Bird of the Month

by Grace Huffman It’s a bit late in the year to write about this bird as most have gone north, but I just saw one … Read more

By Grace Huffman Hello everyone! I’m so excited to begin writing the Bird of the Month column now that John Shackford has retired after many … Read more

by Grace Huffman Downy Woodpeckers are small birds, only a little bigger than House Sparrows,  common in wooded areas and backyards with trees. Males are … Read more

By Grace Huffman It may be fall, but I just have to write about one of my favorite summer birds: the Green Heron. Seen here … Read more

By Grace Huffman Earlier this month I was birding with our president, Betsy Hacker, as well as members Brian Mara and Hal Yocum at Lake … Read more

By Grace Huffman Small and easily overlooked, Brown Creepers are one of winter’s treasures. Why are they so easily overlooked? Well, they are experts at … Read more

by Grace Huffman Last month I spent a few days in the panhandle. It was a wonderful time, and I added over 25 species to … Read more

by Grace Huffman Earlier this month I went up to Lake Carl Blackwell with former president Betsy Hacker and Brian Marra. We initially went there … Read more

by Grace Huffman This month, the arrival of a pair of Whooping Cranes at Drummond Flats caused quite a bit of excitement. Not only were … Read more

by Grace Huffman One of my favorite things about the winter season is the return of the Red-breasted Nuthatch. These feisty little birds love climbing … Read more

by Grace Huffman One of my favorite things about winter is the diversity of raptors that descend upon the state. Bald Eagles become more numerous, … Read more

by Grace Huffman Last month I spent a day birding in southeast Oklahoma, in the Tupelo area. We had quite a few species that day, … Read more

by Grace Huffman This month I wanted to talk about one of my favorite birds. I’m not sure I could pick just one species to … Read more

By Grace Huffman Migration is in full swing, with birds on their way south from their breeding grounds. From warblers to shorebirds, they are all … Read more

By Grace Huffman I love bluebirds. Probably because blue is my favorite color, but I’m always happy to see or hear one. This winter was … Read more

By Grace Huffman I love the return of the cold weather in the fall. One of my favorite birds to return this time of year … Read more

By Grace Huffman Fall and winter are the best times for viewing sparrows, and while I wrote about sparrows last month, a couple of recent … Read more

By Grace Huffman Bird of the Month – Shrikes! This month’s article is about 2 birds since I couldn’t narrow it down to just one. … Read more

By Grace Huffman If you know me, you know some of my favorite birds are owls. I’m not sure why, but seeing or hearing one … Read more

By Grace Huffman Chances are while out walking in the woods or even at your backyard feeders you’ve seen a Tufted Titmouse. These cute little … Read more

By John Shackford The Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) is named after the early American ornithologist Alexander Wilson (1766-1813).  There are three species of phalaropes:  in … Read more

By John Shackford One of the few warblers that nests in the Oklahoma City area is the Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia).  J. E. Holloway (2003. … Read more

By John Shackford Springtime is the time to see beautiful warblers and one of these beautiful species is the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla).  The American … Read more

By John Shackford When someone mentions hawk, the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is usually the first one to come to my mind.  I suspect it … Read more

By John Shackford The Barred Owl (Strix varia) starts its own conversation:  “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you ALL?” which is perhaps the … Read more

By John Shackford When discussing the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), a good place to start is on its breeding grounds, in the high arctic; it … Read more

By John Shackford This winter, with its arctic air masses coming frequently and deeply into the United States, has brought us several far north bird … Read more

By John Shackford The Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) is something of an odd duck (as the saying goes); it is a diving duck species.  The … Read more

By John Shackford The Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) is one of the dabbler ducks—ducks that feed by swimming on the surface of ponds with their … Read more

by John Shackford Many birds grace our state only during migration; one of these is the Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii).  The species is named “for … Read more