If you saw Winged Migration you know the incredible journeys birds take, driven by unseen forces and traveling along ancient, unmarked routes. Some of the most remarkable birds in North America (like the Whooping Crane) pass through Oklahoma — some of them stay during the summer months to breed and raise young, others spend the winter months here. What birds come here… and when are they here? Well, the Oklahoma Bird Records Committee of the Oklahoma Ornithological Society has a marvelous “Date Guide” that draws upon the knowledge of a lot of very serious birders and is a handy reference for migration dates. But what if you don’t have the Date Guide… what if you’re coming in from out of state? How about having the info online? Made sense to me but it took several months to convince the OOS to publish their info on the Internet.
Long story short: I created a database with all of Oklahoma’s bird species and designed a searchable interface with Active Server Pages to be used by the Oklahoma Ornithological Society. It’s been available on their site, and linked from the servers I use, since February but I’ve been too busy to modify the system so I could include it on my BackyardBirdCam site. I made “room” for it when I redesigned my site in July and included it in the stack of navigation links. And today I finally made it happen!
So visit the Migration Data area and find out more about the birds of Oklahoma. Enter, for example, Sparrow and you’ll get a list of all the sparrows. Take a look at the Harris’s Sparrow report (photo above) and you’ll find out when to expect this marvelous bird in your area. By the way, they migrate to Oklahoma from Hudson’s Bay near the Arctic Circle. Their wintering range is rather limited and birders come from all over just to see the Harris’s Sparrow — and they hang out in our backyards.
We may be well known for it… but it’s sure been a long time since the wind came sweeping down the Plains like it did today! A wonderful cold front arrived this afternoon and dropped temperatures more than 15 degrees in a very short time. I headed to Lake Hefner to see what birds might have flown in on the strong 40 mph north wind. The wind was so strong, however, and the wave action so hard that it was impossible to see if anything was sitting on the water. I had fun, though, checking all the coves and even found a lone Wilson’s Snipe in a very small puddle along the Lake Hefner Golf Course and was able to get two photos before it was spooked away by another car. This is my second time to spot a Wilson’s Snipe — I’m just happy to see any kind of shorebird this fall. (The lake level is too high to provide mud flats and the shorebirds have pretty much avoided the lake during their fall migration.)
The backyard birds are doing well and I’ve had a few uncommon visitors. A Brown Thrasher made a brief appearance yesterday under the feeders and a Bewick’s Wren has made a few brief but comical appearances. Another Cooper’s Hawk has discovered the backyard birds! I’ll post a picture of this one shortly. Quite a beautiful hawk and an incredible bird to see flying into the yard (and landing on the BirdCam box).
A marvelous cold front moved through last week, bringing with it not only mild temperatures and rain but also an influx of fall migrants. Last Wednesday, I found a group of warblers and vireos in an area of Lake Hefner that’s usually pretty empty of birds. I photographed four new species for my Photo Gallery and (can you believe this!) it’s taken me a week to write about it!
I’ve been very busy with web development projects for clients and am very happy to be this busy! I get restless, however, and usually step away from the computer by late afternoon to chase birds and get some exercise. That’s when I happened to find the warbler and vireo “fallout” last week.
More than 20 small birds were foraging in the small trees and most of them were so close that I got my first looks at these colorful birds without the aid of binoculars. And I was taking pictures like crazy! I couldn’t identify several of the birds so I knew I was getting “new birds” and the adrenalin and tension were rising because I didn’t want to miss my first experience with a large group of these little birds.
With a lot of help from friends, I was later able to ID the birds through my photos. The new birds were the Black-throated Green Warbler (pictured), Blue-headed Vireo and House Wren. I couldn’t be happier!
The next day, Terri Underhill and I returned to the same spot. The birds were still active but they were much less cooperative, staying deeper in the trees and bushes. We tried to get deep into the bushes also but poison ivy and chiggers kepts us from going too deep. I did get another new bird on Thursday: the Olive-sided Flycatcher. We saw several male American Redstarts but I was unable to get a usable photo of this bird — a big disappointment. But I’ll be looking for it during its spring migration!
