Brown-headed Cowbirds and other predators now have an easier time getting to the nests. We did find one bright spot though, a pair of nesting Yellow-throated Warblers nesting on the water side of the old roadbed in a stand of Sycamore trees. We made a final quick stop at the boardwalk in Area M to check the status of the Osprey at the platform. As we were walking back along the boardwalk to the car we were greeted by a beautifully hued male Prothonotary Warbler that came right to the boardwalk. He obviously knew the camera was in the car. The other positive note was meeting a local resident that was carrying a bag and picking up litter. He said he greatly enjoyed walking at the preserve and thought he would do his small part to keep it attractive. I expressed our great appreciation for his help. Charlie Bombaci Hoover Nature Preserve **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007) ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]