Lekking birds and gobbling frenzies

Oklahoma Mesonet reported 0.29 inches of rainfall over the past weekly time frame.

Payne County rare birds for the same period include White-eyed Vireo at the Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University and Scissor- tailed Flycatcher, Fish Crow and Lesser Goldfinch at Lake Carl Blackwell.

Migratory arrivals for the month of November as follows – Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, White-winged and Black Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Iceland and Glaucous Gulls, Red-throated and Pacific Loons, Red Crossbill, Lapland and Smith’s Longspur, and American Tree Sparrow.

Departures include Bluewinged Teal, Rufous Hummingbird, King Rail, Sora, Sandhill Crane, American Avocet, Black-bellied Plover, American Golden-Plovers, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Baird’s and Pectoral Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, American Bittern, Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Fish Crow, Nelson’s, Grasshopper, Vesper, and Lark Sparrows, Common Yellowthroat, Blue-headed Vireo, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Tree Swallow.

Nationwide rare/vagrant birds include British Columba’s White Wagtail, Little Bunting and Rustic Bunting, as well as Tundra Bean-Goose in New York.

Texas’ Yellow-headed Caracara, Golden-crowned Warbler, and Mottled Owl, and California’s Olive-backed Pipit.

Now that the Wild Turkeys have come out to attract females, they have been providing an interesting show for humanity, as well. Writer was treated to a fine flock one year quite a while ago for some interesting flock behavior, with the males strutting themselves so the females could literally inspect them.

If you’re lucky, you may one day come across what is called an exploded lek, where the area literally comes alive during the early morning hours with so much gobbling, it draws one’s attention. Hunters have no idea where

DEB HIRT

they should go for the prize(s), as they would be surrounded by the sound all around them.

These displaying toms will behave like lekking birds if you’re in the right place, as prairie chickens and grouse will characteristically do the same thing, yet from a turkey’s standpoint, there is no reason to exclude them.

Here’s where the exploded lek comes in. Each tom or group maintains a lek, where they display while going about their own business including displaying for any hens that may decide the pass through the area, but these are actually pockets of toms scattered around the landscape.

There is a pecking order which maintains an a structure for other smaller leks and area toms, which they will also join in on, which is a good thing for hunters, since it encourages area maintenance by the property owners.

It can be somewhat confusing for hunters, as some of these toms will even drum in the area, not just have a gobbling frenzy.

Wander around your area right around now, and see if you might encounter some of this fall action. If you do, you’ll have a head’s up, so enjoy and photograph it if you have the chance. It will be something for others to look forward to observing.

Boomer Lake added Canada Goose, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, American Coot, Franklin’s, American Herring, and Ring-billed Gulls, Double- crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Turkey and Black Vultures, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Eastern Bluebird, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, American Crow, Redwinged Blackbird, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, and Pied-billed Grebe.

Lake Carl Blackwell shared Wood Duck, Eurasian Collared- Dove, Killdeer, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Red-bellied, Red-headed, Hairy, Pileated, and Downy Woodpeckers, Blue Jay, Eastern Bluebird, House Sparrow, American Pipit, Wester/Eastern Meadowlark, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, White-winged Dove, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Fish Crow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick’s Wren, Northern Mockingbird, American Robin, Lesser Goldfinch, Chipping, Savannah, Song, and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Western and Eastern Meadowlarks, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Goldfinch, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Pine Warbler.

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 Wild Turkey.

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