The bustling birds of Boomer

Oklahoma Mesonet reported no precipitation over the past seven days in Payne County.

Payne County rare birds for the same period include Palm Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, continuing possible injured Snow Goose, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Myrtle x Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Neotropic Cormorant at Boomer Lake, Black-chinned Hummingbird and Ovenbird at Sanborn Lake, Gray-cheeked Thrush at Brush Creek and East 46th, Wood Thrush at the Botanic Garden of Oklahoma State University, likely second-year male Bullock’s x Baltimore Oriole hybrid at Will Roger’s Woods (private), late Song Sparrow at Lake Carl Blackwell, Black-bellied Whistling Duck (heard only) at North Cowboy Canyon Road, and late suspect Purple Finch at Couch Park. Many nice finds for the week.

The May migration report arrivals include Ruddy Turnstone, Short-billed Dowitcher, Red-necked Phalarope, Laughing Gull, Least and Black Terns, White Ibis, Yellow-bellied, Alder, and Willow Flycatchers, Philadelphia Vireo, and Mourning, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, and Canada Warblers.

The departures for the month shall be Cinnamon and Green-winged Teals, Northern Pintail, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded and Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Western Grebe, Virginia Rail, Common Poorwill, Sora, American Avocet, Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Piping, and Snowy Plovers, Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Hudsonian and Marbled Godwits, Dunlin, Baird’s, Buff-breasted, and Western Sandpiper, Short- and Longbilled Dowitchers, Wilson’s Snipe, Solitary Sandpiper, Willet, Greater Yellowlegs, Red-necked Phalarope, Bonaparte’s and California Gulls, Caspian Tern, Common Loon, American Bittern, Whitefaced Ibis, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Blue-headed and Philadelphia Vireos, Bank and Tree Swallows, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Sedge and Marsh Wrens, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Veery, Gray-cheeked and Hermit Thrushes, American and Sprague’s Pipit, Clay-colored, White-crowned, Harris’s, White-throated, Vesper, Le Conte’s, Savannah, and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Spotted and Eastern Towhees, Yellow-headed and Brewer’s Blackbirds, Bobolink, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Mourning, Magnolia, Nashville, Chestnut- sided, Yellow, Canada, Yellow-rumped, and Wilson’s Warblers, American Redstart, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Lazuli Bunting.

An estimated 4,263,000

DEB HIRT

birds crossed Payne County between Monday, May 4, 2026 at 2020 hours to Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 0630 hours.

Peak migration traffic was an estimated 434,700 in flight from the north, wind speed of 38 mph at an altitude of 1,700 feet on May 5 recorded at 0130 hours.

Expected nocturnal migrants were Indigo and Painted Buntings, Baltimore Oriole, Great Crested and Least Flycatchers, Swainson’s Thrush, Dickcissel, Orchard Oriole, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Harris’s and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and Blue-winged Teal.

The continuing rarities of Texas include Mottled Owl and Cattle Tyrant mixed with Florida’s Cuban Pewee.

For vagrants/rarities, Alberta scored with the triple of Ross’s and Slaty-backed Gulls and Vermilion Flycatcher, British Columbia not far behind with a double--Hooded Oriole and White Wagtail. Quebec shared White Ibis, as Atlantic Canada could not be outdone with three European Golden Plovers in two areas, and a Baikal Teal in Ontario. It’s hard to say if these are escaped captives or natural vagrants due to circumstances.

Massachusetts thrilled those individuals with Eurasian Whimbrel and White-faced Ibis, while Maryland hosted another Crested Caracara.

Georgia shared Snail Kites likely due to fire displacement, and Kelp Gull was in the midst of a breeding Wisconsin colony.

Iowa tagged Swainson’s Warbler and Colorado boasted Western Gull and Harlequin Duck.

South Dakota added a lovely male Ruff, California a colorful male Garganey with Washington’s Least Tern.

Boomer Lake added Orchard Oriole, Canada and Snow Geese, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Mourning Dove, and Eurasian Collared-Dove, American Avocet, Spotted and Least Sandpipers, Black and Forster’s Terns, Green Heron, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Turkey and Black Vultures, Mississippi Kite, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern and Western Kingbirds, Scissor- tailed Flycatcher, Eastern Warbling, White-eyed, and Red-eyed Vireos, American and Fish Crows, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged, Cliff, and Barn Swallows, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson’s Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House, Clay-colored, Lark, Lincoln’s, and Savannah Sparrows, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Prothonotary, Tennessee, Nashville, Orange- crowned, Pine, Northern Yellow, Myrtle Yellow-rumped, Palm, Yellow-throated, and Blackpoll Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Ruddy Duck, Double-crested Cormorant, Western Cattle Egret, Red-shouldered Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping and White-crowned Sparrows, Western Meadowlark, Common and Great-tailed Grackles, American Coot, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Neotropic Cormorant, Bell’s Vireo, domestic Mallard, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Pileated Woodpeckers Eastern Phoebe, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern House and Carolina Wrens, Spotted Towhee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Gray Catbird, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Athya sp., Killdeer, Franklin’s Gull, Rock Pigeon (feral), Ovenbird, Belted Kingfisher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Redstart, and White-winged Dove.

Keep your eyes on the ground and your head in the clouds. Happy birding!

A Blackpoll Warbler.

BERNARD GAGNON, CC0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS