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Monday, July 29, 2019

Nature, Birds, and Mammals of Payne County and Boomer Lake in July 2019


                                                                    Webworms


                                                                  American Lotus


                                                           Scissor-tailed Flycatcher



071319
0700-0744/79-81 degrees/partly cloudy/E-5/76-75% RH/29.99 Hg and steady

Webworm shot was taken in Perkins across the street from an old sandpit where were found a family of Killdeer and heard an American Bittern.  We went to several locations to find a part of a heron colony, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo (rain crow or storm crow as it is called in the South) trying to hide, and a wonderful pond in Perkins that may get a Wood Duck pair in the winter that only stay a day or two.  This pond had several songbirds, including an Eastern Phoebe.  We also discovered a portion of a Great Blue Heron and Egret Colony with several adult birds.  A visit was also paid to Ghost Hollow for Indigo and Painted Buntings that were everywhere on our journey, as well as the Blue Grosbeak.  What a day!



                                                       Green Heron and New Nestlings

072119
0716-0848/79-83 degrees (feels like 86)/partly cloudy/S-12/71-69% RH/29.91 Hg and rising

This was the first day that I noticed that the eggs had finally hatched and clutch 3 had tiny nestlings.  At the time, it was unknown how many there were.





                                                            Green Heron (Below)
                                                         Nestlings in Nest (Above)



072219
0706-0840/77-78 degrees/variable clouds/N-12/77% RH/30.05-30.07 Hg and steady

This was the day that three Green Heron nestlings were observed at Boomer Lake's Heron Cove.





                                                            Green Heron Adult (Right)
                                                                 with Nestlings (Left)

072319
0718-0809/69-72 degrees/clear/NNE-9/67-65% RH/30.24-30.21 H and rising

The following day, we observed the back of the adult and the pile of young behind.





                                                                 Eastern Phoebe



072519
0719-0825/70-75 degrees/partly cloudy/S-6/65-63% RH/30.14 Hg and steady to 30.17 Hg and rising

Today we had both the adult and a juvenile Eastern Phoebe learning the ways of the world.





                                                               Baby Opossum #1


                                                                Baby Opossum #2




                                                          Three Green Heron Nestlings
                                                                         Clutch 3



072619
0709-0807/72-74 degrees/partly cloudy/S-8/59-58% RH/30.13 Hg and rising to 30.12 Hg and steady

Melissa and her dog found three young opossums that she couldn't wait to show me.  Upon our return, we found Tracy, who was standing guard with them, as she feared that they would wander in the road.  Tracy brought them to the Perkins Road Veterinary Clinic at request of our local animal rehabilitator.  It was thought that something happened to their mother, and they wandered from the nest due to hunger.  The third little one appeared to be sick and hid by a telephone pole, but the others seemed quite healthy.

Two of the nestling Green Herons were standing on the nest with an adult not far away.





Saturday, July 13, 2019

End of June 2019 Heron Cove June Events


                                                           Brown Thrasher on Nest


061619

1040-1222/74-80 F/mostly-variable clouds/W-6/85-77% RH/29.92-2990 Hg and steady

All young Green Herons have fledged, with four hanging in the common near south nest tree from prior years/the blind has paid off with close sightings/parent is still not on Green Heron nest two with no sign of young, possibly due to diminutive size.

Green Thrasher nest never showed its young.  Perhaps eggs were not viable, a predator consumed them or the young.




                                                     Brown Thrasher, Right Side of Nest



                                                         Two Youngest Green Herons,
                                                                         Clutch 1

061919

0706-0750/71-72 F/partly cloudy/W-5/79% RH/29.85-29.82 Hg and steady

Green Heron clutch one totaled 5 young with all seen, plus both adults, possibly two tiny nestling heads seen in nest 2.





                                                        Next-to-Youngest Green Heron


                                                              Eldest Green Heron of three    


                                                              Middle Green Heron of 5


                                                                      Youngest of 5


                                                      Eldest of Younger 3 Green Herons


                                                               Youngest Green Heron


                                                                       Ditto, Pose 2


                                                          Green Heron On Nest 3



062019

0705-0834/74-79 F/clear/S-7/81-76% RH/29.82 Hg and rising to 29.79 Hg and steady

Three fledges from clutch 1 rapt in attentiveness.  Nest 3 well observed with its Green Heron adult occupant atop it, as viewed above.  Two House Finches, possibly a pair seen observing a predator in area of blind, but suspect not found causing same fracas.  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher heard on west side of Heron Cove among clump of trees where last fall's Palm Warbler and migrating Clay-colored Sparrows have always been found around western soapberry and Bradford (callery) pears.





                                                       Mallard Hen and Ducklings



062219

0818-0922/84-85 F (90 to skin)/variable clouds/S-12/74-73% RH/29.86-29.90 Hg and rising





                                                    Second View, Green Heron On Nest 3

062319

1218-1254/75-77/variable clouds/SE-8/84-81% RH/29.87-29.85 Hg and steady (after earlier rain)





                                                             Youngest Green Heron



062419

0712-0759/66-68 F/clear/W-8/86-84% RH/29.94-29.95 H and rising





                                                      Fledgling Red-winged Blackbird



062519

0716-0820/71-75 F/clear to partly cloudy/S-10/81-80% RH/30.01 Hg and steady to rising





                                                                   Male Bell's Vireo


                                                                     Ditto, View 2



062619

0726-0814/77-79 F/clear/SE-10/81-79% RH/30.13 Hg and rising





                                                                 Youngest Green Heron



062719

0705-0759/79 F/clear/S-9/78% RH/30.18 Hg and rising





Saturday, July 6, 2019

Clutch One Appears to Be Ending Its Time At Heron Cove


                                                               Green Heron #4


                                                          Green Heron Immature #5


                                                                    Green Heron #4


                                                                     Green Heron #5


                                                                   Green Heron #4


                                                                   Green Heron #4


                                                                 Green Heron #5


                                                                  Green Heron #3


                                                                   Green Heron #4


                                                                     Green Heron #4



061619

1040-1222/74-80 F/mostly cloudy to variable clouds/W-6/85-77% RH/29.92-29.90 Hg and rising

All young for clutch one have fledged and these photos were taken from a blind where I clipped branches from young trees and bushes.  This area is just south of the nest tree right in front of original tree where most young have nested and been raised over the past four years.

Mother Green Heron is not on nest two, no sign of young, possibly due to their very small size versus cup size.

There was a very early rain this date, then a late afternoon rain, so writer was out during the interim period.




                                                                     Green Heron #5


                                                                     Green Heron #4


                                                                   Green Heron #5



061719

0714-0819/69-71 F/fog to mostly cloudy/NE-4/88% RH/29.91-29.94 Hg and steady

These are the last two birds that have fledged, photos from eye-level blind area.  Four out of the five immature birds were observed, as well as one adult.

There was another early morning rain and some medium density fog after the rain.

Mother Green Heron still off nest two, yet it is possible that they are still low in the nest.