010619 Muskogee Edition, Birding Today

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/birding-today-too-late-to-rid-country-of-invasive-species/article_67f93bb0-5efd-5e8d-a997-2cbb29986fab.html

Birds Are in Our Future and in Our Parks

                                                      Northern Flicker(Yellow-shafted)

                                                              Yellow-billed Cuckoo

                                                                       American Robin

                                                                 Male Painted Bunting

                                                                  Brown Thrasher

                                                             Fledgling House Sparrow

                                                                Great Blue Heron

                                                           Mallard Hen with Ducklings


0650-0954/77-86 degrees F/partly cloudy/light and variable winds

Morning temperatures have been slightly cooler over the past few days and the days are getting shorter, which signifies fall migration is near.  Actually, it has already begun in some parts of the country.  Migration is a very strong pull for birds, and they actually have their moods affected.
They are antsy, and cannot sit still still.

How can this be when young are still being raised?  Quite simply, not every species will migrate at the same time.  The hawks begin movement around now, which is why you're seeing them more.  Some of our birds like the Purple Martin and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher will begin roosting behaviors, which means that they will gather together in large groups and spend the night in a tree or two.  This isn't going to happen right this moment, but the signs have already begun. But now IS the time to keep your feeders stocked and help those neotropical migrants.  Some of them will double their weight so that they can travel thousands of miles to their destination.  Some will cross the Gulf of Mexico without stopping, as they have to do so.  There is no stopping point in the middle, and this is a very dangerous time for birds.  If they are tired, they will perish by drowning in the gulf.

Get ready for a great deal of movement within the next month.  You'll be seeing some very drab and ragged birds at your feeders in the fall.  They were busy breeding and will be busy heading to their winter homes, which will not be a vacation.  Young birds that were born this year will be the last to leave, so they will not get the prime habitat that their parents do.  They will have to settle for scrub, and they may not come back next year.  They also have to deal with pesticides that we rejected in this country a decade ago.  Those pesticides can kill them, and others will cause them to not to be fully functional.  The life of a neotropical migrant is difficult.

But you can help.  Buy shade grown coffee which will ensure that the tropical forests are not cut down, that these lovely birds that we enjoy will have somewhere to live and thrive.  And the bonus is that you will enjoy some of the finest coffee that money can buy.  It is not expensive coffee, and that is the best part.  This is just one of the coffees that you can buy to help our warblers, flycatchers, vireos, and other neotropical birds:

http://www.amazon.com/Audubon-Whole-Coffee-Breakfast-Blend/dp/B006BXUCJ4/ref=sr_1_4?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1438448683&sr=1-4

Spectacular Scenes of the Secret South

                                                                   Bell's Vireo

                                              Brown dragonfly -  Pantala hymenaea                     

                                                                 Great-tailed Grackle

                                                            Immature American Robin

                                                                        Ditto

                                                        American Robin with Youngster

                                                            Immature American Robin

                                                             Juvenile Eastern Phoebe

                                                       Recently Fledged Eastern Phoebe

                                                               Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

                                                                          Ditto

                                                               Female House Sparrow

                                                              Blue-gray Gnatcatcher


0635-0905/79-85 degrees/partly cloudy/20 mph wind gusts

A day of grand sights with plenty of surprises.  It appears that I had stumbled upon a secret
treasure trove, and had I been able to stay, chances were that more would have been uncovered.
It was almost like an archaeological dig, where one's heart is pounding at the thought of new
and uncharted territory, but that could come soon enough.  Today, I give to you a priceless
package of precious proportions.

Over and Above the Call of Duty

                                                                  Brown Thrasher

                                                  Northern Cardinal Pair, Male on Right

                                                            Male Great-tailed Grackle

                                                             Northern Mockingbird

                                                            Turkey Vulture, in Flight

Male Red-winged Blackbird 

                                                  Male House Sparrow, Breeding Plumage

                                                             Blue-winged Teal Pair

                                                               Male Blue-winged Teal

                                                                Loggerhead Shrike

These are shots over the past couple of days, and one was a real surprise.  The last photo, the
Loggerhead Shrike, is an uncommon to rare bird.  It might fool you with that hooked bill, but it
really is a songbird.  The shrike perches and observes its surroundings on wire, bushes, treetops, etc., and will impale its prey on barbed wire and thorns.  This is one of two species in this country, and both feed on lizards, rodents insects and smaller birds.

The first six shots were obtained today, and it was noticed that northbound migrations are full speed ahead.  With our inclement weather waning, it has pushed more birds our way, and there should be a lot more to come.  So hold onto your cameras, binoculars, and spotting scopes, for you will be in for a pleasant ride this year.  You will encounter species not from your area, so pay close attention to what might be hiding in the wings.

                                               
                                                       Northern Shovelers in Flight

The Pre-Valentine's Day Chosen

                                                      Great Blue Heron, First Year

Canada Goose

                                                       American Goldfinch, non-breeding

                                                           Great Blue Heron, first year

                                                       American Goldfinch, first year

                                                            Northern Mockingbird

                                                                   American Coot

                                                           Canvasbacks(Male on left)

                                                            Male Northern Cardinal

                                                                           Ditto

                                                              House Sparrow, Male

                                                        Canvasbacks(Female on Left)

                                                           Red-winged Blackbird, Male

                                                                 Dark-eyed Junco

                                                         Male Bufflehead Taking Flight

                                                          Male Bufflehead in Flight

                                                                    Male Mallard

                                                            Female Northern Cardinal

                                                                Mallards Mating