Find the grub, find the bird

Oklahoma Mesonet reported 2.86 inches of precipitation over the past week.

Payne County rare birds for the same period included Boomer Lake’s Neotropic Cormorant on snag at base of long southeast point, while Lake Carl Blackwell included Forster’s Tern as rare, though expected even during June. It was also seen at Boomer Lake as well.

Nationwide rare birds/ vagrants are running a short list with British Columbia’s Taiga Bean-Goose.

St. Paul’s Island on Aleutians West Census Area in Alaska tagged Common Snipe with Slaty-backed Gull in Nome Census Area.

Washington State shared Ruff.

Arizona recorded Berylline Hummingbird and Flame-colored Tanager.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin added Kelp Gull at their stakeout site.

American Flamingo appeared in Florida yet again.

Kermadec and Bulwer’s Petrel still grace Hawaii.

Texas still reports Yellowgreen Vireo and Tropical Parula.

If one is in the right place at the right time during spring migration, it is quite possible to get lucky with spotting the occasional Black-billed Cuckoo. Their core breeding range is in the north, while exactly the opposite is true for Yellowbilled Cuckoo. The interesting thing is, there are very notable similarities, but some distinct differences between the two species.

There are very easy ways to locate cuckoos, and that is where the caterpillars roam. One can find them in the vicinity of fall webworms, and other notables will be in the depth of the forest with fish and small and aquatic larvae, minute mollusks on the undersides of leaves, other small animals, fruit and berries, the young and eggs of small birds doing a lot of damage to destroying the eggs of many useful birds – and the coward Brown-headed Cowbirds, every bit of a disaster as black snakes.

It is impossible to distinguish all the notes of the black-billed versus Yellow-billed Cuckoo, but generally the notes of the black-billed are softer and more liquid than the yellow-billed, and not as deeply-toned.

The song is preceded by a gurgling note, and the long song is in regular measured time, not retarded in the end like the yellow-billed with couplet and triplet notes with one accented syllable.

Now, the nestlings don’t always appear like nestlings, as they possess muscular vigor not seen in any normal birds, for they can withstand heat, hunger and general neglect. Barely three hours out of the shell they can hang suspended

See HIRT on C2

LIFE AT BOOMER LAKE

Deb Hirt