Recorders Report – April 2018
April Fool
What an Unbelievable month !!! Just when everything thought spring was here, Snow, Freezing Rain, and Sleet arrived nipping some early growth and delaying later plants. Arriving bird migrants were late and winter bird migrants stayed longer. Still the month had an amazing group of newcomers to the area.
On March 30th Brian Marra found American Avocet at Stinchcomb WR west in Canadian County; and Scott Loss noticed Osprey at Boomer Lake Park. On March 31st Chad Ellis viewed Forster’s Tern at Lake Overholser Route 66 Park; Emily Hjalmarson recorded Wilson’s Phalarope and Peregrine Falcon near Rose Lake; Mike Yough detected Sedge Wren at Cushing Water Treatment Plant; and Corey Riding saw Broad-winged Hawk in Stillwater.
On the 2nd Ben Sandstrom located Broad-winged Hawk at Paul’s Valley Lake in Garvin County. On the 3rd Rachel Wrenn added Snowy Egret at Lake Thunderbird; and Corey Riding tallied Cattle Egret at Lake Hefner Stars and Stripes Park. On the 5th Nancy Reed watched a Hummingbird arrive in her Norman yard; and Bill Diffin counted Swainson’s Hawk at Stinchcomb WR West. On the 6th Jack Hurd reported a Chimney Swift at the Morgan Road Playa; Caleb McKinney discovered Nashville Warbler at Ninnekah in Grady County; Phil Ables confirmed Ruby-throated Hummingbird In Garvin County; Bill Diffin encountered American Golden-Plover along NW 50th; Rachel Wrenn observed Upland Sandpiper at Lake Thunderbird; Brian Marra spotted Black-necked Stilt east of Rose Lake and at Lake Hefner Prairie Dog Point Semipalmated Sandpiper while Stephen Lynch recognized American Bittern.
On the 7th Janalin Leach identified Wood Duck, White-eyed Vireo, and Black-and-white Warbler at Wewoka Woods Camp in Seminole County; and Esther Key photographed Black-chinned Hummingbird in Moore. On the 8th Dala Grissom had Osprey in Shawnee in Pottawatomie County; and Joe Grzybowski had House Wren in Norman. On the 9th Chad Ellis verified Marbled Godwit at Prairie Dog Point. On the 10th Sharon Henthorn came across Eastern Kingbird along South Jenkins in Norman. Calvin Rees spotted Cinnamon Teal at Prairie Dog Point. On the 11th Zach Poland determined Clay-colored Sparrow at Myriad Garden Center in downtown Oklahoma City. On the 12th Caleb Frome-CC heard Chimney Swift at OU; Jimmy Woodward checked Green Heron at Lake Stanley Draper; Deb Hirt documented Warbling Vireo at Boomer Lake Park; and Zach Poland turned up Grasshopper Sparrow at Myriad Garden Center.
On the 15th Caleb McKinney detected Swainson’s Thrush in Grady County; Zach Poland found Green Heron, and Black-and-white Warbler at Liberty Lake in Logan County; Deb Hirt saw Western Kingbird at Boomer Lake Park; and Caitlin Laughlin noticed Willet at the Perkins South Bridge. On the 16th Ben Sandstrom saw Hudsonian Godwit at Rose Lake in Canadian County; and Bill Diffin also recorded Hudsonian Godwit and Willet at Lake Hefner. On the 17th Paul Cook viewed Swainson’s Hawk, Upland Sandpiper, and Grasshopper Sparrow at Goldsby Sod Farm in McClain County and Red-eyed Vireo along South Jenkins; Calvin Rees added Solitary Sandpiper at Rose Lake; Jimmy Lovett counted Yellow-throated Vireo at The Botanic Garden at OSU; and Brian Marra confirmed Black-bellied Plover at Prairie Dog Point.
