With the temperatures predicted to be at, or near to the 90's, over the
next 5 or 6 days I got out today to monitor my nest box trail. With the lack
of rain over the past month the water level at Hoover Reservoir is dropping
rapidly and the base of many nest boxes are being exposed. This puts
numerous nest boxes at risk to predators which is always a concern. The warmer
than usual spring and early summer has provided a partial solution. Many
species, including the Prothonotary Warblers, appear to be ahead of their
average dates to fledge their hatchlings. As I checked nest sites at Wiese Road,
Dustin Road, Oxbow Road and parts of Area M/N I discovered numerous nests
that fledged within the last several days. The button bushes held the most
recent fledgelings whereas the earlier fledglings have taken refuge in the
higher branches of trees close to their nest sites. There still are many
nests with either hatchlings or eggs still in them.
Other fledglings and hatchlings observed included Canada Geese & goslings,
Mallard and Wood Ducks with ducklings in trail, Osprey getting very close
to fledging, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern
Kingbird, American Crow (a begging young crow is shameless), Tree Swallow,
House Wren, Tufted Titmouse and a White-breasted Nuthatch in my boxes, lots of
Gray Catbirds everywhere, adult Yellow Warblers feeding their fledglings
along a stretch of the old road in Area N where there is water on both sides
(not habitat that I expected them to be at), Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays
and finally a Baltimore Oriole on its nest. Activity was constant but less
than just a week ago but you take what you get.
The water level at the northern end of Hoover Reservoir is receding rapidly
with no rain to replenish it. Mudflats have begun to be exposed on both
the east and west shore of the reservoir. The last time this occurred to this
degree was 2005, a year that produced 33 species of shorebirds during the
period from July through October including both godwits, avocets, willets
and just about every plover and sandpiper except for the rarities. Are we in
for another banner year for shorebirds? If we are, now birders have the
boardwalk available rather than sloshing through mud the consistency of wet
cement.
The two days with the best weather this week I was inside assisting with
PreK programs at Highbanks Metro Park. No birds but tons of fun as Debbie
(Naturalist), Donna (incredible story teller) and I did a program about
ecology via the "Lorax."
Charlie B.
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