050520 Spotted Sandpiper
Cedar Waxwing
050620 Swainson's Thrush
Western Kingbird
050820 Opossum
Double-crested Cormorant (R)
Neotropic Cormorant (L)
Migrants are still coming through the area, especially with the last early morning thunderstorm on Friday, May 8. Temperatures never went over 59 F, the barometer was rising at 30.05 and the winds were N-18 - NNW-15 between 0709 and 0818 hrs. Mesonet data recorded 1.13" on rain in Stillwater at the airport. Birding numbers were excellent throughout the day.
Couch Park at first light shared Wood Ducks, the Cooper's and Red-shouldered Hawk, Mississippi Kite, a Red-bellied and Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Pewee, Least, Traill's, and Great Crested Flycatcher, Warbling, Blue-headed, and Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American and Fish Crow, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Carolina and House Wrens, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrushes, American Robins, American Goldfinch, several Chipping Sparrows, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Northern Parulas, Ovenbird, Yellow, Tennessee, Nashville, and Blackpoll Warblers, Summer Tanager, and Northern Cardinals.
Boomer Lake Park counted the usuals plus Cliff, Barn, and a lone Bank Swallow, Pied-billed Grebe, Neotropic Cormorants, Cooper's Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern and Western Kingbirds, Bell's Vireo, Common Yellowthroat and a Blackpoll Warbler.
The OSU Cross Country Course added Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrel, Willow Flycatcher, Sedge Wren, Clay-colored, Lark, White-crowned, and Harris's Sparrows, Blue Grosbeak, Painted Bunting, and Dickcissels.
Meridian Tech provided Ruby-throated Hummingbird, American Golden-Plover, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Baird's, Pectoral, Semi-palmated and Least Sandpipers, and Black Tern.
Lake Carl Blackwell observations included Franklin's Gulls, Forster's Terns, large numbers of Black Terns, Merlin, Field Sparrow, Black-and-White, Orange-crowned, Kentucky, Pine, and Yellow-throated Warblers, and Indigo Bunting.
Sanborn Lake tallied Bewick's Wrens.
Teal Ridge had Great Egrets and Lincoln's Sparrow.
Hoyt Grove Park added Great Horned Howl, Hammond's Flycatcher (Nice find! Reminds me of the coniferous forests of AZ. Must have been very breezy.), Philadelphia Vireo, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch, and Pine Siskin.
The morning of May 9 ushered in a northern cold front. Much of the north managed a few inches of snow during this same period. Boomer Lake still has the Northern Waterthrush holding over, which it has been for several days knowing full well that the weather in the north was not in its best interests. An Eastern Towhee and American Redstart also stayed in the arms of The South, and our ubiquitous Cedar Waxwings are still dining upon every wild mulberry that they can come within ten miles for. They will continue to gain weight for the next month, if they decide to finally move to their northern breeding grounds or stay here.
