A few ways to attract birds

Oklahoma Mesonet indicated 0.24” of precipitation over the past weekly time frame.

An estimated 208,000 birds crossed Payne County between Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 at 1900 hours and Tuesday Oct.14, 2025 at 0730 hours. Peak migration traffic was an estimated 214,800 birds in flight (a high number!) at an altitude of 700 feet at a cruising speed of 18 mph heading in a direction of WSW on Oct. 3, 2025 at 2020 hours.

Expected nocturnal migrants were Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned, and Nashville Warblers, Gray Catbird, Indigo Bunting, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco, Dickcissel, White-crowned, Song, and Savannah Sparrows, Spotted Towhee, Yellow- bellied Sapsucker, and Gadwall.

Continuing rare/vagrant birds were Florida’s Gray Gull and Texas’ Yellow-headed Caracara off the coast.

Nova Scotia experienced its first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, along with Alberta’s Northern Wheatear, Summer Tanager, and Steller’s Eider.

New Hampshire claimed Le-Conte’s Sparrow, while Massachusetts surprised its state with several Bar-tailed Godwits, Barolo Shearwater south of Nantucket, Gray Kingbird on Cape Cod, and Harris’s Sparrow.

Michigan captured Black-throated Gray Warbler, Purple Gallinule, and Mexican Violetear.

Texas shouted out Red-footed Booby, which has been making the rounds in the Great Plains region.

Washington State counted Little Blue Heron, and California gave a thumbs up to another expected fall rarity, its first Waved Albatross that usually frequents western coastal South America.

Jerry Davis had some great thoughts for improving your yards to attract birds. You should have brush piles in your yard and if not, build some. Save your leaves for winter feeding habitat and mulch. You can shred with the mower in spring. Omit yard and pasture mowing until spring to keep grass cover and seeds.

Get the heaters out for your bird baths, birds need water every day of the year. Keep your bird baths full of water, clean and maintained all year. Keep your hummingbird feeders out for late migrants. Have winter roost boxes and insulate your bird houses for winter roosting. Do not clean out your nest boxes until winter is over, the nest material provides insulation for winter roosting and could save birds during polar events.

Remember that some birds like chickadees cache seeds behind bark and in cracks and creases but when ice covers the branches, seeds, and insects, bird can die within a few hours without food. You need plenty of supplemental food to get them through these critical hours. Put up your window collision protection. Keep removing exotic flowers and replace with native plants. Build and place new nest boxes and repair old ones for the next breeding season. Keep your cats indoors. Eliminate your pesticide lawn maintenance and manicured lawns. Stock up on seeds and suet because many wait until the last minute while others have purchased and temporally depleted the supply. While the tree leaves are gone, check your yard to see if you had birds nesting this past breeding season. If not, ask yourself “why not”? Try to eliminate the limiting habitat factors. Most birds can carry out a nesting cycle with homeowners unaware. If your yard is only used because of the feeders, that is not enough, so work to eliminate the limiting factors.

Boomer Lake added Canada Goose, Mallard, Mourning Dove, Killdeer, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Belted Kingfisher, Scissor- tailed Flycatcher, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Cardinal, Red-headed, Red-bellied, and Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Carolina Wren, European Starling, House Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Nashville, Pine, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Coot, Double-crested Cormorant, Red-tailed Hawk, House Finch, Eastern Phoebe, Tufted Titmouse, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Indigo Bunting.

Lake Carl Blackwell tallied Sharp-shinned Hawk, Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Northern House Wren, American Goldfinch, Chipping, Field, and Lincoln’s Sparrows, and Common Grackle.

Oklahoma State University Arboretum tagged Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ruby- throated Hummingbird, American Kestrel, Rock Pigeon (Feral), Eurasian Collared- Dove, Brown Thrasher, and American Robin.

Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University shared Red-shouldered Hawk and Barred Owl.

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 Black-throated Gray Warbler.

VJANDERSON, CC BY-SA 4.0 , VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

DEB HIRT