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2 Sep Re: Las Flores Mexican Rest [Berlin Heck ] 1 Sep Sutton, S Jenkins, Thunderbird, Draper, 8/28, S Jenkins 814 [Bill Diffin ] 1 Sep Re: Around Coffer Dam [Bill Diffin ] 1 Sep Re: Excitement ["H.P.A.H. Jjorgensen" ] 1 Sep Excitement [BOB NANCY LAVAL ] 1 Sep Around Coffer Dam [matthew jung ] 1 Sep Payne County Audubon Potluck Dinner (Sep. 2!) Reminder [Timothy O'Connell ] 1 Sep September migration report (2 of 2) [Patricia Velte ] 1 Sep September migration report (1 of 2) [Patricia Velte ] 1 Sep Red & Grassy Sloughs Yesterday [David Arbour ] 1 Sep Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon [FRANK SANDFORD ] 31 Aug Re: Framed Burrowing Owl Picture ["M. S. Harris" ] 31 Aug Framed Burrowing Owl Picture [Bill Adams ] 31 Aug Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon [Jimmy Woodard ] 31 Aug Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon [Jimmy Woodard ] 31 Aug Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon [matthew jung ] 31 Aug FW: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon [Sebastian Patti ] 30 Aug Re: Hawk ID help [Bill Diffin ] 30 Aug black vulture and turkey vulture comparison picture [Larry Hancock ] 30 Aug Re: Brown Pelican, Caspian Tern [Bill Diffin ] 30 Aug Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon [Jimmy Woodard ] 30 Aug Brown Pelican, Caspian Tern [Bill Diffin ] 30 Aug Re: (OT) mammals question [Mark Cromwell ] 29 Aug Hackberry Flat 08-28-10 [Bill Adams ] 29 Aug Re: (OT) mammals question [Jim Winner ] 29 Aug A Few Migrants [Bill Carrell ] 29 Aug Re: Norman Birding Sat 8/28 [David McNeely ] 29 Aug Norman Birding Sat 8/28 [Mary Lane ] 29 Aug Hackberry 8-28 photos, prairie falcon and a black vulture at Grandfield [Larry Hancock ] 29 Aug Re: (OT) mammals question [Bill Diffin ] 29 Aug Re: (OT) mammals question [David McNeely ] 29 Aug Re: Brown Pelican [Lindell Dillon ] 29 Aug Caspian Tern at Overholser [matthew jung ] 29 Aug Brown Pelican [Doug Wood ] 29 Aug Re: (OT) mammals question [Bill Diffin ] 29 Aug Olive-sided Flycatcher [Doug Wood ] 29 Aug Re: Wewoka/Jenkins/Sutton Wilderness [Leann Bunn ] 29 Aug Re: (OT) mammals question [David McNeely ] 29 Aug Fwd: Tulsa Audubon Update - Facebook, Tallamy Update & More [John Kennington ] 29 Aug (OT) mammals question [william ] 28 Aug Re: Mob of Kingbirds [Mark Cromwell ] 28 Aug Wewoka/Jenkins/Sutton Wilderness [jwoodard ] 28 Aug Mob of Kingbirds [Leslie Imboden ] 28 Aug Las Flores Mexican Rest [Ben Holt ] 27 Aug Tulsa Audubon Update - Email Change, Facebook, Tallamy Update & More [John Kennington ] 27 Aug Wood Storks & spoonbills [David Arbour ] 27 Aug Fwd: Tulsa Audubon Update - New Emails, Facebook, Tallamy Update & More [John Kennington ] 27 Aug Re: Red Slough trip [Jeri McMahon ] 27 Aug Re: Has anyone ever seen this before? ["M. S. Harris" ] 27 Aug Re: Has anyone ever seen this before? [Lindell Dillon ] 27 Aug Has anyone ever seen this before? [Richard Gunn ] 27 Aug bunting [Sue selman ] 26 Aug Re: Hackberry Flat 8-25-10 [ml2x ] 26 Aug Re: Hackberry Flat 8-25-10 [Richard Gunn ] 26 Aug Re: iBird for android phones [Terri Underhill ] 26 Aug Re: iBird for android phones [Brian Davis ] 26 Aug Hackberry Flat 8-25-10 [ml2x ] 26 Aug iBird for android phones [Terri Underhill ] 26 Aug Lake Arcadia, 8/21 [Bill Diffin ] 26 Aug Sutton UFO- White-tailed Kite?? [Lindell Dillon ] 25 Aug WW doves [Dora Webb ] 25 Aug Re: Red Slough trip [Melinda Droege ] 25 Aug warblers in Edmond [Terri Underhill ] 25 Aug Re: Brown Pelican Pictures, Lake Arcadia [Bill Diffin ] 25 Aug Red Slough trip [Jeri McMahon ] 25 Aug Re: birds in the heat [CJOM ] 25 Aug birds in the heat [Lawrence Herbert ] 24 Aug Re: birds in heat [CJ Metcalf ] 24 Aug Re: Smithsonian: A Close Encounter With the Rarest Bird [Bill Diffin ] 24 Aug Re: Smithsonian: A Close Encounter With the Rarest Bird [Sandy Berger ] 24 Aug Re: birds in heat [Terry Mitchell ] 24 Aug Re: Structure in the prairie [jwoodard ] 24 Aug Smithsonian: A Close Encounter With the Rarest Bird [Cyndie Browning ] 24 Aug Re: birds in heat [Lindell Dillon ] 24 Aug Re: birds in heat [John Shackford ] 24 Aug Re: Hackberry 8-22 photos, sora, long-billed curlews, tricolored heron [Larry Hancock ] Subject: Re: Las Flores Mexican Rest From: Berlin Heck <baheck AT PINE-NET.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 11:19:26 -0500 There is still hope for Mexican cuisine lovers near the Slough; There is still Papa Poblano's (my favorite) just north of the 4-way stop where you turn to go to the Slough, and Tio's (Arbour's favorite) just south of this same junction. Mexican cuisine is still alive and well here. Berlin Heck Broken Bow On Aug 28, 2010, at 2:50 PM, Ben Holt wrote: > To those who like to visit this restaurant when birding Red Slough, > just a heads up that they are closing today until Oct 1 to remodel. > They are going to consolidate 3-4 restaurants in Idabel into one > new restaurant called The RED B. It will be by the courthouse in > downtown. Until then, don't expect your Mexican fix while birding! > > Ben > Norman > Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry® > Subject: Sutton, S Jenkins, Thunderbird, Draper, 8/28, S Jenkins 814 From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 22:19:55 -0400 Sutton Urban Wilderness, Mary Lane, Steve Davis, Charles Douglas, Bill Diffin Mary's nice post with pictures pretty well covered the action. I should add however, that in attempting to follow Lindell Dillon's route to the White-tailed Kite and walk clockwise as close to the boundary as possible, we actually wandered off the reservation to the west. The warbler tree we found was in the middle of a fescue meadow out there. We probably walked a half mile through knee-deep to waist-deep grass and forbs before returning to the proper trails with the warblers right in the middle of the excursion. The warbler tree had Yellow Warblers, at least one Wilson's Warbler and at least one Least Flycatcher, the last two photographed by Steve. Great Egret Mississippi Kite White-winged Dove Mourning Dove Eastern Kingbird Least Flycatcher Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Blue Jay Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse American Robin Carolina Wren (heard) Blue Gray Gnatcatcher Northern Cardinal Yellow Warbler Wilson's Warbler South Jenkins, same crew as above We birded both the west side lease road on the north end and the stream side beyond the green gate. Cooper's Hawk Swainson's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Mississippi Kite Turkey Vulture Mourning Dove Eastern Kingbird Western Kingbird Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Downy WP Red-bellied WP American Crow Warbling Vireo (heard) Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Carolina Wren Blue Gray Gnatcatcher American Robin Indigo Bunting Northern Cardinal Lake Thunderbird, West Dam to Clear Bay Trail, Charles Douglas and Bill Diffin In a little clearing along the trail, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Least Flycatcher . On the other side of the trail, a persistent odd two-note call led us to a male Summer Tanager up in a tree. Great Blue Heron Great Egret Little Blue Heron (juv) Least Flycatcher Downy WP Red-bellied WP Northern Flicker (heard) Yellow-billed Cuckoo Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Carolina Wren (heard) American Robin Blue Gray Gnatcatcher Northern Cardinal Summer Tanager Lake Draper, Charles Douglas and Bill Diffin Mississippi Kite Swainson's Hawk Yellow-billed Cuckoo Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Blue Gray Gnatcatcher Indigo Bunting 20 ticks 200 chiggers South Jenkins, 8/14, Bob Holbrook, Warren Harden, Charles Douglas, Bill Diffin Like everyone else down on Jenkins that morning, we were mainly looking for the Swallow-tailed Kites. However, we did bird the north end, west side, lease road and the stream side beyond the green gate. There were some memorable sightings. There was a Blue Grosbreak right next to the road between the two birding locations. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Indigo Bunting and American Goldfinch made an interesting sequence of observations at one point along the stream. In a small isolated and leafless tree, an Eastern Kingbird, a Western Kingbird, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and an Orchard Oriole all perched simultaneously. Snowy Egret Mississippi Kite Red-bellied Woodpecker Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Western Kingbird Yellow-billed Cuckoo White-eyed Vireo Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Carolina Wren American Robin Blue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Northern Cardinal Orchard Oriole American Goldfinch Bill Diffin, OKC Subject: Re: Around Coffer Dam From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 21:27:12 -0400 I walked the same route late in the morning, except I doubled back and did the last half twice, 10:45 to 12:15. Your list was still intact except for the shovelers and most of the mallards, but I can add seven Black Terns, two Lesser Yellowlegs, at least 30 more peeps, Least and a few Semipalmated. The most interesting show was provided by two juvenile Cooper's Hawks. They were doing a combination of soaring and dogfighting off and on for 20 minutes. One finally disappeared, but the other stayed in view perched at first on the big stick pile on the mud flat. It would sally off the pile every so often toward a flock of peeps. After that hunting technique was unsuccessful on several attempts, they young hawk did not return to the stick pile, but moved from place to place after the peeps, taking perches on sticks very close to the ground. Next to the slough on the west end of the mud flat, four big softshell turtles and two smaller ones were hauled out on the "beach". Bill Diffin, OKC Subject: Re: Excitement From: "H.P.A.H. Jjorgensen" <hpah AT COXINET.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 20:03:14 -0500 that is interesting! What a surprise! ----- Original Message ----- From: BOB NANCY LAVAL To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 7:52 PM Subject: Excitement Well, we just had a brief panic here when Nancy screamed there's a bear in our back yard. Sure enough he stood and smelled of the hummingbird feeder then went over to the bird feeder and stood up and smelled of it. The feeder is almost 7 feet off the ground and he was able to smell the roof. By this time I had my camera out and took a picture straight through the window. As luck would have it the flash went off and ruined the picture due to the flash back from the window. I did get a picture of him at a distance but missed the one of him standing up at the feeder. When I opened the door to get a better picture, he took off heading east toward the neighbors. This is the first we have seen in our area although there was one seen last year nearby. Now I'll be afraid to go out after dark for awhile. BOB & NANCY LAVAL 20367 PINE MTN. LP. HEAVENER, OK 74937 918 653 7921 Subject: Excitement From: BOB NANCY LAVAL <blaval AT WINDSTREAM.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 19:52:41 -0500 Well, we just had a brief panic here when Nancy screamed there's a bear in our back yard. Sure enough he stood and smelled of the hummingbird feeder then went over to the bird feeder and stood up and smelled of it. The feeder is almost 7 feet off the ground and he was able to smell the roof. By this time I had my camera out and took a picture straight through the window. As luck would have it the flash went off and ruined the picture due to the flash back from the window. I did get a picture of him at a distance but missed the one of him standing up at the feeder. When I opened the door to get a better picture, he took off heading east toward the neighbors. This is the first we have seen in our area although there was one seen last year nearby. Now I'll be afraid to go out after dark for awhile. BOB & NANCY LAVAL 20367 PINE MTN. LP. HEAVENER, OK 74937 918 653 7921 Subject: Around Coffer Dam From: matthew jung <mpjung5125 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 14:52:22 -0700 I walked the Coffer Dam to the river this AM and found these birds:   Great Blue Heron - 2 Little Blue Heron - 2 adults, 7 juv. Snowy Egret - 4 Great Egret - 17 Green Egret - 2 Cattle Egrets - about 15 in field west of the entrance Canada Goose - 15 BW Teal - about 30 N. Shoveler - ditto Mallard - ditto American Avocet - 2 Killdeer - many Least Sabdpiper - 20 Forsters Turn - 6 RW Bladkbird - many Bell's Vireo - 1 heard Carolina Wren - 2 heard N. Cardinal - 4 Carolina Chickadee - 2 Chimney Swift - just a single bird Barn Swallow - 1   I have not heard any Prothonotary Warblers for at least 3 weeks.   Matt Jung, OKC     Subject: Payne County Audubon Potluck Dinner (Sep. 2!) Reminder From: Timothy O'Connell <tim.oconnell AT OKSTATE.EDU> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 16:43:28 -0500 Dear Friends and supporters of the Payne County Audubon Society, Newsletter Editor and Webmistress Susan Walker has posted the September 2010 newsletter to the PCAS website here: http://www.paynecountyaudubon.com/. As always, there are many fascinating things to discover in our newsletter. Here are some important announcements from the Payne County Audubon Society: Potluck Season Opener Please plan to join us for the Potluck Season Opener on Thursday, September 2nd. That's right, our traditional first meeting at the end of summer is a potluck dinner. This year, we will hold the dinner at the Izaac Walton Clubhouse at Sanborn Lake Park off Airport Rd. in Stillwater. We will meet at 5:30 pm to share good food and good fun. In addition to sharing a wonderful meal in beautiful surroundings, the Season Opener meeting in September will feature elections for board members and officers, an awards presentation for BIRDATHON participants, and some lively bird-oriented games. Kids and adults will enjoy "Bird Bingo" and "Birdopoly." For a real challenge, we'll have "Name that Bird" in which contestants try to identify as many species as possible in a quiz-bowl slideshow. Be sure to come early, stay late, and bring family and friends with you for a fun time at Sanborn Lake on Sep. 2nd. Field Trip to Black Mesa Looking for a Labor Day weekend adventure? Michael Harvey will lead the PCAS on a field trip to the Black Mesa area of extreme northwestern Oklahoma from Friday, Sep. 3 to Monday, September 6. Black Mesa is always a stirring location for hiking and photography, and fall migration should be in full swing there in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. This should be a fantastic trip! Oklahoma Ornithological Society fall meeting in Stillwater Plan ahead to join us 15–17 October when Stillwater will host the annual meeting of the Oklahoma Ornithological Society. Our special guest for the meeting will be Dr. Ted Floyd, Editor of the American Birding Association's Birding magazine and well known author of many books and scholarly works including the Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Ted be on hand for a field trip to Lake Carl Blackwell the morning of Oct. 16, as well as present a workshop he calls "Bare-Naked Birding" (especially for beginners) at the OSU Botanical Gardens and Arboretum. At the Saturday evening banquet at the Wes Watkins Center on the OSU campus, Ted will present "Birding at Night: The Final Frontier." We are truly lucky to have someone of Ted's energy and stature spend a weekend with us in October, and I want to make sure that all PCAS members and friends know that they are most welcomed to participate in the annual meeting activities. There are discounts for early registration and for students, and full details are (or will very soon) be available on the OOS website: http://www.okbirds.org/. That's all for now. Thanks for your interest in the Payne County Audubon