A chance to observe birds fluttering in flight

Oklahoma Mesonet reported 0.91 inches of precipitation over the past weekly timeframe. Writer observed four Mississippi Kites over the weekend buffeted all over the sky. They stayed in the area for several hours.

While we were getting 20-25 mph gusts on terra firms, the birds were experiencing higher gusts and they were moving.

A couple of them were as high as air traffic until they dropped down a little. They were seen fluttering, which my mind’s eye cannot ever recall. The fluttering seemed to put them on a better directional axis for where they wished to be off on another adventure, returning again in about 10 or 15 minutes. It was a wonderful show, nice to inform a potential birder what the birds were and see their markings highlighted in the sun.

Payne County rare birds for the same period were ongoing American Herring Gull at Boomer Lake and a Lake Carl Blackwell Neotropic Cormorant. Will Rogers Woods shared Hooded and Chestnut- sided Warblers, while a Cimarron Road residence reported Harris’s Sparrow. Cassin’s Vireo was noted at Sanborn Lake, with Wood Thrush at Couch Park.

An estimated high count of 5,898,200 birds crossed Payne County between Monday, May 12, 2025 and Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Peak migration traffic was an estimated high 668,300 at an altitude of 2,000 feet from the north at 40 mph.

Expected nocturnal migrants were Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Lincoln’s, Clay-colored, White-crowned, and Painted Buntings, Yellow- rumped, Orange-crowned, Yellow, and Nashville Warblers, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Orchard Oriole,

DEB HIRT

Blue-winged Teal, and Gray Catbird.

Continuing rarities/vagrants are the Fab Four of Texas--Brown Jay, Cattle Tyrant, Mottled Owl, and Yellow headed Caracara. Brown Jays were seen on a nest for the first time in decades!

Nova Scotia added Ruff, while the Province of Quebec mentioned their first regional Willow Ptarmigan.

North Carolina tagged Snowy Plover and Black-headed Grosbeak, while Florida observed Ruff and raised the north side a Bahama Mockingbird.

Illinois was proud of Forktailed Flycatcher and Tricolored Heron.

Kansas shouted out Tropical Parula (who was building a nest with a Northern Parula.

Colorado checked Lawrence’s Goldfinch AND Yellow Grosbeak, as Wyoming shared Common Crane and Blacklegged Kittiwake.

California was represented by a pelagic Short-tailed Albatross.

Boomer Lake added Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Spotted Sandpiper, American Herring Gull, Western Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Mississippi Kite, Eastern Kingbird, Scissor-tailed and Great Crested Flycatchers, Warbling, Bell’s, and Redeyed Vireos, Blue Jay, Fish and American Crows, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Purple Martin, Cliff and Barn Swallows, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Swainson’s Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House, Chipping, Clay-colored, and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Double-crested Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Western and Eastern Kingbirds, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Brown-headed Cowbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Prothonotary, Tennessee, Yellow, and Pine Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Indigo and Painted Buntings,, and Dickcissel.

Happy birding! Deb Hirt is a wild bird rehabilitator and photographer living in Stillwater.

A Pine Warbler.

RHODODENDRITES, CC BY-SA 4.0 , VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS