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Birds could be facing wet, hot summer
Oklahoma Mesonet indicated no rainfall over the past weekly period (prior to March 4) in Payne County.
Payne County rare birds for the same area included an Eastern Kingbird Stillwagin Dog Park on West 23rd Ave.
Payne County March migration arrivals include Eared Grebe, Chimney Swift, Ruby- throated and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, King Rail, Sora, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, American Golden-Plover, Snowy Plover, Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Stilt, Baird’s, Least, Pectoral, Solitary, Semipalmated, and (the rare for spring) Western Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson’s Phalarope, Franklin’s Gull, Neotropic Cormorant, American Bittern, Snowy and Cattle Egrets, Little Blue Heron, Black- and Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, Osprey, Swainson’s Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, White-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Northern Rough-winged, Tree, Barn, and Cliff Swallows, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Grasshopper, Lark, and Vesper Sparrows, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-andwhite and Yellow-throated Warblers, and Northern Parula.
No departures given. Rarities and vagrants for this time frame include Taiga Bean Goose and Taiga Flycatcher in British Columbia, Tufted Duck and European Robin in Quebec, and Ivory, Slaty-backed, and Common Gulls in Newfoundland and Labrador, Delaware and New York tagged Pink-footed Goose in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and Barnacle Goose, and the Garganey is still in Pennsylvania.
Florida penciled in Smoothbilled Ani, Shiny Cowbird, Mangrove Yellow Warbler, and Tricolored Munia in Florida, Louisiana shared Forktailed Flycatcher, and Virginia checked Red-flanked Bluetail.
Texas penned American Flamingo, Rose-throated Becard, Cattle Tyrant, Tropical Parula, Morelet’s Seedeater, Crimson-collared Grosbeak, and Mottled Owl in Texas, with Brown Jay in restricted access area.
Arizona added Rufous-backed Robin and Rufous- capped Warbler in Arizona.
Montana shared Tundra Bean-Goose.
California and Oregon mentioned Ruff, as well as Little Stint and Red-throated Pipit in California.
Hawaii took pleasure in Redbilled Tropicbird, Christmas Shearwater, and Bulwer’s Petrel.
There is a little over a 50% possibility that El Nino could develop during the July-September period, with a possibility of later in the year. This will heat things up even more, beyond what we thought was a False Spring.
This generally occurs every two to seven years, usually resulting in drier conditions across Australia, southeast Asia, southern Africa and northern Brazil, and wetter conditions in the southern United States, Peru, Ecuador, and the Horn of Africa.
El Nino’s impact would be greater in 2027 than 2026 due to second half of the year development, and the fact that it would take time for the global atmosphere to condition to it. 2026 could well be the warmest on record regardless sans El Nino.
El Nino is now being tracked in a new way, as the former way is not moving with the times. The Relative Oceanic Nino Index compares how warm or cool the east-central Pacific is compared to the tropics, which is a clearer and more reliable way to track it.
The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University counted Rock Pigeon (feral), Mourning Dove, Killdeer, American White Pelican, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed and Harlan’s Hawk, Barred Owl, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, American Kestrel, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Black Vulture, and Carolina Wren.
Lake Carl Blackwell marked off Northern Shoveler, Greenwinged Teal, Bufflehead, American Coot, Ring-billed Gull, Northern Flicker, Redwinged Blackbird, American Woodcock, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Pileated Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, Pine Siskin, Chipping Sparrow, 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 Garganey.
DR. RAJU KASAMBE, CC BY-SA 4.0
DEB HIRT
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