This morning I began tracking the nesting activity of the Prothonotary Warblers at the Hoover Nature Preserve. The females have arrived and the serious business of selecting a mate and nest location is underway. As I locate and confirm that a pair are building a nest I enter them into my log, noting the nest box number or the GPS of the natural cavity to enable me to follow the progress of the pair. The water level and other conditions at the preserve are excellent and the potential for a productive year is very good. As always there are little nuisances that can’t be avoided. This year it will be the replacement of a bridge close to an area with multiple nest sites in previous years. This decision by the Delaware County Engineer is quite necessary as the bridge at Area Q on Red Bank Road was built in 1954 as part of the original Hoover Reservoir development plan. The bridge is showing serious deterioration and its replacement is needed for the public’s safety. I made the right choice by carrying a poncho with me as the clouds opened up while I was a fair distance from the car. As I stayed under the cover of the tree canopy the birds made the same decision. Along with Prothonotary Warblers (6 males and 3 females) I found myself eye level from Nashville, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Yellow-rumped, Palm, Black-and-white, American Redstart and Canada Warblers. Other species that kept me company included Red-eyed and Warbling Vireos, Gray Catbirds and a Scarlet Tanager. Charlie Bombaci Hoover Nature Preserve **************Dell Mini Netbooks: Great deals starting at $299 after instant savings! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222627952x1201458914/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B214819460%3B36680227%3Bi) ______________________________________________________________________ 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]