A Peregrine Falcon Makes a Migratory Pitstop

                                                                Peregrine Falcon

                                                             Yellow-rumped Warbler

                                                                Blue-winged Teal

                                                                  Northern Cardinal

                                                              Beaver with Branch

                                                             Great-tailed Grackle



04-02 through 04-10-17

Spring gives us a little early action, with the addition of the migratory Peregrine Falcon.  These
raptors only pass through Oklahoma.  A juvenile bird was observed a couple of days prior to this one, and I never realized what it was until it was too late.  Sadly, I could have had a beautiful airborne shot, but I'll settle for this one, even though it was quite a distance away.

A Red-tailed Hawk chased it away with its territorial scream, so I was very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time.

The Great-tailed and Common Grackles have been around for a couple of weeks now, and I do so
enjoy finding them in the midst of the foliage.

These Blue-winged Teal males were asserting their dominance in the midst of the females.

I had lost track of our beaver and found him on the opposite end of the lake carrying a large branch.
It's no crime to move periodically into better territory.

Winter's Famed Trappings

                                                                      Beaver

                                                        Yellow-rumped Warbler(Myrtle)

                                                                       Ditto

                                                                        Ditto

                                                               Fox Squirrel


0730-1000 hrs./43-49 degrees F/28 degree windchill for first hour/15-20 mph wind gusts/partly
cloudy

It was difficult getting pictures for the past several days.  The birds were out, but they just did
not wish to bother with the photographic element.  Most of these shots were obtained today, but
the excitement was on Sunday with wall-to-wall woodpeckers.

Several species of woodpecker were seen in close proximity to each other, some within inches.
They were seeking both sustenance, as well as cavities to excavate.  Unfortunately, European
Starlings were also in the vicinity, which tend to usurp the efforts of cavity nesters, most
notably the Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Several Carolina Chickadees sounded the starling alarm, and the woodpeckers became astute
to possible predators, including the Pileated Woodpecker, who was feeding in the company of
the tiny Downy Woodpecker.

A thunderstorm emptied clouds in the area overnight, so there were lots of large puddles and
great numbers of American Robins today.  With rain comes worms that need to breathe, so between
bathing and eating, there were a good sixty robins on the ground this morning.  They were also
southbound in good numbers, and our Bald Eagle couple paid a visit, too.  The male American Kestrel was also out and about seeking mice, so it was nice just to observe his actions.

The Birds Say that Spring is Here

                                                                    Bewick's Wren

Brown Creeper 

                                                                   Cedar Waxwing

                                                                 Dark-eyed Junco

                                                                American Robin

                                                              Buffleheads Mating

                                                                  Male Bufflehead
                                                             "Landing Gear Down 2"

                                                                   Bufflehead Pair

                                                                    Canada Geese

                                                               Male Northern Cardinal

                                                             Female Northern Cardinal

                                                                       Beaver

                                                                Dark-eyed Junco

                                                                     Mallard Pair

                                                                     Brown Creeper

Another week in the life of the illustrious denizens of Boomer Lake.  Spring is here early, which
was indicated by the animals.  A calendar holds them to no set dates.  When animals are ready,
they make it so.  Several birds have been located at the Tree of Life, which is on the water and provides the insectivores like the Brown Creeper, the Carolina Chickadee, the White-breasted Nuthatch, and the Red-bellied and Downy Woodpecker with sustenance.  There is even a nesting
sight being made ready by a pair of Carolina Chickadees, which will be monitored by Yours Truly.
Spring is both alive and well and in the Oklahoma area, so enjoy.  Trees are not only budding, but some are even flowering.