Happy birding,
Pat
“Bird envy” happens, it seems, even among the best of friends. And I’ve had a good case of it since hearing from Terri Underhill on Saturday that she’s had an Ovenbird in yard. But thanks to her generous spirit, this little bird’s unbashful ways, and a break in my schedule, I was able to endure about 20 minutes of mosquito attacks to get my first look at this warbler… and get some photos!
I’ve also learned a little more about this bird: It is named for the oven-shaped nest, with a side opening, that it builds on the forest floor. It’s about 5.75″ long and, along with many other warblers, is traveling through Oklahoma on it’s fall migration. While most other warblers are found in trees foraging for insects, the Ovenbird does most of its foraging on the ground. And that’s where it has been… under the deer feeder in Terri’s wooded yard.
I’m always excited to see a new bird and happy to come away from the experience with a few photos!
Happy birding,
Pat Velte
I’ve spent a lot of time cruising Prairie Dog Point on Lake Hefner… and I’ve seen a lot of things that (trust me!) I didn’t want to see. On Friday I saw something new: a wedding! Yes, this couple was married in a very, very small ceremony at 6:00 p.m. Friday at a rather unattractive spot on the Point. They were all dressed up, with an official-looking minister and all, but had only 3 people as guests. I was tempted to join them since the style was definitely casual. But I didn’t… I did capture the scene which felt a little intrusive but I’m a compulsive shutterbug so I hope they didn’t mind. I wish them well and hope this area at Lake Hefner has special meaning to them.
Happy birding!
In between an eye exam this afternoon and rollerblading at the Lake Hefner dam, I did a quick trip to a few favorite birding spots along the south side of the lake. I was rewarded with the sight of two very small yellowish warblers and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird sitting in a cottonwood tree along the shore at Prairie Dog Point.  The warblers, I believe, are Wilson’s Warblers! I’ve only seen Wilson’s once before and today’s sighting provided a great opportunity to watch them in action. They were very busy and also quite accomodating. I was able to get only a few usable photos, however, since they often ducked behind the cottonwood leaves (which are larger than the birds).
The fall warbler migration is underway and I’m happy to have seen these very beautiful birds. (And I’ll be relieved when Terri or Nathan confirm my ID.)
I also visited Stars & Stripes Park on the south side of the lake and for the third time was unable to locate the juvenile Laughing Gull. My last sighting of this bird was 9/2/05. I looked for it a few times over the weekend but the Park was full of families enjoying holiday picnics and I wasn’t surprised to find the area absent most birds. But the Ring-billed Gulls and Forster’s Terns have returned, but alas no Laughing Gull. What a great bird — and a great time I had watching my first Laughing Gull.
My work load is slowing down a bit and I hope to add some photos to the Gallery by the end of the week. I’ll post a list of the updated images just for the record 🙂
Happy birding to all,
Pat
She came in silently but her presence was quickly detected. The sparrows started screaming (yes, birds can indeed scream) and blue jays called a noisy alarm. In one very sudden turn, the peaceful afternoon at the backyard feeders turned to mayhem when the backyard hawk returned!!!  I was painting the walls in the kitchen when I heard the birds’ screams and knew that our quiet summer was over when I saw the Cooper’s Hawk perched in the tree above the feeders. She didn’t like seeing me and flew away as quickly as she’d appeared. But she must have been hungry… she returned within a matter of minutes and perched on a branch where I could watch her from the kitchen. This time I had my camera in hand and was able to get a few photos (one of them is to the right).
The Cooper’s Hawk can be sighted year-round in Oklahoma but I usually see the small hawks only in fall and winter. I believe this is a female Cooper’s Hawk based on the size of the bird. This was a very large bird, indicative of females (who are larger than males). And the tear drop shaped streaks on the chest are another sign that it was a Cooper’s rather than Sharp-shinned Hawk. And look at the stout legs… very noticeable even at a distance. The Sharp-shinned Hawk’s legs are quite thin.
As exciting as it is to have a hawk in the backyard, it also means that we’re entering the season when the birds can get chased from the feeders and remain off-camera for several hours. It doesn’t make for very interesting shots on the BirdCams, I regret. This afternoon, the chickadees and cardinals were the first to return. I want them to stay safe and provide a lot of cover (shrubs and trees) but this predator/prey thing is a necessary part of each bird’s life cycle.
I’ll be posting messages more frequently this week. It hasn’t seemed quite appropriate to focus on birds while so many people are dealing with the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Perhaps the hawk’s arrival today served to shake me out of the malaise… and return to what I enjoy doing.
