Showing posts with label Downy Woodpecker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Downy Woodpecker. Show all posts
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
010621 Winter Scenery At a Rain Soaked Boomer Lake
122120 Lesser Canada Goose
This little goose is very easy to notice among its bigger kin, the Canada Goose. The bill is smaller and the breast is paler
122720 Red-Shafted Northern Flicker
These birds appear periodically this far east, but are more common in western Oklahoma, like the Panhandle region. A few years ago, there was an adult in the area, and this bird might be one of the offspring.
Cedar Waxwing
Waxwings are getting more common, no longer as "irruptive" as they once were. They don't mind the fruit of the Bradford pear tree, an invasive tree from China and Viet Nam that is becoming ever popular in the US, is also known as the callery pear. These trees are resistant to disease and readily eaten by birds, which disperse the seeds. The trees can be susceptible to storm, wind, and ice/sno damage, making it a hazard.
122220 Downy Woodpecker
This young lady was picture perfect and didn't mind my company. This shot was captured while the bird was nearly at eye level. She'd climb one tree, then start the same activity on another.
010221 Dark-eyed Junco (cismontanus)
This bird or others like it have been fairly common this winter. I have seen it four times over the past couple of weeks.
This was during the period of several inches of rain and about an inch of snow in The Lowlands. Two American Crows were visiting, each with a pecan. This individual was captured as it went to a lower area for a drink of water, which was also occupied by several Mallards. The water was deep enough to cover their legs while standing.
010421 Mallards
This was an attractive shot that happened to be visible while writer was photographing the crows. They made several passes, so it was not difficult to achieve a good in flight photo.
010621 Sharp-shinned Hawk
This was the third location that this raptor chose to eat what was left of a songbird at Heron Cove, as well as the best photo op. Two Blue Jays led me to it, as they were nearly overhead. While the hawk was in the area, most potential food sources were low to the ground, except two Mourning Doves that were motionless on another tree. After this shot, I politely thanked the subject for its co-operation and retreated so it could dine unimpeded.
Friday, October 30, 2020
103020 Post Three Day Rainstorm with Rarity
103020 Franklin's Gull
Downy Woodpecker
Ditto, View 2
Immature Marsh Wren
Monday through Wednesday October 26-28, Stillwater, Oklahoma, home of Boomer Lake Park, received over four inches of rain. On Thursday afternoon, writer ventured out to see what might be found, which was somewhat expected, except for the rare Red-breasted Mergansers and the Red-necked Grebe.
Oh, isn't Oklahoma landlocked, you say? Yes, yes, it is. When they migrate over terra firma, it is usually overnight but with several days worth of rain, lots of birds came down for our hospitality. They usually overwinter in the north, but these birds know how to vacation in Hawai'i and Bermuda. So they think ahead. Migrants can appear on any body of water during migration, especially larger lakes, and they are actually very common birds. This is the first one that has been recorded via eBird at Boomer Lake Park.
This uncommon waterbird breeds in the Boreal Forest and sticks to coastal regions except for small patches in the northern US. It has a solid black cap, a heavy yellow billed angled downward, pale earpatch, and a dark crown and cheeks. The eyes are surprisingly not red, and the bill in usually held downward. Another notable characteristic is the thick neck and broad head.
These remarkable birds have an odd habit of consuming large quantities of its own feathers and will even feed them to their young. Perhaps the feathers protect the stomach from indigestibles.
If the Great Lakes freeze over this year, we could have many more of these grebes wandering about the eastern part of the US.
Surprisingly, writer now has photographed all the grebes in this country. It's a nice feeling.
We also had a wide assortment of ducks and other waterbirds over this time period. Even though we've had even earlier visiting waterbirds this year, they still bring ooo's and aaahhhhh's during the pre-winter seasons. It's also been nice seeing Bonaparte's Gulls much earlier than we generally do.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Post Rain Boomer Birding
Yellow Warbler
Female Eastern Downy Woodpecker
Blue-winged Teal
092219
1055-1217/77-78 F/variable to mostly cloudy/SSW-13/87-86% RH/29.88 Hg and steady
After an overnight rain of 2.73", a little activity was observed on Heron Cove. A male Wilson's Warbler was singing, which proves that with adult males, even though they are migrating, summer is not over yet and testosterone is still coursing in their veins. However, Zugunruhe provides migratory restlessness. A photo was not possible due to the rapid movements, even though the male was at eye level. It could have been a good shot.
The Wilson's was in the company of several Yellow Warblers, all having breakfast after a wet night. Insects were on the menu, as migration depletes the body's resources.
A resident female Eastern Downy Woodpecker was also in the area on snags, also in search of protein sustenance. An Eastern Bluebird was heard on the west side of The Cove.
The southeastern low field of Boomer Lake around the pecan trees and mulberry hosted a little over a dozen Canada Geese, 85 migratory Mallards, and a couple dozen juvenile Blue-winged Teal. A couple of Barn Swallows (migrants) and resident Mourning Doves passed overhead.