Society. http://www.paynecountyaudubon.com/. Good birding, ~Tim O'Connell PCAS Secretary Subject: September migration report (2 of 2) From: Patricia Velte <pvelte AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 14:39:14 -0500 September DEPARTURES: Least Bittern September 29 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Tricolored Heron September 27 - NW,C,SC,SE White Ibis September 10 - C,SC Wood Stork September 27 - SC,SE Purple Gallinule September 11 - Bryan and McCurtain Cos. Black-necked Stilt September 16 - PAN,C,SC,SE Willet September 17 - ALL Spotted Sandpiper September 27 - PAN Upland Sandpiper September 10 - PAN and September 28 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Long-billed Curlew September 10 - Cimarron and Texas Cos Marbled Godwit September 30 - PAN,NW,SW,C,SC,NE Ruddy Turnstone September 24 - NW,C,SC,NE,SE Red Knot September 20 - NW,C,NE Buff-breasted Sandpiper September 28 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Short-billed Dowitcher September 16 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Least Tern September 21 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Black-billed Cuckoo September 20 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Common Nighthawk September 28 - PAN Chuck-will's-widow September 2 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Black-chinned Hummingbird September 15 - PAN,NW,SW,C,SC Olive-sided Flycatcher September 30 - ALL Western Wood-Pewee September 26 - PAN Eastern Wood-Pewee September 30 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Yellow-bellied Flycatcher September 25 - SW,C,SC,NE,SE Alder Flycatcher September 16 - C,SC,NE,SE Willow Flycatcher September 25 - ALL Hammond's Flycatcher September 26 - PAN Dusky Flycatcher September 26 - PAN Vermillion Flycatcher September 10 - PAN Great Crested Flycatcher September 17 - PAN and September 24 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Cassin's Kingbird September 28 - PAN Western Kingbird September 11 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Eastern Kingbird September 15 - PAN Bell's Vireo September 30 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Black-capped Vireo September 28 - NW,SW Yellow-throated Vireo September 29 - C,SC,NE,SE Plumbeous Vireo September 21 - PAN Purple Martin September 12 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Tree Swallow September 20 - PAN,NW N. Rough-winged Swallow September 20 - PAN Bank Swallow September 27 - ALL Cliff Swallow September 6 - PAN and September 28 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Swainson's Thrush September 30 - ALL Virginia's Warbler September 15 - PAN Yellow Warbler September 12 - PAN and September 25 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Chestnut-sided Warbler September 27 - SW,C,SC,NE,SE Townsend's Warbler September 21 - PAN Yellow-throated Warbler September 17 - SC,NE,SE Bay-breasted Warbler September 27 - NE,SE Black-and-white Warbler September 27 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE American Redstart September 28 - ALL Prothonotary Warbler September 1 - NW,C,SC,NE,SE Northern Waterthrush September 19 - ALL Kentucky Warbler September 26 - C,SC,NE,SE MacGillivray's Warbler September 20 - PAN Common Yellowthroat September 26 - PAN Hooded Warbler September 28 - SE Canada Warbler September 23 - C,SC,NE,SE Yellow-breasted Chat September 9 - PAN and September 19 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Western Tanager September 25 - PAN Green-tailed Towhee September 29 - PAN Cassin's Sparrow September 2 - PAN,NW,SW,C,SC Lark Sparrow September 22 - PAN Grasshopper Sparrow September 24 - PAN Black-headed Grosbeak September 21 - PAN Lazuli Bunting September 25 - PAN Painted Bunting September 23 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Bobolink September 27 - NW,C,SC,NE,SE Orchard Oriole September 11 - ALL Bullock's Oriole September 11 - PAN,NW,SW Baltimore Oriole September 25 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Happy Birding, Pat Velte pvelte AT cox.net Oklahoma City The information presented here comes from The Oklahoma Bird Records Committee of the Oklahoma Ornithological Society, which publishes a Date Guide to the Occurrences of Birds in Oklahoma. This booklet divides Oklahoma into 7 geographic regions, and lists the normal dates of occurrence for each Oklahoma bird species within each region. Observers are urged to report unusual species, or birds out of date or out of normal range in Oklahoma, based on the information given in this publication. The Oklahoma Ornithological Society and Oklahoma Bird Records Committee web site, http://www.okbirds.org/, includes ordering information for the Date Guide to the Occurrences of Birds in Oklahoma, information on documenting significant records, documentation forms, instructions, and a searchable database for Oklahoma bird migration information. Birders are cordially invited to join the Oklahoma Ornithological Society. Subject: September migration report (1 of 2) From: Patricia Velte <pvelte AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 14:37:58 -0500 Dear OKBirders, The September report is lengthy so I'm sending arrivals and departures in separate messages. Here are the September ARRIVALS: Cackling Goose September 21 - ALL Cinnamon Teal September 7 - PAN,NW,SW Northern Pintail September 1 - C,SC,NE,SE Lesser Scaup September 21 - ALL Common Loon September 29 - ALL Horned Grebe September 21 - ALL Eared Grebe September 4 - ALL Sharp-shinned Hawk September 12 - ALL Merlin September 2 - ALL Prairie Falcon September 24 - ALL Virginia Rail September 2 - ALL Sandhill Crane September 22 - NW,SW,SE and September 25- PAN,C,SC,NE Sabine's Gull September 6 - PAN,NW,C,SC,NE,SE Common Poorwill September 19 - C,SC,NE Red-naped Sapsucker September 21 - PAN Yellow-bellied Flycatcher September 3 - SW,C,SC,NE,SE Dusky Flycatcher September 1 - PAN Plumbeous Vireo September 2 - PAN Blue-headed Vireo September 1 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Philadelphia Vireo September 12 - C,SC,NE,SE Mountain Chickadee September 20 - PAN Red-breasted Nuthatch September 10 - ALL House Wren September 16 - SC,SE Sedge Wren September 27 - NW,SW,C,SC Marsh Wren September 26 - ALL Ruby-crowned Kinglet September 10 - ALL Mountain Bluebird September 27 - PAN Townsend's Solitaire September 17 - PAN Swainson's Thrush September 7 - PAN and September 11 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Hermit Thrush September 22 - PAN Sage Thrasher September 1 - PAN American Pipit September 20 - ALL Sprague's Pipit September 27 - ALL Cedar Waxwing September 9 - PAN and September 24 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Tennessee Warbler September 13 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Orange-crowned Warbler September 1 - PAN and September 12 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Nashville Warbler September 3 - ALL Chestnut-sided Warbler September 10 - SW,C,SC,NE,SE Yellow-rumped Warbler September 18 - PAN and September 29 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Townsend's Warbler September 1- PAN Palm Warbler September 29 - NE,SE Bay-breasted Warbler September 10 - NE,SE Ovenbird September 5 - ALL Western Tanager September 2 - PAN Green-tailed Towhee September 7 - PAN Spotted Towhee September 23 - ALL Eastern Towhee September 30 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Clay-colored Sparrow September 2 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE Vesper Sparrow September 1 - PAN and September 27 - NW,C,NE and September 29 - SW,SC,SE Savannah Sparrow September 14 - ALL Nelson's Sparrow September 17 - NE,SE Lincoln's Sparrow September 15 - PAN and September 22 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE White-crowned Sparrow September 23 - PAN Dark-eyed Junco September 25 - ALL Rose-breasted Grosbeak September 17 - C,SC,NE,SE Bobolink September 1 - NW,C,SC,NE,SE Western Meadowlark September 16 - SC,NE,SE Brewer's Blackbird September 17 - NW,SW,C,SC,NE,SE Pat Velte pvelte AT cox.net Oklahoma City The information presented here comes from The Oklahoma Bird Records Committee of the Oklahoma Ornithological Society, which publishes a Date Guide to the Occurrences of Birds in Oklahoma. This booklet divides Oklahoma into 7 geographic regions, and lists the normal dates of occurrence for each Oklahoma bird species within each region. Observers are urged to report unusual species, or birds out of date or out of normal range in Oklahoma, based on the information given in this publication. The Oklahoma Ornithological Society and Oklahoma Bird Records Committee web site, http://www.okbirds.org/, includes ordering information for the Date Guide to the Occurrences of Birds in Oklahoma, information on documenting significant records, documentation forms, instructions, and a searchable database for Oklahoma bird migration information. Birders are cordially invited to join the Oklahoma Ornithological Society. Subject: Red & Grassy Sloughs Yesterday From: David Arbour <arbour AT WINDSTREAM.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 08:21:54 -0500 While working at Red Slough yesterday morning I saw 3 Roseate Spoonbills in unit 37 and 1 Neotropic Cormorant in Unit 15. There will be no bird survey this week as I only do 4 per month and this is an extra week. Yesterday afternoon I was bush-hogging a dry wetland at Grassy Slough and had a Swainson's Hawk hunting around the tractor. David Arbour De Queen, Arkansas Visit the Red Slough Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/red_slough_wma Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon From: FRANK SANDFORD <sprugr51 AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 07:41:07 -0500 Armadillo, where is that anyway? Hate those suckers. They are destroying my flower beds. Frank in Sand Springs -----Original Message----- From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU]On Behalf Of Jimmy Woodard Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 1:14 PM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon My bad. Meant for Matt only. Pays to look before you leap. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Univar---Oklahoma City From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Jimmy Woodard Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 11:11 AM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon Sorry you can't go. Have fun in Armadillo. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Univar---Oklahoma City From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of matthew jung Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 10:56 AM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon Jimmy; I sure hate to miss out on this field trip; my daughter will be coming here and I'm the designated 'sitter' for her cats. Will be in Amarillo. Matt --- On Mon, 8/30/10, Jimmy Woodard wrote: From: Jimmy Woodard Subject: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Date: Monday, August 30, 2010, 11:57 AM OKC Audubon will be going to Cheyenne Bottoms/Quivira NWR in central Kansas over Labor Day weekend. We will meet to caravan at 8AM at the IHOP at I-40 and Mustang Road in Yukon this Friday morning. We will be leaving once everyone arrives so if you want to eat breakfast there plan to arrive earlier. We will go thru Salt Plains NWR on the way up for an hour or so then proceed to Great Bend, KS, our home for the weekend. Please contact me if you plan to join our car caravan on Friday morning. My email at home is j.woodard AT cox.net. Cell phone is 405-365-5685. please bring two-way radios if you have them to keep in contact during the drive. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Subject: Re: Framed Burrowing Owl Picture From: "M. S. Harris" <mbhsuzy AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:33:27 -0500 Bill, nice grouping of photos. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing! Suzy Harris Bartlesville, OK From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Bill Adams Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 8:11 PM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Framed Burrowing Owl Picture Thought you all might enjoy this. After getting so many pictures of the Burrowing Owls on the way to Hackberry I decided I wanted to frame them all together instead of just a single Owl. I always cut my own mats so I can get it just how I want it. Here is a picture of the picture: http://www.southernokphotography.com/p779087804/hfe4c372#hfe4c372 Bill Adams Tishomingo, OK www.southernokphotography.com Subject: Framed Burrowing Owl Picture From: Bill Adams <ba1980 AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:10:44 -0700 Thought you all might enjoy this. After getting so many pictures of the Burrowing Owls on the way to Hackberry I decided I wanted to frame them all together instead of just a single Owl.  I always cut my own mats so I can get it just how I want it. Here is a picture of the picture: http://www.southernokphotography.com/p779087804/hfe4c372#hfe4c372 Bill Adams Tishomingo, OK www.southernokphotography.com Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon From: Jimmy Woodard <Jimmy.Woodard AT UNIVARUSA.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:14:19 -0700 My bad. Meant for Matt only. Pays to look before you leap. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Univar---Oklahoma City From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Jimmy Woodard Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 11:11 AM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon Sorry you can't go. Have fun in Armadillo. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Univar---Oklahoma City From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of matthew jung Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 10:56 AM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon Jimmy; I sure hate to miss out on this field trip; my daughter will be coming here and I'm the designated 'sitter' for her cats. Will be in Amarillo. Matt --- On Mon, 8/30/10, Jimmy Woodard wrote: From: Jimmy Woodard Subject: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Date: Monday, August 30, 2010, 11:57 AM OKC Audubon will be going to Cheyenne Bottoms/Quivira NWR in central Kansas over Labor Day weekend. We will meet to caravan at 8AM at the IHOP at I-40 and Mustang Road in Yukon this Friday morning. We will be leaving once everyone arrives so if you want to eat breakfast there plan to arrive earlier. We will go thru Salt Plains NWR on the way up for an hour or so then proceed to Great Bend, KS, our home for the weekend. Please contact me if you plan to join our car caravan on Friday morning. My email at home is j.woodard AT cox.net. Cell phone is 405-365-5685. please bring two-way radios if you have them to keep in contact during the drive. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon From: Jimmy Woodard <Jimmy.Woodard AT UNIVARUSA.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:11:09 -0700 Sorry you can't go. Have fun in Armadillo. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Univar---Oklahoma City From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of matthew jung Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 10:56 AM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon Jimmy; I sure hate to miss out on this field trip; my daughter will be coming here and I'm the designated 'sitter' for her cats. Will be in Amarillo. Matt --- On Mon, 8/30/10, Jimmy Woodard wrote: From: Jimmy Woodard Subject: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Date: Monday, August 30, 2010, 11:57 AM OKC Audubon will be going to Cheyenne Bottoms/Quivira NWR in central Kansas over Labor Day weekend. We will meet to caravan at 8AM at the IHOP at I-40 and Mustang Road in Yukon this Friday morning. We will be leaving once everyone arrives so if you want to eat breakfast there plan to arrive earlier. We will go thru Salt Plains NWR on the way up for an hour or so then proceed to Great Bend, KS, our home for the weekend. Please contact me if you plan to join our car caravan on Friday morning. My email at home is j.woodard AT cox.net. Cell phone is 405-365-5685. please bring two-way radios if you have them to keep in contact during the drive. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Subject: Re: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon From: matthew jung <mpjung5125 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:55:51 -0700 Jimmy; I sure hate to miss out on this field trip; my daughter will be coming here and I'm the designated 'sitter' for her cats.  Will be in Amarillo.   Matt --- On Mon, 8/30/10, Jimmy Woodard wrote: From: Jimmy Woodard Subject: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Date: Monday, August 30, 2010, 11:57 AM                                 OKC Audubon will be going to Cheyenne Bottoms/Quivira NWR in central Kansas over Labor Day weekend.  We will meet to caravan                                 at 8AM at the IHOP at I-40 and Mustang Road in Yukon this Friday morning. We will be leaving once everyone arrives so if you want to                                 eat breakfast there plan to arrive earlier.                                   We will go thru Salt Plains NWR on the way up for an hour or so then proceed to Great Bend, KS, our home for the weekend.                                   Please contact me if you plan to join our car caravan on Friday morning. My email at home is j.woodard AT cox.net. Cell phone is                                 405-365-5685. please bring two-way radios if you have them to keep in contact during the drive.   Thanks,   Jimmy Woodard Subject: FW: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon From: Sebastian Patti <sebastianpatti AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:14:46 -0500 FYI . . . let's make our friends from OK feel welcome . . . release the rare birds!!! :~) sebastianpatti AT hotmail.com Sebastian T. Patti (Lincoln Park) Chicago, ILLINOIS 60614-3354 PHONE: 312/793-5397 (o) 773/248-0570 (h) FAX: 312/793-2611 (o) 773/248-0264 (h) CELL: 773/304-7488 Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:57:27 -0700 From: Jimmy.Woodard AT UNIVARUSA.COM Subject: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU OKC Audubon will be going to Cheyenne Bottoms/Quivira NWR in central Kansas over Labor Day weekend. We will meet to caravan at 8AM at the IHOP at I-40 and Mustang Road in Yukon this Friday morning. We will be leaving once everyone arrives so if you want to eat breakfast there plan to arrive earlier. We will go thru Salt Plains NWR on the way up for an hour or so then proceed to Great Bend, KS, our home for the weekend. Please contact me if you plan to join our car caravan on Friday morning. My email at home is j.woodard AT cox.net. Cell phone is 405-365-5685. please bring two-way radios if you have them to keep in contact during the drive. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Subject: Re: Hawk ID help From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:10:27 -0400 In a message dated 6/22/2010 9:51:56 A.M. Central Daylight Time, thelowenfamily AT SBCGLOBAL.NET writes: Hello all, In Denver, CO last week I saw a hawk roughly the size and shape of a red-tail. (Of course my binocs were elsewhere.) The bird had light underwings with dark tips, but the odd thing was that all the upper wing coverts were bright white, like an inverted Swainson's. Didn't get much else for ID-ing, but the pure white on top was unmistakeable. Red-tail? Thanks, Peter Lowen Tulsa Pete, Since you don't seem to have received a response to this on the list, I am going to give it a shot. You probably saw a Ferruginous Hawk. Without binoculars and experience in observing the species, the white on the upper side of the primaries might have been misperceived to lie on the coverts. On some Ferruginous Hawks, the brilliance and purity of the white is quite startling. The Ferruginous Hawk is a year-round resident in a big part of Colorado including areas at least close to Denver according to the range maps I have consulted. Bill Diffin, OKC Subject: black vulture and turkey vulture comparison picture From: Larry Hancock <ihanturn AT CABLEONE.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:31:07 -0500 I just thought I say a black vulture past Grandfield. It was really an immature turkey vulture that has a grey face at this stage. Below is a picture link where I put the head of a black vulture and turkey vulture in from the same angle so you can see the differences in the head shape and nostril hole differences if you can't get them to fly for the wing differences when they both have grey heads. http://www.avianfocus.com/vultures/vultures.jpg Larry Hancock Ardmore, OK Subject: Re: Brown Pelican, Caspian Tern From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:59:29 -0400 The tree line along the river described in the foregoing post projects north into the lake, not south. Bill D. Subject: Cheyenne Bottoms-Labor Day/OKC Audubon From: Jimmy Woodard <Jimmy.Woodard AT UNIVARUSA.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:57:27 -0700 OKC Audubon will be going to Cheyenne Bottoms/Quivira NWR in central Kansas over Labor Day weekend. We will meet to caravan at 8AM at the IHOP at I-40 and Mustang Road in Yukon this Friday morning. We will be leaving once everyone arrives so if you want to eat breakfast there plan to arrive earlier. We will go thru Salt Plains NWR on the way up for an hour or so then proceed to Great Bend, KS, our home for the weekend. Please contact me if you plan to join our car caravan on Friday morning. My email at home is j.woodard AT cox.net. Cell phone is 405-365-5685. please bring two-way radios if you have them to keep in contact during the drive. Thanks, Jimmy Woodard Subject: Brown Pelican, Caspian Tern From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:54:09 -0400 On the way (??) to Overholser to see Matt Jung's Caspian Tern, I drove out to the Memorial Rd bridge over the SW arm of Lake Arcadia. Eivind Vamraak came along just as I was walking back west across the bridge. Around 2:30 pm, as we were scanning the lake from the rip rap, a Brown Pelican flew north over the lake from behind the tree line that extends south into the lake along the east bank of the river. It made a couple of slow circles and then flew back from where it appeared, giving about one minute of observation. The area it flew from can probably be seen from the Air Depot Blvd equestrian parking approach. At Lake Overholser we found the Caspian Tern in the location described by Matt. Bill Diffin, OKC Subject: Re: (OT) mammals question From: Mark Cromwell <mark.cromwell01 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:42:18 -0500 William, I live in Enid also and shoot with both camera and shotgun. I recently found a female Bobcat with 3 kittens walking down a road in the Drummond Flats area - and got a few spectacular pics. You never know when you will catch one out and about, but with the Dove season starting - the Flats area will have more pressure soon. You might go sit by the big pond at the Flats area and wait, remember your bug spray. Badgers are around - but be aware they are very grouchy and can be aggressive. When Quail hunting I have found them in the brush - first they will flee, but man watch out if it turns around on you. Most recent sighting for me was SE of Pond Creek and E of Ames AT 5 miles. I see Porcupines more out west - like Cleo Springs area to Freedom when Quail hunting. They are a menace to aggressive bird dogs! Found them in trees, middle of sand plum thicket and out walking through a cow pasture. Winter is better for finding them - you can spot them up in the trees. Good luck, Mark Cromwell Enid/Perkins On Sun, Aug 29, 2010 at 3:09 AM, william wrote: > Does anyone know of email lists for mammals of Oklahoma or the general > region? I would like to ask what places closest to me i might reasonably > expect to see some Oklahoma mammals in the wild, especially bobcat, badger, > and porcupine? Lest anyone worry about my motives, these days i only shoot > with a camera. Feel free to reply off list, and many thanks for any > suggestions. > > -william > enid ok > Subject: Hackberry Flat 08-28-10 From: Bill Adams <ba1980 AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:23:07 -0700 Arrived at Hackberry Flat around 10am.  On the way there we stopped for a quick look at the Burrowing Owls.  Saw both adults but no babies. Highlight of the trip was 2 young bobcats around the boardwalk at the Visitor's Center.  We were walking down the boardwalk and flushed a dozen or so Quail.  Then a bit later I heard something run underneath it and just figured it was more Quail.  Then a young bobcat jumped on the side of the boardwalk, looked at me then jumped back down and underneath the boardwalk. My mom crawled over the side of the boardwalk and spotted the bobcat.  She watched it for a while and I kept walking hoping it would get out from under it.  Finally it did and ran through the water.  I didn't know they didn't mind water.  On our way back to the car there was a small pond just West of the boardwalk where we saw another young bobcat. We saw quite a few sandpipers that I'm assuming are Least, but don't know for sure.  There were also lots of dragonflies (there is a pic of one). Here are the pics: http://www.southernokphotography.com/p768697085 Below is the bird list. Blue-winged Teal Northern Bobwhite Pie-billed Grebe White Pelican Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Green Heron Yellow-crowned Nightheron (lots as Larry said) White-faced Ibis Turkey Vulture Northern Harrier Common Moorhen Killdeer Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Upland Sandpiper Long-billed Curlew Least Sandpiper? Mourning Dove Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Barn Swallow Northern Mockingbird Red-winged Blackbird Red-tailed Hawk I think we also had a few Marbled Godwits and Willets in the unit East of the Visitor's Center (at 10am), but when we went back in the afternoon they were either gone or we mis-ID'ed them from the road.  We also saw the Tern that Larry saw in the lake, but couldn't ID it from the parking lot. Bill Adams Tishomingo, OK www.southernokphotography.com Subject: Re: (OT) mammals question From: Jim Winner <jimbo.w AT SUDDENLINK.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:20:38 -0500 ---- william wrote: > Does anyone know of email lists for mammals of Oklahoma or the > general region? I would like to ask what places closest to me i might > reasonably expect to see some Oklahoma mammals in the wild, > especially bobcat, badger, and porcupine? Lest anyone worry about my > motives, these days i only shoot with a camera. Feel free to reply > off list, and many thanks for any suggestions. > > -william > enid ok Re: Mammal Questio? You may want to visit the Red Slough Gallery for some input. try Red Slough WMA or ww.pbase.com/Red_Slough_WMA their are a variety of subjects to view including Mammals. And also the 7 Foot Alligator. Jim Winner INAS Subject: A Few Migrants From: Bill Carrell <okdragonhunter AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:49:37 -0700 Hello All,               This morning at Oxley, found a few migrants mixed in with a mob of Robins and Starlings that were snarfing wild grapes. Included were: Chestnut-Sided, Kentucky and Wilson's Warblers, and one of those first fall Pine/Bay-Breasted/Blackpoll type warblers that I couldn't (or wouldn't) ID. Also had a Wilson's at home.                                                                         Good Birding,                                                                         Bill Carrell                                                                       Tulsa, OK                                                       Subject: Re: Norman Birding Sat 8/28 From: David McNeely <mcneely4 AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:34:37 -0500 Mary Lane, nice photos. I believe your "yellow thistle" is a plant commonly called "Goldflower" or "Goldenflower," in the genus _Grindelia_ (formerly in _Happlopappus_ ). See this: http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=11054 The fruit is very fluffy, yet is eaten by birds, including goldfinches and house finches, in my yard. It is very abundant in weedy areas (it is native), and blooms profusely this time of year and into mid fall. DMc ---- Mary Lane wrote: > Steve and I joined Bill Diffin and Charles Douglas Saturday morning > in Norman for part of their Weekly Birders excursion. > > Sutton Wilderness Area was great - our first time there. We got > pictures of a Wilson's Warbler in a bois d'arc tree out in high > grasses around the west end of the area. We also got pictures of a > young Mississippi Kite perched in a tree above us, and an adult in > flight over us, on a main trail. And a least flycatcher and a tufted > titmouse. (Link to pictures below). > > We also went with them for part of their hiking around the South > Jenkins area before we had to leave for home. Looking forward to > hearing their account of the morning with more details! > > Pictures from Sutton: > http://www.pbase.com/mml81/sutton_wilderness_2010_0828 > > > Mary Lane -- David McNeely Subject: Norman Birding Sat 8/28 From: Mary Lane <mm_lane AT SWBELL.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:13:51 -0500 Steve and I joined Bill Diffin and Charles Douglas Saturday morning in Norman for part of their Weekly Birders excursion. Sutton Wilderness Area was great - our first time there. We got pictures of a Wilson's Warbler in a bois d'arc tree out in high grasses around the west end of the area. We also got pictures of a young Mississippi Kite perched in a tree above us, and an adult in flight over us, on a main trail. And a least flycatcher and a tufted titmouse. (Link to pictures below). We also went with them for part of their hiking around the South Jenkins area before we had to leave for home. Looking forward to hearing their account of the morning with more details! Pictures from Sutton: http://www.pbase.com/mml81/sutton_wilderness_2010_0828 Mary Lane Subject: Hackberry 8-28 photos, prairie falcon and a black vulture at Grandfield From: Larry Hancock <ihanturn AT CABLEONE.