111624 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://stwnewspress-cnhi.newsmemory.com/?publink=07079b660_134d500&fbclid=IwY2xjawGlopRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbPQ3YqGu6BoJu-jxSySN1Kt0EPAX9AoecDZjTNMzUnIS4Nx5k0ErfrDVQ_aem_swaPWMHOKTzmvl-okRd_8Q 

051823 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-birds-can-be-early-also-late/article_58a8e480-f046-11ed-8e3d-27314ca9bf6a.html 

102420 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/life-at-boomer-lake-many-birds-showing-strong-numbers-of-juveniles/article_4e7f04aa-159f-11eb-94b1-43c17cc6807a.html 

101720 September-October Migrants at Boomer Lake, Stillwater, OK

092320                                                           Least Sandpiper 

092820                                                          Pied-billed Grebes

Migration began in September, and this was one of the earlier photos this fall.  This was the day that I found a total of 26 grebes, but I believe the highest count this year was 98 in April (spring migration) at the same location.  Between spring and fall, one grebe that was chosen for food was located on Shorebird Jetty.

101220                                                          Franklin's Gull

This was one of multiple Franklin's Gulls, which is a common migrant heading south.

101620                                                     Orange-crowned Warbler

We're in one of the higher migrant days, and this was one of several species that was located in this general area.

                                                                Yellow-rumped Warbler   

This lovely specimen was one of multiple yellow-rumps AKA butterbutts found in the same Bradford pear as the Orange-crowned Warbler, not far from where it was.

                                                        White-crowned Sparrow, View 1 

This was the only example of this species that I observed in the same area as the above warblers.  It also enjoyed being photographed, staying for several minutes.

                                                       White-crowned Sparrow, View 2

                                                                    Broad-winged Hawk

This hawk wasn't far from where the above birds were located, but far enough to attract attention if it tried to go after all of them.  They had plenty of observant eyes all about them.

                                               

                                                                      Great Blue Heron

This was the highlight on Shorebird Jetty.  This is a great blue that was hatched this year.  The gray feathers denotes a first fall bird.

090620 Birding On a Shoestring: Wyoming Within Fremont and Teton Counties

082220                                                            Canada Jay

                                                                           Chipmunk

                                                                          Muskrat

                                                                Chestnut-sided Warbler

082420                                                     White-crowned Sparrow

                                                        White-crowned Sparrow Juvenile

                                                                  Black Bear, View 1

                                                                     Western Tanager

                                                        Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler

                                                                     Black Bear, View 2

                                                                  Black Bear, View 3

                                                                    Black Bear, View 4

                                                                  Green-tailed Towhee

                                                                Moose and Calf, View 1

                                                                     Moose,View 2

                                                                    Moose and Calf, View 3

Moose, black bear and muskrat make up a few mammals in Wyoming and pictures make the experience seem more real.  We also added many wonderful and typical breeding birds of those same locations, along with the flavor of the northern lands.

If one has not experienced Shadow Mountain and the Grand Tetons, what are you waiting for?  Don't delay until winter snows keep you from that breathtaking experience. 

030820 Muskogee Edition, Birding Today

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/lifestyles/birding-today-neonics-dangerous-to-birds-pets-people/article_ddf2d806-acb5-5eb9-8d6e-8146cfea15d7.html

Oklahoma Winter Bird Profile: White-crowned Sparrow

more, more, more cheezies

This common bird has dialects all over the country to denote where it is from.  These birds are observed in the winter in Oklahoma in brushy or weedy areas.  They will feed in flocks on the ground and when disturbed, will all fly back to cover.  Our adult East Taiga subspecies has a pink bill and white head stripes.

A Boreal Forest breeder, as well as portions of western states, these sparrows are resident in most of the southern US.  Gambel's sparrow enjoys shrubby and woody thickets, as well as hedgerows, forest parks, and gardens in many open areas.  Because of its wide range and distribution, it is often seen, especially during migratory events in the same areas.

                                                      East Taiga White-crowned Sparrow
                                                              Boomer Lake Park, 2015
Just like most sparrows, the white-crowned hops and scratches, but will sometimes hawk for insects in flight.

The undulating flight with alternate flapping is a characteristic of many birds like this one.  This sparrow can show a strong preference for certain territories and be within a flock of a dozen to four dozen birds in winter, especially in agricultural fields and back yards.  They can be attracted by brush piles and sunflower seeds if you'd like to see more of them.

They prefer seeds, buds, and berries, and like most breeding birds base their diet upon protein sources in spring and summer.

Most of this species migrates at night.  The northern and mountain region subspecies are strongly migratory, with the Pacific birds usually resident to their region.  Alaskan birds are known for orange bills and the Pacific coast birds have yellow bills, while the remainder share the pink bill, including the Rocky Mountain subspecies.

The Gambel's sparrow is very familiar to the eastern and mountain subspecies, but will not have black lores, yet the bill is more orange.  Nuttall's sparrow is a very regional non-migratory coastal bird of the Pacific, restricted to parkland and restored scrub.

Known for the short series of clear whistles followed directly by buzzy tones, it gets easier to tell when they are in the area if one enjoys birding by ear.  Once the GISS (general impression, shape, and size) is learned, one should have no trouble picking out young birds, who have brown as opposed to black head markings.  The bill is just as short and the tail is just as long in comparison to an adult.

Put Hackberry Flats in Tillman County, OK On Your Birding List

03-24-18   Hackberry Flats WMA/Tillman County, OK 

1037-1600 hrs./69-82 F/partly cloudy

                                                               Male Cinnamon Teal

                                             Eared Grebe Approaching Breeding Plumage

                                                      Eared Grebe (Front) Showing Size
                                                Difference in Comparison to Ruddy Duck

                                                  Cinnamon Teal Showing Characteristic
                                                                 Speculum Coloring

                                                      Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow
                                                              (Last Year's Late Hatch)

                                                            Golden Eagle (Larger Bird)


03-25-18 Boomer Lake Park, Stillwater, OK
1127-1239/53-29 F/partly to mostly cloudy/E-13/75-72% RH/29.87-29.91 Hg and steady

                                                     Franklin's Gulls Highlighted Among
                                                                   Ring-billed Gulls

                                                   Franklin's Gull (Second Plumage View)

                                          Five Franklin's Gulls Showing Plumage Attributes



Hackberry Flats is the first set of photos, followed by three photos of  Franklin's Gulls the following day.

Hackberry is about four hours from Stillwater, unless one chooses Rte. 44, which we did not do on the way.  Consequently, we got there on the late side, but that could well have worked in our favor.

We had an exemplary day, as we observed several things of interest, but we were unable to locate a Snowy Plover which had been reported for a couple of days.

Not only did we see a Great Horned Owl at 1500 hrs. on an electrical pole, we managed a Golden Eagle, also observed on an electrical pole.  We both got shows of its underside, which proved beyond a shadow of a doubt what we had.  As a matter of fact, this is such a rare record, because the only other sightings listed on eBird were two others in February 2017.

It was an outstanding day, as many shore/water/wading birds tend to change as often as teens change their clothing.  For that reason we visited the waterways a few times in order to maximize what we could list on eBird.

Leaving the Stillwater residence, I was not expecting such a spectacular day, since barometric pressure was flat, but all in all, the four hour drive was well worth it.

It was my first time at Hackberry, as it was another birder's, but the third person had been there before.

Do I recommend this location?  Absolutely!  It is hard to plan great birding, especially if one has never been to a location, but it was encouraging due to the fact that this is a wetland.  It is in
pristine condition, which makes it a good spot for wildlife, knowing that it remains unspoiled by humanity.

Neonicotinoids Disorient White-crowned Sparrows During Migration

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/seeds-birds-neonicotinoid-pesticide-migration

Spring's Migrants Have Been Dropping In

                                                                    Green Heron
Red-w

                                                                  Yellow Warbler

                                                                Red-winged Blackbird

                                                             White-crowned Sparrow

                                                                   Pied-billed Grebe

                                                      Northern Rough-winged Swallows

                                                                    Savannah Sparrow

                                                                   Franklin's Gull

                                                                   White Pond Lily

                                                                 Yellow-rumped Warbler

                                                               Clay-colored Sparrow

                                                                    Red Eared Slider

                                                                   Green Heron Nest

                                                              Yellow-headed Blackbird


04-23 through 04-28-17

It was cooler, cloudier, and rainier this week, but when it was clear, rising barometric pressure
and a good south wind, the migrants came through as expected.

My most productive days were Sunday and Thursday, which broke a couple of those general rules, which is why one can't alway leave everything to chance.  Some of my best visitors were there on top migrant days, though.  This is why one must look everywhere, especially behind you from time to time, as once those birds pass, those rear ends don't make for good photos.

The Green Herons built a nest, but circumstances are not the best for them.  One of my adults is paired with a juvenile, which means that they can't breed quite yet.  Last week's photo shows a bird in breeding plumage.  However, if you compare it with this week's bird, you'll see the difference.  The above bird doesn't have bright orange legs and still has juvenile plumage.  The third bird also seems to have gone elsewhere, too.

I'm pleased that I was able to get a decent shot of the migratory Franklin's Gull in flight.  It wasn't out of range of my camera lens, so you're able to see its distinguishing characteristics and see the dark wingtips which differentiate it from the Bonaparte's Gull.  Bonaparte's shouldn't even be here at this time of year, either.

It's good to see those sparrows coming in.  The water's edge grasses are filled with Clay-colored Sparrows, and I also found a beautiful adult White-crowned Sparrow, too.  The above Savanah Sparrow came from the OSU Dairy Barns property, and the water lily was located at Sanborn Lake.

My best photo of the Yellow-headed Blackbird was at Boomer Lake, not the dairy barns!  You will find more of them with the cattle, though.

I was both pleased and surprised to get all the Northern Rough-winged Swallows perched on a snag, and it was even better that I was fortunate enough to have them all looking at me.   They are plain brown birds with hooks on their wingtips.

The warblers haven't really infiltrated the lake, but those crowds of Yellow-rumped Warblers are on their way north.  Our Western Kingbirds are around as well, as I saw a good group on the wing on Friday.  I heard and observed the Orchard Oriole, and with any luck, the rain needs to hold off tomorrow so I can get out there and let you know what birds came in before the storm.

Happy birding!

Best of Boomer

                                                         Male Northern Shoveler(left)
                                                         Canvasbacks(Male in center)

                                            American Robin with Eastern Red Cedar Berry

                                                                Pied-billed Grebe

                                                               Pileated Woodpecker

                                                                Great Horned Owl

                                                          Buffleheads(Male on right)

                                                         Immature White-crowned Sparrow

                                                                  American Robin

                                                       Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker


0730-1020 hrs./34-50 degrees F/partly cloudy to sunny/light and variable winds

Today was more like a spring day, rather than going into the throes of winter.  Bird behavior
was about the same for spring, as well.  Besides these beauties, there were also plenty of
Brown-headed Cowbirds, large groups of American Robins, Slate-colored Juncos, and other
birds that are normally making an entrance for the season.

The biggest surprise of the day was a clear shot of the Pileated Woodpecker and a rather respectable shot of an adult Great Horned Owl, who I have been hearing on-and-off.  I know that there is
another one in the area.  Hopefully, Boomer Lake will host a nest for them, and if I can keep a handle on their whereabouts, maybe I can get photos of the young, too.  We'll just have to hope for the best.