The remainder of the day remained cloudy and more rain came late afternoon. Perhaps tomorrow will prove fruitful, too.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Sunday, March 19, 2017
The Weekend's Wonders Are Still Inbound
Red-shouldered Hawk
Ditto
Ditto
Neotropic Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Blue-winged Teal
Gadwall
Gadwall, Position 2
Horned Grebe
Juvenal Great Blue Heron
03-18 and 03-19-17
We're back to spring weather again, as the low pressure system that had once been affecting
the eastern part of the country has moved on. This makes migratory movement get into a
higher gear and bring us more birds that are northbound.
The Red-shouldered Hawk shots are all from today, and I practically walked into the bird before
I noticed it. This gorgeous bird gave me these three shots and he was farther away from me in the first shot, and came closer. These hawks are excellent mousers, and will prefer a mouse over a bird.
This is one of the many species that you'll save if you forgo rat poison.
The Neotropic Cormorant, a warmer weather bird, is rare in these parts, but has given us presence
since at least 2015. February 21 of this year is the earliest that it has been here, and I strongly believe, even without a band, that this is one of last year's juvenal birds, now a pristine adult in breeding plumage.
Many Downy Woodpeckers were showing themselves today, and this one happened to be cavorting
with a female, also in the area. Try as I might, was unable to get a shot with the two of them together.
The Blue-winged Teal were not on the lake, but they were the only ones in the area. They were found at the creek, spending a little extra time foraging before they go to their breeding grounds.
A lone Gadwall was in the company of the teal, and was still there when I quietly left the area. None of them had any idea that I was in their presence, as it should be.
This Great Blue Heron is a beautiful example of one of last year's crop born here at Boomer Creek.
This bird is definitely a first year bird, due to its gray coloring. A 5-year bird will have black epaulettes and tan shorts. Due to their coloring, it is easy to age them.
This lone Horned Grebe was located near Goose Island in the area of the geese.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Winter Birds Bring Good Fortune to Boomer Lake
American Goldfinch
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Herring Gull
Dark-eyed Junco (slate colored)
American Robin
Female Downy Woodpecker
Northern Mockingbird
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Ditto, Surrounded by Ring-billed Gulls
American Kestrel at Magruder Plots, OSU
Warbling Vireo Nest
Adult (RIGHT) and Juvenile (LEFT)
Herring Gulls in Rear
12-28-16 through 01-01-17
Temperatures during this period of time were relatively warm for this time of year, unlike what
had just rudely dominated our early mornings.
There were standard birds in our midst, like the American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Juncos, the
Carolina Chickadee and Wrens, Bewick's Wren, Song Sparrows, and other winter sparrows.
As luck had it, there were other gulls among the mix at Boomer Lake, like the more common Herring Gull, adults having a red spot on the lower bill, and are larger than the yellow-legged Ring-billed Gulls, which really do have a black ring around the front of the bill.
A European gull that is getting to be more common in the area, was willing to be photographed, the Lesser Black-backed Gull.
While a friend and I went to Magruder experimental wheat fields at OSU, we had high hopes to see
a couple of different longspurs, but there were none. There were plenty of Eastern and Western Meadowlarks on New Year's Day, as well as Eastern Bluebirds, and a gorgeous male American Kestrel.
This is the time of year for al the woodpeckers to make nest cavities, choose a mate, and think about
laying eggs. A couple of representatives are shown here, the Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers.
There are several yellow-shafted Northern Flickers, including the rarer Red-shafted. We had a female last year and she has returned to us. I don't believe any of her young from last year were red-shafted, but just because I didn't see any, doesn't mean that there were none elsewhere.
Even though the Brown Pelican caught a southern tailwind after two weeks of reigning over Boomer Lake, all good things do come to an end. A Brown Pelican is a coastal bird used to salt water fish and warmer temperatures, so it was a rare fluke, but not totally out of the question during the tail end of an El Nino year.
We'll continue to seek out more uncommon birds this winter, and chances are good that more will be visiting with us.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Summer Relinquishes to Fall's Finer Showings
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| Eastern Bluebird |
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| Double-crested Cormorants |
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| Killdeer |
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| Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk |
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Female Downy Woodpecker Great Horned Owl |
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Adult Red-shouldered Hawk |
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Great Blue Heron Holding Berries |
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Great Blue Heron Releasing Berries |
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Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron |
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Redheads |
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American Goldfinch 11-20 through12-02-16 |
El Nino still holds on fast to many things, even though its time should be up. Global warming
has taken on a stronger foothold, so birds that should have been on their way to more southern climes are still with us in mid-December, like the Great Egret, juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron, and even a vagrant Brown Pelican from the briny waters. I did not see the pelican yesterday, but my sources are very trustworthy, so I know that it was on Boomer Lake.
Rumor has it that winter will be warm and wet for the Great Plains, but the northern areas will be even colder and snowier. Good fortune to all, and keep warm.
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