PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEB HIRT: Dark-eyed Junco (Slate Colored)

Showing posts with label Dark-eyed Junco (Slate Colored). Show all posts

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

December 2019, Northwest Payne County Christmas Bird Count, and a Bald Eagle Vigil at Sooner Lake

Dark-eyed Junco

120219

0750-0833/33-36 F (28 wind chill)/partly cloudy/W-3/68-67% RH/30.15-30.12 Hg and rising

Plenty was going on, as much in the water as on land. The Red-shouldered Hawk was on a telephone pole, two Northern Flickers were looking for ants, jays were vocalizing, robins were triangulating as is popular this year, both Harris's Sparrows were on the Cove, while one Song Sparrow kept itself in seed. One Northern Cardinal was near the water's edge at the Cove and a Carolina Wren claimed its territory.

A single Pied-billed Grebe and an American Coot were on the water, while four Killdeer searched for sustenance on Shorebird Jetty. Four Great Blue Herons were either in or just off the water, while a few Herring and several hundred Ring-billed Gulls flew between the water and their private jetty.

Harris's Sparrow

120519

0800-0853/51-54 F (48 wind chill)/clear/SE-6/56-55%/29.76 Hg and steady

Here's one of the two Harris's Sparrows that could well be making Heron Cove their home for the winter. This is the cluster of trees on the west side of the area, where the Northern Cardinal nest is still visible and intact. Three Song Sparrows also were making their way around gleaning food. They have scoured just about every inch of the earth and the shore in this small area.

Ruddy Ducks are still in migration with a high number of ten birds, just lazily floating upon the water, half the eyes still open while they temporarily rest.

Canada Geese numbers are still at a low, and some of them are migratory. Near three dozen Mallards seek rest and food, while two Pied-billed Grebes rise and fall as much as some of the waves.

We've been averaging three Double-crested Cormorants and Great Blue Herons pre-winter, and the Heron numbers will increase as the weather chills. Dark-eyed Juncos are still sparse, though their numbers were also increase. If we get lucky, we may come up with an Oregon Junco from time-to-time over the dead of winter.

While robins are still few and far between, we'll get American Goldfinches passing through, and perhaps the occasional Purple Finch will come in with them. Yellow-rumped Warblers are around already and their numbers will also grow later on.

American Robin

120719

0815-0904/33-36 F/clear/calm73% RH/30.13 Hg and steady to 30.11 Hg and falling

Loggerhead Shrike

122119
0800-1500-40s/cloudy

Christmas Bird Count was done in Payne County centered upon Redlands Rd., just east of Lake Carl Blackwell on this date.

A few uncommon birds were observed, which included the Black Vulture and Common Yellowthroat. Second recordings were listed for Orange-crowned and Pine Warblers, as well as Marsh Wren increases. Writer's count area was in the northwest fifteen-mile circle with two other companions and tallied 59 species. There were more ducks than usual, most likely because there were more streams and ponds due to rainfall during the later part of the year instead of simply dry areas in our count area.

Doe and Fawns

122119

About seven deer including a buck, a spike, a couple of does and several female fawns crossed our path during the count, and we stopped to observe and photograph them. There are certainly more photos than this, so the best were chosen. Observations were made for about twenty minutes.

Doe and Fawn

212119

Buck

122119

Doe

122119

Savannah Sparrow

122119

Spider web, Backlit

122619

0856-0934/46-48 F/early dense fog to partly cloudy conditions/W-3/76-77% RH/29.87-29.91 Hg and rising

Savannah Sparrow, Backlit

010520

0730-1050/40-54 F/clear/N-15/63-50% RH/30.04 Hg and falling to 30.13 Hg and steady

Sooner Lake, Pawnee County area with 39 species observed

A few scant ducks were observed, which included Redheads, Northern Shovelers, Bufflehead, and Mallards.

The raptor representation was exceptional, which included four Bald Eagles, one of which was on a nest. Three additional juveniles were seen two from last year's clutch and one from the previous year. The second adult was not observed. Also seen were Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, a Harlan's Hawk, Northern Harrier, and American Kestrel, Merlin, and Prairie Falcons. Only one kestrel was located.

Seven sparrow species were found in scant numbers, mostly Dark-eyed Juncos. Eastern Bluebirds were not prevalent, either.

Better numbers of Canada Geese, Ring-billed Gulls, Mallards, American Robins, Eastern Meadowlarks, and European Starlings were noted.

Larger numbers of species were expected.

Juvenile Bald Eagle #1

010519

Juvenile Bald Eagle #2

Monday, October 28, 2019

Post-Rain Adventures still Continue with One Shorebird

Pine Siskin atop Bradford Pear

Yellow-rumped Warbler in Northern Catalpa

102619

0822-0929/48-50 F/clear/NW-7/87-86% RH/29.80-29.83 Hg and falling

After two solid days of rain, it was certainly necessary to get out for a while to look for birds, as I knew they would be out there. On the water we had both Pied-billed and Horned Grebes, the American Coot, Ring-billed Gulls, Ruddy Ducks, and a few Double-crested Cormorants with most of them heading south.

Songbirds comprised large numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers, a half dozen Eastern Bluebirds, a few Pine Siskins with a couple of fall plumaged American Goldfinches, several Chipping Sparrows, and last but not least a Savannah and a White-crowned Sparrow. The Carolina Chickadees were there as a welcoming committee, but no unusuals were there...yet.

Greater Yellowlegs

102719

0815-0934/50-55 F/clear/SE-9/83-8-% RH/29.72 Hg and steady to 29.81 Hg and rising

Today there were both the Bewick's and Carolina Wrens, American Goldfinch, Western Meadowlark,
38 Yellow-rumped Warblers with most of them in the air, my first Dark-eyed Junco of the season staring me down in a tree, and the Greater Yellowlegs that I saw from Heron Cove. It was so far away, I thought that I had a yellowlegs or Solitary Sandpiper, so I had to go see for myself what was among the ten Killdeer.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Fall Migration Still Waiting to Top Out or World of Birds On the Rise

Dark-eyed Junco (slate-colored)

Field Sparrow

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Field Sparrow

Field Sparrow, View 2

Lincoln's Sparrow

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch, View 2

Eastern Phoebe

Yellow-rumped Warbler

American Goldfinch, View 3

American Goldfinch, View 4

10-20 - 10-23-18

Last weekend and the first couple of weekdays brought two expected fallouts to Boomer Lake. This turned into the sparrow capital of the world, as well as songbird numbers increased. Being conservative, my opinion was in the neighborhood of a dozen winter Yellow-rumped warblers, but I believe it was close to twenty-five.

Also visiting were Orange-crowned and Nashville Warblers. Making attempts to get from one habitat change to another proved interesting, but just listening to the sounds of the birds that came in together, it was easy to tell what was near. However, finding each species was definitely another story.

After the Palm Warbler find, which was Boomer Lake's first recorded sighting, my spirits were high, and we did manage either a late migrating Gray Catbird, or the breeding catbird from these parts just decided to stay longer.

The Dark-eyed Juncos only stayed for a day, but the American Goldfinches and sparrows were eating every seed in sight.

After a brief sighting of about sixty Franklin's Gulls, Lady Luck asked me to settle down and enjoy the sights. So I did.

What I bring to you was just a basic representation of what I was able to find or at least be in view. The sounds of the Spotted Towhee rang through, it was briefly spotted once, but it has been staying put.

After a couple of days rain, it will be time to see what else flew in. Stand by for more information as soon as possible.

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Spring and Winter Birds Are Melding

American Coots

Tufted Titmouse

Carolina Wren

Canada Geese

Carolina Wren

Dark-eyed Junco (Slated-colored)

Ditto

Feb. and March 2018

The winter has been somewhat slow, and not all photos could make it into the blog. Here is a representation of a few things. Spring migrants have been coming in and dribs and drabs, like the Great-tailed and Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds (the adults and juveniles were both seen today, Killdeer, and both the Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants.

Most of the adult double-crested are heading north in order to breed, but the weather might not be quite to their liking. The northern hemisphere in general has not had the best conditions, but here in the southern states, we are more than ready for what is here and what is coming.

Much of what we're expecting is already in Texas, so it won't be more than a few weeks that more birds will be here.

Populations have increased from our own woods, and this weekend was quite good birding.