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Brushing up on birds about to arrive
Oklahoma Mesonet reported 1.21 inches of precipitation over the past seven-day period.
Payne County rare birds for the same time recorded Royal Tern at Lake Carl Blackwell.
The nationwide rare/agrant report comprised Steller’s Sea-Eagle at Newfoundland and Labrador and Fork-tailed Flycatcher in southern York county, Maine. The latter has been getting around for a few years. Also Massachusetts (coastal region, writer assumes) recorded Juan Fernandez Petrel.
Florida counted Thick-billed Vireo, while Wisconsin recorded Kelp Gull.
Colorado added Yellow Grosbeak, while Arizona accounted for Berylline and White-eared Hummingbirds, Flame-colored Tanager, and Buff-collared Nightjar.
California checked Whitewinged Tern. It is nearly time for us to be greeting our wonderful fall warblers, who can be a little more cryptic for those of us that don’t really know them. Pay attention to those facial markings, wing bars, and underlying patterns, as well as overall size, color and behavior. Other clues that are more solid refer to the basics of the bird that don’t change from season-to-season, leg bill shape and size, wing bars, leg coloration, and tail patterns.
Connecticut Warbler is your Holy Grail Bird. Everybody wants to see it. If it comes to your area normally, brush up on those characteristics, as you have time to do that now without surprises, as there are bright and drab forms.
Yellow-throated, Cerulean, and Kentucky Warblers are all early migrants.
Ovenbird is a groundbird, don’t expect to find it too high in its environment. It turns over leaves and debris with its bill seeking spiders, snails,
DEB HIRT
and worms. They have long pink legs and a relatively short tail often cocked upward.
Worm-eating Warbler and both waterthrushes are similar in all seasons.
Prothonotary Warbler – notice color intensity between the two seasons. Contrast of head with black, and bill color Black-and-white Warbler will be noticeably duller Tennessee Warbler – little or no contrast between head and back, average buffier underparts, white in belly and undertail coverts variable, blue or gray in crown is adult male Boomer Lake penned in Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Double Crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Mississippi Kite, Red-bellied, Downy, and Pileated Woodpeckers, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Western and Eastern Kingbirds, Bell’s and Warbling Vireos, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Purple Martin, Barn and Cliff Swallows, Carolina and Bewick’s Wrens, European Starling, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, House Sparrow, House Finch, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Pine Warbler, Northern Cardinal, and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.
Lake Carl Blackwell reported Northern Bobwhite, Least, Forster’s, and Black Terns, Blue Jay, American Crow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, House Finch, Eastern Meadowlark, Summer Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, American White Pelican, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Chipping Sparrow, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, European Starling, White-winged Dove, Ring-billed Gull, American Goldfinch, Lark Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Blue Grosbeak, Painted Bunting, Turkey Vulture, Royal Tern, Franklin’s Gull, and Red-eyed Vireo.
Lake Cark Blackwell – HPELS mentioned Wild Turkey, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and Red-tailed Hawk.
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 fall Bay-breasted Warbler.
RHODODENDRITES, CC BY-SA 4.0
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