Stillness, patience key to watching birds

Oklahoma Mesonet indicated 1.42 inches of precipitation over the last week.

Payne County rare birds over the same period include Boomer Lake’s long-term injured American Herring Gull and a Tree Swallow, as well as a Marbled Godwit at Lake Carl Blackwell.

The nationwide rare/vagrant birds were reported for Newfoundland and Labrador as Steller’s Sea-Eagle, and without fanfare, Florida’s Yellow-headed Caracara and Thick-billed Vireo.

Arizona’s Buff-collared Nightjar, Berylline Hummingbird, White-eared Hummingbird and Flame-colored Tanager were tagged, as well as Colorado’s Yellow Grosbeak.

Wisconsin added Kelp Gull, and Alaska shared Pacific (fork-tailed) Swift and Gray Heron.

A reader wanted to know how to get good birds near her without a lot of elaborate work, which is actually quite easy with a few preparations.

An old standby that I’ve used with my Green Heron colony is to just sit and wait for activity. As you know, birds depart with sudden or new movement. Once you’ve settled for about 10 to 15 minutes, the birds feel that all is right with the world, and either return, or new ones come to appropriate areas.

You can sit for quite some time and be rewarded, which is why people create these spots with good habitat and water. You’ll do even better in migratory hotspots or different seasons with attractions like edge habitat, around natural waterways, and a break in habitats.

Blinds are very popular, both in and out of the water, but get to your destination in the darkness before birds awaken to congregate.

DEB HIRT

All you need is something camouflaged to cover you and your camera with a small hole for the camera lens – even your car is a blind when stationary.

Stocked feeders, water, and trees make a good combination in the back yard without traffic noise.

You can use black oil sunflower seeds, homemade wet mixes slathered on a horizontal branch (lots of recipes on internet), live mealworms, suet, nectar, and fruit. If you have habitat like flowering trees and plants that makes a nice habitat. Good luck!!

Boomer Lake tallied Canada Goose, Mallard, American Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron, Black and Turkey Vultures, Mississippi Kite, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, American and Fish Crows, Purple Martin, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, American Robin, House Sparrow, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Prothonotary Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Killdeer, Warbling Vireo, Barn, Tree, and Cliff Swallows, Common Grackle, Great Crested Flycatcher, domestic Swan Goose, Yellow- billed Cuckoo, Carolina Chickadee, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, and

White-winged Dove. Lake Carl Blackwell counted Northern Bobwhite, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Spotted Sandpiper, Black and Forster’s Terns, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, American White Pelican, Belted Kingfisher, Red-headed and Hairy Woodpeckers, Eastern Wood-Pewee,Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bewick’s Wren, Brown Thrasher, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping and Lark Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Pine and Yellow-throated Warblers, Summer Tanager, Indigo and Painted Buntings, and Dickcissel.

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 Thick-billed Vireo.

GARY.LEAVENS, CC BY-SA 4.0 , VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS