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Birds are dealing with wild spring weather
Oklahoma Mesonet reported 0.19 inches of precipitation over the past seven days.
Payne County rare birds for the same period included Blackchinned Hummingbird and Neotropic Cormorant at Boomer Lake, Magnolia and Canada Warblers at Couch Park, and two Bullock’s Orioles (female and second year male) at Will Roger’s Woods (Private). A larger ratio of birders will always see more birds no matter the time of year.
An estimated 425,400 birds crossed Payne County between Monday, May 18, 2026 at 2030 hours and Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 0620 hours.
Estimated peak migration traffic was a high 117,200 birds in flight from the north at a wind speed of 55 mph at 2,400 feet recorded on May 11 at 2010 hours.
Expected nocturnal migrants were Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Alder and Scissor- tailed Flycatchers, Nashville, Orange- crowned, Blackpoll, and Tennessee Warblers, Swainson’s Thrush, Green Heron, Northern Parula, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Bell’s Vireo.
The below vagrant and rarity list may or may not be accurate due to the cold front that just came through the night of Monday and Tuesday 18-19 of this week for the central and eastern part of the country, half the US land mass. If birds were at locations over the past two or three days, writer listed them unless they were unconfirmed or that information was not listed.
This non-committal spring is much different than the one in 2015. It was also noticed that we have had more low cloud cover,
See Hirt, Page C2
DEB HIRT
From Page C1
which tends to reflect more sunlight to cool during the day and keep the warmth trapped at night. It also tends to bring more active storm systems, like we are experiencing now.
Nationwide vagrants/ rarities for the correct timeframe were New Brunswick’s strapping Little Egret.
Aleutians West Census area tallied Tundra Bean-Goose, Baikal Teal, Garganey, Falcated Duck, Common Greenshank, Sharptailed Sandpiper, Arctic Loon, Brambling, Long-toed and Temminck’s Stints, and Tufted Duck.
North Carolina’s Trindade Petrel was in our sights.
Florida’s Smooth-billed Ani, LaSagra’s Flycatcher, and Shiny Cowbird gave a foot up.
Ohio’s Ruff and Wisconsin’s Kelp Gull were tagged. Texas Golden-crowned Warbler was a loner.
Arizona’s Buff-collared Nightjar, Berylline Hummingbird, Blackcapped Nightcatcher, and Flame-colored Tanager were counted.
Hawaii’s Desertas, Blackwinged, and Bonin Petrels also duly added.
Boomer Lake shared Canada Goose, Blue-winged Teal, Mallard, late Ruddy Duck, duck sp., Mourning, Eurasian, and White-winged Doves, White-rumped, Least, Semipalmated, and Spotted Sandpipers, Black and Forster’s Terns, Piedbilled and Eared Grebes, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Warbling, Red-eyed, and Bell’s Vireos, Blue Jay, Bank, Barn, and Cliff Swallows, Purple Martin, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Common and Great-tailed Grackles, Northern Yellow, Blackpoll, Prothonotary, Wilson’s, and Pine Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Cardinal, Mississippi Kite, Dickcissel, Chimney Swift, Alder, Great Crested, Least, and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, crow sp., Swainson’s Thrush, Painted Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, domestic Mallard, Common Nighthawk, Red-bellied, Downy, Red-headed, and Hairy Woodpeckers, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, House Finch, Fish and American Crows, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Brown-headed Cowbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Indigo and Painted Buntings, Rock Pigeon (feral), Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Snowy Egret, and Red-shouldered Hawk.
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 Immature Male American Redstart.
RHODODENDRITES, CC BY-SA 4.0
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