Showing posts with label Hooded Merganser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hooded Merganser. Show all posts
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Sunday, June 25, 2023
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Saturday, June 4, 2022
Saturday, February 12, 2022
Monday, January 17, 2022
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Saturday, July 31, 2021
Saturday, July 3, 2021
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Friday, May 22, 2020
052220 Post-Rain Comes, More Good Birds
052120 American Robin in Nest
A couple of Ruddy Ducks were seen upon distant water at Boomer Lake in the morning, late birds for the season. We may have seen our last four Spotted Sandpipers. My figure of 145 Cedar Waxwings was conservative, there were likely more. There were chances for an impending storm later in the day, and if that occurs, we can expect good birds on the morrow.
052220 Eastern Meadowlark
Franklin's Gull
Willet
Neotropic Cormorant
Juvenile Hooded Merganser
052220
There was an early morning rain/thunderstorm with wind gusts between 26 and 44 mph between 0553-0753, and we received 0.83" of precipitation. The strongest winds were west and south of Stillwater, which were even worse with straightline storms some of which prompted winds up to 81 mph and wreaked a lot of devastation in several locales.
However, much of Payne county experienced very good birding, as birds are generally down before a storm unless they are within the wrong cell at the wrong time. With this time period and migration waning, we were still going to get a drop before the storm. When the storm was over, most birders were out, writer included.
We noticed more Canada Geese than usual that were either on Boomer Lake or upon the property, along with some downed trees, limbs, and branches. The downed tree that was noticed on the east side was a deciduous tree that came out of the ground at water's edge, due to extreme saturation.
The nests on Heron Cove seemed to be intact and everything was normal, save for the above notation. Females usually spend the night on their nests and are relieved in the morning.
Meridian had a response early and there was a Whimbrel, female Hooded Merganser, Baird's, White-rumped and Spotted Sandpipers, and a Least Tern.
First unusual item noticed on Boomer Lake was a notable Least Tern and a Ruddy Duck, a late bird for the season. Another birder was already at Shorebird Jetty to count several Franklin's Gulls, two Willow Flycatchers, and a Willet. There were no Spotted Sandpipers located, yet only one Cedar Waxwing.
There was also an Eastern Meadowlark, Least Flycatchers, and Yellow Warblers.
Continuing on, Turkey Vultures were riding thermals, as were Mississippi Kites. We also encountered a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a couple of Great Crested Flycatchers, and a juvenile Hooded Merganser. The merganser came close enough to permit a nice photograph, but the nearby Pied-billed Grebe noticed writer's location, whereas the young merganser did not.
Nothing else was noteworthy at Boomer Lake. Throughout the morning, many other locations were checked throughout the county.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Storms of 2019 Flood Boomer Lake and Beget Shorebirds Galore
Hooded Merganser (Right)
Ruddy Duck (Left)
Female Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Shelduck
Willow Flycatcher
White-rumped Sandpipers
White-rumped Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone ( Center of Group)
Franklin's Gull (Center)
Black Tern
Franklin's Gull (Bottom)
Forster's Terns
052119
0855-1012 hrs/65-66 F/mostly cloudy/89% RH--shortly after heavy rain stopped
A few dozen Canada Geese were in the arms of safety on the southeast corner of the our beloved Boomer Lake with low areas growing in size with water, which had two or three Mallards swimming within. Three Great Blue Herons were seen in transit from all directions.
Beloved Boomer was flooded to the mow line and police units were out to deter traffic in flood areas on the west side. Heron Cove was my biggest worry, with the Green Heron nest just over the water and in full view.
Relaxing a little when I observed Mother Heron upon her nest, fast asleep, wet and bedraggled, the stick fortress was sinking lower just above water. Two Willow Flycatchers were heard on the Cove, one safely hidden, yet obviously fearful and calling from the mulberry bush at The Cove. On the west side of Heron Cove was a female Hooded Merganser near shore with a sleeping Ruddy Duck. A Baltimore Oriole was in attendance, along with plenty of Great-tailed Grackles, a Common Grackle, and an Eastern Kingbird could be heard, while a Brown Thrasher was atop the trees, having taken sentry duties. A yellow-shafted Northern Flicker always seemed to be foraging in front of me, always just ahead to pave the way.
