Some days are just made to put a smile on one’s face. Today was one of them. I attributed my marvelous morning as a celebration of life in general and as it is the 50th anniversary of my graduation from high school back in Connecticut. Can it really be that long ago? I guess I am getting long in the tooth. What was planned to be a morning of fixing a nest box and monitoring a section of my nest box trail turned into a cornucopias of birds. I began at Old Sunbury Road where the nest box in need of help is located. Shaune Skinner and I had spotted the nest box from the boat the last time we were out monitoring the nearby islands. The top had come loose and the nest box was looking like the leaning tower of Pisa, slumped forward as if ready to dive into Hoover Reservoir. I waded out to the nest box and realized that there was more than met the eye. There was a Prothonotary Warbler nesting in the box. The female was actively incubating her clutch of eggs. This meant I was in for more than a quick hammer and nail repair. I used a piece of cloth as a muffler-silencer and very slowly nailed the top of the nest box to the dead tree. I then made a very quick check at the occupants while praying I hadn’t done any harm. She was still on the nest but I think I got a nasty look from her. How do you explain to a bird that without the repair she and her clutch would be in the reservoir if a strong wind arose? As I returned to my car I spotted a hen turkey with her 9 poults. They are now about the size of a Bobwhite. I then went on to Area N which was my main agenda for the day. The plan was to wear high boots and monitor the back area which includes the section where the Ohio Young Birders Club earned many points with me as we installed almost 50 nest boxes to replace those lost because of the June 29, 2012 storm. All the trees and nest boxes at Area N along the old roadbed were lost in the storm and these are their replacements. Kids, the Prothonotary Warblers love your nest boxes. 13 of the new boxes have nesting Prothonotary Warblers. I found a total of 24 males in the area between Big Walnut Creek and the confluence with Little Walnut Creek and Hoover Reservoir. The area is partially underwater and elsewhere very mucky. Walking was a chore as I build up muck on my boots with every step. Did I care? No! I was too busy be amazed at the activity. I found only the second active Ruby-throated Hummingbird nest I have ever personally located. The other was also in Area N a few years back. Like the first, this nest was on a Sycamore tree branch over water. Then I added the fourth Red-headed Woodpecker nest at Area N. That makes 13 known Red-headed Woodpecker nests in the Hoover Nature Preserve this year. Along Big Walnut Creek I found 4 Northern Parula and 3 Yellow-throated Warblers, all near Sycamore trees. A few other nice discoveries include a Belted Kingfisher nest tunnel (saw adult emerge) and a Pileated Woodpecker nest cavity (again, saw adult at site) and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers fledglings chasing the adults to beg for food. I had many other nice sightings at Area N (see list that follows) and I think the area calling it “the nursery” would be accurate. No human interference and the wildlife acting as it should. Charlie Bombaci Hoover Nature Preserve Species List (both locations combined) Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Green Heron Turkey Vulture Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Osprey Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk Wild Turkey Spotted Sandpiper Ring-billed Gull Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo Barred Owl Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Wood-Pewee Acadian Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird White-eyed Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Purple Martin Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren House Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher European Starling Cedar Waxwing Northern Parula Yellow Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Louisiana Waterthrush Common Yellowthroat Scarlet Tanager Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole House Finch American Goldfinch House Sparrow ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. 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