Another high number of migrating birds

Oklahoma Mesonet reported 0.15” of rainfall over the past week in Payne County.

Payne County rare birds for the same period include Boomer Lake’s late reported Sabine’s Gull and Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler, both on Oct. 18, Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Oklahoma State University Arboretum on October 12, Bonaparte’s Gull and Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler at Lake Carl Blackwell both on Oct. 19, and Burrowing Owl in a field just north of a private residence on Chandler Street on Oct. 7.

An estimated 2,366,600 crossed Payne County between Monday Oct. 20, 2025 at 1850 hours and Tuesday Oct. 21, 2025 at 0740 hours., a high count. Peak migration traffic was an estimated 279,400 at an altitude of 1,100 feet at a cruising speed of 35 mph heading southerly, also another high number.

Expected nocturnal migrants were Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned, and Nashville Warblers, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated, Song, Savannah, White-crowned, Vesper, and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Gadwall, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Continuing rare/vagrant birds were the Florida and Texas’ Yellow-headed Caracara, Texas continues to support Mottled Owl, while Little Stint landed for an extended stay in California.

Alberta managed Costa’s Hummingbird, while Newfoundland and Labrador had a triple whammy with Black-throated Blue and Prothonotary Warblers, and a nondescript Warbling Vireo.

Maine did not experience three-of-a-kind, but they did manage a pair of Tropical Kingbirds and Leconte’s Sparrow, but Massachusetts raised them Townsend’s Solitaire, Townsend’s Warbler, Purple Gallinule, and Roseate Spoonbill.

North Carolina experienced Broad-billed Hummingbird, while Florida captured Smallbilled Eleania. Texas flagged Roadside Hawk, literally, while Louisiana

DEB HIRT

thumbs-upped a Yellow- green Vireo.

That meant Oregon had to get their own Yellow-green Vireo along with a Northern Wheatear.

Washington State lucked out with Wilson’s Storm-Petrel AND Yellow-geen Vireo, since there was a sale this week.

Alaska could not say no this week, so they reluctantly managed with Tropical Kingbird on Prince of Wales Island, as well as a Song Thrush at the North Slope! Those thrushes have to be tough as nails.

Boomed Lake added Canada Goose, American Coot, ongoing injured American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Turkey and Black Vultures, Red-tailed Hawk, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Mallard, Killdeer, large murmuration of possible European Starlings, Northern Cardinal, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, House and Chipping Sparrows, Ruddy Duck, Sabine’s Gull, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Northern Mockingbird, American Pipit, Pine Warbler, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Harrier, Tufted Titmouse, Barn Swallow, Chipping Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Audubon’s and myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers, Spotted Sandpiper, Red-shouldered Hawk, and yellow-shafted Northern Flicker.

Lake Carl Blackwell spotted Redhead, Eurasian Collared- Dove, American Avocet, Franklin’s and Ring-billed Gulls, Pied-billed Grebe, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Red-headed Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western/Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Greater White-fronted Goose, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Ringnecked Duck, Greater Yellowlegs, Horned Grebe, Sharpshinned Hawk, Bald Eagle, Hairy Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern House Wren, American Robin, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, slate-colored Darkeyed Junco, Eastern Meadowlark, Brown-headed Cowbird, Least Sandpiper, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Ruby- crowned/Golden-crowned Kinglet, and possible group of 300 Barn Swallows.

Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University checked Rock Pigeon (feral), Brown Thrasher, American White Pelican, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue-headed Vireo, and Cedar Waxwing.

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 Yellow-green Vireo.

FRANCESCO VERONESI FROM ITALY, CC BY-SA 2.0 , VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS