103020 Franklin's Gull
Downy Woodpecker
Red-necked Grebe (Very Rare)
Ditto, View 2
Immature Marsh Wren
Monday through Wednesday October 26-28, Stillwater, Oklahoma, home of Boomer Lake Park, received over four inches of rain. On Thursday afternoon, writer ventured out to see what might be found, which was somewhat expected, except for the rare Red-breasted Mergansers and the Red-necked Grebe.
Oh, isn't Oklahoma landlocked, you say? Yes, yes, it is. When they migrate over terra firma, it is usually overnight but with several days worth of rain, lots of birds came down for our hospitality. They usually overwinter in the north, but these birds know how to vacation in Hawai'i and Bermuda. So they think ahead. Migrants can appear on any body of water during migration, especially larger lakes, and they are actually very common birds. This is the first one that has been recorded via eBird at Boomer Lake Park.
This uncommon waterbird breeds in the Boreal Forest and sticks to coastal regions except for small patches in the northern US. It has a solid black cap, a heavy yellow billed angled downward, pale earpatch, and a dark crown and cheeks. The eyes are surprisingly not red, and the bill in usually held downward. Another notable characteristic is the thick neck and broad head.
These remarkable birds have an odd habit of consuming large quantities of its own feathers and will even feed them to their young. Perhaps the feathers protect the stomach from indigestibles.
If the Great Lakes freeze over this year, we could have many more of these grebes wandering about the eastern part of the US.
Surprisingly, writer now has photographed all the grebes in this country. It's a nice feeling.
We also had a wide assortment of ducks and other waterbirds over this time period. Even though we've had even earlier visiting waterbirds this year, they still bring ooo's and aaahhhhh's during the pre-winter seasons. It's also been nice seeing Bonaparte's Gulls much earlier than we generally do.