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:06:53 -0500 Saturday on my drive out to Hackberry I didn't see a single common nighthawk flying or at rest. I finally saw four on my way home around 7:30 pm. I did see a black vulture 3 miles west of Grandfield and that is the first time I have seen one west of Waurika. Somebody asked about reporting sightings of the black vultures out west at one time so this is mine. I only saw 2 turkey vultures out west for the day. I rarely see vultures at all in the winter west of Waurika and only a few in the summer months. I saw one cooper's hawk at Cache Creek on a fence post by the road. Before I talk about the birds I saw I want to mention that teal season starts on September 11th and hunters are out surveying Hackberry now. I met a few truckloads yesterday morning zipping around, one passed me 4 times as I was headed to the meeting center. They finally stopped to ask me where I was seeing teal, I have a Ducks Unlimited sticker on the back of my car so I guess they thought I was a hunter also. We talked about the ducks that were out flying around us (blue-winged teal) and they said they couldn't tell whether they were green or blue-winged teal, that was my first concern with this group. I told them about some of the ducks that had been around during the year and mentioned the fulvous whistling duck. The driver said he had seen a bunch of them already that morning, I couldn't top that one so I decided it was time for me to move on. It may just be me but I am really concerned that this particular carload of people will be out armed with shotguns in a public area blasting away at birds I enjoy photographing and not really knowing what they are shooting at. Starting the 11th I'll be waiting till after 1 pm to drive around Hackberry. Now for birds I found while out yesterday. As I drove in from the south to Hackberry I say a northern harrier (3 total for the day) cruising the fields and he flushed a tricolored heron. There are yellow-crowned night-herons out in large numbers still with a few black-crowned and they are right on the side of the roads. The water just to the east of the meeting center is the most popular area with the birds now and the reservoir. There were several peeps and over 25 long-billed curlew there at once. You will see from the pictures how dense the birds were in that area. I went to the north side of the reservoir early but a bird hunter was out with his dog and it was roaming the wet area on the north side of the road and fields to the east so I put my boat out on the reservoir to see what was there. A tern, somebody help me with ID (foster's maybe because of the red legs) was the first bird on a post as I got in the water. Pelicans, pied-billed grebes, moorhens, northern shovelers, widgeon, gadwall, ruddy ducks, blue-winged teal, 3 green herons, lots of egrets and herons are everywhere, dark ibis, large groups of blackbirds are gathering now with a few yellow-headed in the mix. The one surprise on the west side of the reservoir in the trees with a mix of all the herons and one wood duck was a prairie falcon. I don't know why they weren't excited by its presence but I guess they didn't think it would bother them. Swainson's hawks were on post and in fields in smaller numbers than last weekend. Upland sandpipers are everywhere. Photos are here; http://www.avianfocus.com/hackberry_8-28-10/ Larry Hancock Ardmore, OK Subject: Re: (OT) mammals question From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:45:56 -0400 Sleeping in the fork of a tree, the Porcupine seen near Arnett looked exactly like a dead tussock of grass. Even after I realized what it might be, which took most of a day, I had no real conviction it was a Porcupine until I actually saw it move. Bill Diffin Subject: Re: (OT) mammals question From: David McNeely <mcneely4 AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:47:21 -0500 Bill, I meant to mention this in my earlier note. You might be interested in Bill Caire's book, _Mammals of Oklahoma _, (Caire, William, Jack D. Tyler, Bryan P. Glass, and Michael A. Mares, 1989, University of Oklahoma Press). It is in libraries, and you can find it for sale by searching online sources. I suppose distribution data on small mammals may be a little dated, but mammals are pretty well known critters. A handful of small mammal species may be known from Oklahoma since; maybe a lion or two, and a few bighorns out in the Black Mesa country, have wandered into the state since publication, and perhaps black bears are more common in the SE than they were 20 years ago. The book is an excellent source for anyone interested in the state's fauna. I notice that the porcupine may be less widely distributed (or less well known?) than I suggested in my earlier note, but it is around. In the Salt Plains area, I would expect it mainly in riparian areas. David ---- william wrote: > Does anyone know of email lists for mammals of Oklahoma or the > general region? I would like to ask what places closest to me i might > reasonably expect to see some Oklahoma mammals in the wild, > especially bobcat, badger, and porcupine? Lest anyone worry about my > motives, these days i only shoot with a camera. Feel free to reply > off list, and many thanks for any suggestions. > > -william > enid ok -- David McNeely Subject: Re: Brown Pelican From: Lindell Dillon <reddirtbird AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:37:08 -0500 I had some business in Edmond yesterday and went out to the Arcadia dam area a couple of different times. No pelicans, but there was a lot of boat traffic. It may have run them off the main body of the lake. We saw an Osprey fishing along the north end of the dam. Watched him dive 3 times and he came up empty too. LD Norman On Sun, Aug 29, 2010 at 9:31 AM, Doug Wood wrote: > Hi All. Is/are the Brown Pelican(s) still being seen that was posted > last week? Thinking about running up there this coming weekend to see if it > is still hanging around. Any info appreciated. Thanks, Doug. > > Subject: Caspian Tern at Overholser From: matthew jung <mpjung5125 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:36:18 -0700 Around 8 AM I was scanning a 'meeting' of herons, egrets, terns, gulls, killdeer and peeps when I saw that telltale Burmese Ruby-red flash of the beak of a Caspian Tern.  They were on an emerging mud bank on the NE side of the lake.   Matt Jung, OKC Subject: Brown Pelican From: Doug Wood <DWood AT SE.EDU> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:31:28 -0500 Hi All. Is/are the Brown Pelican(s) still being seen that was posted last week? Thinking about running up there this coming weekend to see if it is still hanging around. Any info appreciated. Thanks, Doug. Subject: Re: (OT) mammals question From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:30:36 -0400 I saw a Bobcat very early one morning in the part of Great Salt Plains State Park which is south of the lake. I saw a Porcupine sleeping in a tree south of Arnett, Ellis Co. in January last year. It woke up and started moving around in the twilight after sundown as I was leaving. A couple of years ago, when I was walking several times per week on the east side of the Stinchcomb WR here in OKC, I would very occasionally see a Bobcat, always between first light and sunup. Bill Diffin, OKC Subject: Olive-sided Flycatcher From: Doug Wood <DWood AT SE.EDU> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:30:30 -0500 Hi All. yesterday evening, small group of us saw an Olive-sided Flycatcher at Pontotoc Ridge Preserve. Nice to see them stopping in for a vist in both fall and spring at this site. Doug. Subject: Re: Wewoka/Jenkins/Sutton Wilderness From: Leann Bunn <lbunn AT OTRD.STATE.OK.US> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:05:28 -0500 Sorry everyone but I need to ask Nadine Varner to please contact me off the list serve of course. Love to hear about everyone's adventures....and of course the birds. ----- Original Message ----- From: jwoodard To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 6:59 PM Subject: Wewoka/Jenkins/Sutton Wilderness Nadine Varner, Colleen Crank(birder from St Louis) and myself did some birding today. we scouted the Wewoka Woods church camp run by Bob Holbrook. then we made a short visit to S Jenkins and then to the Sutton Wilderness area in Norman. we saw nothing out of the ordinary at Wewoka. the best bird was a Black Vulture. at Jenkins we saw a few kites but none of the Swallow-tailed variety. at Sutton, again many kites but no White-tailed Kite. Jimmy Woodard Mustang, OK Subject: Re: (OT) mammals question From: David McNeely <mcneely4 AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:58:26 -0500 ---- william wrote: > Does anyone know of email lists for mammals of Oklahoma or the > general region? I would like to ask what places closest to me i might > reasonably expect to see some Oklahoma mammals in the wild, > especially bobcat, badger, and porcupine? William, all those are present at the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. They are generally commonly distributed across Oklahoma. Wichita Mountains has all three also. Now, actually seeing them? Bobcat is more commonly seen than the other two. Early morning, late afternoon best bets. If you know a landowner who will give you permission, a blind is a good bet. Streams are pretty good locations for bobcats. Good luck, DMc Lest anyone worry about my > motives, these days i only shoot with a camera. Feel free to reply > off list, and many thanks for any suggestions. > > -william > enid ok -- David McNeely Subject: Fwd: Tulsa Audubon Update - Facebook, Tallamy Update & More From: John Kennington <johnkennington AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:03:17 -0500 Here is the latest Tulsa Audubon update. I am using a new email list management system, so I'm not sure how well the message will look when translated into the mostly text OKBirds format, after deleting the photos and graphics. So if this goes through (and I've had multiple failures!) consider this a test. If you would like to receive these updates directly (I don't always forward every TAS update to OKBirds), you can sign up at http://www.tulsaaudubon.org/email-signup.htm Of possible interest to OKBirders in this update is in the Doug Tallamy note. There is a link to download his list (from his book) of native plants for our area (the eastern great plains). Thanks, John ------------------------------ TAS Now On Facebook You may have noticed a Facebook link at the top of this email. Yes, TAS is now on Facebook. I've uploaded some pictures from the Purple Martin Roost Watch, but I hope all of you Facebookers who are at our TAS events will use this page to share your own photos, notes, observations, etc. ------------------------------ Doug Tallamy Talk A Success - Note From Alyne Eiland Tulsa Audubon Society Members! Thank you for your support and participation in making the Doug Tallamy Event a success! Everyone helped in so many ways – advertising the event, folding the programs, assisting attendees at the check in desk, name tags, selling admissions, greeting people, distributing handouts, selling raffle tickets and books, working the plant holding table, the great TAS information booth, and the donation of the TAS T-Shirts. And a huge thanks to John for creating the primary source of information for this event on the TAS website! Great job, and all advertising directed the person to the TAS website. Not only was it a fun event - some of you even won a great raffle prize too and took home some native plants from Pine Ridge Gardens and Clear Creek Farm! Attendance was nearly 300 – and everyone thought it was the best event ever – and that is because of all of your help. And then after the event – thanks to those who stayed to help with clean-up. I do have some of the Bringing Nature Home Books, if you would like to purchase more books, please let me know. I truly appreciate you making this possible. I hope that you will read the book and enjoyed Doug Tallamy’s message. What Dr. Tallamy says affects all of us and the nature around us every day and into the future. Click here to download the native plant list for our areafrom his book for your future reference or to forward to others. Also reference: bringingnaturehome.net The world will be a better place for all of us if we just make an effort to Bring Nature Home….right in our own gardens! Sincerely, Alyne Eiland ------------------------------ Purple Martins About 50 people showed up for our annual Purple Martin watch, this year in the parking lot of the Tulsa Jail! Thank you to the Tulsa Jail for allowing us to use their parking lot to gather in and watch the birds. If you were not able to make it, the martins will still be roosting through the end of August until early September. So any evening visit downtown Tulsa to experience some 250,000 Purple Martins as the gather at their night roost. You can park along Denver Ave. near Brady Street, or park in the Tulsa Jail's north parking lot. ------------------------------ Tulsa Audubon's 75th Anniversary 2010 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Tulsa Audubon Society. The board has been discussing how we should commemorate this significant anniversary. We had come up with a great plan - we were going to invite back to Tulsa Walkin' Jim Stoltz, the singer/photographer/adventurer, who we hosted in Tulsa back in 2007, for a free community concert in November. In addition, we were going to have him spend the week visiting schools around Tulsa. Regrettably, we were just informed that Jim is canceling his Fall tour as he is starting treatment for liver cancer. I will keep you informed as I hear any updates on his condition, as I know those of you who met Jim in 2007 will want to know. With that sad news we are now looking at other options for an anniversary event. We should have new plans in place soon. Connect with us: [image: Follow us on Facebook!]Like us on Facebook www.tulsaaudubon.org Join Audubon Contact Us: Tulsa Audubon Society P.O. Box 330140 Tulsa, OK 74133 Add us to your address book John Kennington, President johnkennington AT gmail.com Subject: (OT) mammals question From: william <rthu AT WA.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:09:24 -0500 Does anyone know of email lists for mammals of Oklahoma or the general region? I would like to ask what places closest to me i might reasonably expect to see some Oklahoma mammals in the wild, especially bobcat, badger, and porcupine? Lest anyone worry about my motives, these days i only shoot with a camera. Feel free to reply off list, and many thanks for any suggestions. -william enid ok Subject: Re: Mob of Kingbirds From: Mark Cromwell <mark.cromwell01 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:44:12 -0500 Thursday I found a flock of Eastern Kingbirds north of the Salt Plains spillway 1/2 mile and 1 mile east - maybe a dozen birds hunting together and sitting on the fence rows. I eased up to a couple of them and got some portrait shots. Mark Cromwell Enid/Perkins On Sat, Aug 28, 2010 at 6:04 PM, Leslie Imboden wrote: > A first in my books. Friday evening my wife and I were driving south > of Perry just a few miles when we saw a swarm of some fairly large birds in > the air. As we turned to go back to investigate the group of probably 30 > birds settled into a big elm not far from the blacktop. It was all Eastern > Kingbirds, joined by ones and twos as others settled in. We presume they > are flocking to migrate. > > Les Imboden > Stillwater OK > > > Subject: Wewoka/Jenkins/Sutton Wilderness From: jwoodard <j.woodard AT COX.