So happy birding to everyone!
Pat
I saw my first Osprey of the fall migration today at Rose Lake in Yukon! These beautiful birds of prey, sometimes called “fish eagles” are striking with their black and white plummage. They are also known for carrying their prey, a fish, facing forward. Legend has it that Ospreys do this so the fish can see where they are going. I don’t have a clue if there’s anything to this tale, but, indeed, one way to identify an Osprey in flight is by the way it carries the fish it has caught… and it’s always face-forward! I have a photo of this on my Photo Gallery. I didn’t get a very good photo of today’s Osprey but will be watching for them!
I spent some time this afternoon birding with Terri Underhill and we also saw: Loggerhead Shrike, American Goldfinch, Yellow Warbler, Black and Forster’s Terns, Red-tailed Hawk, Mississippi Kite and a few Turkey Vultures during our drive along dirt roads in Yukon in 100-degree heat. We stayed in the car… but we sure didn’t get to stay cool.
And I saw the juvenile Laughing Gull again at Stars and Stripes Park, Lake Hefner. The bird is simply beautiful. But I’m glad to be home, out of the heat, and spending a lazy evening with my cats. Happy birding to everyone!
Pat
A new bird! I got to photograph a new (for me) bird today! During a quick trip to Lake Hefner today, I found the 1st year Laughing Gull that Terri Underhill and Bret Mayden discovered yesterday. I was very excited to see the bird hanging out in the same area of Stars & Stripes Park as they described.  And this young gull was very docile and very comfortable having me pull alongside it and take photos.
Laughing Gulls are described as “rare” for central Oklahoma but Lake Hefner is a great magnet for unusual gulls. Last winter I photographed Lesser Black-backed, Thayer’s, California and a hybrid Thayer’s x Kumlien’s Gull… all unusual birds for this area. So now I get to add Laughing Gull to my Photo Gallery list (I’ll add the actual photo in a day or so)!!! Happiness is finding new birds 🙂
After Hefner, I headed to Lake Overholser, again to follow in Terri and Bret’s tracks from yesterday. And I found the Black and Forster’s Terns in the new park at 23rd & W. Lake Overholser Drive. Fun to see these birds and fun to try to see how close they’d let me get so I could photograph them. Not close enough for my liking, it turns out, but I did get a few good pictures that I’ll be adding to the Gallery also.
And for those who might be keeping up with my mystical Merlin… he was back in the Merlin tree on Monday evening at 8:00 p.m. I think this bird’s going to stay around for a while… he caught a cicada while I was watching him and perhaps the bugs and small birds on Prairie Dog Point will be an ample food supply.
It was raining this morning so I didn’t get to see the little hummer that’s been visiting the feeder. I’ll be out there in the morning though (as long as it’s not raining) to see how he’s doing. Oh, that’s right… I’ve been seeing some white on the tip of the tail which means it’s a female… so I’ll watch her in the morning 🙂
Happy birding,
Pat
How can anyone be expected to know the details of a bird that’s only 3.75″ long?! I’m struggling to identify the plummage of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird that’s been visiting every morning. It seems to be a juvenile — an adult male would have the signature red throat; an adult female would have white tips on the end of the tail.  I don’t get to see many hummingbirds so I’m at a loss whether this bird is a young male or female. What do you think?
Whatever he/she turns out to be, it’s a very welcome guest. I’ve been sitting out front while I journal in the mornings and I’ve enjoyed watching this little bird at the feeder while the larger birds are having breakfast in the backyard. Even though I have a lot of trumpet vine, my yard just doesn’t attract hummingbirds until August. I think that’s when the juveniles are being forced to find their own territory as the hummingbirds significantly increase their nectar consumption in preparation for migration. So, for about three weeks every year, I’m privileged to have one visit my yard.
It’s been hot, with temperatures nearing 100 and birding has been slow. I have the misters and drippers going in the backyard and the regular backyard birds enjoy flying through the mist and splashing in the birdbath (have you ever seen a starling that didn’t play in water?!) on these hot days. A robin was in the yard this morning; don’t know where he’s been but definitely not around here lately. And several newly fledged Mourning and Eurasian Collared Doves were feeding beneath BirdCam#1 today.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Pat
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