Today I began serious monitoring of nest sites for Prothonotary Warblers at the Hoover Nature Preserve. Up to now I have split my time between general birding for migrating species and watching where the male Prothonotaries were establishing territories. Migrant Prothonotaries were still a possibility and my friends in Ontario, Canada are wishfully hoping some of our little guys continue heading north. The Prothonotary Warbler is in deep trouble in Canada. I concentrated on Area M, Area N and Wiese Road in Galena. Starting with the positive news. I located 24 males and 3 females at Area M/N. The back part is still too deep and muddy to safely negotiate although there were plenty of males singing from there. Most of the females were likely in their nest box or natural cavity busy with egg laying. I usually don't see too much of them until after lunch. As has been my habit in past years I placed orange markers to help locate territories, a habit that many local birders appreciate as it saves them time. Along the old road bed in Area N this shouldn't be a problem as once when I did a quick phish to try and locate a singing male I immediately had 5 buzzing around me. One came within several feet and I noted it had a silver Department of Interior band on its right leg. Prothonotaries were singing along Big Walnut Creek from the bridge over the creek entering Galena from the East to the southern section where mud and high water stopped me. On the old road, the first is located in the vernal pool on the West side right after the steps. There are 3 along the shore on the South side of the boardwalk and 1 in the wooded area just before the boardwalk turns to the left. Yellow-throated Warblers and Northern Parula were calling and putting on their own show along Big Walnut Creek. Things appear to be going well as usual in Areas M and N. Now the bad news. Wiese Road used to be a nice quiet tree and shrub lined abandoned road that was home to Prothonotary Warblers, White-eyed Vireos, Blue-winged Warblers and in one year a confirmed nesting pair of Black & White Warblers. A few years ago the power company devastated the flora to the West side of Wiese Road to enable them to better monitor their lines. The birds adjusted somewhat. Then a section of the Ohio to Erie Bikepath was run right along the water's edge at Wiese Road. The road was widened with a big edge area. A bench was put at the shore to view the reservoir. Now my worse fears seem to be coming true. I have yet to hear, never mind see, a Prothonotary Warbler at Wiese Road, the first time this has occurred since 1987. And in Area N the less civilized of the fishermen (not a blanket charge against all fishermen) are leaving so much trash that a few sections look like a landfill. Charlie Bombaci Hoover Nature Preserve ______________________________________________________________________ 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]