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:59:16 -0500 Nadine Varner, Colleen Crank(birder from St Louis) and myself did some birding today. we scouted the Wewoka Woods church camp run by Bob Holbrook. then we made a short visit to S Jenkins and then to the Sutton Wilderness area in Norman. we saw nothing out of the ordinary at Wewoka. the best bird was a Black Vulture. at Jenkins we saw a few kites but none of the Swallow-tailed variety. at Sutton, again many kites but no White-tailed Kite. Jimmy Woodard Mustang, OK Subject: Mob of Kingbirds From: Leslie Imboden <lesnpat AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:04:16 -0700 A first in my books. Friday evening my wife and I were driving south of Perry just a few miles when we saw a swarm of some fairly large birds in the air. As we turned to go back to investigate the group of probably 30 birds settled into a big elm not far from the blacktop. It was all Eastern Kingbirds, joined by ones and twos as others settled in. We presume they are flocking to migrate. Les Imboden Stillwater OK Subject: Las Flores Mexican Rest From: Ben Holt <benholtiii AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:50:05 +0000 To those who like to visit this restaurant when birding Red Slough, just a heads up that they are closing today until Oct 1 to remodel. They are going to consolidate 3-4 restaurants in Idabel into one new restaurant called The RED B. It will be by the courthouse in downtown. Until then, don't expect your Mexican fix while birding! Ben Norman Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry® Subject: Tulsa Audubon Update - Email Change, Facebook, Tallamy Update & More From: John Kennington <johnkennington AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:00:28 -0500 Here is the latest Tulsa Audubon update. I am using a new email list management system, so I'm not sure how well the message will look when translated into the mostly text OKBirds format. So consider this a test! If you would like to receive these updates directly (I don't always forward every TAS update to OKBirds), you can sign up at http://www.tulsaaudubon.org/email-signup.htm Thanks, John [image: TAS Logo] *[image: 75th Anniversary]* TAS Now On Facebook You may have noticed a Facebook link at the top of this email. Yes, TAS is now on Facebook. I've uploaded some pictures from the Purple Martin Roost Watch, but I hope all of you Facebookers who are at our TAS events will use this page to share your own photos, notes, observations, etc. ------------------------------ Join Audubon As you can guess, I've been busy making upgrades to Tulsa Audubon's web and email presence. If you have been thinking of joining Audubon, you can now do so through our new new TAS Membership Page . By joining through this page Tulsa Audubon will receive a much bigger share of your membership dues than if you join through the National Audubon web page. Of course you can always mail a check to us at P.O. Box 330140, Tulsa OK 74133. First year dues are just $20, which includes a joint membership in National Audubon and Tulsa Audubon, as well as a subscription to *Audubon *magazine, and our own newsletter the *Tulsa Scissortail*. If you are already an Audubon member, thanks for your support, and you should handle your renewals as you do today, directly through National Audubon. ------------------------------ Doug Tallamy Talk A Success - Note From Alyne Eiland Tulsa Audubon Society Members! Thank you for your support and participation in making the Doug Tallamy Event a success! Everyone helped in so many ways – advertising the event, folding the programs, assisting attendees at the check in desk, name tags, selling admissions, greeting people, distributing handouts, selling raffle tickets and books, working the plant holding table, the great TAS information booth, and the donation of the TAS T-Shirts. And a huge thanks to John for creating the primary source of information for this event on the TAS website! Great job, and all advertising directed the person to the TAS website. Not only was it a fun event - some of you even won a great raffle prize too and took home some native plants from Pine Ridge Gardens and Clear Creek Farm! Attendance was nearly 300 – and everyone thought it was the best event ever – and that is because of all of your help. And then after the event – thanks to those who stayed to help with clean-up. I do have some of the Bringing Nature Home Books, if you would like to purchase more books, please let me know. I truly appreciate you making this possible. I hope that you will read the book and enjoyed Doug Tallamy’s message. What Dr. Tallamy says affects all of us and the nature around us every day and into the future. Click here to download the native plant list for our areafrom his book for your future reference or to forward to others. Also reference: bringingnaturehome.net The world will be a better place for all of us if we just make an effort to Bring Nature Home….right in our own gardens! Sincerely, Alyne Eiland ------------------------------ Purple Martins About 50 people showed up for our annual Purple Martin watch, this year in the parking lot of the Tulsa Jail! Thank you to the Tulsa Jail for allowing us to use their parking lot to gather in and watch the birds. If you were not able to make it, the martins will still be roosting through the end of August until early September. So any evening visit downtown Tulsa to experience some 250,000 Purple Martins as the gather at their night roost. You can park along Denver Ave. near Brady Street, or park in the Tulsa Jail's north parking lot. [image: Purple Martin Watchers] ------------------------------ Tulsa Audubon's 75th Anniversary 2010 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Tulsa Audubon Society. The board has been discussing how we should commemorate this significant anniversary. We had come up with a great plan - we were going to invite back to Tulsa Walkin' Jim Stoltz, the singer/photographer/adventurer, who we hosted in Tulsa back in 2007, for a free commnuity concert in November. In addtion, we were going to have him spend the week visiting schools around Tulsa. Regretably, we were just informed that Jim is cancelling his Fall tour as he is starting treatment for liver cancer. I will keep you informed as I hear any updates on his condition, as I know those of you who met Jim in 2007 will want to know. With that sad news we are now looking at other options for an anniversary event. We should have new plans in place soon. Connect with us: [image: Follow us on Facebook!]Like us on Facebook www.tulsaaudubon.org Join Audubon Share this email: [image: Twitter] [image: Digg] [image: Facebook] [image: Delicious] [image: Reddit] [image: StumbleUpon] [image: DZone] [image: Google] [image: LinkedIn] [image: MisterWong] [image: MySpace] [image: Netvouz] [image: NewsVine] [image: Slashdot] [image: Technorati] [image: YahooMyWeb] [image: BlinkList] [image: Design Float] [image: Mixx] [image: Propeller] [image: Webnews.de] Contact Us: Tulsa Audubon Society P.O. Box 330140 Tulsa, OK 74133 Add us to your address book John Kennington, President johnkennington AT gmail.com view email in browser| unsubscribe| update your profile| forward to a friend You are receiving this email because you signed up on the TAS website, at a TAS meeting or other event. There is a link to unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] Copyright (C) 2010 Tulsa Audubon Society All rights reserved. Subject: Wood Storks & spoonbills From: David Arbour <arbour AT WINDSTREAM.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:58:24 -0500 Robert Bastarache called me from Red Slough around noon today and reported that there were 13 Wood Storks in unit 27A this morning. He said a little later there were 10 Wood Storks (probably part of the 13) sitting in the Otter Lake roost. He also said he saw 3 Roseate Spoonbills yesterday in Unit 27A . David Arbour De Queen, Arkansas Visit the Red Slough Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/red_slough_wma Subject: Fwd: Tulsa Audubon Update - New Emails, Facebook, Tallamy Update & More From: John Kennington <johnkennington AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:13:30 -0500 Here is the latest Tulsa Audubon update. I am using a new mail list system, so I'm not sure how well the message will look when translated into the mostly text OKBirds format. So consider this a test! Thanks, John [image: TAS Logo] [image: 75th Anniversary] You are receiving this email because you signed up on the TAS or NAS website or at an Audubon meeting or other event. There is a link to unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. Changes To The Tulsa Audubon Mailing List Welcome to our new *Tulsa Audubon Update* email. For some of you this is your first TAS update, and others will notice I have begun using a new email list system. I enjoy keeping you posted about interesting and important TAS news and updates, and I'm not changing the frequency or content. I know you get lots of email, so I’d like to use this switch as an opportunity to make sure you want to stay on our list. If you’re no longer interested, just click here to unsubscribe. Otherwise, do nothing, and look forward to the latest news about Tulsa Audubon! Links to update your email profile or unsubscribe will always be at the bottom of each message. If you have any trouble reading this email, or notice anything not working correctly, please let me know. Thanks for being a supporter of Tulsa Audubon! John Kennington, President johnkennington AT gmail.com 918-809-6325 ------------------------------ TAS Now On Facebook You may have noticed a Facebook link at the top of this email. Yes, TAS is now on Facebook. I've uploaded some pictures from the Purple Martin Roost Watch, but I hope all of you Facebookers who are at our TAS events will use this page to share your own photos, notes, observations, etc. ------------------------------ Join Audubon As you can guess, I've been busy making upgrades to Tulsa Audubon's web and email presence. If you have been thinking of joining Audubon, you can now do so through our new TAS Membership Page. By joining through this page Tulsa Audubon will receive a much bigger share of your membership dues than if you join through the National Audubon web page. Of course you can always mail a check to us at P.O. Box 330140, Tulsa OK 74133. First year dues are just $20, which includes a joint membership in National Audubon and Tulsa Audubon, as well as a subscription to *Audubon *magazine, and our own newsletter the *Tulsa Scissortail*. If you are already an Audubon member, thanks for your support, and you should handle your renewals as you do today, directly through National Audubon. ------------------------------ Doug Tallamy Talk A Success - Note From Alyne Eiland Tulsa Audubon Society Members! Thank you for your support and participation in making the Doug Tallamy Event a success! Everyone helped in so many ways – advertising the event, folding the programs, assisting attendees at the check in desk, name tags, selling admissions, greeting people, distributing handouts, selling raffle tickets and books, working the plant holding table, the great TAS information booth, and the donation of the TAS T-Shirts. And a huge thanks to John for creating the primary source of information for this event on the TAS website! Great job, and all advertising directed the person to the TAS website. Not only was it a fun event - some of you even won a great raffle prize too and took home some native plants from Pine Ridge Gardens and Clear Creek Farm! Attendance was nearly 300 – and everyone thought it was the best event ever – and that is because of all of your help. And then after the event – thanks to those who stayed to help with clean-up. I do have some of the Bringing Nature Home Books, if you would like to purchase more books, please let me know. I truly appreciate you making this possible. I hope that you will read the book and enjoyed Doug Tallamy’s message. What Dr. Tallamy says affects all of us and the nature around us every day and into the future. Click here to download the native plant list for our areafrom his book for your future reference or to forward to others. Also reference: bringingnaturehome.netThe world will be a better place for all of us if we just make an effort to Bring Nature Home….right in our own gardens! Sincerely, Alyne Eiland ------------------------------ Purple Martins About 50 people showed up for our annual Purple Martin watch, this year in the parking lot of the Tulsa Jail! Thank you to the Tulsa Jail for allowing us to use their parking lot to gather in and watch the birds. If you were not able to make it, the martins will still be roosting through the end of August until early September. So any evening visit downtown Tulsa to experience some 250,000 Purple Martins as the gather at their night roost. You can park along Denver Ave. near Brady Street, or park in the Tulsa Jail's north parking lot. [image: Purple Martin Watchers] ------------------------------ Tulsa Audubon's 75th Anniversary 2010 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Tulsa Audubon Society. The board has been discussing how we should commemorate this significant anniversary. We had come up with a great plan - we were going to invite back to Tulsa Walkin' Jim Stoltz, the singer/photographer/adventurer, who we hosted in Tulsa back in 2007, for a free commnunity concert in November. In addition, we were going to have him spend the week visiting schools around Tulsa. Regrettably, we were just informed that Jim is cancelling his Fall tour as he is starting treatment for liver cancer. I will keep you informed as I hear any updates on his condition, as I know those of you who met Jim in 2007 will want to know. With that sad news we are now looking at other options for an anniversary event. We should have new plans in place soon. Connect with us: [image: Follow us on Facebook!]Like us on Facebook www.tulsaaudubon.org Join Audubon Share this email: [image: Twitter] [image: Digg] [image: Facebook] [image: Delicious] [image: Reddit] [image: StumbleUpon] [image: DZone] [image: Google] [image: LinkedIn] [image: MisterWong] [image: MySpace] [image: Netvouz] [image: NewsVine] [image: Slashdot] [image: Technorati] [image: YahooMyWeb] [image: BlinkList] [image: Design Float] [image: Mixx] [image: Propeller] [image: Webnews.de] Contact Us: Tulsa Audubon Society P.O. Box 330140 Tulsa, OK 74133 Add us to your address book John Kennington, President johnkennington AT gmail.com view email in browser| unsubscribe| update your profile| forward to a friend You are receiving this email because you signed up on the TAS or NAS website or at an Audubon meeting or other event. There is a link to unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] Copyright (C) 2010 Tulsa Audubon Society All rights reserved. Subject: Re: Red Slough trip From: Jeri McMahon <jeri_mcmahon AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:08:57 -0700 I forgot to mention the mammals we encountered on our journey to the SE corner of the state.  On our way down there, Antoinette saw a black bear cross the road and immediately disappear into the forest.  We also saw a nutria, feral hogs, raccoon, deer, etc., at the Slough.  And of course, tons of dragonflies!  I also want to mention that Jim Winner got 8 lifers on his first trip there, and he reached a milestone of 300 on his OK list.  Now he's wanting to go to the SW corner, and the panhandle sometime soon.  I think he's hooked.  :-) Jeri McMahon Ft. Gibson, OK ________________________________ From: Melinda Droege To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Wed, August 25, 2010 9:56:12 PM Subject: Re: Red Slough trip I want to second Jeri on the great time we had at Red Slough.  My thanks to Dave and Berlin for the excellent tours and the wonderful birds.  Thanks also to Indian Nations Audubon for letting me horn in on the fun!  Red Slough and the whole area is indeed a magical place to bird.  Just wish I could go birding every single day! Melinda Droege B'ville On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:56 PM, Jeri McMahon wrote: Six of us traveled to the Frontier in SE OK the last 2 days.  This was our Audubon annual  summer trip to Red Slough.  Melinda Droege from Bartlesville joined us.  This was the first trip to the Slough for Jim Winner, so it was a new experience for him.  Jim Harman hadn't been there in 3 or 4 years, so we were happy he could join us again.  Jim Deming is now retired, so we're glad he'll be going on field trips with us.  Antoinette Verne enjoyed her first late summer trip to the Slough.  She was there in May for the first time, but she got quite a few more lifers this trip.  The weather was very hot (especially Monday evening).  Berlin and his wife, Pat, took us to the heronry Mon. evening, and we watched the birds come into the roost.  Besides seeing 5 Roseate Spoonbills, we also saw 2 or 4 Wood Storks flying over.  We might have seen the same 2 twice, but I really think we saw four.  Some of our group saw 1 Tri-colored Heron that night.  Lots of Green Herons flying by....we have never seen so many!  Of course, the roost filled up with hundreds of White Ibis, Great, Snowy & Cattle Egrets, Great and Little Blue Herons, Anhingas, and one D.C. Cormorant.  It was quite a sight when they all settled in as the sun was setting.  Thanks, Berlin, for a fun evening.  Of course the dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Idabel was fun too! > >Yesterday morning (8/24), we met Dave Arbour at the Slough at 6:00 a.m., in the >dark!  