Fuzzy head & big beak

I wrote in late April about the Great Egret rookery and the incredible beauty of these elegant birds building nests in the tops of oak trees. Now there is some good news to report from the rookery: babies!! Yes, visits to the rookery during the past two weeks have produced sights of many fuzzy-headed, big-beaked egret chicks sticking their heads up above the stick nests. What a sight!!!

Several Great Egret nests contained two or three chicks. The earliest to hatch are now getting quite tall. Unfortunately, a few of the young have fallen out of the nest and wandered around under the trees. I spoke yesterday with Rondi Large at WildCare, an incredible wildlife rehabilitation facility in Noble. She says the adults will often continue to care for the young when they've fallen (or been shoved) from the nest. I'm relieved because it was difficult to see the young ones out of the nest and it's hard to know when to intercede in the process. My late husband was a strong believer in the course of nature, painful and unpleasant though it can be. I know there is much wisdom in that philosophy but isn't there a time when getting involved is the right thing? I simply don't know. These experiences with the natural world are a part of what makes birding so rewarding. What are your thoughts?

Upgrade for BirdCam #2

I'm pleased to report that BirdCam #2 has been replaced with a newer camera and the image is much improved. I'll be working to get the best focus and position for the ground feeder shot but I am already very happy that the newer camera shows much more detail in the birds on the feeders.

The old camera may show up as new page -- BirdCam #3 if I can find a location in the yard that suits its focal length limitations (perhaps just a closeup shot of one feeder). I'll see if the Downy Woodpeckers might not mind being on camera!

The temperatures are now around 100(F) and the heat buildup in the camera enclosures causes quite a bit of blurring during the afternoon hours. I'll try to install a vent in Cam #1's box... for now I prop open the lid which some of you may have noticed can cause the lid to fall off. Since we're in the middle of a drought there's little danger of damage from rain so I may just leave it off.

Let me know if you see a difference in BirdCam #2...

Spring migration = new birds

For many bird species, migration is the only time of year when they pass through Oklahoma en route either to their northern breeding grounds (in spring) or their wintering grounds, sometimes as far away as Argentina. So spring is a unique time for finding and photographing birds in my area.

There are 125 bird species listed in the Oklahoma Ornithological Society's "Date Guide" with arrival dates in April... more than 25% of all the species possible in Oklahoma. I set my sights, both literally and figuratively, on finding some of those birds and getting photographs!

When migration ended a few weeks ago, I ended up with photos of four new birds in my Photo Gallery. News on the OKBirds listserv in late April brought a report of a Piping Plover at Lake Hefner. The bird is classified as "Threatened" on the Endangered Species List and I didn't want to miss the chance to finally see this bird. My dash out the door after reading the message was rewarded with my finding the bird quite easily. And it posed for photos!!

My next new bird came as quite a surprise. I simply looked out the patio door and saw a black-head bird with a red spot on his chest. Had no clue!! Seriously... I had absolutely no clue what the bird was. Fortunately, I took one photo before it flew off and I was able to then indentify it as a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Not a rare bird, but not commonly found around Oklahoma City.

Another OKBirds report sent me once again to Lake Hefner (I'm there almost every day anyway) and I located a rare visitor -- a Tricolored Heron. I took more than 100 photos anticipating that the bird would vanish before I got any good shots. The bird didn't let me get very close but I was determined to get evidence of seeing this unusual visitor. I got my best shots by walking along the dam above the bird. This he didn't seem to mind...

And the final of my new birds was the Bobolink, located by birders at a sod farm in eastern Oklahoma County. It was chilly, windy and very cloudy but I put my camera on a tripod and hoped for the best. A black bird against a gray sky doesn't make for "pretty" pictures. But I got a few photos that show the bird and, now that I know where to look, can hope for better pictures next year.

There are many marvelous birds that summer in Oklahoma so migration doesn't mean everyone keeps moving through! I'll write soon about two of my favorite summer birds: the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (our state bird -- we have the best state bird!!) and the Mississippi Kite. Both are nesting and I hope before too long to get photos of fledglings.

Enjoy the birds!