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Birds might linger when it’s warm
Oklahoma Mesonet recorded 0.13 inches of rainfall over the past weekly timeframe.
There were no reports of migrants in Payne County for January 2025.
Payne County rare birds Still reported Lesser Goldfinch at a residence feeder and the continuing Yellow Palm Warbler at Lake Carl Blackwell. A House Wren appeared at a residential address, as well as a Sedge Wren at Teal Ridge.
The nationwide rare/vagrant birds reported continuing Brown Jay and Mottled Owl in Texas, and Cattle Tyrant and Yellow-headed Caracara in northern Texas.
The province of Quebec counted Slaty-backed Gull, as Nova Scotia reported Hermit Warbler, and British Columbia gave up Green-tailed Towhee.
Massachusetts located Ferruginous Hawk, with Rhode Island’s Northern Lapwing, and Connecticut’s Spotted Towhee and Black-throated Gray Warbler. New Jersey added Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, while South Carolina ticked Black-throated Gray Warbler, Florida shared Scott’s Oriole and Bananaquit, Louisiana proudly counted Red-naped Sapsucker, as Texas shared Kelp Gull.
Wisconsin counted White Wagtail, as Michigan tagged Arctic Tern, California Gull, Slaty-backed Gull, and Ash-throated Flycatcher.
Iowa recorded Golden- crowned Sparrow.
Washington State conjured up Arctic Loon and Summer Tanager, and Oregon added Wood Thrush.
There were numerous wonderful birds for the week across the continent.
We have been having quite a cold snap, but we were warned, it did not just appear out of thin air with no warning. Still, it was a nasty way to increase our heating expenses.
The day before all this happened,
DEB HIRT
writer observed about one hundred Common Grackles flying to the sycamore tree next door, eventually countless starlings decorating the power lines like Santa’s toys from his shop, and two Eastern Meadowlarks answered each other. All of this happened within five minutes. It appears that the birds wanted to milk the good unseasonable weather for as long as they were able.
For the week, Boomer Lake counted Snow, Greater- White-fronted, Cackling, and Canada Geese, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Ring-billed and American Herring Gulls, Ruby- crowned Kinglet, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Killdeer, Double-crested Cormorant, Black Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Tree, Savannah, and Song Sparrows, Mallard, Mourning Dove, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, yellow- shafted Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Northern Starling, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, House and Harris’s Sparrows, House Finch, slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco, Harris’s Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Killdeer, and American Goldfinch.
Lake Cark Blackwell added Eurasian Collared-Dove, Red-tailed Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Cedar Waxwing, White-throated Sparrow, Bonaparte’s Gull, Cooper’s Hawk, Gadwall, Common Goldeneye, Northern Bobwhite, Bald Eagle, Greenwinged Teal, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Fox Sparrow, and Pine Warbler.
Sanborn Lake ticked American Robin, Eastern Meadowlark, and Great Horned Owl.
The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State tallied Wood Duck, Red-headed Woodpecker, White-crowned Sparrow, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Rock Pigeon (feral), Turkey Vulture, and Hairy Woodpecker.
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.
An Arctic Loon.
JAN EBR & IVANA EBROVÁ, CC BY 4.0
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