Showing posts with label Carolina Chickadee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carolina Chickadee. Show all posts
Monday, December 19, 2022
Sunday, August 21, 2022
Friday, June 24, 2022
Sunday, March 20, 2022
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Saturday, December 4, 2021
Saturday, October 9, 2021
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
052621 Spring Into Spring with Our Green Heron First Family
043021 Carolina Chickadee
This little beauty was out with its mate, checking for a nest cavity. Writer had seen where it was contemplating nesting, though a Downy Woodpecker was trying to usurp the same area even if it was much larger than the chickadee. The Downy's size was much too great for the thin snag.
050821 Red Eared Slider
This lovely was close to shore, but it was easy to stay covered by leaves to get this shot and remain hidden to the subject.
American Avocet
051421 American Coot
Even though morning had been broken, the area coots didn't mind being observed. Look at those unusual lobed toes that are so well adapted to uneven surfaces!
051521 Canada Goose (Gosling)
Knowing a kid's parents will get you right in the front row to photograph the youngster.
Clay Colored Sparrow
This slightly wet all-star was with roughly eight other migrants and this one didn't mind being the center of attention.
There were eight sandpipers wheeling around the lake multiple times, which afforded this nice shot of a bird's-eye-view. How cliche, right?
052521 Least Flycatcher
Least Flycatchers are easy to shoot IF you see one. We were eye to eye.
Green Heron and Nestlings 1
One view of some of the first family of 2021.
Green Heron and Nestlings 2
View two with some of each bird in the photo.
Green Heron and Nestling 3
The other one must have ducked under the parent.
Monday, March 8, 2021
030821 Winter On Boomer Lake's Branches, Grass, and Ice
022121 Herring Gull (Right)
Common bird, eh? The reason why I wanted it was to show the size difference between it and the Ring-billed Gull, as well as the fact that it has pink legs and an appreciably larger bill, while the Ring-billed has yellow-green legs.
030221 Carolina Chickadee
This was pretty backlit, but wonders never cease, it was not a bad shot.
030821 American Pipit
Been trying to get a pic of one of these for quite a while, so lo and behold! As always, they are a distance away, but I got lucky with the sun.
These are the winter pics for what could be the end of the season. Now, let's all get some migrants!
Saturday, March 6, 2021
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
Thursday, May 21, 2020
052120 Boomer Lake, a Good Hotspot for Many Resident and Migrant Species
051920 Female Purple Martin
Carolina Chickadee
Male Orchard Oriole
052020 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Female Purple Martin
Gathering Nesting Material
052020
This was a 42 species day, which is good, since spring migration is stating to wind down to some degree. I say this because I believe that there is going to be a little migration extension, as songbird migrants don't have to be in that much of a hurry with warmer weather staying around a little longer, unless they breed in the extreme north.
The Green Herons are still on Heron Cove, which is a little overgrown, allowing the birds more privacy. One was heard, but it's better that we not get too close as they need to retain their wild bird status. Writer was getting into their DNA, and they were comfortable with my presence last year, which is not something that is needed to continue. I nonchalantly look at the area without going on the bank. With cover, when the young are stretching their wings and foraging, I might watch them a little more closely.
There are breeding birds at The Cove, which includes American Robin, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, European Starling, Great-tailed Grackle, Purple Martin, Warbling Vireo, and Brown Thrasher. This is good news, as the area contains too many Bradford pear trees, which are only good for cover. Birds are not able to forage within them, since they don't have any attraction for native insects.
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are below the berm, as are plenty of Cliff Swallows searching for insects to fuel their youngsters. Plenty of Cedar Waxwings are hanging off all available mulberry trees and bushes, as are European Starlings, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, American Starlings, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, and the occasional Western Flycatchers. The Bell's Vireo is questionable as to whether or not it is staying long term this year. It may have left the area.
Carolina Chickadees, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow Warblers, Northern Mockingbird, Least Flycatcher, and reclusive Gray Catbird are found within the deciduous trees across from Lakehurst Drive area.
An interesting assortment of aviary delights have been frequenting the Bald Cypress Row vicinity, including at least one Great Crested Flycatcher, Western Kingbirds, Least Flycatcher, Yellow Warblers, Carolina Wren, and a Bright Eastern Bell's Vireo was photographed for the short time that it was present. Empidonax flycatchers also tend to favor the habitat as well.
Shorebird Jetty usually bears watching for the swallows, songbirds, and shorebirds that tend to stop over for purposes of foraging and rest all year long.
Other fruitful magnets for migrants include both north and south of Memorial jetty area, as mulberries were strategically planted by birds, many of which have been avidly fruiting this year. The large oak north of the restrooms hosts many species due to the trees insect attraction.
Many other semi-resident and passage migrants enjoy the small cottonwood/deciduous grove across from Kicker, which is also providing habitat for a Bell's Vireo couple. If you're lucky, you might see at least one of them.
The outskirts of the northeast jetty is home to more mulberries and good marsh grass, where sparrows tend to congregate during winter and spring. The Kicker (Stillwater Designs) property is well-kept all year but the native trees also attract many birds. If you'd like to bird it, gain permission first.
Boomer Lake Proper hosts many ducks, including such less often seen species like scoters, Great White-fronted Geese, and Common Yellow-eye during the winter. The colder it is, the better are the spoils.
There are several other less visited areas on Boomer Lake that have excellent habitat for other less often seen birds like Purple Finch, Swainson's Thrush, Pine Siskin, Wilson's Warbler, Grasshopper Sparrow and other less often seen species. Search the area on your own and see what you can find. We still find birds that have never been seen there before.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
050520 Cinco de Mayo By the Migrants
050220 Male First Summer Orchard Oriole
American Bullfrog
050420 Neotropic Cormorants
Carolina Chickadee
View 1
Carolina Chickadee
View 2
Carolina Chickadee
View 3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
050420
There was plenty of activity today with plenty of Yellow Warblers, Savannah Sparrows, an Eastern Phoebe, Spotted Sandpipers, a Forster's Tern, and our lone Least Sandpiper. Cedar Waxwings were all over the area eating mulberries on the south and central part of Boomer Lake, while the White-winged Dove came out of its neighborhood to perch upon the new high wires. We even had more Cliff Swallows than Barn Swallows, and they gave great views at the end of Shorebird Jetty.
We've moved up to at least two Least Flycatchers, are up to three Eastern Kingbirds, and five Western Kingbirds. Two Neotropic Cormorants were on their normal snag off Goose island sunning themselves.
There are two Mallard families, and more than enough going on where there are ripe mulberries, which means that the migrant fruit eaters are getting their fills. That also means that raptors like the Red-shouldered Hawk that was out today is finding numbers of songbirds to attempt to prey upon.
A pair of Greater Roadrunners were a sight for sore eyes in the Kicker field. This is where our lone resident Killdeer is also hanging its hat since we have no available gravel or bare cement for camouflaged eggs.
The male Bell's Vireo was back to protecting his territory by the northeast martin house.
I was first greeting by a very social Carolina Chickadee that gave several poses, along with Swainson's Thrush, Northern Cardinal, and the Rose-breasted Grosbeak activity dining upon the mulberries that were ripe or close to it.
The Pileated, Red-bellied, and Northern Flicker were not far from all the action.
The longer that I waited, the more birds I heard in the woods, like the White-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Northern Parula, Indigo Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, and Prothonotary Warbler. It was birdy, pleasantly breezy, and all was well until the Red-shouldered Hawk that I spied going into the Kicker field earlier, showed up here. Prior to its arrival, many of the mentioned birds exited south, and an Ovenbird and Kentucky Warbler were even flushed. The Red-shoulder was first seen on the ground, but missed whatever it was, then came right past me. It was probably what saved the warblers.
When it left, also heading south, I knew my chances for more photos were over for. while. The hawk was on the power lines and while I was readying to get a shot of it, it headed further north by the northeast martin house and planted itself there. All ten Purple Martins were in the sky dive bombing it, and as I came around, it again fled, perching a little north while it again perched on the low power lines. Round the bend, it headed back to Kicker. I don't think the juvenile got anything to eat during all that action.
However, it was a 60 species morning for me and I added the Ovenbird and Kentucky Warbler to my numbers today.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Friday, February 7, 2020
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Friday, October 25, 2019
Boomer Migration Prior to Rains
Yellow-rumped Warbler, View 1
American Coots
Yellow-rumped Warbler, View 2
102219
0750-0853/45-47 F (wind chill 41)/clear/W-5/54% RH/30.06-30.09 Hg and rising
Just prior to this two day rain that began very early Wednesday October 23, birds were flying in an erratic manner and preparing by eating as much as they could.
There were a dozen or more migrant Killdeer between Shorebird Jetty and the most southwest jetty. I got the actual count when a man was walking his dog and drove them into the air and they went onto the secondary location. There were some Killdeer there, a smaller amount, but I was unable to get an exact count prior to the incident. There were at least six, but I used the dozen figure.
Since this was actually a minor seasonal cooldown, there were also a few ducks upon the water, which included eighteen Gadwall, a few Northern Shovelers (juveniles), and eight American Coots.
The coots didn't even notice me at Heron Cove, and just came nearer when the above shot was taken.
As many know, Ken Kaufman wrote a book on pishing, and gave many examples on the included CD, but I have developed many of my own calls over the years. One that I came upon was actually learned from a Palm Warbler that I once encountered at Boomer Lake. When the Palm Warbler moved out of my view, I used it to call it back last fall.
Several birds were in sycamores, western soapberry and even within the Bradford pear trees on the west side of The Cove. I'm being very conservative when I say that there were thirty-five Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers in the area, along with the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird, American Pipit, Chipping Sparrow, and Belted Kingfisher. Of course, the pipit will never be located in a tree, yet it had been clearly observed in the lowland nearby.
The warblers, kinglet, sparrow, and kingfisher all responded nicely to my own pish, and I could have shown many more photos of the warblers. The kinglet also availed itself, but was on the move, so out of the several shots that I obtained, none of them were worthy to be posted here. The chippie also hung in the brambles, but writer managed to get a lot of good looks for an extended period of time and just might have come up with other birds.
Then the rain hit and my birding adventures were curtailed. Perhaps tomorrow...
For the Palm Warbler Sighting:
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2018/10/oklahoma-migratory-species-profile-palm.html
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