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August birds are out and about
Oklahoma Mesonet does not reassure the precipitation situation over the past seven days (before Tuesday) with nothing. We seriously need some rainfall.
Payne County rare birds for the same period include an early singing male Nashville Warbler at Boomer Lake.
Nationwide rare/vagrant birds for the week have given a little shakeup this week, with the first Spotted Redshank in the Province of Ontario in more than two decades.
We’re developing a nice pattern for the month of August with Steller’s Sea-Eagle in Newfoundland, Wisconsin’s breeding Kelp Gull with an American Herring Gull, the Yellow Grosbeak still likes Colorado and California is still enjoying the White-winged Tern.
British Columbia has a likely Arctic Loon, and Delaware’s good fortune includes a lovely Little Stint.
Texas greeted their second Cattle Tyrant, about a couple of hundred miles from the first, which has been there since its Visa has steadily been getting renewed. I hear a green card may be in order soon.
Kansas brought us a great Wood Stork, while Missouri’s late summer Roseate Spoonbill decided to stay a little while longer.
North Dakota found a Carolina Wren again, which is a general homebody. South Dakota would not be outdone, which picked up Crested Caracara.
California found Blue-footed Booby, along with two other more seasonal boobies with their compasses working well.
Hawaii wanted to add another stint, so they came up with the Red-necked Stint on Kure Atoll, which was about due.
An estimated 158,800 birds
DEB HIRT
crossed Payne County between Monday, Aug. 18, 2025 at 2020 hours and 0650 hours Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. This made the estimated peak migration 95,400 individuals in flight at an altitude of 1,900 feet cruising at 10 mph from the southeast. No point in kicking it up a notch yet.
Expected nocturnal migrants were Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue Grosbeak, Common Nighthawk, Spotted Sandpiper, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Green Heron, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Little Blue Heron and Bell’s Vireo.
Boomer Lake added Canada Goose, Mallard, Rock Pigeon (Feral), Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Spotted Sandpiper, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Mississippi Kite, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Fish Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, House Sparrow, House Finch, Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Prothonotary, Nashville, Yellow, and Pine Warblers, Northern Cardinal, what appears to be a Lazuli/ Indigo Bunting cross but I likely a Lazuli Bunting, Dickcissel, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, White-winged Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Traill’s and Great Crested Flycatchers, Blue Jay, Orchard Oriole, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Upland Sandpiper, cormorant sp., Turkey Vulture, Western Kingbird and American Crow.
Sanborn Lake shared Green Heron.
Lake Carl Blackwell Dam tagged Yellow-billed Cuckoo, hummingbird sp., Killdeer, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Red-eyed Vireo, American Goldfinch and Eastern Meadowlark.
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 Spotted Redshank
MILDEEP, CC BY-SA 4.0
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