Vagrant bird rate could soon dip
Oklahoma Mesonet reported no rain, which is well into the third week without precipitation.
Payne County rare birds showed a Dickcissel late flyover at Lake Carl Blackwell – Hwy. 86 bridge on Oct.15, Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler at Boomer Lake on Oct. 21, and somewhere in Payne County also on Oct. 21, a Harris’s Sparrow.
An estimated 18,900 birds crossed Payne County between Monday, Oct. 21, 2024 at 1850 hours and Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 at 0740 hours. Peak migration traffic was an estimated 6,200 birds in flight at an altitude of 4,600 feet at a speed of 29 mph from the east south east at 0600 hours on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Expected nocturnal migrants were Yellow-rumped, Nashville, and Orange- crowned Warblers, Scissor- tailed Flycatcher, Darkeyed Junco, White-throated,
DEB HIRT
Song, White-crowned, Vesper, Lincoln’s, and Savannah Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Western Meadowlark.
Geomagnetic vagrancy conditions are high at 1.3, with current magnetic field distortion running high at 1.6, and current solar activity at 1.6, which is also high. Species richness trends were climbing slightly, except generally north with the exception of the Midwest. Numbers are expected to decrease over the next two weeks.
USGS Bird Banding Lab showed species demographic trends on a slight downturn for both Eastern Bluebird and Indigo Bunting.
Nationwide continuing vagrants/rarities included Texas’ Brown Jay and Mottled Owl, as well as Florida’s Yellow- headed Caracara and Gray Gull.
Newfoundland observed Hammond’s Flycatcher, Quebec added Steller’s Eider, Manitoba shared Great-tailed Grackle, while Saskatchewan added Vermilion Flycatcher and Tropical Kingbird, while Alberta counted Little Gull and Tundra Bean Goose, as British Columbia recorded Scarlet Tanager to round our the breeding grounds.
Vermont tallied Black-throated Gray Warbler, as Massachusetts penned Vermilion Flycatcher. New Jersey shared Fork-tailed Flycatcher and Sage Thrasher as New York announced Northern Wheatear.
Georgia gave us Hammond’s Flycatcher, while Florida counted Violet-green Swallow, and Texas was thrilled with their Red Phalarope. Louisiana was pleased with their Flammulated Owl.
Michigan sized up a Chestnut- collared Longspur.
Alaska bragged about Song Thrush, Common Cranes, and Fieldfare.
Missouri or I should say Mo, advised us about Green-tailed Towhee.
Arizona had a vacationing Yellow Grosbeak as Colorado counted Groove-billed Ani.
Washington State penciled in Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Oregon checked Winter Wren.
Writer was happy to hear from a Great Horned Owl last week, observe Blue-winged Teal, and hobnob with Cedar Waxwings around Lakeview and Husband Streets. It just was not pleasant to be awakened by the owl at 0305 hours, but it is getting to be time to choose a mate.
Boomer Lake counted Canada Goose, Mallard, American Coot, Killdeer, Double-crested Cormorant, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Eastern Bluebird, House Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Flicker, Carolina Chickadee, Northern Mockingbird, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Pine Warbler, Audubon’s Yellow- rumped Warbler, Mourning Dove, American Robin, and Chipping Sparrow.
Keep your eyes on the ground and your head in the clouds.
Happy birding! Deb Hirt is a wild bird rehabilitator and photographer living in Stillwater.
A Steller’s Eider.
RON KNIGHT FROM SEAFORD, EAST SUSSEX, UNITED KINGDOM, CC BY 2.0
