Monday, June 29, 2020
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Monday, June 8, 2020
060820 Breeding Birds of Oklahoma
060620 Brown Thrasher
060820 Bell's Vireo
The Great Plains has some of the most beautiful breeding birds and I don't indicate that because it is my home, the birds are truly remarkable, as are our winter birds, though we'll get to them at another time like winter.
Even though the Brown Thrasher is a bird seen over most of the country except the west, it is far from common. It tends to be shy and retiring, until that big voice gets in the way. It will be heard before it is seen and it has some of the richest calls and repeats its phrases in doublets rather than triplets like the Northern Mockingbird. If the bird is not seen, it is an easy rule of thumb to remember what one is hearing.
Bell's Vireo is another wonderful bird that is one of the few states that it uses for breeding purposes. There are several subspecies which include the Eastern, broken further into the Bright and Drab adults. The Western birds include the Bright and Drab Arizona and the rarest of the species is the Bright California or the Least Bell's Vireo.
A few weeks ago, writer was fortunate enough to find the Bright Eastern which is like a neon sign in comparison to this bird.
It is also sometimes confused with the Warbling Vireo, which is a browner species. The warbling tends to stay high, while the Bell's will often forage in short bushes and shrubs, though it will sing in a high area to keep intruders from its territory. As can be noted, the Bell's Vireo also has a green tint to its back or scapulars. The song is also quite different. The Bell's Vireo sings "cheedle-cheedle-chew, cheedle-cheedle-chee," which is unmistakable.
To See Bright Eastern Bell's Vireo From This Spring:
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2020/05/051320-yesterdays-rain-and-clouds.html
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Friday, June 5, 2020
060520 Boomer Lake's "Greats" Are In Town Today
American White Pelican AKA
Great White Pelican
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
The Great White Pelican and Great Crested Flycatcher wanted to be highlighted today, so here they are.
The Great White Pelican was observed on the south side of Shorebird Jetty among Canada Geese. It was the only pelican on the lake today. This shot was obtained as it circled the area between Shorebird Jetty and Heron Cove.
Writer had several contacts with the Great Crested Flycatcher over the past week or so. For the past couple of days, a parent has been bringing a juvenile around, which writer met yesterday (060420) at Heron Cove. Today, they both appeared just before I did at the deciduous woods across from Kicker.
The adult called several times and evidently the juvenile liked me, as it stayed in the same area that I was in, permitting several shots. What good fortune.
Thursday, June 4, 2020
060420 Different Birds, Different Responsibilities
060320 Northern Flicker
Juvenile American Robin
060420 Great Crested Flycatcher #1
Great Crested Flycatcher #2
Migrants have come and gone for the moment, but raising young is still on the minds of those that are breeding in our presence. It is just as intense to raise as many young birds as possible and the adults are doing everything in their power for them, just like we do.
Many similarities can be noticed, except for the cash outlay, but the investment of any animal is their intense struggle to be successful. Does that sound familiar?
So, writer urges everyone to be just as supportive in their work, as well as backing their needs for habitat, nourishing food and clean water, just like we ask as a basic right.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
The Center for Biological Diversity just won two victories against the Trump administration. Sparing vital protected wetlands, a judge struck down a federal plan to trade away land in the heart of Alaska's pristine Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to build a road. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld an order blocking the Army Corps permit that pipeline projects like Keystone XL use to cross waterways. This decision protects habitat that people and imperiled species rely on while a full appeal of the order moves forward.
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
060220 Young Birds Tip the Scale in June
060220 Juvenile Northern Mockingbird
Juvenile American Robin
Baltimore Oriole
American Robin
Plenty of juvenile birds were observed on this outing, however, no additional late migrants were discovered. Before the end of the month, some of the shorebirds should be enroute south, as they are the first breeders of the year. They also have the most distance to travel in general.
Writer always finds new life in the spring the most interesting aspect of nature. This has been the best migration in quite some time.
Monday, June 1, 2020
060120 Some Breeding Birds of Oklahoma
053120 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Our state bird is gorgeous, isn't it? Some of the salmon and redder hues are covered by the wing, so a shot with the wing in a upper position highlights additional beauty.
060120 Eastern Phoebe
Carolina Wren
There was hope that one migrant might be holding out for us, but it wasn't for writer at Boomer Lake. There are plenty of breeding birds to be observed, as well as their young. The Eastern Phoebe provided several different spots where it perched, some perfect for photographs, others not so good. There was one close shot that just didn't come up to muster with cottonwood fluff in front of it. However, the one shown has backlighting, and it's passable.
The Carolina Wren was within a shady wooded area and very active. I believe a second bird was also in the area, and this one wanted to make certain that its territory was safe from the second bird.
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