At least one southwest jetty was nearly covered by water, yet the southeastern jetty was close to the same with a twelve-foot span toward the end of the cove submerged. Franklin's Gulls could be observed, giving writer a good idea that there were shorebirds there.
On the way to the southeastern jetty, several familiar areas were choked with excess water with at least two more Willow Flycatchers flitting about in a normal nervous manner. All birds were doing their best to stay above the rushing water line. Mourning Doves were performing their plaintive wail atop the new power lines. Ducks, both wild and domestic, and Canada Geese were going about their business foraging in wet grass.
Rounding the corner to reach the jetty, a friend was scoping the area. He had come up with most of the photographed birds. While we inched closer to these birds, he was walked beside me, telling me what he had observed. We both continued to get as close as possible without driving the shorebirds and gulls away. Upon approach, Black Terns were flying by closer than I had ever seen them, allowing wonderful observation of behavior.
The real question was nearest the bench at the end of the jetty, breached by several feet of standing water. Was there a Common Tern among the Forester's Terns? It turned out to be a false alarm, but this was a fabulous search for shorebirds, some of which I had never before seen in Oklahoma.
My standing joke has always been that birds that have never been here eventually come to see me and they Payne County list grows.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Birds of Boomer For December 2018
Red-shouldered Hawk
Juvenile Herring Gulls
Male Hooded Merganser
Juvenile Herring Gull (Rear)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Common Merganser
Glaucous Gull ?
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Carolina Chickadee
Green-winged Teal
Bewick's Wren
Common Merganser
Juvenile Herring Gulls
Common Merganser
12-05 - 12-16-18
Most of December was a very mild month, with very few birds of interest at Boomer Lake.
We had more Herring Gulls than usual, one or two in a couple of hundred Ring-billed Gulls was normal, but we have seen double, sometimes triple those numbers this winter.
The Lesser Black-backed Gull has visited several times, along with a Glaucous Gull that came in once or twice.
Common Mergansers were all over the state more than usual, more than the normal Red-breasted Merganser.
This irruptive year also brought Purple Finches, as well as Red-breasted Nuthatches to mostly the northwest corner of Boomer Lake several times.
Hungry hawks have also been here, but not nearly the numbers that we saw last year--yet. Winter has only been here for a month.
Ducks were very rare in December, too, but there will be a few changes with occasional cooler mornings in January.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Monday, May 16, 2016
Rare Birds Are Still Gracing Payne County in Oklahoma
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Spotted Sandpiper
Great Blue Heron
First Spring Hooded Merganser
Swainson's Thrush
Eastern Kingbird
Neotropic Cormorant
05-15-16
0900-1300 hrs./58-68 degrees F/partly to mostly cloudy/15 mph wind gusts
The day before the rain provided a good showing at Boomer Lake, namely the Neotropic Cormorant
who visited me between the northern jetty and Goose Island on the east side of the lake. This bird
arrived approximately a month ago, and has been with us ever since, which has been the first spring
it has ever been at the lake. Also, two first spring Hooded Mergansers dropped right in front of me
on the north side of the lake closer to the shore near the northern part of Goose Island. Nonetheless,
even though the Hooded Merganser can be in the area this time of year, they will most likely be resident birds. Normally, these birds are in the area only during the winter, so it is quite exceptional.
The remainder of the birds were photographed off Boomer Creek in the deeply wooded area. The
Swainson's Thrush was heard calling prior to the sighting, and there were also several warblers seen
and heard in the area, including the Prothonotary and Blackpoll Warblers. If you look hard at the Red-bellied Woodpecker, you'll see its long tongue protruding from its bill, which is how it gets all those delicious ants and termites.
It is expected to be good weather on Wednesday, so it is likely that more birds could be arriving in the
area, but until then, the current visitors are probably not going anywhere.
The Spotted Sandpiper, the Red-bellied Woodpecker and the Red-headed Woodpecker are all at home in the Boomer Creek area, as well as the stately Pileated Woodpecker. There is no question that these
birds are all raising youngsters. Hopefully, I might be able to spot a nest cavity tree, even in the thick woods. Time will tell.
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