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Are rare birds on their way?
Oklahoma Mesonet had no rain to report over the past seven-day period.
Payne County rare birds for the same time were Yellow- rumped Warbler at Lake Carl Blackwell, Dickcissel at Boomer Lake, White-eyed Vireo at Lake Carl Blackwell – Hwy. 86 Bridge, and Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler at Boomer Lake.
The last half of October arrivals included Ross’s and Cackling Goose, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers, American Woodcock, Bonaparte’s Gull, Rough-legged and Ferruginous Hawks, Long-eared Owl, Purple Finch, Fox and Harris’s Sparrows, Rusty Blackbird, Mountain Bluebird and Townsend’s Solitaire.
Departures shall be Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Semipalmated Plover, Stilt Sandpiper, Sanderling, Red-necked Phalarope, Sabine’s and Laughing Gulls, Caspian and Common Terns, Snowy Egret, Swainson’s Hawk, Black-throated Green Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Common Nighthawk, and Northern Rough-winged Swallow.
An estimated 75,400 birds crossed Payne County overnight between Monday, Oct.14 at 1850 hours and Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 at 0730 hours. Peak migration traffic was an estimated 12,200 individuals in flight at an altitude of 4,600 feet at 21 mph from the southeast.
Expected nocturnal migrants were Yellow-rumped Warbler, Gray Catbird, Nashville and Orange-crowned Warblers, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, White-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Gadwall, Savannah Sparrow and Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Current geomagnetic vagrancy conditions were high at 1.4, geomagnetic disturbance is 1.7 (high), and current solar activity conditions at the same at 1.7.
Species demographic trends show Western Tanager on the upswing, while Indigo Bunting is losing more ground.
The nationwide rare/vagrant birds include continuing Gray Gull from Florida, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper from British Columbia, Brown Jay and Mottled Owl from Texas, Berylline Hummingbird from Arizona, and Eurasian Bullfinch from the Alaskan Aleutians.
Yellow Grosbeak was counted in Arizona, while Song Sparrow was added in the Nome Census Area of Alaska.
That is all.
Boomer Lake counted Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Killdeer, Great Blue Heron, Red-shouldered Hawk, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Clay-colored Sparrow, Redwinged Blackbird, Pine and Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Coot, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Turkey Vulture, Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Western Cattle Egret, Osprey, Northern Mockingbird and Clay-colored Sparrow.
Lake Carl Blackwell added Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Piedbilled Grebe, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Snipe, Spotted and Least Sandpipers, Franklin’s and Ringbilled Gulls, American White Pelican, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling, American Robin, American Pipit, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Chipping and Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlark, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, American Kestrel, American Avocet, Black and Turkey Vultures and Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Sanborn Lake shared Redtailed and Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chimney Swift, House Wren, Spotted Towhee, and Brown Thrasher.
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 Ferruginous Hawk.
ANDEANSOLITAIRE, CC BY-SA 4.0
DEB HIRT
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