Record breaking rain brought an interesting group of birds to Ten Mile Flats and birders in the various counties saw a possible record breaking number of warblers and flycatchers as well as a super rare bird and another surprise feeder visitor. Meanwhile, when and where does Noah reach his half way count of 2,500 bird species seen this year? And only 3 species are missing before all of the central Oklahoma counties have recorded 100 species to date for the year. Great Job!!
On the 1st Scott Loss heard a Wood Thrush at Babcock Park in Stillwater, and Shawn Johnson heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo at the Oklahoma City Zoo. On the 2nd Richard Hasegawa saw a Least Tern at the Oklahoma River along Lincoln Blvd while Jonah Padberg found a Ring-necked Pheasant in Logan County west of Guthrie. In Stillwater Corey Riding recognized a Yellow-breasted Chat at OSU and Zach Poland spotted an Eastern Wood-Pewee in Babcock Park whereas Scott observed a Wilson’s Warbler northeast of Cushing at Skull Creek.
On the 3rd Mary and Lou Truex noticed a Black-necked Stilt at Lake Overholser’s Route 66 Park. In Stillwater John Polo saw a Blue-headed Vireo, and Eric Duell had a Blackpoll Warbler at Babcock Park. On the 4th Kevin Groeneweg discovered an Eastern Wood-Pewee in Joe B. Barnes Park in Midwest City. On the 5th Mary and Lou found a Stilt Sandpiper at the Dolese Sand Pit in Logan County, and Larry Mays heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in Pottawatomie County. On the 6th Rick Farrar identified an Olive-sided Flycatcher, Blackpoll Warbler and Eastern Wood-Pewee north of Lake Thunderbird at Shadow Den, and Larry had an American Redstart at Pauls Valley Lake in Garvin County.
On the 7th Kevin Groeneweg recognized a Northern Waterthrush, Magnolia Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Wilson’s Warbler at Joe B. Barnes Park, and Scott Loss observed a Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Stillwater. On the 8th Spencer Coffey heard an Alder Flycatcher along South Jenkins, while Larry Mays spotted the first Black Terns at Wes Watkins Lake in Pottawatomie County. On the 9th Larry located a Willow Flycatcher at Joe B. Barnes Park; Scott identified a Mourning Warbler and Magnolia Warbler at Babcock Park; Joe Grzybowski noticed a Peregrine Falcon at the Goldsby Sod Farm and Tricia Brown saw an Evening Grosbeak north of Lake Thunderbird.
On the 10th Kyle Horton identified Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling and Stilt Sandpiper at Ten Mile Flat’s flooded fields in Norman beginning at the corner of 48th Street and Robinson and continuing around the corner on 60th Street aka Western Ave. In Norman Joe Grzybowski spotted an Ovenbird and T K discovered an American Redstart and Wilson’s Warbler at Lake Thunderbird Little River State Park. Jonathan Coffey noted a Caspian Tern at Lake Hefner and Jimmy Woodard located a Blue-headed Vireo and Black-throated Green Warbler at Joe B. Barnes Park. In Kingfisher County Eric Duell had a Wilson’s Warbler and Black Terns at Crosley.
On the 11th in Stillwater Scott Loss identified a Veery and American Redstart at Couch Park, a Caspian Tern at Boomer Lake Park and a Chestnut-sided Warbler at Babcock Park, while James Hubbell had a Northern Waterthrush at Yukon City Park. On the 12th Dr. Chris Butler noticed a Philadelphia Vireo at Ten Acre Park in Choctaw, and Jason Shaw recognized a Bobolink at the USAO Habitat Area in Grady County. On the 13th T K saw a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Ten Mile Flat, and Rachel Wrenn found a Yellow-breasted Chat at Little River State Park. On the 14th Cameron Carver located a Neotropic Cormorant at Lake Hefner, and Scott observed a Prairie Warbler at Lake Carl Blackwell.
On the 15th Paul Cook reported a Willow Flycatcher along South Jenkins, Cameron Carver observed a Mourning Warbler at Joe B. Barnes Park, and