011125 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://stwnewspress-cnhi.newsmemory.com/?publink=1bc2c7df7_134f823&fbclid=IwY2xjawHvdSBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYyx_j7SoJKlj5Ibx-dwWORAVryr7m1uR34V2tHUlTtgMz4VsCxAatLtOg_aem_mqePO7tcaUiSXwNoThFUbQ 

012024 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://stwnewspress-cnhi.newsmemory.com?selDate=20240120&goTo=C002&artid=0&editionStart=The%20Stillwater NewsPress 

050222 Migratory Action in the Heat of 2022

042522                                                      Eastern Bluebird

                                                                    Warbling Vireo

042722                                                    Clay-colored Sparrow

042922                                                        Lincoln's Sparrow 

                                                          Green Heron, First of Season

  There was also a second one in the area.

042122                                                         Gray Catbird

Every year a pair come to breed.

042022                                                        Snow Goose

At the end of March, this bird who was a juvenile at the time, and in the company of 19-20 Canada  Geese remained at Boomer Lake until close to the end of April.  It simply disappeared, even though it went everywhere with its Canada Goose entourage.  Writer believes that nature finally struck and it reached the time when Zugunruh made it restless.  It could easily be in its northern breeding area now doing what comes naturally. 

                                                                    Brown Thrasher

Several thrashers appeared in the area all calling for mates, which was fine for a day or two, but even nest mates will become angered and expect the others to move on, even if they must be forced to do so.  This is the male that is left and he has a mate.  As a matter of fact, just on May 4, one was seen collecting nesting material.

041522                                                      Yellow-rumped Warbler

We still have a sparse amount of Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers that hatched later than the first group, which should be in breeding territory now.  As one can observe, this male was in breeding plumage when this photo was taken.

 
 

042322 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-a-good-time-to-spot-rare-birds/article_f3b95ff6-c1b0-11ec-8d01-8f3cd365e36d.html 

041722. SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/life-at-boomer-lake-do-birds-adopt/article_ab01440e-bc1a-11ec-8e52-f7902513af9f.html 

041122 Spring Has Sprung In 2022

 032922                                                    Adult Brown Booby

040622                                               Juvenile Snow Goose

                                                                           Ditto

041022 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-it-s-a-bonanza-of-incoming-birds/article_908178d6-b6ae-11ec-bb13-1b31eb5c9305.html 

050121 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/life-at-boomer-lake-post-rain-conditions-ideal-for-some-birds/article_1040cd9a-a9fb-11eb-9972-97d3de09c0f1.html 

022021 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

 https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/life-at-boomer-lake-hoping-weather-won-t-hamper-winter-visitors/article_a6fcc8c0-725f-11eb-9b47-e7183d317ad2.html

Oklahoma Winter Bird Profile: Ross's Goose

This small goose with a small bill, round head, and clean white coloring is typical of Ross's Goose.
Small numbers tend to be mixed with Snow Geese as well as Canada Geese.  There is also a rare dark morph.

A breeder of the low Arctic tundra, in ponds and marshes, Ross's Goose will nest in colonies with the lesser Snow Goose, nesting upon the ground in sparsely vegetated areas.  Often mistakenly identified as a Snow Goose, this species does not have the usual "grin patch."  They do have a higher pitched call.

Ross's Goose

Boomer Lake Park, 2018

                                                           
                                               

Usually the first to leave the breeding grounds, this bird will winter in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, and in small parts of Mexico in ag fields, fresh water marshes, and shallow lakes.

Confirmed as recently as 1971, there is a very rare blue form of this species.  Additionally, Ross's Goose will hybridize with the Snow Goose to create fertile offspring.

blue morph Ross's Goose

Brooke Miller 2015 in CA

The male has warty nodules at the base of its bill, believed to raise its status within the species.  The female has very few of these, along with a flatter forehead, a shorter neck and is noticeably smaller.

This goose was named after Bernard Ross of the Hudson's Bay Company in the Canadian Northwest Territories.  More of a naturalist than a fur trader, Ross created collections of mammals, birds, and insects, which he forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and the British Museum in London.


More Photos of Ross's Goose:

https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-bar-gets-raised-one-notch.html

https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2017/02/and-then-there-was-distinction.html