090420 Spotted Sandpiper
This is a non-breeding bird, common for this time of year. Though the Spotted Sandpiper is known for its spots, not all birds will sport them now, especially those molting just before migration into winter plumage.
090920 Blue-winged Teal
090920 Blue-winged Teal
At first appearance, it appeared that these were simply Blue-winged Teal. If one looks a little closer, te green speculum can be seen at the edge of the femoral tract.
091020 Great Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
This loner was among a group of several protective Great Egrets on Shorebird Jetty on this rainy day when many waterbirds were out of the skies.
Pectoral Sandpiper
This was a nice find among the many more common individuals.
The "Silent Sentinel" at its best.
Franklin's Gull
Least Sandpiper
This may be the smallest sandpiper, but it is still beautiful in breeding plumage.
Cliff Swallow
It is rare for these birds to be perched due to rudimentary feet, but it happens on occasion.
One could say "three on a match." Note the red tip on the bill, one of the distinguishing characteristics for this species.
Some of these were before and after the Wyoming adventure, but it is always good to return to familiar grounds, especially in the midst of migration.
Deb, do you expect the fires in California and other western states to result in our seeing species not usually seen in Oklahoma showing up looking for food and new habitat? If I remember correctly, after a couple big hurricanes in Florida a while back, there were migrations to places outside the state as usual food sources for birds were disrupted. I believe when this type of migration occurs on a large scale it is called an irruption, but am not sure if the number of birds migrating in the case of Florida qualify as an irruption. I would appreciate your comments on this. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhen speaking of birds, irruptions refer to the movement of northern-wintering species to the south in years of low food availability. Irruptive species include redpolls, Evening Grosbeaks, and Red-breasted Nuthatches, and several others. The Red-breasted Nuthatch has already been seen in OK, and is getting more common, at least recently. Birds will do what they have to do in order to eat, but there is more to this problem that meets the eye in my humble opinion. Birds also rely a great deal on their lungs, which could easily cause them to go elsewhere where the air is cleaner. No doubt you heard about the recent mortality even in NM, where hundreds of birds were found between the University of NM and White Sands Missile Range. Birds have been experiencing wildfires in the west for decades, and the biggest problem, of course, is the need for food, water, and shelter. This sudden weather change was the icing on the cake that caused so many problems. In general, we could well see many unusual species, but also remember that birds flying over the Rockies will see worse weather as a result, which has always been the case.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Thanks for the information, Deb. I really appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteyou're very welcome
ReplyDelete