For many bird species, migration is the only time of year when they pass through Oklahoma en route either to their northern breeding grounds (in spring) or their wintering grounds, sometimes as far away as Argentina. So spring is a unique time for finding and photographing birds in my area. 
There are 125 bird species listed in the Oklahoma Ornithological Society’s “Date Guide” with arrival dates in April… more than 25% of all the species possible in Oklahoma. I set my sights, both literally and figuratively, on finding some of those birds and getting photographs!
When migration ended a few weeks ago, I ended up with photos of four new birds in my Photo Gallery. News on the OKBirds listserv in late April brought a report of a Piping Plover at Lake Hefner. The bird is classified as “Threatened” on the Endangered Species List and I didn’t want to miss the chance to finally see this bird. My dash out the door after reading the message was rewarded with my finding the bird quite easily. And it posed for photos!!
My next new bird came as quite a surprise. I simply looked out the patio door and saw a black-head bird with a red spot on his chest. Had no clue!! Seriously… I had absolutely no clue what the bird was. Fortunately, I took one photo before it flew off and I was able to then indentify it as a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Not a rare bird, but not commonly found around Oklahoma City.
Another OKBirds report sent me once again to Lake Hefner (I’m there almost every day anyway) and I located a rare visitor — a Tricolored Heron. I took more than 100 photos anticipating that the bird would vanish before I got any good shots. The bird didn’t let me get very close but I was determined to get evidence of seeing this unusual visitor. I got my best shots by walking along the dam above the bird. This he didn’t seem to mind…
And the final of my new birds was the Bobolink, located by birders at a sod farm in eastern Oklahoma County. It was chilly, windy and very cloudy but I put my camera on a tripod and hoped for the best. A black bird against a gray sky doesn’t make for “pretty” pictures. But I got a few photos that show the bird and, now that I know where to look, can hope for better pictures next year.
There are many marvelous birds that summer in Oklahoma so migration doesn’t mean everyone keeps moving through! I’ll write soon about two of my favorite summer birds: the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (our state bird — we have the best state bird!!) and the Mississippi Kite. Both are nesting and I hope before too long to get photos of fledglings.
Enjoy the birds!
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