March 2005

Recorders Report
Esther M. Key, 2005 - May

After traveling on non-birding trips two weeks to Montana and points between and 11 days to Kentucky and Georgia , it is great to be back to the land of the scissortail flycatcher. Much has happened in the time I was away, and my thanks to all those that reported this information. Without all your assistance, there would not be a recorders report.  

On April 30, Pat Velte reports a runt Wilson’s Phalarope at Lake Hefner (described by Jim Arterburn) and on May 5 she reports an immature herring gull and California gull.  The latter has been confirmed by Jim. On May 4, Terri Underhill saw her first yellow-billed cuckoo in her Edmond yard.  

On May 8, while Evalie Edwards was going through Nichols Hills at about 5:15 , she saw about a dozen Mississippi Kites circling around in the sky. On the same day at Rose Lake Randy Anderson found over twenty white-faced ibis, five glossy ibis (yet unconfirmed), 8 Wilson's phalaropes, 2 spotted sandpiper, an American bittern, 9 white-rumped sandpiper, 4 lesser scaup, 3 lesser yellowlegs, 2 greater yellowlegs, a yellow warbler, 11 snowy egrets, tons of great egrets, blue-winged teal, and tons of swallows at the Sara Road Marsh.   

On May 11, Joe Grzybowski made a quick 30-minute pass by Lake Hefner ’s Prairie Dog Point. He didn’t find many birds, but did find a group of gulls along the east end of the dam that included five larger gulls among the ring-billed gulls. They were one adult herring, one first winter+ lesser black-backed gull, 1 first winter+ California gull, and two other gulls that were very likely faded, worn and somewhat diminutive first-winter herring gulls. Best birds at Prairie Dog Point were a black tern and willet.  

Randy Anderson ran by Prairie Dog Point that afternoon ( 4:45 ) to check the water level and saw 8 white-faced Ibis, 16 white pelicans, 1 lesser yellowlegs, 15 Franklin 's gulls, 1 great blue heron, and 8 great egrets.  

Also on May 11 at Rose Lake Jimmy Woodward had 15+ Hudsonian godwit, 11 white-faced ibis, 200+ white-rumped sandpipers, 50+ stilt sandpipers, and 25 yellow-headed blackbirds. He also reported a large number of peeps, egrets, herons, ducks, and swallows. There was constant movement of flocks of birds flying around then disappearing into the tall grass. He observed a Killdeer harass and chase a peep, probably Bairds, repeatedly for several minutes. Each time the sandpiper came too close, the killdeer chased it around for a minute or so.   

On May 12, Pat Velte reported 10+ Hudsonian godwits were along the north shore of Prairie Dog Point on Lake Hefner late that afternoon. Also present were 6 willets. A small island remains visible off the Point with American pelicans, great egrets, and double-crested cormorants sharing space. Gulls were still at the area on the east side of the dam with a possible 1st summer lesser black-backed and a 1st summer herring gulls.  

On the afternoon of May 12, Nancy Vicars had visiting her backyard in Midwest City , some chestnut-sided, yellow, Wilson 's and Nashville warblers, several least flycatchers and a beautiful rose-breasted grosbeak. Since early March, she has had a pair of eastern screech owls in the park behind her home. Both owls were seen going into a cavity, sometimes together. The red-phase continues to roost in the dense leaf cover, near what she hopes is the nest cavity. The gray-phase owl has not been observed for several weeks. Perhaps there will be a report of babies in the near future. 

Cheryl Hames reports that for the past several years she has been observing a pair of Mississippi Kites that return to the same area year after year. She first noticed them on May 9, 2001 ; on May 20, 2002 ; on May 8, 2003 ; on May 19, 2004 ; and on May 11th, 2005 . She thought it is kind of neat having them here in the middle of Oklahoma City . They always seem to fledge at least two, and sometimes more. If you are interested in watching their progress in building a family, they are located on S.E. 25th Street . Closest cross streets would be Durland and possibly Phillips. They are across the street from Schilling Park and Wheeler Elementary School in a small patch of woods usually along the south side of S.E. 25th on the utility wires.   

