Some extra rare birds being spotted

Oklahoma Mesonet reported 0.05 inches of precipitation over the past seven-day timeframe.

Payne County rare birds beginning mid-week last week reported a late Yellow Warbler, which is not that out of the ordinary, a myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler, with at least one Audubon’s sp. A Pine Siskin and Common Tern noted at Lake Carl Blackwell, with the two adult terns still mostly in breeding plumage, along with a non-breeding individual, which helped with the identification. Sanborn Lake reported a late Painted Bunting, a nice example of Sabine’s Gull, which isn’t seen around here too often, and a blue Grosbeak somewhere in Payne County.

An estimated 69,700 birds crossed Payne County between Monday, September 29, 2025 at 1920 hours and Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 at 0720 hours. Peak migration traffic was an estimated 32,000 birds in flight at an altitude of 4,400 feet cruising at a speed of 12 mph heading southwest.

Expected nocturnal migrants were Yellow, Orange- crowned, and Nashville Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Warbling Vireo, Green Heron, Dickcissel, Least Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Catbird, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Grosbeak, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

The nationwide rare/vagrant birds had a few completely out-of-the-ordinary suspects.

Continuing birds were Black-tailed Gull of Quebec, Variegated Flycatcher in Florida, Mottled owl of Texas, and Dark-sided Flycatcher of California.

Saskatchewan found their first Broad-billed Hummingbird, which does have a vagrancy record usually as far north as southeastern Canada, as Ontario picked up their first Surfbird.

DEB HIRT

Virginia was pleased with Bell’s Vireo, while North Carolina shared Elegant Tern.

Florida shouted out Sulphur- bellied Flycatcher and Black-headed Grosbeak, as Texas tagged Northern Jacana, which is not a far cry from their Mexican roots.

Oregon counted their first Northern Gannet, while Alaska, took high mention for Redwing, Yellow-browed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, and Eyebrowed Thrush on the Islands, along with Common Cranes and a flock of Purple Martins on the mainland.

There is an OOS fall meeting on Oct. 17-18 at Lake Arcadia Conservation Education Area outside Edmond, OK. See Schedules on LISTSERV.

Boomer Lake added Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Collared- Dove, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Killdeer, ongoing injured American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, roost of 100+ Turkey Vultures at the north end, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, yellow- shafted Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Blue Jay, American and Fish Crows, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, House Sparrow, House Finch, Red-winged Blackbird, Nashville, Yellow, and Pine Warblers, myrtle and Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Cardinal, Dickcissel, White-winged Dove, American Coot, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, Common and Great-tailed Grackles, Common Nighthawk, Northern Shoveler, Red-headed Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least Flycatcher, White-breasted Nuthatch, and American Goldfinch.

Lake Carl Blackwell discovered Northern Bobwhite, peep sp., Franklin’s and Ring-billed Gulls, Osprey, Brown-headed Cowbird, Pied-billed Grebe, Hairy Woodpecker, Chipping Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Sabine’s Gull, Western/Eastern Meadowlark, American Kestrel, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, American Avocet, Cooper’s Hawk, Spotted Sandpiper, and Forster’s Tern.

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.