SHARE
Fall is a fine time for rare birds
Oklahoma Mesonet recorded no rainfall for the past seven days.
Payne County rare birds for the same time include Lesser Goldfinch and Fish Crow at Lake Carl Blackwell, Solitary Sandpiper on a small brushy pond off Range Road, and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Perkins off Cimarron River area.
The nationwide rare/vagrant birds for almost the past two weeks include a plethora of rarities, as that is what October is known for in much of North America. However, our ongoing Texas’ semi-residents include Mottled Owl, Yellow-headed Caracara, and Roadside Hawk. Florida’s Gray Gull is also on the list as a first report.
Ontario counted Grace’s Warbler and Gray Kingbird, while Quebec also chalked off Gray Kingbird. British Columbia had the meat-and-potatoes for Canada with Siberian Pipit, Spotted Redshank and Rustic and Little Buntings, while Newfoundland and Labrador shared their first California Gull.
New York managed a Common Cuckoo, the prize of the week, which was also the first record there. They also added Varied Thrush, Pink-footed Goose, and Broad-billed Hummingbird.
Virginia tagged European Golden-Plover, with Florida spotting Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher.
Minnesota penciled in Black Phoebe, as Nebraska enjoyed Costa’s Hummingbird.
California also had several lovely examples of vagrants, which is coastally accessible: Rufous-backed Robin, Olive- backed Pipit, and Oriental Greenfinch. Rufous-backed Robin is generally seen more often in the southwest.
Washington State chimed in with Little Blue Heron.
Three mystery birds were spotted at the last moment with long necks in Oklahoma County on Nov. 4, which we can likely assume were cranes. I do know on the same day that a friend from Kansas reported
DEB HIRT
30 Whooping Cranes at Quivera. She was not there, so it was likely a report from her local birding authority.
On September 17, 2025, the first Motus Station was installed in Eastern Wyoming at the Millikin Ranch. It is also the first Motus Station at an Audubon-certified Bird Friendly ranch in the country, part of Audubon Conservation Ranching program’s lands for the needs of vital habitat for grassland birds.
Boomer Lake counted Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Greenwinged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, American Coot, Ringbilled, American Herring, and Franklin’s Gulls, European Starling, Lapland Longspur flyover, Cackling and Canada Geese, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Killdeer, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Merlin, American Crow, American Robin, House Sparrow, myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler, Canada Goose, Redhead, Carolina Chickadee, Song Sparrow, Pied-billed Grebe, flyover Western Cattle Egret, yellow- shafted Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, American Pipit, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Sharpshinned and Red-shouldered Hawks, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied, Downy, and Pileated Woodpeckers, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Goldfinch, and White-throated Sparrow.
Lake Carl Blackwell penned in Red-headed Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, White- and Red-breasted Nuthatches, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Chipping, Field, Harris’s, Swamp, and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Pine Warbler, Bonaparte’s Gull, Horned Grebe, White-faced Ibis, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Black Vulture, Northern Harrier, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Northern House Wren, Cedar Waxwing, slate-colored Darkeyed Junco, Spotted Towhee, Northern Bobwhite, Great Egret, American Kestrel, and Bewick’s Wren.
Lake Carl Blackwell--Dam mentioned Red-breasted Merganser, Bald Eagle, Western Meadowlark, Hooded Merganser, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Savannah Sparrow, and Brewer’s Blackbird.
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 Lapland Longspur.
ANDY REAGO & CHRISSY MCCLARREN, CC BY 2.0
SHARE
