Summer was hotter this year with an extended drought, but birds continued nesting in June and started migration in July and August. A sand bar appeared at Lake Hefner which attracted terns and arriving shorebirds. Several new birds were documented this summer in Central Oklahoma and finally in August temperatures dropped below 100°F and rains appeared in some areas.
JUNE
On the 2nd Cody Delano found Mississippi Kite in Seminole; Cody Delano spotted Acadian Flycatcher at Norman; and in Lincoln County Megan Migues tallied Northern Rough-winged Swallow at Stroud; and Braden Farris added Forster’s Tern at Bell Cow Lake. On the 3rd Esther Yeygant came across Northern Bobwhite at Mustang in Canadian County. On the 4th Larry Mays detected Common Nighthawk and Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Newcastle in McClain County. On the 5th Emily Miller noted White-winged Dove at Stroud; and Grace Huffman recognized Least Bittern at Lake Overholser. On the 6th Trina Arnold counted Northern Parula and Little Blue Heron along Fishmarket Road at McLoud in Pottawatomie County.
On the 9th Jake Gerlt identified Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Yukon City Park in Canadian County; while Someone recorded Common Gallinule, heard Least Bittern and photographed Black-necked Stilt, and Black-bellied whistling-Duck at Dover Marsh in Kingfisher County. On the 11th Robet Merideth had Common Yellowthroat and Wood Duck at Pocasset in Grady County; and Hal Yocum located Black-bellied Plover at 10 Mile Flats in Norman. On the 12th Dailee Fagnant observed Least Tern at Lake Stanley Draper; Landon Neumann recorded Yellow-throated Vireo at Coyle in Payne County; and Jason Shaw got Brown Thrasher at Chickasha in Grady County.
On the 16th Jake Henning saw Bell’s Vireo at Mulhall in Logan County. On the 18th Ted Wolff viewed Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Summer Tanager at Lake Konawa and Great Egret at Maud Wetlands in Seminole County. On the 19th Ted Wolf verified Warbling Vireo and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Purcell Lake in McClain County and Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Lake Louis Burtschi in Grady County. On the 22nd Samuel Cox confirmed Greater Roadrunner and Summer Tanager at Wynnewood in Garvin County. On the 26th Jake Gerit noticed Black Vulture at Mustang in Canadian County. On the 27th Douglas Wood discovered Summer Tanager, Orchard Oriole and Cassin’s Sparrow at Lake Elmer in Kingfisher County. On the 30th John Hurd encountered Orchard Oriole at Wes Watkins Lake in Pottawatomie County.
JULY
On the 1st Megan Migues reported Eastern Wood-Pewee at Stroud in Lincoln County. On the 2nd Matthew Thompson turned up Purple Martin at Shawnee; Caleb McKinney watched Bewick’s Wren at Ninnekah in Grady County; while in McClain County Greg Overall had Chuck-will’s Widow at Blanchard; and Tracy McCarthey spotted Red-eyed Vireo at Tuttle. On the 3rd Braden Farris heard Chuck-will’s-widow at Prairie Prime Ranch and Megan Migues photographed Green Heron at Stroud. On the 7th Sam S had Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Wynnewood in Garvin County; and Scott Loss documented Laughing Gull at Lake Carl Blackwell.
On the 8th Scott Loss discovered Mexican Violetear and Black-chinned Hummingbird in Stillwater. On the 11th Michelle Spacek photographed Yellow-throated Warbler at Pink in Pottawatomie County. On the 12th Jay Rand found Cattle Egret at Guthrie. On the 16th Rhett Raibley described Ring-necked Pheasant at Marshall in Logan County. On the 21st Frank Walker spotted Rufous Hummingbird at Bethany. On the 23rd Nu Perera tallied Painted Bunting and Blue Grosbeak at Konawa in Seminole County; and Joe Grzybowski documented Short-billed Dowitcher at Lake Thunderbird. On the 24th Larry Mays counted Black-and-white Warbler at Newcastle; and Landon Neumann came across Common Gallinule at Cushing WTP in Payne County.
On the 25th Matt Jung reported a sand bar had developed at the inlet on Lake Hefner and noted a nice assortment of birds including White-faced Ibis, Least Sandpipers, American White Pelicans and terns. On the 28th Joe Grzybowski described Laughing Gull at Lake Thunderbird; and Scott Loss identified Snowy Plover at Lake Carl Blackwell. On the 29th Abdul Dominguez located Rufous Hummingbird in Norman. On the 30th Amanda Boyle observed Broad-winged Hawk at Lima in Seminole County; Grace Huffman saw Common Nighthawk at Paul’s Valley in Garvin County; and Scott Loss documented Yellow-bellied Flycatcher near Coyle, Cinnamon Teal at Cushing WTP and heard Alder Flycatcher at OSU Botanic Garden in Payne County. On the 31st Curtis Stewart viewed Black Tern and Little Blue Heron at Dover Marsh in Kingfisher County.
AUGUST
On the 3rd Chad Ellis discovered Long-billed Curlew and Marbled Godwit at Lake Hefner – Prairie Dog Point. Lesser Black-backed Gull and Laughing Gull were also reported there by several birders. On the 5th Braden Farris found Solitary Sandpiper at Prairie Prime Ranch in Lincoln County; and Jacob Kirkland had Willet, Yellow Warbler and Caspian, Black, Least and Forster’s Terns at Prairie Dog Point. On the 7th Matt Jung spotted an adult and current hatch year Little Blue Heron at Prairie Dog Point. On the 9th Sharon Henthorn had Pied-billed Grebe and Belted Kingfisher at Zoo Lake in OKC. On the 11th Chase Moxley photographed Piping Plover at Prairie Dog Point. On the 10th in Logan County Aaron Short tallied Green Heron at Liberty Lake, Solitary Sandpiper at Guthrie and Black-crowned Night-Heron at Cimarron Bridge.
On the 14th Braden Farris noted Yellow Warbler at Prairie Prime Ranch in Lincoln County and Alder Flycatcher at Lake Hefner. On the 16th Brian Marra detected Black-throated Green Warbler at Lake Overholser – Coffer Dam. On the 17th Braden Farris photographed Western Sandpiper at Lake Hefner; Michael Reichert described Brown Booby at Boomer Lake Park in Stillwater; and Joe Grzybowski identified Red-necked Phalarope at Lake Hefner – Prairie Dog Point. On the 21st Lucas Bobay located Bank Swallow and White-eyed Vireo along Hiwassee Road In Logan County; Cody Delano observed Black-necked Stilt at Lake Thunderbird; and Scott Loss verified Common Tern at Lake Carl Blackwell in Payne County. On the 23rd Joe Grzybowski heard Inca Dove along South Jenkins in Norman. On the 25th Braden Farris recorded American Redstart at Lake Hefner – Stars and Stripes Park. On the 29th Joe Grzybowski confirmed Western Sandpiper at Lake Thunderbird. And now it is time for October Big Day on October 8th.
In the Central Oklahoma area during the summer 179 species were reported with 9 new species which brings the year’s total at 290. I appreciate those who help provide the history of central Oklahoma birds. Information is accessed at: ebird. 2022 eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: https://ebird.org/region/US-OK?yr=all. (Accessed June 30, July 30 & 31, and August 30 & 31, 2022); and occasionally from Facebook, and the OKBIRDS List. I can be contacted at emkok@earthlink.net. Esther M. Key, Editor.