Catch a glimpse of arctic birds

Oklahoma Mesonet reported 0.01 inches of precipitation over the past week.

Payne County rare birds for the same term include Northern House Wren, a late Osprey, Pacific Loon which doesn’t come around this area too often, and Eastern Towhee all recorded at Lake Carl Blackwell.

The December migratory bird list includes a couple of arrivals – Long Eared Owl and American Tree Sparrow.

The departures shall be a little parse--Franklin’s Gull, Eastern Phoebe, Northern House Wren, Sprague’s Pipit, and White-throated Sparrow.

The North American vagrant/ rare bird alert for the past seven days indicates Connecticut’s and Delaware’s Barnacle Goose and New York’s Tundra Bean-Goose.

Florida mentioned Yellow- headed Caracara, as Texas logged Crimson-collared Grosbeak, Brown Jay, Yellow headed Caracara, Mottled Owl, House Crow, and Cattle Tyrant.

Missouri shared Brambling, while New Mexico tagged Common Crane.

California added Common Ringed Plover, Hawaii recorded Blue Rock-Thrush and Yukon shared Eurasian Bullfinch.

Since it isn’t seen much or too often, writer wanted to touch on Barrow’s Goldeneye, which was originally named Rocky Mountain Goldeneye, as that is where its most northerly species was discovered, much more prolifically.

Its present name came to pass as a likely favor to Audubon’s cash cause for his infamous illustrated book of art, or “Birds of America,” not always too accurate with accompanying plants. This goldeneye was thus named for Sir John Barrow, an Admiralty English official that believed we needed Arctic exploration

DEB HIRT

and a Northwest Passage, but the species is far from being circumpolar.

It is actually found in multiple small wintering regions, most of its area devoted to breeding territory in Alaska and a sliver of western Canada.

So if you wish to find it, look at the larger more open Oklahoma lakes where it likes to spread out and most recently, occasionally even at Boomer Lake. It may be among the Common Goldeneyes.

Boomer Lake counted Cackling and Canada Geese, Mallard, Ruddy Duck, Killdeer, Ring-billed Gull, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird, Song, White-crowned, White-throated, Harris’s, and House Sparrows, Bufflehead, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Cardinal, Great Blue Heron, domestic Mallard, Canvasback, American Coot, American Herring Gull, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, Rock Pigeon (Feral), Bald Eagle, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling, Northern Mockingbird, American Goldfinch, Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco, Myrtle Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers, Red-breasted Merganser, Mourning Dove, Black Vulture, Northern Harrier, Eastern Phoebe, Tufted Titmouse, and House Finch.

Lake Carl Blackwell--Dam penned in Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Greenwinged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers, American Kestrel, Cedar Waxwing, American Pipit, Savannah Sparrow, Red-breasted Merganser, Bonaparte’s and Franklin’s Gull, Common Loon, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Bewick’s Wren, American Robin, Lincoln’s and Red Fox Sparrows, Spotted Towhee, Eastern Meadowlark, and Western/Eastern Meadowlark.

Oklahoma State University recorded domestic Goose.

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 Barrow’s Goldeneye.

ÓMAR RUNÓLFSSON (OMARRUN), CC BY 2.0 , VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS