Tuesday and Wednesday produced 4.76 inches of rain in the Galen Area. Galena is also at the southern end of the Big Walnut watershed. I toured the areas where I have nest boxes to determine the conditions within the preserve. In a few words the answer is bad and dangerous. The big Walnut Creek is running very high and fast. Little Walnut Creek is unusually high and fast. The boardwalk at Area M is closed. The boardwalk itself was submerged in part, a condition I have only seen a few times since the boardwalk was built. Area N is underwater. The area is under feet of water in almost all parts except where there are higher elevations. The gate is closed at Oxbow Road as the road is underwater. Weise Road is also underwater. Old Sunbury Road is submerged at the low areas.  Area L is mostly underwater. 

    If you decide to bird there be very careful. The conditions are currently dangerous.
    I had been observing the Prothonotary Warblers working on nest construction this week. I fear many of the nest boxes are now underwater. I did observe some Prothonotary Warblers today. They are resilient and will likely try again once the water recedes but it hurt to see the conditions.
    Charlie Bombaci    Hoover Nature Preserve


______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.


You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]