Not as many birds in flight

Oklahoma Mesonet recorded no rainfall over the past week.

Payne County rare birds over the same period include call note of Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Jester on Chester, immature White-eyed Vireo at Bearded Birding Wildlife Refuge (private), Blue Grosbeak south of Cimarron River southeast of Grider Farms, late Red-eyed Vireo at Sanborn Lake, flyover Lesser Goldfinch at Lake Carl Blackwell Dam heading south as well as early Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco north of Turkey Hollow Campground, Northern Yellow Warbler at South Squires Landing Blvd., Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at private residence on Cimarron Hill Rd., Dickcissel southeast of Olivet Church and Yellowbilled Cuckoo and Northern Parula at Couch Park.

An estimated 1,400 birds crossed Payne County between Monday, Oct. 12, 2026 at 1900 hours and Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 0730 hours.

Peak migration traffic was an estimated 800 birds in flight recorded Monday, Oct. 12 at 1950 hours. Due to the low number of birds in flight, direction, speed and altitude cannot be reliably determined.

Expected nocturnal migrants were Gray Catbird, Yellow-rumped, Orangecrowned, and Nashville Warblers, Indigo Bunting, Dark-eyed Junco, Redbreasted Nuthatch, Dickcissel, White-crowned and Song Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-winged Teal, Spotted Towhee and Gadwall.

Nationwide vagrant/rare birds dated Oct. 2 include Newfoundland’s Steller’s Sea-Eagle and Texas’ Brown Jay and Mottled Owl.

Maine experienced more than one of the Common Ringed Plovers coming through the country, while Connecticut shared Leach’s Storm Petrel and Great Shearwater and Maryland captured Lark Bunting and MacGillivray’s Warbler.

North Carolina enjoyed Sulphur- bellied Flycatcher.

Florida tagged Piratic Flycatcher and Elegant Tern.

Ohio shared Limpkin, as Indiana observed Fork-tailed Flycatcher.

Louisiana photographed Yellow-green Swallow.

Wisconsin boasted Vermilion Flycatcher.

Nebraska counted their first Vega Gull.

North Dakota checked off Clark’s Nutcracker, and Wyoming tagged several Philadelphia Vireos plus a couple of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at a feeder, with Montana counting White Wagtail.

Utah had bins on a

See HIRT on C2

Deb Hirt

LIFE AT BOOMER LAKE

CONTINUED FROM C1

Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Red-headed Woodpecker popped up in Idaho.

Washington State recorded Little Blue Heron, Alaska’s St. Paul Island penned in Song Thrush and British Columbia was psyched with Juan Fernandez Petrel and their first Cassin’s Sparrow.

Boomer Lake added Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Blue Jay, European Starling, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Killdeer, Doublecrested Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Red- and Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers, Eastern Phoebe, Carolina Chickadee, Barn Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Carolina and Bewick’s Wrens, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, House Finch, Eastern Meadowlark, Redwinged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Orange-crowned, Nashville, and Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Cardinal, American and Fish Crows, American Coot, Scissortailed Flycatcher and American Robin.

Keep your eyes on the ground and your head in the clouds. Happy birding!

This is a Wood Warbler that likes to feed on insects.

Rhododendrites via Wikimedia Commons