Long-eared Owl, American Tree Sparrow arrive

Oklahoma Mesonet reported no rain over the past weekly period.

Payne County rare birds for the same time frame include the ongoing very late Scissor- tailed Flycatcher at Lake Carl Blackwell and several reports of Lesser Goldfinch at private locations.

The December migration report for arrivals include Longeared Owl and American Tree Sparrow.

The departures shall be Franklin’s Gull, Eastern Phoebe, House Wren, Sprague’s Pipit and White-throated Sparrow.

Nationwide vagrant/rare birds begin with continuing individuals. Taiga Bean-Goose of Quebec and Black-tailed Gull in Ontario round out the Boreal Forest area. Florida counted Bananaquit and Yellow-headed Caracara, as Texas added Brown Jay and Mottled Owl. Arizona tagged Berylline Humming, while California checked off Little Stint.

New York discovered Common Shelduck and Massachusetts shared Northern Lapwing.

Boomer Lake Park checked Canada Goose, Ring-necked Duck, Ring-billed and American Herring Gulls, Double- crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Red-winged Blackbird and Northern Cardinal.

Lake Carl Blackwell ticked off American Coot, Killdeer, American Robin, Cackling Goose, American Wigeon, Mallard, Mourning Dove, Killdeer, American White Pelican, Redtailed Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, American Kestrel, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Pipit, Dark-eyed Junco, Whitecrowned, Harris’s, and Savannah

DEB HIRT

Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, Eastern Meadowlark, Bufflehead, Bonaparte’s Gull, Common Loon and Bald Eagle.

Meridian Technology Center Pond counted Northern Shoveler.

Lake Cark Blackwell – Hwy 86 Bridge counted Greenwinged Teal, Northern Bobwhite, American Avocet, Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Franklin’s Gull, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, late Barn Swallow, Marsh Wren, American Goldfinch, White-throated, Song, Lincoln’s Swamp Sparrows, Spotted Towhee and Brown-headed Cowbird.

Lake Cark Blackwell – Dam sounded off with Pied-billed Grebe, Cooper’s Hawk, Carolina Wren, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, American Herring Gull, Red-tailed Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, House and Purple Finches and Rusty Blackbird.

Teal Ridge Wetlands tagged Swamp Sparrow.

The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University rounded out Rock Pigeon (Feral), Golden- crowned Kinglet and Northern Mockingbird.

Oklahoma State University – Cross County Course affixed Hooded Merganser, Black Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Harlan’s Hawk and Bewick’s Wren.

A handful of White-throated Swifts had been seen at a small mesa at the northern part of Gloss Mountain State Park on Nov. 30.

This is a late report, but for those not aware, the Eastern Cattle Egret has been accepted to the ABA checklist from Agattu, Alaska and Midway Atoll. Vega Gull or VEGU is added based upon the Herring Gull split into four species in October 2024. There are additions and deletions listed on the ABA site resulting in 1,154 species on the ABA Checklist.

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 female Lesser Goldfinch feeds on a pollen cone of a conifer Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012, in Santa Clara, California.

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