A delightful summer
After the long drought, it was a delight to find summer filled with frequent showers and cooler temperatures. Birds nested, fledglings left the nest, adults helped them learn to fly and find food, and then they started gathering. During the summer in eBird, how many species did each county increase?
JUNE
On the 2nd Dave and Sue Woodson watched 30 Black Terns at Prairie Dog Point on Lake Hefner and Matt Jung found 4 American Pelicans at Lake Overholser. On the 3rd Jimmy Woodard discovered an Inca Dove in his Midwest City yard. On the 7th Randy Hiatt noticed the vegetation is really growing up on the flats at Lake Hefner and he located an American Widgeon loafing there. Jimmy did a bit of birding in southern Logan County and discovered Ruddy Duck, White-rumped Sandpiper, possible nesting Least Tern, Belted Kingfisher, Black-and-white Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Northern Paula, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, and a Broad-winged Hawk bringing the Logan county species up 12 to a total of 148.
On the 9th Dala Grissim saw a Brown Pelican at Lake Overholser sitting on a dead log. Thanks to her report quite a few people got to see it. On the 10th Deanne McKinney photographed 2 young Eastern Screech-Owls being fed by the parents as they waited on the fence in her yard in OKC. Grace Huffman checked the west side of Lake Overholser and noted a Black-crowned Night-Heron which helped raise the Canadian County species count to 195. Will it make 200 by the end of the year?
On the 20th Matt scanned Lake Hefner and found a Neotropic Cormorant. On the 25th Jonathan Harris heard a Chuck-Will’s-widow and Yellow-throated Warbler at Wewoka Woods Camp in Seminole County and his plus Jimmy’s report increased the county’s species count by 17 to 103. On the 29th Tony Solorio and his Dad saw some Caspian Terns on Lake Hefner, and Deanne saw a Willet at Rose Lake. On the 28th Esther Key spotted a Western Kingbird in Lincoln County bringing the count up 1 to 122.
JULY
On the 2nd Calvin Rees saw two Bald Eagles at the NE 63rd Street Bridge near Douglas Avenue. On the 4th of July weekend Diane Pedicord observed a female Wood Duck and 3 ducklings at a playa lake on the Yukon Parkway, and on the 5th Matt walked Stinchcomb WMA East and heard a Fish Crow.
On the 12th Scott Loss had 3 Caspian Terns arrive at Boomer Lake just before dusk. On the 19th Jimmy birded in Seminole County and noted Eastern Wood-Pewee, and Acadian Flycatcher. Bob Eillis found Mississippi Kite, Brown Thrasher and Blue Grosbeak at Wiley Post Reservoir (Maysville’s water supply) in McClain County, and along with Larry Mays and Joe Grzybowski , this county’s species list was increased by 14 to 103. On the 20th Bill Adams and his Mom went to Dick Ledbetter’s house in Chickasha to check out the hummingbird babies, as well as adult Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummingbird, and on the 22nd Jason Shaw reported Warbling Vireo and along with other reporters the species count in Grady County increased 13 for a total of 143.
On the 22nd in OKC Jan Dolph noticed a Greater Roadrunner walking up her brick walkway. On the 24th Mary and Lou Truex birded Kingfisher County and located an Eastern Wood-Pewee and Least Flycatcher increasing the county count by 15 to a total of 82. On the 26th Dick Gunn saw a Spotted Sandpiper out in the river along South Jenkins in Norman, the beginning of shorebird fall migration. On the 27th Jimmy birded Pottawatomie County and located Cattle Egret, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Common Yellowthroat increasing the count by 26 for a total of 122.
AUGUST
On the 1st Joe Grzybowski reported that water is high at Lake Hefner, where he saw Ring-billed Gulls, Least Terns and Black Terns. On the 2nd in south OKC Patti Muzny reported a pair of American Goldfinches have been at her feeder all summer but now a second male has appeared and the fight is on. Eric Duell had a Pine Warbler at Lake Carl Blackwell. On the 3rd along South Jenkins Dick Gunn had a Swainson’s Hawk and on the 5th a Willow Flycatcher. Also a Lazuli Bunting was spotted thanks to John Tharp and Rachel Wrenn. Tomasz Kuder saw Yellow Warbler at Lake Thunderbird.
On the 4th Jennifer Kidney spotted some featureless, grayish baby birds fluttering their wings in the woods along South Jenkins but by the end of the week, they were recognizable as immature Yellow-throated Warblers. On the 7th John Tharp saw a Peregrine Falcon, and on the 8th John Tharp had an Upland Sandpiper flyover South Jenkins.
On the 9th T K located a Black-throated Green Warbler at Lake Thunderbird. Along South Jenkins Jenifer Kidney last saw a Prothonotary Warbler and on the 18th Rachel saw one feeding a little Brown-headed Cowbird. On the 10th Dave and Sue Woodson spotted a Black-throated Green Warbler along Lake Hefner. Jimmy did a bike ride through Joe Barnes Park in Midwest City and noted about a dozen Mississippi Kites and some Redheaded Woodpeckers. Kevin Groenweweg visited Lake Hefner and noted Baird Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Caspian Terns.
On the 14th Michelle Colbaugh reported about a week ago the juveniles Mississippi Kites in the backyard had left the nest but are returning to it on a regular basis. On the 13th Bill Diffin noticed a Least Flycatcher while walking along NW 122nd between Rockwell and Council. On the 18th Emily Hjalmarson identified a Snowy Plover at Lake Hefner. On the 22nd T K located a White-faced Ibis and Black-bellied Plover at Lake Hefner. Joe photographed a juvenile Olive-sided Flycatcher, and thinks it may have already migrated from its home in the far north.
On the 23rd John Polo reported a Chipping Sparrow in Stillwater. On the 25th David McNeely had a female Wilson’s Warbler in his Edmond backyard. On the 27th Sharon Henthorn reported an increase in numbers and varieties of birds at Rose Lake. On the 30th Chad Ellis reported a possible Jaeger and Deanne McKinney photographed a Laughing Gull at Lake Hefner. On the 31st Hal Yocum and buddies saw a Black-billed Cuckoo in Mitch Park in Edmond. Ah yes, fall migration is beginning. So which county had the most species added to their eBird total this summer, and which county has the lowest count?
In the Central Oklahoma area 149 bird species were reported this summer with 5 new species which brings the total for the year to 283. I appreciate those who help provide the history of central Oklahoma birds and can be contacted by e-mail at emkok@earthlink.net. Esther M. Key, Editor.