Exploring Central Oklahoma Birds
Several interesting birds visited Central Oklahoma this summer and were located by diligent birdwatchers in the field. For the year three counties have reported over 200 species (one at 245) but four counties have less than 100 species. Only 31 species have been reported in all 12 counties. There are still lots of areas for bird exploration and reporting.
JUNE
On the 3rd in Logan County Brian Stufflebeam spotted a Yellow-crowned Night Heron at Mineral Wells Park and a Broad-winged Hawk at Guthrie Lake. On the 4th in Lincoln County Michael Beifuss saw a Horned Lark at the Iowa Tribe Pow Wow Grounds, and at Lake Thunderbird Emily Hjalmarson had a Yellow-throated Vireo. On the 7th the Yellow-billed Loon on Lake Hefner was last reported by Jerry Taylor. On the 8th Scott Loss recorded Kentucky Warbler, Pine Warbler, and Yellow-throated Warbler at Lake Carl Blackwell while Deb Hirt found a Yellow-breasted Chat at Boomer Lake Park.
On the 11th in Pottawatomie County Joe Grzybowski reported Yellow-billed Cuckoo, White-eyed Vireo, Summer Tanager, and Zach DuFran heard a Fish Crow. In Kingfisher County Esther Key identified Blue Grosbeak. On the 12th Zach Poland came across a White-rumped Sandpiper at the John Marshall School Pond. On the 14th a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck was detected at Arcadia Lake by Jeff Tibbits. On the 16th a Yellow-breasted Chat was seen at Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge by Thomas Buehl Jr, and on the 17th Megan Downey counted a Baltimore Oriole in Garvin County. On the 18th Emily Hjalmarson located at Purcell Lake a Least Tern; in Pauls Valley a Warbling Vireo; and at Whitebread a Summer Tanager. T K documented a Kentucky Warbler at the Dave Blue Creek area at Lake Thunderbird.
On the 19th T K got a Black-and-white Warbler at Lake Thunderbird‘s Alameda Bridges. On the 20th Andrew Barndt tallied an Upland Sandpiper east of Stroud, and on the 21st a Bell’s Vireo at the Oklahoma Baptist University. On the 22nd John Tharp recorded an American Bittern along South Jenkins. On the 23rd Mike Yough reported the final sighting of the Purple Gallinule on Coyle Road. On the 25th Pat Popper determined there was a Yellow-breasted Chat at the Quality Inn in Shawnee. On the 30th Brian Stufflebeam encountered the Black-chinned Hummingbird at Mitch Park in Edmond.
JULY
On the 2nd T K noticed a Northern Parula at the Lake Thunderbird Dave Blue Creek area, and W S Barbour saw a Prothonotary Warbler at Lake Carl Blackwell. In Kingfisher County on the 4th Zach Poland spotted a Green Heron near Dover and at the N2890 Road Marsh a Common Yellowthroat and Pileated Woodpecker. On the 10th Megan Downey had a Chimney Swift east of Lindsey in Garvin County. On the 16th T K saw a Yellow-headed Blackbird at Ten Mile Flat near Norman and on the 17th Jack Hurd had a one at Rose Lake.
On the 22nd Hal Yocum discovered a juvenile Rufous Hummingbird in his yard in Edmond; a Stilt Sandpiper was found at Lake Hefner Prairie Dog Point by Roy McGraw; and the Neotropic Cormorant at Boomer Lake Park was last reported by Deb Hert. On the 25th Corey Riding turned up a Louisiana Waterthrush at OSU. On the 27th Jenny Clark came across a Pileated Woodpecker in Chandler in Lincoln County. On the 31st Scott Loss tallied Greater Yellowlegs and Stilt Sandpiper at the Dolese Sand Pit in Guthrie; and Esther Key got a Chuck-will’s widow near Maysville in Garvin County.
AUGUST
On the 1st Jason Shaw spotted Wild Turkey at the USAO Habitat Area in Grady County. In Payne County at Dunkin Road on the Cimarron River, Scott Loss had a Stilt Sandpiper. On the 3rd Scott Dawson discovered a Broad-winged Hawk in Shawnee. On the 5th Zach Poland identified a Peregrine Falcon in downtown Oklahoma City. On the 6th Cameron Carver came across a Long-billed Dowitcher at the John Marshall School Pond.
On the 7th Roy McGraw found a Piping Plover at Lake Hefner’s Prairie Dog Point, and T K detected a Sora Rail at the Lexington WMA. On the 8th Deb Hirt saw a Caspian Tern at Boomer Lake Park, and Mike Yough had a Common Yellowthroat at the Teal Ridge Wetland. Along South Jenkins, John Tharp documented on the 10th a Yellow-throated Warbler; on the 11th a Yellow Warbler; and on the 12tha Prothonotary Warbler. On the 12th Roy McGraw got a Green Heron at the Shannon Springs Park in Grady County, and Zach Poland located a Black-necked Stilt in the Yukon playas.
On the 13th at the Goldsby Sod Farm in McClain County T K noticed Swainson’s Hawk and Loggerhead Shrike, and Deanne McKinney had an Eastern Screech-Owl in her yard in Oklahoma City. On the 14th Dala Grissom recognized a Rufous Hummingbird along Waco Road in Pottawatomie County. Karen Crews turned up American Kestrel and Belted Kingfisher in Newcastle. In Kingfisher County Zach Poland reported a Broad-winged Hawk in Hennessey. Jerid Patterson verified a Snowy Egret at Taylor Lake in Grady County, while Nathan Kuhnert counted a Semipalmated Plover at the Lake Overholser’s Coffer Dam.
On the 15th John Tharp encountered a Common Yellowthroat along South Jenkins. On the 16th Zach Poland discovered a Barn Owl at his home in Logan County. On the 18th John Hurd spotted a Red-eyed Vireo and Summer Tanager in Canadian County just across the street from Caddo County and on the 20th he reported the Common Loon was still on Lake Hefner. On the 21st Scott Dawson saw a House Wren in Shawnee. Zach Poland came across a Solitary Sandpiper in Okarche and at Lake Elmer a White-winged Dove.
On the 23rd in Logan County John Hurd discovered a Summer Tanager and Dickcissel in Coyle. On the 25th Jason Shaw had a Barred Owl at the USAO Habitat Area; John Bates identified a Western Sandpiper along the Canadian River; and Scott Loss recorded a Black-bellied Plover at Boomer Lake Park. On the 26th William Diffin documented an American Avocet, Long-billed Dowitcher and Stilt Sandpiper at Lake Hefner’s Prairie Dog Point.
On the 27th Nathan Kuhnert found a Northern Waterthrush at the Myriad Botanical Gardens; John Polo noticed an Eastern Wood-Pewee at Babcock Park; while at Whittenberg Park Scott Loss located a Least Flycatcher and the next day a Willow Flycatcher. On the 28th Dala Grissom heard a Fish Crow at Meeker Lake in Lincoln County. John Hurd verified Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Black Tern and Osprey at Lake Hefner’s Canal Inlet. C H Hemphill recognized a Northern Harrier in Stillwater, and Scott Loss turned up an American Avocet and Black Tern at Boomer Lake Park.
In the Central Oklahoma area during the summer 161 species were reported with 2 first of the year reports bringing the year’s total to 273. 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.