Sunday, May 1, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
First Time Seen At Boomer Lake, the Neotropic Cormorant
Cedar Waxwing
Tufted Titmouse
Great-tailed Grackle
Neotropic Cormorant(foreground)
White-crowned Sparrow
0710-1030 hrs./62-74 degrees F/partly cloudy/light and variable winds to 17 mph wind gusts
It is said that there is a first time for everything, and the highlight of this week was finding a
Neotropic Cormorant on Boomer Lake. This bird is found year round in the southern and
southeast portion of Texas, and can summer in the southernmost sliver of Oklahoma. It migrates
through Oklahoma and can rarely be found slightly north of here.
The Cedar Waxwing has been in the area for quite some time this year, feeding on seeds and berries,
like the mulberry, found commonly in the south. They tried the fruit of the western soapberry tree, but I observed no real interest in it, as it was discarded. Once I had tasted the fruit, which tastes like
soap, so I can understand why it was not ingested.
The White-crowned Sparrow shown here is one of the East Taiga subspecies, which has a pink
bill.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Getting in the Groove of Spring with the Neotropical Migrants
Baird's Sandpiper
Kansas Glossy Snake
Barred Owl
White-faced Ibis
Yellow-rumped Warbler(Myrtle)
Green Heron
Cedar Waxwing
Female Gadwall
Blue Jay
Harris's Sparrow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
55-67 degrees F/partly cloudy/light and variable winds
The first four photos are a carry over from my time spent in the western part of Oklahoma. Sadly,
I was unable to capture a Cassin's Sparrow, which was in the area and the prairie dogs and Burrowing Owls were staying undercover.
Upon my return home, I was still greeted with rain, which came from a front that infiltrated Texas
and western Oklahoma first.
As you can see, I still was able to get some good photos over the past couple of days, which made the wait well worth it. A Neotropic Cormorant has been at Boomer Lake for several days. The Baltimore Oriole and Warbling Vireo are now home as well as one member of my Green Heron family, the eldest. I believe this one is a grandparent, one of the original settlers of the Southern Cove. Last year, that art of the lake hosted two families. So we shall see what this summer brings
us.
The female Gadwall pictured here was all by herself, taking up with an American Wigeon, some Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, and some American Coot. Observed yesterday was another male Wood Duck, so perhaps he will get used to my presence and maybe I'll be fortunate enough to see some young on the creek.
There are plenty of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, at least a couple of Orange-crowned Warblers, and at
least one Yellow Warbler on the lake proper. A Common Loon was spotted, which I thought I saw a couple of days ago with a raft of Double-crested Cormorant, but dismissed that thought. I guess I was right after all!
Onward and upward!
Monday, April 18, 2016
Sunday, April 17, 2016
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