062825 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

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052023 Birding On a Shoestring: The Joys of Ohio, Michigan, and Magee Marsh Vicinity, part 1

 

 051123                                                    Mute Swan and Cygnet

These birds were up close and personal, and I was behind the grass stalk that you see, when I was ignored by the parent and the young bird.  Photo was taken in Michigan in the Saline area.

051223                                                           American Redstart

This was one of our boisterous males filled with song.  We were spending our first full day at Magee Marsh at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, which is a hotspot that the birds refuel at before they continue north to breed, though many do breed here before they either cross over or go around Lake Erie. 

                                                                 Western Palm Warbler

Another good looking male in his breeding dress, which will go with the one that I photographed a couple of years ago for fall migration in Oklahoma.

                                                                      Blackburnian Warbler

This species is usually high in the canopy under normal circumstances, which isn't necessarily the same during spring migration, though it has happened that way.  Look at that fiery yellow-orange coloring!

                                                           Black-throated Blue Warbler

These individuals are fast, and it took several tries to get halfway decent shots.  Isn't he handsome?

                                                                  Rose-breasted Grosbeak

These head a little more west, too, so we get to experience the flow of beauty just west of the Rockies, too.  The females look a lot different, so look them up now before you miss them.

                                                                Eastern Whip-poor-will

These birds are getting harder to find, but we were lucky, today.  Nice clear shot, even as far away as it was.

                                                                      Red-eyed Vireo

This vireo is quite a bit lower, which is fortunate, as they are generally in the upper canopy.  No complaints, here.

                                                          Black-throated Blue Warbler

Here is a second shot of young male bird.  This is the northern subspecies.

051323                                                          Wood Duck (male)

We can't miss this shy beauty.  We were are the marshes with a lot of birds that just did not want to be seen, like multiple Soras.  Many Trumpeter Swans were out here, and eagle's nests were on the outskirts.  One good tern deserved another, but no Arctic Tern was in attendance.

                                                                           Muskrat

This was a good find, as this water denizen just kept getting closer and closer.  How could we refuse? 

                                                                    Trumpeter Swan

Not everyone goes north to breed, as these resident birds like to stick close to home.  The reddish color is from the iron in the soil.

051423                                                 Red-headed Woodpecker pair

Everyone was hoping for Lark Sparrows, as well as other birds in this area.  Just as happy where I was, I had a lot more visitors than the sparrow afficionados, though rumor had it that Henslow's Sparrow was supposed to be in the vicinity, but we didn't come across it.  However, there was plenty of burn areas to keep the invasives in check, and the woodpeckers liked the insects drawn to the burn.

                                                                    Red-breasted Nuthatch

Finally!  This was at Magee Marsh and this character was footloose and fancy free and moved like a rocket.  There were also Black-and-white, one Blackpoll, Prothonotary, and a few other warblers, as well as Green Heron, more Sora, an Eastern Screech owl gray morph, three eaglets in one nest with one youngster about to fledge, Philadelphia Vireo, and more!  Don't worry, more pictures to come! 

041623 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-a-lot-more-birds-stopping-by/article_2bdc5736-d983-11ed-ace6-fb51eb81a3dd.html 

120819 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/life-at-boomer-lake-boomer-lake-a-hotbed-of-activity/article_192d2682-188f-11ea-8386-af1c1ac7843d.html

Young Scissor-tailed Flycatchers Lead the Pack

                                                    Five Nestling Scissor-tailed Flycatchers

                                                      Nestling Scissor-tailed Flycatchers

                                               Eldest of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Nestlings



Sunday July 5, 2015
75-81 degrees/0640-0930/mostly cloudy/20 mph wind gusts

This was yesterday's grouping of photos.  It was the first day of discovery of the mockingbird nest,
and I was very surprised to find five little bodies in there.  As far as I know, they are still in there.




Today
77-83 degrees/0655-0955/partly cloudy/20 mph wind gusts

                                                          Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Youngsters
                                                                         All Out of Nest
                                           

                                                               Red-headed Woodpecker

                                                    Red-headed Woodpecker with mole cricket

                                                 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Yellow Form

                                                       Young Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

                                                    All Three Scissor-tailed Flycatchers

                                              Father Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Has Arrived
                                                                      With a Meal

                                                               One Youngster Eats

                                                   Father flycatcher with the Youngsters

As was proven, today was a fine day for photo ops.  The Red-headed Woodpecker is learning to
trust after a good week, and I'm hoping for more chances.  There are at least three more of them.
These woodpeckers are monochromatic, which means that they wear the same kinds of feathers
and they cannot be told apart visually.  If observed long enough, the male will be discovered, as
he is usually more aggressive and bolder.

The flycatchers are rapidly growing.  Today, the little mockingbirds were asleep, so I left them
alone.  If the weather holds out for me, I'll try to get a shot of them tomorrow, as their growth spurts are going to be very rapid.  I expect that one or two will end up out of the nest, due to lack of space.

Beauty In the Endzone

                                                                  Eastern Kingbird

                                                                 Juvenile Mallards

                                                            Native Oklahoma Milkweed

                                                                Great Blue Heron

                                                              Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

                                                             Juvenile American Robin

                                                                      Red Admiral

                                                          Male Red-winged Blackbird

                                                 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Yellow Form

                                                           Red-headed Woodpecker


0640-0915/77-82 degrees/partly cloudy/light and variable winds

Not an outstanding photo of the Red-headed Woodpecker, but this is at least something
to introduce the species, as it hasn't been seen on Boomer Lake for a couple of years.
Butterflies are also coming in, and that is a good sign, as Monsanto, Syngenta, and Dow
have caused an upheaval in the population of all flying flowers.  However, some of the
largest sellers of these dastardly chemicals has refused to sell them any longer.  This will help
save butterflies, beneficial insects, and birds lives.

Birding On a Shoestring: The Finale--Big Thicket Texas and Tulsa Arboretum

cypress knees, 

                                                                 Orange Fungus

                                                                Cypress Knees

                                                                   Marsh Rabbit

                                                             Red-headed Woodpecker

                                                                Dwarf American Toad


The first three pictures were in an area with another cypress swamp, Big Thicket's Kirby Trail,
the Cypress Loop.  There were no interesting water moccasins, but there were birds galore.
Sadly, we were unable to see them due to the denseness of the area.  We saw a Pileated
Woodpecker at a glance, but there was no hope for a photo.  The Red-headed Woodpecker was seen at there Big Thicket Sundew Trail, but we never got to see the rare Red-cockaded Woodpecker at
Angelina Forest, nor did we spot the Brown-headed Nuthatch, another uncommon bird.  Perhaps next time!

However, we saw this wonderful frog at the Tulsa Arboretum and a pile of three of them, but that picture didn't come out.