Some birds provide for others

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

Payne County rare birds for Boomer Lake include the signature call of the Fish Crow and a possible Mississippi Kite in flight, as well as the possibility of a Black-capped Chickadee or Black-capped x Carolina Chickadee hybrid in the East Airport Rd/Fairground Rd area.

A birder out of the area noticed the surprising activity of a Red-breasted Nuthatch that started out at his feeder and began working the sapwells of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker’s maple tree. The two were within three feet of one another. He also noticed the same behavior with Pine Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Carolina Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse. That prompted others to mention Brown Creeper, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Downy Woodpecker and White-breasted Nuthatch, as well as Black-and-white and Orange-crowned Warblers.

Sapsuckers are a keystone species that many other birds are drawn to, as they provide nectar rich resources when they are the most needed, especially from maple and birch, when insects are scarce to non-existent. Hummingbirds, bats, squirrels and many other animals will also take advantage of the “generosity” to dine as well.

The sugar source is amazingly good, and when it warms up for a few days, a few insects will appear and just supplement the feeding activity. Animals are so resilient because they must be. After all, they have been on this earth a lot longer than we have.

Butcherbirds also tend to come out and can unwittingly provide sustenance, since they will obtain meat, which other animals will consume. This is also the time of year that cached food is also very necessary during hard winters.

Finches and sparrows will actively forage, waterbirds will also grow a second layer of dense down for warmth and our small songbirds will also shiver for warmth as they stay together in nestboxes as well as birdhouses.

Nestboxes are a perfect gift for those that actively take care of birds in the winter, as a good friend will testify. Writer enjoys getting useful birthday gifts for those that actively seek to make animal lives better when possible.

Many of us were around the year that the American Bluebird and Carolina Wren had a rough winter and passed away. It was wonderful having a surviving pair that nested at Boomer Lake to thank many of us that had the advantage of that nesting pair for photographic purposes, watching the three young that Father Bluebird showed us.

Boomer Lake gives us many fond memories of activity that isn’t often observed in the birding world unless we know where and how to look for it. Be a mentor today to those that would enjoy things that we often see.

Boomer Lake counted Canada Goose, Mallard, domestic Mallard, Mourning Dove, American Coot, Ring-billed Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, American and Fish Crows, Horned Lark, House Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal, European Starling, American Robin, Bufflehead, Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Lake Carl Blackwell added Green-winged Teal, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Pied-billed Grebe, Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler, Killdeer, American Woodcock, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Red Fox, Harris’s, Lincoln’s, Song, and White-throated Sparrows, Spotted Towhee, Eastern Meadowlark, Wood Duck, Northern Shoveler, Common Goldeneye, Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, Northern Mockingbird, American Pipit, Pine Siskin and Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco.

Lake Carl Blackwell Dam captured American Wigeon, Hooded Merganser, American Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron, Great Horned Owl, Black and Turkey Vultures, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, Red-shafted Northern Flicker and Tufted Titmouse.

Ghost Hollow added Redtailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers, and Hermit Thrush.

Lake Carl Blackwell–HPELS tagged Red-headed Woodpecker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, and Pine Warbler.

Sanborn Lake chalked Ringnecked Duck, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch, and American Goldfinch.

Teal Ridge shouted out Eastern Phoebe.

Kameoka Trail between Stillwater High School to Boomer Lake penciled in Rock Pigeon (feral).

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-bellied Sapsucker.

DFAULDER, CC BY 2.0 , VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

DEB HIRT