On the 18th Zach Poland watched Wilson’s Warbler at Myriad Garden Center. On the 19th Pat Velte photographed a beautiful Peregrine Falcon at Prairie Dog Point. On the 20th Brian Marra tallied Marbled Godwit and House Wren at Stinchcomb WR West; Caleb Frome-CC got Mississippi Kite at OU; Sharon Henthorn located Great Crested Flycatcher along South Jenkins; and Cody Barnes observed White-faced Ibis at Boomer Lake Park. On the 21st Ben Sandstrom reported Warbling Vireo at Lake Louis Burtschi in Grady County; Zach Poland recognized Solitary Sandpiper, Great Crested Flycatcher and Bank Swallow in Logan County; Joe Grzybowski encountered American Golden-Plover at Goldsby Sod Farm; Zach DuFran spotted Swainson’s Thrush along South Jenkins; and Zach Roy documented Semipalmated Plover and Kentucky Warbler at Boomer Lake Park.
On the 22nd Caleb McKinney came across White-faced Ibis and American Avocet at Alex Marsh in Grady County; Dala Grissom tallied Yellow Warbler at Meeker Lake in Lincoln County; Zach Poland checked Tree and Bank Swallow at Mineral Wells Park in Guthrie; Robert Harding verified Solitary Sandpiper at Lake Thunderbird Little Axe Area; Mike Yough determined Swainson’s Thrush, Tennessee Warbler and Summer Tanager at Couch Park; Corey Riding detected Sprague’s Pipit at Meridian Technology Center; Brian Stufflebeam had Wilson’s Phalarope at Bethany/Warr Acres WT Plant; and Emily Hjalmarson found Prothonotary Warbler and Blue Grosbeak along South Jenkins. On the 23rd Michel Cavigelli identified Horned Lark at Lake El Reno; and Jim Magovern heard Chuck-will’s-widow in Norman.
On the 24 Emily Hjalmarson noticed Indigo Bunting along South Jenkins. On the 25th Jeff Tibbits saw Yellow-throated Warbler and Broad-winged Hawk in Logan County; Rachel Wrenn recorded Black-necked Stilt, Semipalmated Plover at Ten Mile Flats and Least Flycatcher in Norman; Ben Sandstrom viewed Sanderling and Caspian Tern at Lake Hefner; and at Meridian Technology Center Justin Agan added Buff-breasted Sandpiper; Corey Riding documented Piping Plover; and Caitlin Laughlin got Hudsonian Godwit and Wilson’s Phalarope. On the 26th Jimmy Woodard counted Warbling Vireo, and Baltimore Oriole at Lake Overholser plus Great Crested Flycatcher and Swainson’s Thrush at Yukon City Park; Rachel Wrenn encountered Summer Tanager at Lake Thunderbird; Heidi Vickers recognized Dickcissel at OSU; Chris Butler heard Chuck-will’s-Widow in Choctaw; and Robert Harding spotted Eastern Wood-Pewee in Oklahoma City.
On the 27th Brian Marra located Willet and Great Crested Flycatcher at the Shawnee Reservoir in Pottawatomie County; Jason Shaw tallied Western Kingbird in Chickasha; and Scott Loss came across Virginia Rail at the Teal Ridge Wetland. On the 28th Emily Hjalmarson confirmed Yellow-throated Vireo at Lake Thunderbird Dam; Jimmy Lovett discovered Orchard Oriole at Teal Ridge Wetland; and Caitlin Laughlin observed Painted Bunting at Sanborn Lake. On the 29th Rachel Wrenn reported Lazuli Bunting in Norman; Scott Loss counted Sora Rail, Bell’s Vireo, Palm Warbler, Bobolink and American Bittern at the Cushing Water Treatment Plant and Blue-headed Vireo at Ghost Hollow; Jimmy Lovett determined Gray Catbird at OSU Botanical Garden; and William Radke verified Tennessee Warbler in Edmond. On the 30th Deanne McKinney turned up White-faced Ibis east of Rose Lake; John Hurd identified American Redstart and Blue Grosbeak at Lake Overholser; and Colby Neuman watched Bell’s Vireo and Orchard Oriole along South Jenkins. What new migrants will arrive in May?
During April of 2018 in the Central Oklahoma area 213 species were reported with 68 new species bringing the total for the year to 241. I appreciate those who help provide the history of central Oklahoma birds by making reports at http://ebird.org. I can also be contacted by e-mail at emkok@earthlink.net . Esther M. Key, Editor.