We managed to get down to the roost before daylight, and we witnessed all >the birds leaving.  Two Spoonbills flew out, plus about 3 Tri-colored Herons.  >After most had left, Dave took us to different units, and we were seeing birds >right and left!  He is the best guide!!  We enjoyed seeing young Purple >Gallinules and Common Moorhens, and a Least Bittern, plus hearing about 5 King >Rails!  One unit had lots of shorebirds, (including 3 Wilson's Snipe), a N. >Pintail, a N. Shoveler, 2 Mallards, a Green-winged Teal, and lots of Blue-winged >Teal.  Of course, Wood Ducks seemed to be everywhere.  There was one White-faced >Ibis.  But the prize was seeing 6 to 8 Tri-colored Herons and 9 Black-crowned >Night-Herons!  The Slough is surely a magical place. > >We ended our tour by observing a huge (and I mean HUGE) alligator.  It was a >female, guarding her babies.  She didn't like Dave and Berlin getting so close >(I don't think I've ever seen them move that fast!).  When they were up on the >bank, they discovered they were covered with fire ants.  The rest of us were >glad we were just watching from the bank!  > > >Berlin birded with us around the area the rest of the day, taking us to see >Brown-headed Nuthatches, Inca Doves, etc., etc.  We also explored Beaver's Bend >S.P., hiking down our favorite trail along the river.  Not many birds though in >the heat of the day.  We arrived home last night around 6:30.  We tallied 78 >species for the 2-day trip.  I got 6 year birds, and I think Melinda did too.  I >know we all enjoyed our safari on the Frontier.  Thanks again Dave and Berlin >for giving us a great tour. > >Jeri McMahon >Ft. Gibson, OK > > Subject: Re: Has anyone ever seen this before? From: "M. S. Harris" <mbhsuzy AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:48 -0500 Several years back, while doing a Christmas Bird Count in Osage County OK, I saw a similar thing. At first light all I saw were two ears sticking up. We thought perhaps it was an owl, but as the sun came up it turned out to be a coyote sitting atop a round bale. Suzy Harris Bartlesville From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Richard Gunn Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 9:47 AM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Has anyone ever seen this before? It was a beautiful but very dewy monrning and the grass was dripping with moisture and the birding was a little slow. Cecil Johnson and I were down on Jenkins back off the road to the east that runs between the hay meadows when we saw something (hawk, crow?) sitting on top of a big round bale. On closer examination, it proved to be an adult coyote a couple hundred yards away..After watching it for few mintues we suddenlly saw yet two more coyotes ( an adult and and a young one) on another hay bale farther back. It looked like a good way to keep their feet dry while spotting rodents working through the close-cropped bermuda grass.. Subject: Re: Has anyone ever seen this before? From: Lindell Dillon <reddirtbird AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:58:15 -0500 Yes, I have seen something like this. About an hour ago on S. Jenkins. :-) Saw two, looked like a female and this year's pup. One of the Red-shoulders was walking around on the ground in the mowed area and the pup chased him up. Maybe you can trap him and make a bird dog out of him. Didn't spend much time down there, saw a Northern Parula in the cottonwood by the gate to the old farmhouse on the east side of the road. Cecil's truck was parked there. LD Norman On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 9:46 AM, Richard Gunn wrote: > It was a beautiful but very dewy monrning and the grass was dripping with > moisture and the birding was a little slow. Cecil Johnson and I were down on > Jenkins back off the road to the east that runs between the hay meadows when > we saw something (hawk, crow?) sitting on top of a big round bale. On closer > examination, it proved to be an adult coyote a couple hundred yards > away..After watching it for few mintues we suddenlly saw yet two more > coyotes ( an adult and and a young one) on another hay bale farther back. It > looked like a good way to keep their feet dry while spotting rodents working > through the close-cropped bermuda grass.. > Subject: Has anyone ever seen this before? From: Richard Gunn <rgunn1 AT COX.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:46:44 -0500 It was a beautiful but very dewy monrning and the grass was dripping with moisture and the birding was a little slow. Cecil Johnson and I were down on Jenkins back off the road to the east that runs between the hay meadows when we saw something (hawk, crow?) sitting on top of a big round bale. On closer examination, it proved to be an adult coyote a couple hundred yards away..After watching it for few mintues we suddenlly saw yet two more coyotes ( an adult and and a young one) on another hay bale farther back. It looked like a good way to keep their feet dry while spotting rodents working through the close-cropped bermuda grass.. Subject: bunting From: Sue selman <selmanranch AT WILDBLUE.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:41:19 -0500 I just spent 30 minutes trying to identify a bird and it turned out to be a first year Painted Bunting. He was singing away in an elm tree. Sue Buffalo Subject: Re: Hackberry Flat 8-25-10 From: ml2x <ml2x AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:38:00 -0500 Hi Dick, It is just under the drawdown which means it's 98% full. Lou ----- Original Message ----- From: Richard Gunn To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 5:02 PM Subject: Re: Hackberry Flat 8-25-10 Lou-- How much water is there in the big lake? Dick ----- Original Message ----- From: ml2x To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 4:08 Subject: Hackberry Flat 8-25-10 Hello Everyone, I met Jim Deming and Berlin Heck at Hackberry Flat at 12:30pm on Wednesday, 8-25. We birded until 3pm. The water is being moved into the weir unit and there is still good water in Willet and too much water in Millet so no mud is showing. Shorebirds of interest: LB Curlews LE Yellowlegs GR Yellowlegs Least Sandpipers Western Sandpipers Semi-palmated Sandpipers White-rumped Sandpipers Baird's Sandpipers Pectoral Sandpipers Stilt Sandpipers Upland Sandpipers Am. Avocets Black-necked Stilts We had Pintail, Gadwall, BW and GW Teal, Moorhen as well as BC and YC Night Herons. If I've forgotten anything, I'm sure Berlin will correct me.....LOL Lou Truex ml2x AT sbcglobal.net Lawton Subject: Re: Hackberry Flat 8-25-10 From: Richard Gunn <rgunn1 AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:02:31 -0500 Lou-- How much water is there in the big lake? Dick ----- Original Message ----- From: ml2x To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 4:08 Subject: Hackberry Flat 8-25-10 Hello Everyone, I met Jim Deming and Berlin Heck at Hackberry Flat at 12:30pm on Wednesday, 8-25. We birded until 3pm. The water is being moved into the weir unit and there is still good water in Willet and too much water in Millet so no mud is showing. Shorebirds of interest: LB Curlews LE Yellowlegs GR Yellowlegs Least Sandpipers Western Sandpipers Semi-palmated Sandpipers White-rumped Sandpipers Baird's Sandpipers Pectoral Sandpipers Stilt Sandpipers Upland Sandpipers Am. Avocets Black-necked Stilts We had Pintail, Gadwall, BW and GW Teal, Moorhen as well as BC and YC Night Herons. If I've forgotten anything, I'm sure Berlin will correct me.....LOL Lou Truex ml2x AT sbcglobal.net Lawton Subject: Re: iBird for android phones From: Terri Underhill <tunderhill AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:17:05 -0500 The only birds eye I know of makes frozen foods:) I'll have to Google that app. Thanks Brian Terri Underhill Edmond OK www.okiebirdcam.com The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind. - Carly Simon -----Original Message----- From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Brian Davis Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 4:11 PM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: iBird for android phones Now if only BirdsEye would become available for that platform... Brian On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 4:01 PM, Terri Underhill wrote: > Hello Okbirds, > > > > I just saw where the iBird Pro application is now available for the Android > phones. I’ve been needing to buy a new phone and hated to buy an iPhone just > because I wanted this application. I know the iPhone has great features that > probably make the iBird easy to get around in and I hope an Android > operating system performs well also. > > > >  iBird has a Facebook page with the bar code you scan with your phone to > purchase the application. Guess I’ll need to wait and see which phones work > best before I purchase one. > > Maybe someone on Okbirds will let us know what they think of the application > with their Android and which phone they are using. > > > > Good birding, > > > > Terri Underhill > > Edmond OK > > www.okiebirdcam.com > > > > The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind. > > -   Carly Simon > > -- _________________________________________ Brian M. Davis Department of Zoology and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History University of Oklahoma 2401 Chautauqua Ave. Norman, OK 73072 (405) 325-4772 bmdavi AT ou.edu Subject: Re: iBird for android phones From: Brian Davis <bmdavi AT OU.EDU> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:11:28 -0500 Now if only BirdsEye would become available for that platform... Brian On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 4:01 PM, Terri Underhill wrote: > Hello Okbirds, > > > > I just saw where the iBird Pro application is now available for the Android > phones. I’ve been needing to buy a new phone and hated to buy an iPhone just > because I wanted this application. I know the iPhone has great features that > probably make the iBird easy to get around in and I hope an Android > operating system performs well also. > > > >  iBird has a Facebook page with the bar code you scan with your phone to > purchase the application. Guess I’ll need to wait and see which phones work > best before I purchase one. > > Maybe someone on Okbirds will let us know what they think of the application > with their Android and which phone they are using. > > > > Good birding, > > > > Terri Underhill > > Edmond OK > > www.okiebirdcam.com > > > > The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind. > > -   Carly Simon > > -- _________________________________________ Brian M. Davis Department of Zoology and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History University of Oklahoma 2401 Chautauqua Ave. Norman, OK 73072 (405) 325-4772 bmdavi AT ou.edu Subject: Hackberry Flat 8-25-10 From: ml2x <ml2x AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:08:18 -0500 Hello Everyone, I met Jim Deming and Berlin Heck at Hackberry Flat at 12:30pm on Wednesday, 8-25. We birded until 3pm. The water is being moved into the weir unit and there is still good water in Willet and too much water in Millet so no mud is showing. Shorebirds of interest: LB Curlews LE Yellowlegs GR Yellowlegs Least Sandpipers Western Sandpipers Semi-palmated Sandpipers White-rumped Sandpipers Baird's Sandpipers Pectoral Sandpipers Stilt Sandpipers Upland Sandpipers Am. Avocets Black-necked Stilts We had Pintail, Gadwall, BW and GW Teal, Moorhen as well as BC and YC Night Herons. If I've forgotten anything, I'm sure Berlin will correct me.....LOL Lou Truex ml2x AT sbcglobal.net Lawton Subject: iBird for android phones From: Terri Underhill <tunderhill AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:01:52 -0500 Hello Okbirds, I just saw where the iBird Pro application is now available for the Android phones. I've been needing to buy a new phone and hated to buy an iPhone just because I wanted this application. I know the iPhone has great features that probably make the iBird easy to get around in and I hope an Android operating system performs well also. iBird has a Facebook page with the bar code you scan with your phone to purchase the application. Guess I'll need to wait and see which phones work best before I purchase one. Maybe someone on Okbirds will let us know what they think of the application with their Android and which phone they are using. Good birding, Terri Underhill Edmond OK www.okiebirdcam.com The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind. - Carly Simon Subject: Lake Arcadia, 8/21 From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:50:04 -0400 OCAS Weekly Birders, Mary Lane, Steve Davis, Charles Douglas and I started the morning at the Lake Arcadia Park Office east of the Edmond Rd/Douglas Blvd intersection. We stepped out of the cars in the north parking area around 7:15 am. Two big birds, easily dismissed as Great Blues, were flying high over the lake near the dam. We put our binoculars on them and ... what a shock, two Brown Pelicans. The pelicans soared around for 15 minutes and then disappeared when a light plane flew through the area. We walked down to the dam and then north along its base. Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Sandpipers were picking over the moss on the lowest step. They were fairly easy to approach as usual at this location. Spotted Sandpipers and Killdeer were more wary. Many Purple Martins were jockying over the dam, and near the middle there was a large group perched on the upper steps. A few Barn Swallows coursed along the face. We carefully scanned the lake for the pelicans and found two suspects about a mile away. They were sitting on buoys at the Jet Ski Area south of the 15th St public access. Then one of the big brown birds took flight and made the id positive. We finished our walk at the dam and then took a break at the Park Office. A male Blue Grosbeak was singing from the top of a cedar next to the parking area. A female was in another cedar nearby. We went to the 15th St public access to see the pelicans, but by then Jet Skis were buzzing around, and the pelicans had left. Most of the buoys were topped by a Forster's Tern or Ring-billed Gull. A leafy oak had a small swarm of Eastern Kingbirds in it. Near the access gate, a Bewick's Wren sang in the top of a bare tree. Due to the intense boating activity which had built up on the lake, it seemed likely that the pelicans had fled to the inaccessible southwest arm which is the inlet of the Deep Fork River. Eivind Vamraak joined up with the group at this time, and we drove around to the equestrian parking lot south of 33rd and Air Depot Blvd. After walking down to the north shore of the southwest arm, we spotted the pelicans on a fallen tree in the water to the southeast. Every so often, a pelican would flap off its perch and make a very shallow "plump" dive to get a fish. Double-crested Cormorants were perched on the erect tree skeletons and stumps scattered around the inlet. Observing from our location, all the birds were a little backlit by the sun. We walked east up the shoreline for 100 yards without solving the lighting problem, but we did find a noisy pair of Downy Woodpeckers in the trees. On the shore of a muddy spit across the water to the south was a small flock of Canada Geese and two dozen small ducks or shorebirds. We were sure we could see everything better from where they were sitting. We drove around to where Memorial Rd crosses over the river inlet and parked on the dirt service road east of the bridge. After walking back to the west side, we relocated the pelicans at the same fallen tree. On the mud flat below the causeway were Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons and some peeps. We carefully worked our way down the rip rap embankment along the causeway and stepped through the sedges to get to the mudflat. A large puddle was surrounded by peeps which turned out to be Least Sandpipers of every age and