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Birds flying south could be in for mild winter
Oklahoma Mesonet reported a welcome 3.44 inches of rainfall over the past seven-day period.
Payne County rare birds for the same time included flyover Tree Swallow, Fish Crow, and Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler.
The nationwide rare/vagrant birds listed British Columbia’s White Wagtail and Spotted Redshank, while New York shared Common Cuckoo.
Virginia counted European Golden-Plover, as Texas received reports on ongoing Mottled Owl and Yellow-headed Caracara.
California rounds out the week with Olive-back Pipit and Common Ringed Plover.
The latest information on winter shows that the Northern Pacific Ocean is experiencing a marine heat wave, which North America is already experiencing.
California has been seeing more humid and milder air recently, as well as some unusual thunderstorm activity, which should slow the area wildfire season, at least temporarily.
Since weather patterns seem to be experiencing some influence in the north due to this situation, we appear to be experiencing La Nina, or a winter warming trend, which has been expected.
With the jet stream and the influence of the Pacific “blob,” which is a visual on the weather map, the jet steam winds could slow, as well as the increase of moisture in storms and the atmospheric rivers that will likely result. This will bring more prolific rain and snow to the north, but they will be slower moving.
We must factor in the Pacific’s cooler water along the equator, and coupled with warmer Atlantic waters, could result in a milder winter for the lower states, yet colder weather could result late winter, which has been
DEB HIRT
transpiring over the past few years. Time and more exacting circumstances will tell.
Boomer Lake counted Canada Goose, Mallard, Ruddy Duck, American Coot, Killdeer, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Turkey Vulture, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, House, Chipping, White-throated, and Song Sparrows, myrtle Yellow rumped and Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warblers, Orange- crowned, and Pine Warblers, Northern Cardinal, Eurasian Collard-Dove, Mourning Dove, American Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, yellow- shafted Northern Flicker, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch, slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco, Ring-necked Duck, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Tree Swallow, Wood Duck, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Grackle, Cedar Waxwing, Cooper’s Hawk, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western/Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, American Wigeon, Pine Siskin, and American Goldfinch.
Lake Carl Blackwell tagged Franklin’s Gull, Osprey, Ringbilled Gull, Horned Grebe, American White Pelican, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Eastern Phoebe, Barn Swallow, Whiteand Red-breasted Nuthatches, Savannah and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlark, White-crowned Sparrow, Gadwall, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Forster’s Tern, Piedbilled Grebe, Brown-headed Cowbird, Pileated Woodpecker, and Bald Eagle.
Cushing Water Treatment Plant (restricted) added Green- and Blue-winged Teals, Virginia Rail, Sora, Wilson’s Snipe, Northern Harrier, Northern House and Marsh Wrens, LeConte’s and Swamp Sparrows, Western Meadowlark, and Common Yellowthroat.
Sanborn Lake penciled Golden- crowned Kinglet, Brown Thrasher, Fox Sparrow, and Spotted Towhee.
Lake Carl Blackwell--Dam marked Black Vulture, American Crow, Bewick’s Wren, and American Pipit.
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 Virginia Rail.
RHODODENDRITES, CC BY-SA 4.0
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