Wichita Mountains NWR Starring the Black-capped Vireo

                                                                 Longhorn Steer

                                                                Longhorn Steer

                                                               Black-capped Vireo

                                                               Black-tailed Prairie Dogs


04-20-19
80s-1030-1430 hrs-partly cloudy

Prior to the Upper Rio Grande Valley jaunt, half a day was spent at the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Comanche county at Little Baldy.  My target bird was the recently endangered Black-capped Vireo, which was delisted about nine months ago.  The better part of the time at Wichita Mountains was spent trying to obtain a photo, which fortunately was successful.  This vireo had been very susceptible to predation by the Brown-headed Cowbird, an obligate brood parasite.  Biologists worked with keeping the cowbird away from the nesting Black-capped Vireos here at the Wichita Mountains NWR, which is why they were removed from endangered status.  As long as this has a long-term effect, the species will be more successful, just like the Kirtland's Warbler was able to do with the Brown-headed Cowbird.

Also discovered were longhorn steer and the black-tailed prairie dogs, all five of which are young animals.

Also observed were Cliff and Barn Swallows, as well as nesting Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Mourning Doves, Black-chinned Hummingbirds,  Turkey Vultures, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice,  Carolina Wren, and the Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle).
                                                 

Oklahoma Breeding Bird Species Profile: Yellow Warbler

Sweet-sweet-sweet-little more sweet!

Familiar sounds from a familiar bird that is seen early for migration, many times in late July or August.  Wet brushy habitats (second growth) will assure your success on viewing this little beauty, especially around willow and cottonwood thickets, as well as orchards and hedgerows.

Present in most of the country in spring or fall, the Yellow Warbler will be certain to please you with its lovely song and characteristic demeanor.  It forages on stems and leaves of trees and bushes.  Males will forage higher than females, who seen to prefer a more laid back style of gleaning their insects and spiders.

                             
                                                                 Male Yellow Warbler
                                                  in breeding plumage, Boomer Lake Park

This wood warbler arrives on the breeding ground is late April or May.  Though a rare breeder in Oklahoma, it will breed occasionally in the north central or northeast portions of the state.   The Brown-headed Cowbird parasitizes many of this species, yet it remains plentiful.  The warbler simply builds a second tier upon the nest, lays more eggs, and goes about its business, sometimes as many as six times.

They have one or two broods a year, and the monogamous pair build a cup nest of grass, moss, lichen and spider silk lined with softer material.  This can be found in an upturned tree fork or in a dense shrub or bush.  Females will sometimes help themselves to nest material from other nests, taking about four days to manage construction.  The male does little to contribute to this endeavor, and he will even feed young occasionally.  He is busy protecting the female, nest, and territory from interlopers.

                                                          Female Yellow Warbler
                                                    Boomer Lake Park--Heron Cove

The species has simple needs for territory.  It only requires about a half acre of real estate, high singing posts, sufficient foraging areas, and plenty of concealment.

Oklahoma Breeding Bird Species Profile: Prothonotary Warbler

Tsweet-tsweet-tsweet-tsweet-tsweet-tsweet-tsweet!

These sounds are familiar in wooded, tick infested swamps with a creek or standing water.  It is a clear, metallic song, and you should be able to observe this beauty, close to eye level once it gets to know you.

The male has a bright yellow head and breast with steel blue wings and black eyes and bill.  The species was named after Catholic clergy due to its primarily yellow attire.

A cavity nester, the pair will flit in and out of the old woodpecker hole that they have chosen, which is anywhere from seven to eighteen feet almost directly over the water.  When it is nearly May in Oklahoma, one waits with bated breath for this beautiful bird.

A New World Warbler, or wood warbler, the prothontary is an insectivore, and he will build several incomplete nests, while the female opts to build the real nest.  The birds favor insects and snails, which is why they are in favor of living by water, which tends to attract both of those food sources.  They will also eat seeds and rely on nectar, if necessary.

                                                          Male Prothonotary Warbler
                                                                  Red Slough, 2016

One of two cavity nesting warblers, it is often a victim of Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism.

These birds will use nest boxes, an old rural mailbox placed in or by the water, as well as old Downy Woodpecker cavities, and is often in the same area as other species of concern, namely the Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Red-headed Woodpecker.  They winter in mangrove swamps and lowland forests of creeks and streams in Central and northern South America.

This photograph was taken after trying to obtain one for a couple of years.  The bird was practically two feet away from my knees, perched over standing water in a swamp.  It had been calling to me, but due to the darkness, I was unable to see it at first.  It patiently waited while I got my shots, then returned to the nest cavity, not far from where I was standing.  It was worth the eight ticks to finally get this picture.

                                                        Male Prothonotary Warbler
                                                             Boomer Creek, 2017

Birds and Zugunruhe, An Experience in Nature

                                                             Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

                                                                    Carolina Wren

                                                     First Canada Goose Family of 2018

                                                         Male Brown-headed Cowbird

                                                            Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

First half of April 2018

Spring migration generally began at the appropriate time, but like everything else that is no
longer certain, the birds are playing a guessing game.  Our avian friends have no choice is what
they do, for zugunruhe is a very strong urge.  It is a great pull telling birds that they are going to
move and they have no control over this very strong call of nature.  It is their call to move north, if
in our hemisphere, and there is nothing that they can do about it.  The birds must go.  Even birds that
are caged or trapped experience the same sensation, and they do try to fly away, even if they cannot.

Experiments have been done, even as far as turning their cages in directions that do not face north, south, east, or west.  In the darkness in an inverted cone-shaped device with paper under them, birds still face the correct direction for their nonexistent flight.

Birds face many hazards during this flight.  The Gulf of Mexico spans six hundred miles, and if the they have northern winds pushing them back, they must still fight the wind or land upon an oil rig if they run out of fat reserves in order the rest.  Violent storms can force them down wherever they may be in transit, so they may or may not make it, possibly plunging into a watery grave.  These animals have been known to hitch rides on boats or ships in order to complete their journey.

Nature is amazing, but it can be cruel.  Juvenal birds survive this grueling journey about fifty percent of the time.

For the birds that do make it in one wave, this event is called a fallout and if any of you have been privy to this, birds will not move once they have landed, as they are so exhausted.  They could land on South Padre Island, High Island or countless other places, even more inland.

The best thing to do is to let them rest so that they can refuel and continue their journey to their breeding grounds, as they only have a few short months to breed.  Some birds travel from one end of the hemisphere to the other, so this is not a feat for the weak.  Some of them sleep for a few seconds while their are still in flight, some do not even take the time to eat, even if they are able to stop.

For the young and old birds alike, one must congratulate them for their efforts.  It is not an easy feat, and they do it twice a year.