On May 21, Joe Grzybowski went past Lake Hefner and reports not many birds, but among 20 or so gulls just off Prairie Dog Point there were a 1st-2nd winter lesser black-backed gull, an adult herring gull, and one of the weird ones, probably a late second winter herring gull. Also present was a subadult neotropic cormorant among only a handful of double-crested cormorants seen on the lake. Among the shorebirds were mostly pectorals sandpipers, a few Least, one Spotted, and one Semipalmated sandpipers.  

On May 22, Warren Harden reported finding a Crested Caracara at 6:30 PM as he was driving south on Hwy 177 approximately 1.7 miles north of Carney. The location was near the spur of Hwy 40A and approximately 1/4 mile north of the Carney Cemetery . A local family didn't know about this bird, but he said they had tons of hummingbirds at their feeders.   

On the afternoon of May 23 Pat Velte was excited to find a Whimbrel (her first ever), Caspian tern, Forster's tern, and > 20 willets on the point to the east of the intake canal at Lake Hefner . The Caspian tern looked very warm in the 95-degree heat, since it took off and landed several times and had its mouth open most of the time it sat on the shore. The lake level continued to rise and the north end of Prairie Dog Point had minimal shoreline. Two days later on May 25, Pat reports the Caspian tern spotted on Monday evening had found a friend since there were two Caspian terns on the shore late that afternoon. Also, the neotropic cormorant was still hanging around Prairie Dog Point ( Lake Hefner ) at 5:30 p.m.    

On the morning of May 28 Jerry Vanbebber and Pat Garrison took a quick trip out to Lake Hefner to see what they could see and reported 2 willets, ring-billed, Franklin's, and Herring gulls, as well as the usual others. A very vocal warbling vireo was pretty much the highlight. They dropped down to Pat Murphy Park for a quick walk-through and again, not much happening. Next they decided to make a quick run over to Rose Lake for a few minutes. They found many more species there including: eastern kingbirds, western kingbirds, great-crested flycatcher, scissortail flycatchers, 2 yellow-billed cuckoos sitting on the fence, barn swallows, 4 black terns, blue-winged teal, 3 female adults and 8 chicks hooded mergansers, American coots, 30+ Wilson's phalaropes, ran out of fingers and toes to count the great egrets, many snowy egrets, 10+ little blue herons, 26 white-faced ibis, 2 yellow-crowned night heron, 3 northern shovelers, Canada geese with many chicks, mallards with some chicks, cattle egrets, dickcissels, and 2 red-tailed hawks with a nest in the trees near the lake.   

Uncommon sightings included a common moorhen - this is the second time they have seen a moorhen here. The first time was on the water on the south side of the road (2 birds last time a couple of weeks ago), this time a bird was on the lake itself. White ibis - Pat G. saw it flying in and got a great look at it before it flew behind the trees. Jerry backed up and caught sight of it as it was landing and saw the distinctive white wingtips as it settled into the tall grass. They tried for another hour to see it again, but it stayed deep inside the vegetation. Meanwhile, Mississippi kites were an amazing sight as they counted 36 circling above the lake. They birded a little while longer and went into Yukon for lunch. When they came back out to Rose Lake to see if they could find the white ibis, the number of kites had almost doubled. Jerry counted 71 kites above and around the lake. Must have been some good feeding up there!! Rose Lake saved their day!!

Dan Reinking reports an Anhinga was seen by Michael Patten, soaring with three Turkey Vultures above the Sutton Center on Monday, June 13.  

Thanks to all who provided information. I can be contacted by email at emkok@earthlink.net, leave a message at 405-373-2738 or mail to PO Box 291 , Piedmont , OK 73078 . Monthly backyard reports and past-dated information are welcome. Many reports are edited from the OK Bird List.