071324 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://stwnewspress-cnhi.newsmemory.com?selDate=20240713&goTo=C002&artid=1&editionStart=The%20Stillwater NewsPress 

041324. Muskogee Edition, Birding Today

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/columns/birding-today-watching-how-nature-reacted-to-eclipse/article_441eb17c-f804-11ee-bbd6-136f62d10e7e.html 

012123 Muskogee Edition, Birding Today

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/lifestyles/birding-today-raptors-appear-at-different-times-of-year/article_fcf19fcc-d862-56d7-a762-d0e8fa78e9e9.html 

011523 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-birds-give-alarm-to-nearby-hawks/article_6550ca70-9215-11ed-b70f-134ee234a5ba.html 

011023 January 2023 Kisses From Boomer Lake

 010523                                                      Sharp-shinned Hawk

This was a once in a lifetime photo, which took me completely by surprise.  Writer had just opened the front door to hear House Sparrows being worried.  As I looked atop the bush where they were hidden , and this was what I saw before i grabbed my camera.  The door was left open, and I backed away to grab my handheld camera, but the battery was dead.  I grabbed the tripod with the 500mm lens and returned to the door, hoping that this lens would not be be my demise for this shot.

Lady Luck winked and gave me a grin.  The sharpie dove into the bush, coming out empty handed, as it could not really get inside the tangles.  This is when I was able to get my shots.  A sparrow exited the bush, the hawk went into pursuit, but came up empty, and both birds disappeared.

082922                                                Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

As can be seen, this shot was in the summer, but it was not possible to get anything else worthy.  Enjoy the state bird of Oklahoma, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

091122 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-migrating-birds-arrive-in-bunches/article_6fa7f130-2f0d-11ed-9d04-2709b44c6a9c.html 

121921 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-birds-enjoy-the-calm-before-the-cold/article_9018bfa6-5ebd-11ec-b33a-6f565861743e.html 

112821 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-a-veritable-cornucopia-of-rare-birds/article_4451540a-4d71-11ec-aaf6-13194f5fd297.html 

092621 Muskogee Edition, Birding Today

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/lifestyles/birding-today-keep-your-eyes-open-for-the-sharp-shinned-hawk/article_51b9c67f-53ea-598c-9350-8634ea2ca7b0.html 

090421 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-birds-going-out-birds-coming-in/article_b60ac898-0c2a-11ec-9036-6fe45f682ec3.html 

010921 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/life-at-boomer-lake-avians-still-active-with-recent-wintry-weather/article_2eec9bb0-5155-11eb-9046-0f6aa1998f74.html 

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.

010221                                                         American Crow

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.

121120 Fall Sparrows at Boomer Lake, Junco Subspecies Highlight

 120420                                                    Sharp-shinned Hawk

This guy was wary and knew that I was behind him, the first sharpie that I could ever photograph.  Multiple Northern Cardinals and Juncos were flying low and hiding in the brush beneath the small hawk.  It was later discovered over the nest few days that we were looking at least seven cardinals, but reality really kicked in when ten of them were seen out in the open beneath bald cypress trees where they could be counted on the ground.

120820                                                   Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)

This beauty appeared in the company of four slate colored Dark-eyed Juncos.  It was the best photo that I could get.  Imagine how surprised I was when this Oregon junco showed off those beautiful colors.

          

 120920                                             Dark-eyed Junco (cismontanus)    

This subspecies was a real surprise.  While they are not too common anywhere, they do have a broad winter range, most of which happen to be around the Colorado front range.  Also known as the Cassiar junco, this is a special subspecies to come up with while it hides among the slate colored Dark-eyed Juncos in winter.           

101820. SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/life-at-boomer-lake-many-special-birds-spotted-in-many-places/article_adbcf946-0f4f-11eb-89d0-6b7d1120dc7b.html 

011220 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/life-at-boomer-lake-average-bird-numbers-at-standstill/article_1e4f5d42-3356-11ea-b520-0b7ae27f9f63.html

123018 Muskogee Edition, Birding Today

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/lifestyles/birding-today-hawks/article_38108058-b1e8-5e5b-8d48-7a76aa2e66c7.html