Red-breasted Mergansers
Ditto
Ditto
Northern Shovelers in Flight
Assorted Ducks in Flight, Including Scoters
Song Sparrow
Killdeer
Male Brown-headed Cowbird
Canada Geese Effecting Landing
Baird's and Single Pectoral Sandpiper
Juvenile Bald Eagle
Ditto
Adult Bald Eagle
Eastern Phoebe
Irruptive Cedar Waxwings
American Robin
Dark-eyed Junco (slate colored)
Song Sparrow
Northern Mockingbird Mating Dance
Bonaparte's Gull
Ditto
mid-March/April 2019
Apologies are in order for such a late posting, but due to a challenging work schedule, it is the best that I could do.
Winter was somewhat difficult with lower and sometimes higher temperatures, and Mother Nature
did not give us expected birds at any given time. This meant that there were sleepers, like a both the White-winged and Surf Scoter. They can both be seen in the rear portion of the assorted ducks in flight photo above.
We also had late-arrival Bonaparte's Gulls in April and late Song Sparrows have also been located in assorted Payne county locations. Both their song and chunky countenance will keep them from being confused with the more normal and thinner Savannah Sparrow in mid-April.
The Northern Mockingbird is quite an interesting bird for its behavior, which can include sounding just like other birds, as well as wing-flashing to confuse insects with what they might consider nightfall. They also have a very entertaining dancing ritual during mating season, which can be difficult to photograph but most interesting to observe.
Many irruptive birds came to visit over the winter, including quite normal groups of Cedar Waxwings as well as Purple Finches and Red Crossbills. Don't be surprised if the list of crossbill subspecies keeps growing due to the fact that harsh winters send them to assorted locales for food. They will develop better attributes over short periods of time to assist them in gleaning cone crops depending upon where they hang their hats and coats over bitter and snow laden winters.
Over the past few years, it had come to my attention that our local Payne County Bald Eagle pair raised young more than once. This three-year-old youngster pictured above was in the company of an adult over Boomer Lake in early April, which was my first actual time to see it, let alone photograph it. I apologize for the poor quality, but we must take what the birds give us.
Shortly after the northern winter storm Wesley arrived, some shorebirds did a reverse migration right around this time. Subsequent birds took a more eastern transit to their breeding grounds, but those that we hosted had to do their best under more trying circumstances, like many shorebirds and swallows. Luckily, I was able to capture a Pectoral and a few Baird's Sandpipers in one photo. Some of the birds spent several days on Boomer Lake to gain strength to enable them to move onward to the breeding grounds.
Many ducks also were a little late in coming though like the ducks pictured above. Several varieties will actually breeding in the northern parts of the south, but the Red-breasted Mergansers shown were in high breeding plumage and most anxious to continue on to do their duty. Unfortunately, weather events like we will only experience more in the future, will hinder breeding birds and make some of them miss insect crops to feed young. However, most ducks will avoid this situation due to their nature.
