Oklahoma Mesonet recorded 0.69 inches of rain for the past seven days.
Payne County rare birds for the week as follows: Ruddy Duck, Cedar Waxwing, Hooded Warbler.
The migrant list is slim, but that is not surprising, as most migrants are on the way to breed, except for those that are departing. The arrivals include Upland Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, and Cave wallow.
June departures were listed as Eared Grebe, American Golden-Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Stilt, Least, White-rumped, Pectoral, Semipalmated, and Spotted Sandpipers, Sanderling, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson’s Phalarope, Forster’s Tern, Swainson’s Hawk, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Least, Alder, and Willow Flycatchers, Swainson’s Thrush, Cerulean Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, and Pine Siskin.
Writer was an early riser last Wednesday, mainly since we wanted to see who was coming out early and late for the dawn chorus, but even we were just a bit late. Walking out the front door, there was the American Robin, followed a moment later by the Northern Cardinal. Our Voice, the Carolina Wren, surprised me that it was not the first bird to greet me. Last on the list, one hour later, was the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. There were a dozen birds on the list, but had I been out at 0430, it would have been even later.
Another thing that needs to be addressed, is that eBird has one a great job making us aware that we are on the way to increasing birds immediately after losing three billion over the past half century, but we all knew that was going to happen. Ebird migration numbers were out of sight this spring, and we can thank both the breeding and wintering grounds for that. Last breeding season was excellent with birds remaining on the breeding rounds sometimes for three successful clutches. Harm has not come to those on the wintering grounds, and everyone deserves a big round of applause for taking care of the birds we have left.
Boomer Lake Park has had great numbers of both seasonal and migrant individuals. We counted Mallard, Mourning Dove, Killdeer, Great Blue Heron, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, White-eyed, Warbling, and Red-eyed Vireo, American and Fish Crows, Tufted Titmouse, Purple Martin, Cliff Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, European Starling, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, House Finch, House and Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Orchard Oriole, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common and Great-tailed Grackle, Prothonotary and Yellow Warblers, Northern Cardinal, and Indigo and Painted Buntings.
Lake Carl Blackwell chimed in with Canada Goose, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Franklin’s Gull, Great Egret, Red-tailed Hawk, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue Jay, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Pine (breeding bird!), and Yellow-throated Warbler, Northern Parula, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, and Dickcissel.
Birds have all been on a head start this year even with the rain, they will fill their nests with eggs, and it will be another banner year for new life.
Deb Hirt is a wild bird rehabilitator and photographer living in Stillwater.