Greater Roadrunner
Greater Roadrunner. I’ll bet you are already smiling—remembering Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons. The Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), is actually a member of … Read more
Year: 2009
Eastern Screech-Owl
by John Shackford Dr. George M. Sutton stated in his book Birds Worth Watching (1986) that the Eastern Screech-Owl (Otus asio) “is so common in … Read more
October 2009
Recorders Report – October 2009 Shorebirds to Sparrows At the beginning of October previous low rainfall left sufficient mud flats for the shorebird migration while … Read more
September 2009
From Summer to Fall September is the time to begin saying goodbye to the birds of summer and hello to the birds of winter. Many … Read more
April 2009
Fire, Wind, Water, and Feathers What a month to spend time outside!! Fire, wind, water and feathers brought multiple changes to the Central Oklahoma landscape … Read more
March 2009
Spring Surprises March is such an interesting month with changes in the weather, the beginning of bird migration and the awakening of cool season plants … Read more
January 2009
Beginning a New Year of Birding Adventures It is time to start the 2009 New Year list and see what exciting bird adventures await central … Read more
Purple Martin
By John Shackford Most of us who have grown up in the eastern U.S. learned that the arrival of the American Robin and the Eastern … Read more
Pileated Woodpecker
By John Shackford The Pileated Woodpecker has a name to stumble over—is it pie-lee-ated or pill-ee-ated? A trip to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary shows that … Read more
Hermit Thrush
By John Shackford Maybe not for you, but Hermit Thrushes in central Oklahoma in winter just don’t compute right for me—and I like it. Growing … Read more
Golden-crowned Kinglet
by John Shackford Golden-crowned Kinglets should be arriving in Oklahoma about now, from their breeding grounds to the north. Have you ever seen a male … Read more
Loggerhead Shrike
By John Shackford Some birds have a little extra something that leads most of us to agree that this is a species with charisma. The … Read more
Backyard Mallards
Chirpings, June 2009 By Patti Muzny Various and assorted circumstances have kept me from doing much birding, but as long as I can see and … Read more
Preparing for Spring
Chirpings By Patti Muzny February 8, 2009 dawned with the promise of a type of day that I live for. The sky was that bright … Read more
Vaux's Swifts
Chirpings By Patti Muzny My “Chirpings” this time will chirp about my mid-September 2009 trip to southern Washington and Oregon. Brian and I joined Jimmy … Read more
February 2008
Recorders Report – February 2008 The first Purple Martin arrived on February 24th at Shelly Harris’ site in Norman, and a Short-eared Owl was flushed … Read more
February 2009
A Tornado and the Start of Migration February started warm and dry with high fire danger warnings in several of the central Oklahoma counties. Then … Read more
Summer 2009
The Beginning of Fall Migration JUNE: On June 8th at Lake Stanley Draper Jim Bates saw a pair of Kentucky Warblers, heard a Yellow Breasted … Read more
Prothonotary Warbler
By John Shackford The Prothonotary Warbler is a beautiful ray of “sunshine” in watery woods. A.C.Bent, author of the old standard, Life Histories of North … Read more
February 2008: Mourning Dove
By John Shackford With Valentine’s Day just past, it seems fitting to discuss doves. The “dove and olive branch” is one of the most recognized … Read more
Eastern Phoebe
by John Shackford The promise of spring comes in a number of ways—the first dandelion bloom; a scratch of henbit; an unusually warm, balmy day, … Read more
Eastern Bluebird
by John Shackford “The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) is one of North America’s best-loved birds.” This is the (very true) beginning sentence in the March, … Read more
Sandhill Crane
By John Shackford There is a wild sound we sometimes hear in the spring in central Oklahoma that says so much about wildness. It is … Read more
Yellow-rumped Warbler
By John S. Shackford The Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata), according to the 1986 “OOS Date Guide,” can be found in central Oklahoma from October 6-May … Read more
Nashville Warbler
By John S. Shackford Welcome back from summer break. Birdwise we are already well into fall migration. Let me ramble a bit. Spring and fall … Read more
September 2008
Recorders Report – September 2008 While the sunflowers brighten up the landscape with their showy display of flowers, Monarch Butterflies migrate through stopping briefly to … Read more