plumage. Mississippi Kites and a dark looking Broad-winged Hawk (Eivind's photo later revealed it to be a dark morph) were soaring to the southeast. A Green Heron was perched on a pile of dead trees. Along the west shore of the mud flat, a dozen Ring-billed Gulls were roosting. On the east side, a crowd of Killdeer was collected in one small area. The small ducks or shorebirds took flight and displayed light blue wing patches -- Blue-winged Teal. After wading several small puddles and 10 yards of thigh-deep muddy slough, we reached the spit south of the pelicans. They were engaged in the same feeding behavior observed earlier, short low flights ending in shallow dives. Around 1 pm, the Lake Patrol chased several boaters out of the mouth of the southwest arm. Almost as soon as the boats left, the pelicans took flight toward the mouth and disappeared east of the island located there. After retracing our steps back to the cars, we drove around to the 15th St access gate again and parked at the (other) equestrian parking lot. We walked along the shore and across the point to get a look at the east side of the island. We couldn't find the pelicans, but locally we observed a couple of Little Blue Herons and some Eastern Kingbirds. We decided to take a final look from the south side of the lake and so drove around to where Midwest Blvd ends at a gate north of Memorial Rd. We parked along the road and walked the quarter mile gravel track down to the water. Through a scope, we could see the pelicans on stumps in front of the south end of the island. Back from the lake a little, there is a trail that runs off to the west which we took to get a better look. The pelicans had not moved. Around them on other stumps and snags were at least two species of terns and some gulls. Even through a scope, perched birds were difficult to appreciate from the distance we were observing from. But two terns in flight were easily identified -- a Black Tern with solid black underbody and a Forster's Tern with a black cap and bright white patches on gray wings. As we walked back to the cars, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo flew across the road. Bill Diffin, OKC Subject: Sutton UFO- White-tailed Kite?? From: Lindell Dillon <reddirtbird AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:54:15 -0500 Carolyn and I took an early walk around Sutton Wilderness today and saw several new birds to the area. The most unusual appeared to be a White-tailed Kite. I'm going back later today and see if I can spot it again before I report it. It was south and west of the dam. Was first perched on a dead limb, but spooked when we walked into view. Saw it 4 or 5 other times flying back to the west. I drove around back in that direction when we left, but never spotted it again. It's a distinctive bird, very pale gray with a white tail and dark wing spots. It didn't soar on high like the MS kites, but was hunting much closer to the ground, making it more difficult to see because it would disappear behind the trees in the semi-open area on the west side of the park. It looks larger than a MS as well. Saw more birds than usual today. We left the parking lot in a clock-wise direction on the trail and Spotted a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher right off the bat followed by an OC Warbler. As usual, cardinals were everywhere. Heard some pecking on a dead tree and spotted a Downy WP. We then came upon a Great-crested Flycatcher and a Brown Thrasher. Saw a couple of more thrashers later. I don't recall seeing one before at Sutton. Sitting in a dead tree right at the SW corner of the dam was an Olive-sided Flycatcher. Three GB herons flew over us from the marsh behind the dam. They flew around the lake landing in trees rather than the water. I glassed the dead trees across the lake to the north looking for the Kingfisher that often perches there, but in his place were two Yellow-crowned Night Herons. As we neared the parking lot again, I saw a couple of vireos of some sort, but never got a clear look at them. Hope someone else sees the kite. LD Norman Subject: WW doves From: Dora Webb <owl112 AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:24:54 -0500 I had a pair of White-winged doves visit our feeders this evening at 6:42 pm. Dora Webb Edmond, OK Subject: Re: Red Slough trip From: Melinda Droege <oklagranny26 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:56:12 -0500 I want to second Jeri on the great time we had at Red Slough. My thanks to Dave and Berlin for the excellent tours and the wonderful birds. Thanks also to Indian Nations Audubon for letting me horn in on the fun! Red Slough and the whole area is indeed a magical place to bird. Just wish I could go birding every single day! Melinda Droege B'ville On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:56 PM, Jeri McMahon wrote: > Six of us traveled to the Frontier in SE OK the last 2 days. This was > our Audubon annual summer trip to Red Slough. Melinda Droege from > Bartlesville joined us. This was the first trip to the Slough for Jim > Winner, so it was a new experience for him. Jim Harman hadn't been there in > 3 or 4 years, so we were happy he could join us again. Jim Deming is now > retired, so we're glad he'll be going on field trips with us. Antoinette > Verne enjoyed her first late summer trip to the Slough. She was there in > May for the first time, but she got quite a few more lifers this trip. The > weather was very hot (especially Monday evening). Berlin and his wife, Pat, > took us to the heronry Mon. evening, and we watched the birds come into the > roost. Besides seeing 5 Roseate Spoonbills, we also saw 2 or 4 Wood Storks > flying over. We might have seen the same 2 twice, but I really think we saw > four. Some of our group saw 1 Tri-colored Heron that night. Lots of Green > Herons flying by....we have never seen so many! Of course, the roost filled > up with hundreds of White Ibis, Great, Snowy & Cattle Egrets, Great and > Little Blue Herons, Anhingas, and one D.C. Cormorant. It was quite a sight > when they all settled in as the sun was setting. Thanks, Berlin, for a fun > evening. Of course the dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Idabel > was fun too! > > Yesterday morning (8/24), we met Dave Arbour at the Slough at 6:00 a.m., in > the dark! We managed to get down to the roost before daylight, and we > witnessed all the birds leaving. Two Spoonbills flew out, plus about 3 > Tri-colored Herons. After most had left, Dave took us to different units, > and we were seeing birds right and left! He is the best guide!! We enjoyed > seeing young Purple Gallinules and Common Moorhens, and a Least Bittern, > plus hearing about 5 King Rails! One unit had lots of shorebirds, > (including 3 Wilson's Snipe), a N. Pintail, a N. Shoveler, 2 Mallards, a > Green-winged Teal, and lots of Blue-winged Teal. Of course, Wood Ducks > seemed to be everywhere. There was one White-faced Ibis. But the prize was > seeing 6 to 8 Tri-colored Herons and 9 Black-crowned Night-Herons! The > Slough is surely a magical place. > > We ended our tour by observing a huge (and I mean HUGE) alligator. It was > a female, guarding her babies. She didn't like Dave and Berlin getting so > close (I don't think I've ever seen them move that fast!). When they were > up on the bank, they discovered they were covered with fire ants. The rest > of us were glad we were just watching from the bank! > > Berlin birded with us around the area the rest of the day, taking us to see > Brown-headed Nuthatches, Inca Doves, etc., etc. We also explored Beaver's > Bend S.P., hiking down our favorite trail along the river. Not many birds > though in the heat of the day. We arrived home last night around 6:30. We > tallied 78 species for the 2-day trip. I got 6 year birds, and I think > Melinda did too. I know we all enjoyed our safari on the Frontier. Thanks > again Dave and Berlin for giving us a great tour. > > Jeri McMahon > Ft. Gibson, OK > > > Subject: warblers in Edmond From: Terri Underhill <tunderhill AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:48:06 -0500 Hello OKbirders, At about 6:30 this evening while I was filling feeders I saw an unknown warbler. So I ran in and grabbed my bins. Wish I'd sprayed for bugs cause I'm chewed alive. I saw 2 female I male A-Redstarts in the exact same tree I get them in every year. 3 Yellow Warblers, 3 Wilson Warblers, 1 Orange Crowned and one unknown Empidonax which had a white eye ring, bicolor bill and wing bars. The crows, jays and titmice were mobbing something across the creek but it was too dense to tell. I'd assume it was an owl cause they seem to do this every night. This was the first time I've noticed the titmice chiming in. This morning I had 5 M-Kites in the tree by my front pond. One was an imm begging and the adults were all ignoring him. good birding, Terri Underhill Edmond OK www.okiebirdcam.com The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind. - Carly Simon Subject: Re: Brown Pelican Pictures, Lake Arcadia From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:34:17 -0400 Nice photos. Good look at the crest on a Brown Pelican. Bill Subject: Red Slough trip From: Jeri McMahon <jeri_mcmahon AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:56:54 -0700 Six of us traveled to the Frontier in SE OK the last 2 days.  This was our Audubon annual  summer trip to Red Slough.  Melinda Droege from Bartlesville joined us.  This was the first trip to the Slough for Jim Winner, so it was a new experience for him.  Jim Harman hadn't been there in 3 or 4 years, so we were happy he could join us again.  Jim Deming is now retired, so we're glad he'll be going on field trips with us.  Antoinette Verne enjoyed her first late summer trip to the Slough.  She was there in May for the first time, but she got quite a few more lifers this trip.  The weather was very hot (especially Monday evening).  Berlin and his wife, Pat, took us to the heronry Mon. evening, and we watched the birds come into the roost.  Besides seeing 5 Roseate Spoonbills, we also saw 2 or 4 Wood Storks flying over.  We might have seen the same 2 twice, but I really think we saw four.  Some of our group saw 1 Tri-colored Heron that night.  Lots of Green Herons flying by....we have never seen so many!  Of course, the roost filled up with hundreds of White Ibis, Great, Snowy & Cattle Egrets, Great and Little Blue Herons, Anhingas, and one D.C. Cormorant.  It was quite a sight when they all settled in as the sun was setting.  Thanks, Berlin, for a fun evening.  Of course the dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Idabel was fun too! Yesterday morning (8/24), we met Dave Arbour at the Slough at 6:00 a.m., in the dark!  We managed to get down to the roost before daylight, and we witnessed all the birds leaving.  Two Spoonbills flew out, plus about 3 Tri-colored Herons.  After most had left, Dave took us to different units, and we were seeing birds right and left!  He is the best guide!!  We enjoyed seeing young Purple Gallinules and Common Moorhens, and a Least Bittern, plus hearing about 5 King Rails!  One unit had lots of shorebirds, (including 3 Wilson's Snipe), a N. Pintail, a N. Shoveler, 2 Mallards, a Green-winged Teal, and lots of Blue-winged Teal.  Of course, Wood Ducks seemed to be everywhere.  There was one White-faced Ibis.  But the prize was seeing 6 to 8 Tri-colored Herons and 9 Black-crowned Night-Herons!  The Slough is surely a magical place. We ended our tour by observing a huge (and I mean HUGE) alligator.  It was a female, guarding her babies.  She didn't like Dave and Berlin getting so close (I don't think I've ever seen them move that fast!).  When they were up on the bank, they discovered they were covered with fire ants.  The rest of us were glad we were just watching from the bank!  Berlin birded with us around the area the rest of the day, taking us to see Brown-headed Nuthatches, Inca Doves, etc., etc.  We also explored Beaver's Bend S.P., hiking down our favorite trail along the river.  Not many birds though in the heat of the day.  We arrived home last night around 6:30.  We tallied 78 species for the 2-day trip.  I got 6 year birds, and I think Melinda did too.  I know we all enjoyed our safari on the Frontier.  Thanks again Dave and Berlin for giving us a great tour. Jeri McMahon Ft. Gibson, OK Subject: Re: birds in the heat From: CJOM <cjobraymetcalf AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:40:24 -0500 Thanks, Larry!! It's a relief to know I am not the only one who is guessing!!! LOL!! CJ Sent from my mobile On Aug 25, 2010, at 8:28, Lawrence Herbert wrote: > CJ and OK birders - > > I'll guess Swainson's Hawk. > > Good birding, Larry Herbert, Joplin, MO. Subject: birds in the heat From: Lawrence Herbert <certhia AT ATT.NET> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:28:06 -0500 CJ and OK birders - I'll guess Swainson's Hawk. Good birding, Larry Herbert, Joplin, MO. Subject: Re: birds in heat From: CJ Metcalf <cjobraymetcalf AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:22:19 -0500 OK - well - I kinda thought this poor bird might be getting a little over cooked (even at the top of a very high power pole) ( http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KgS7s3VKWqycm3ovbhnr7w?feat=directlink), but thought maybe I was imagining things... apparently not. By the way, hawkmeisters - is it a Cooper's, a Red-shouldered, or something else? Saw a beautiful pair of what I'm pretty sure were Cooper's around noon today cruising through the swamp on the East side of South Jenkins. Looked like one mature and one sorta spotty/scruffy-maybe young'un. I used to think I could sort out my hawks without too much trouble, but apparently not this year! CJ On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 13:09, Lindell Dillon wrote: > John, I've observed Lark Sparrows holding pieces of corn picked from > scratch I throw out for the birds. They generally eat the smaller grain, but > sometimes hop around with a piece of corn in their mouth. So maybe this is > something peculiar to them. I observed a couple doing this today > and it was cool and rainy. Also watched one feed it's second brood of > juveniles this year. > > We know birds use gular flutter to cool themselves. Seems it would be more > effective without something like a grasshopper obstructing their airway > since the rate of cooling increases with faster vibrations of the gular > membrane resulting in increased air velocities. > > I've studied bobwhites extensively and while they thrived for millions of > years in hot places like OK and TX, they go into heat stress at 40 degrees C > (104 degrees F). Keep in mind the ground temperatures on bare earth are much > higher than the air temperatures in the shade that the weatherman reports. > If a bird can't find shade, prolonged exposure to these temps will result in > hyperthermia and death. Just like the plovers, they have to have some shade > to survive the midday summer heat. > > Chances are any bird we see with its mouth open on hot days is experiencing > some degree of heat stress. Not a problem today, thank God. > > LD > Norman > > > > On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 9:46 AM, John Shackford wrote: > >> Jimmy, >> >> You bring up an interesting topic and here is some info I never felt quite >> confident enough to write up in a scientific paper. West of Boise City and >> one mile before the right-hand curve northward about 15 miles w of Boise >> City, I once saw a Lark Sparrow holding a grasshopper in its bill on a very >> hot day (100 degrees plus). I watched for a couple of minutes but the Lark >> Sparrow kept holding the grasshopper in its bill, not swallowing it (I >> actually became concerned that the bird might be chocking on the >> grasshopper); the bird appeared to be panting, and definitely was not >> swallowing the grasshopper. Within the next 15-20 minutes I saw two more >> Lark Sparrows (out of a total of about 4 more of Lark Sparrows) doing the >> same thing--holding but not swallowing a good-sized grasshopper. >> >> That local spot had had less than 1 inch of rain in the last YEAR at the >> time, if I remember correctly. I finally suspected the birds might be using >> the grasshoppers as "canteens," periodically sucking out a little water >> (along with some "tobacco juice") from the grasshoppers as the birds held >> the grasshoppers in their bills. >> >> On a different note, I have seen Mountain Plover jockey for the shady >> space under an occasional wild plant (it is not a "weed" in this context) in >> mostly bare plowed fields. In the middle of the day, in such shade is the >> place to look for Mt. Plovers. I have not been very successful in talking >> to farmers about these occasional plants in their fields--after mentioning >> the plovers use these plants (which the farmers believe are "weeds") for >> shade, the farmer usually thinks I am saying he doesn't keep his fields >> plowed very clean. Then the next time I come by the field, even the few >> plants that were there are sometimes plowed up! >> >> With best wishes, as always, >> >> John >> >> In a message dated 8/23/2010 7:30:23 PM Central Daylight Time, >> j.woodard AT COX.NET writes: >> >> Bet this isn’t what you were thinking it’s about. >> While riding the OK River this afternoon, I noticed several different ways >> that birds were coping >> >> with the heat. I saw many birds hanging out in the shade of >> trees. A large flock of Canada Geese were on the river in the shadow of the >> bridges. Several >> >> doves were in the rip rap of rocks right down on the river. >> I’m sure they were getting a bit of cool breeze off the water. Also, I saw >> several groups of pigeons >> >> clinging to the east side(shaded) of the bridges. I guess the >> concrete surface was rough enough they could cling to it because they were >> perched almost >> >> vertically. >> >> I guess the birds were a bit smarter than yours >> truly who was out in the heat exercising. I did take water and had a dewrag >> on my head to keep the >> >> sweat out of my eyes. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Jimmy >> >> > Subject: Re: Smithsonian: A Close Encounter With the Rarest Bird From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:38:13 -0400 After reading the article, I did a search on "Singer Tract" and came up with this FWS photo album including a number of photos of Ivory-billed WPs. The good photos of the birds are in the last half of the gallery. _http://www.fws.gov/ivorybill/photoalbum/_ (http://www.fws.gov/ivorybill/photoalbum/) Bill Diffin, OKC Subject: Re: Smithsonian: A Close Encounter With the Rarest Bird From: Sandy Berger <fsbirdlady AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:26:17 -0700 I think there's one of those here in Arkansas somewhere. Sandy B. FS, AR --- On Tue, 8/24/10, Cyndie Browning wrote: From: Cyndie Browning Subject: Smithsonian: A Close Encounter With the Rarest Bird To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 2:46 PM My September 2010 edition of Smithsonian magazine just arrived and this article is inside.  Thought you might enjoy it, too: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/100463289.html#     Cyndie Browning CB4Cyndie AT yahoo.com http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id-1463123476 www.adimview.com Tulsa, OK   How do migrating birds know which one to follow? What if the lead bird just wants to be alone? -- Bill Bryson, "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir" (2006)   Subject: Re: birds in heat From: Terry Mitchell <terry AT PECOT.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:48:27 -0500 Birder in heat, No this isn't what you think it is. For the last month I have been out almost every evening after work birding in the seemingly constant100 degree heat. Usually I've seen between little to absolutly nothing. I think the birds are smarter than me, but I thought I have been enjoying my self untill this evening. I went birding after work this evening and again I saw between little and nothing, But at 83 degrees and a stiff north wind. Seeing between little and nothing is much much more fun. Terry. ----- Original Message ----- From: jwoodard To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 7:28 PM Subject: birds in heat Bet this isn't what you were thinking it's about. While riding the OK River this afternoon, I noticed several different ways that birds were coping with the heat. I saw many birds hanging out in the shade of trees. A large flock of Canada Geese were on the river in the shadow of the bridges. Several doves were in the rip rap of rocks right down on the river. I'm sure they were getting a bit of cool breeze off the water. Also, I saw several groups of pigeons clinging to the east side(shaded) of the bridges. I guess the concrete surface was rough enough they could cling to it because they were perched almost vertically. I guess the birds were a bit smarter than yours truly who was out in the heat exercising. I did take water and had a dewrag on my head to keep the sweat out of my eyes. Jimmy Subject: Re: Structure in the prairie From: jwoodard <j.woodard AT COX.NET> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:29:10 -0500 I second Berlin's opinion of John. I'll call John intending to limit taking up his time but usually end up visitng with him for much longer. Invariably, his unique take on a subject we are discussing will lead me to further questions and our talk will take a turn into a totally new area. John is always very accommodating and usually can recall an incident from his vast birding experience that is relevant in illustrating the subject or helping to make his point. I have been fortunate to have John as a friend and great birding info resource. Jimmy Woodard Mustang, OK -----Original Message----- From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Berlin Heck Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 1:11 PM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Structure in the prairie I was talking with John Shackford several years ago and we meandered into the subject of power poles as perches. John said something that stuck in my mind; he said that such perches greatly benefit avian preadtors such as Golden Eagles, Rough-legged Hawks and Swainson's Hawks to the detriment of Lesser Prairie Chickens. Historically, about the highest perch they could find was a runty bush which did not offer much field of view. But with the coming of poles, the perfect hunting perch became available. The predators could sit and watch, and with their phenomenal vision, could mark the landing spot of a Prairie Chicken nearly a mile away. It was then simple to fly over to the spot and dinner was waiting. It appears that it will only get worse for the chickens. Meanwhile, if you want to learn about the prairie and its critters, talk to John--a wealth of info. Berlin Heck Broken Bow Subject: Smithsonian: A Close Encounter With the Rarest Bird From: Cyndie Browning <cb4cyndie AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:46:40 -0700 My September 2010 edition of Smithsonian magazine just arrived and this article is inside.  Thought you might enjoy it, too: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/100463289.html# Cyndie Browning CB4Cyndie AT yahoo.com http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id-1463123476 www.adimview.com Tulsa, OK   How do migrating birds know which one to follow? What if the lead bird just wants to be alone? -- Bill Bryson, "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir" (2006) Subject: Re: birds in heat From: Lindell Dillon <reddirtbird AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:09:29 -0500 John, I've observed Lark Sparrows holding pieces of corn picked from scratch I throw out for the birds. They generally eat the smaller grain, but sometimes hop around with a piece of corn in their mouth. So maybe this is something peculiar to them. I observed a couple doing this today and it was cool and rainy. Also watched one feed it's second brood of juveniles this year. We know birds use gular flutter to cool themselves. Seems it would be more effective without something like a grasshopper obstructing their airway since the rate of cooling increases with faster vibrations of the gular membrane resulting in increased air velocities. I've studied bobwhites extensively and while they thrived for millions of years in hot places like OK and TX, they go into heat stress at 40 degrees C (104 degrees F). Keep in mind the ground temperatures on bare earth are much higher than the air temperatures in the shade that the weatherman reports. If a bird can't find shade, prolonged exposure to these temps will result in hyperthermia and death. Just like the plovers, they have to have some shade to survive the midday summer heat. Chances are any bird we see with its mouth open on hot days is experiencing some degree of heat stress. Not a problem today, thank God. LD Norman On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 9:46 AM, John Shackford wrote: > Jimmy, > > You bring up an interesting topic and here is some info I never felt quite > confident enough to write up in a scientific paper. West of Boise City and > one mile before the right-hand curve northward about 15 miles w of Boise > City, I once saw a Lark Sparrow holding a grasshopper in its bill on a very > hot day (100 degrees plus). I watched for a couple of minutes but the Lark > Sparrow kept holding the grasshopper in its bill, not swallowing it (I > actually became concerned that the bird might be chocking on the > grasshopper); the bird appeared to be panting, and definitely was not > swallowing the grasshopper. Within the next 15-20 minutes I saw two more > Lark Sparrows (out of a total of about 4 more of Lark Sparrows) doing the > same thing--holding but not swallowing a good-sized grasshopper. > > That local spot had had less than 1 inch of rain in the last YEAR at the > time, if I remember correctly. I finally suspected the birds might be using > the grasshoppers as "canteens," periodically sucking out a little water > (along with some "tobacco juice") from the grasshoppers as the birds held > the grasshoppers in their bills. > > On a different note, I have seen Mountain Plover jockey for the shady space > under an occasional wild plant (it is not a "weed" in this context) in > mostly bare plowed fields. In the middle of the day, in such shade is the > place to look for Mt. Plovers. I have not been very successful in talking > to farmers about these occasional plants in their fields--after mentioning > the plovers use these plants (which the farmers believe are "weeds") for > shade, the farmer usually thinks I am saying he doesn't keep his fields > plowed very clean. Then the next time I come by the field, even the few > plants that were there are sometimes plowed up! > > With best wishes, as always, > > John > > In a message dated 8/23/2010 7:30:23 PM Central Daylight Time, > j.woodard AT COX.NET writes: > > Bet this isn’t what you were thinking it’s about. > While riding the OK River this afternoon, I noticed several different ways > that birds were coping > > with the heat. I saw many birds hanging out in the shade of > trees. A large flock of Canada Geese were on the river in the shadow of the > bridges. Several > > doves were in the rip rap of rocks right down on the river. I’m > sure they were getting a bit of cool breeze off the water. Also, I saw > several groups of pigeons > > clinging to the east side(shaded) of the bridges. I guess the > concrete surface was rough enough they could cling to it because they were > perched almost > > vertically. > > I guess the birds were a bit smarter than yours > truly who was out in the heat exercising. I did take water and had a dewrag > on my head to keep the > > sweat out of my eyes. > > > > > > > > Jimmy > > Subject: Re: birds in heat From: John Shackford <Johnsshack AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:46:20 EDT Jimmy, You bring up an interesting topic and here is some info I never felt quite confident enough to write up in a scientific paper. West of Boise City and one mile before the right-hand curve northward about 15 miles w of Boise City, I once saw a Lark Sparrow holding a grasshopper in its bill on a very hot day (100 degrees plus). I watched for a couple of minutes but the Lark Sparrow kept holding the grasshopper in its bill, not swallowing it (I actually became concerned that the bird might be chocking on the grasshopper); the bird appeared to be panting, and definitely was not swallowing the grasshopper. Within the next 15-20 minutes I saw two more Lark Sparrows (out of a total of about 4 more of Lark Sparrows) doing the same thing--holding but not swallowing a good-sized grasshopper. That local spot had had less than 1 inch of rain in the last YEAR at the time, if I remember correctly. I finally suspected the birds might be using the grasshoppers as "canteens," periodically sucking out a little water (along with some "tobacco juice") from the grasshoppers as the birds held the grasshoppers in their bills. On a different note, I have seen Mountain Plover jockey for the shady space under an occasional wild plant (it is not a "weed" in this context) in mostly bare plowed fields. In the middle of the day, in such shade is the place to look for Mt. Plovers. I have not been very successful in talking to farmers about these occasional plants in their fields--after mentioning the plovers use these plants (which the farmers believe are "weeds") for shade, the farmer usually thinks I am saying he doesn't keep his fields plowed very clean. Then the next time I come by the field, even the few plants that were there are sometimes plowed up! With best wishes, as always, John In a message dated 8/23/2010 7:30:23 PM Central Daylight Time, j.woodard AT COX.NET writes: Bet this isn’t what you were thinking it’s about. While riding the OK River this afternoon, I noticed several different ways that birds were coping with the heat. I saw many birds hanging out in the shade of trees. A large flock of Canada Geese were on the river in the shadow of the bridges. Several doves were in the rip rap of rocks right down on the river. I’m sure they were getting a bit of cool breeze off the water. Also, I saw several groups of pigeons clinging to the east side(shaded) of the bridges. I guess the concrete surface was rough enough they could cling to it because they were perched almost vertically. I guess the birds were a bit smarter than yours truly who was out in the heat exercising. I did take water and had a dewrag on my head to keep the sweat out of my eyes. Jimmy Subject: Re: Hackberry 8-22 photos, sora, long-billed curlews, tricolored heron From: Larry Hancock <ihanturn AT CABLEONE.NET> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:55:33 -0500 Bill, I haven't seen the curlews eat anything but crawfish yet. They usually have their bills run all the way up to their eyes in the crawfish holes searching for them. I think it is mainly habitat loss but I read an article recently that said the LB curlews were one of the fastest declining birds we have with their numbers dropping from about 100,000 to around 20,000 in the last 10 years or so. Larry Hancock Ardmore, OK From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Bill Diffin Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 2:27 AM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Hackberry 8-22 photos, sora, long-billed curlews, tricolored heron These photos of the LB Curlews eating crawfish are not the first you have documented. Have you noticed them eating anything else? May not be appreciated around crawfish farms. Hope that is not a problem for the curlews or the farmers. Bill Diffin, OKC