Some birds of Oklahoma

Here’s a Tufted Titmouse waiting for its turn at the blackoil sunflower seeds. In the winter they form a feeding group with the nuthatch, and chickadees. They will hunt for nuts and fruit together, which is pretty cool to watch.The Belted Kingfishers are everywhere lately. Every time we visit the lake we see at least one. A lot of the time I hear them first, although they have a very distinct shape.  The Yellow-rumped Warbler is one of our winter guests. Some people call them butter butts because of the yellow feathers on its rump. In this photo, you can see the yellow on its rump as well as on its side. They flit around the trees looking for insects and any remaining fruit. At Lake Thunderbird, here in Norman OK, there are wild persimmon trees. Not only do the Warblers like them the Cedar Waxwings and Robins find them easy eats in the winter. My sister-in-law is going to try to grow a persimmons tree. I’ll keep you updated on this adventure.

Woodpeckers at the Cross Timbers

So I have a new term for where I’ve been going birding for years. A  local photographer called it the “Cross Timbers”, hell, I was calling it Lake Thunderbird. Cross Timbers sounds so mysterious…So I did a little research. The Cross Timbers stretch from Southeast Kansas through Oklahoma and into North Texas. Washington Irving and other early travelers through this area are credited with giving this area its name. Alrighty then….Here is a Red-headed Woodpecker, it is an immature one. It’s just starting to get its red head. I think it has a piece of wood in its mouth.We’ve been seeing a lot of Northern Flickers (Red-shafted) lately. Here in Oklahoma we get both the red and yellow shafted flickers.This is where we see most of the flickers, on the ground, hunting for treats. They are very photogenic. These are the Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers.

Today I saw a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker for the first time this season. A few years ago we were seeing tons of them on our bird walks. It was actually pretty thrilling.

More from the Cross Timbers soon….

Life changing trip

Something had to change…I was in a deep funk. Can one trip get someone out from under such a heavy weight? Maybe not, but it sure has helped. My mother and I took a three-week trip. We hit a bunch of National Parks, took an Alaskan cruise and drove over 7000 miles in a rented car. I took a lot of photos and will be posting them here.

Not only did we see beautiful sites, birds, and wildlife, the chance to experience it with my mom was most awesome.It was such a great trip we may do it again next year.

Happy New Year!

Cedar Waxwings

There are Cedar Waxwings everywhere. They are fun to watch and a bit elusive. Often times I see them hanging out withn the robins.  I saw them alone (sans Robins) in a group of about 50. Very cool to see them this year. Happy New Year, I am hoping it will be a banner year!

Here comes the sun……

It’s always great to see the sunflowers blooming. It’s the sure sign of summer!

I started a new batch of seeds to replace these flowers once they have gone to seed.

We have had a lot of rain (for the month of July). The last few years we have been in a drought…..A long dry haul.

With all that rain….I mow, mow, mow. But the sunflowers loved all the rain!

Well I’m off to mow!

Indigo Bunting…oh yeah!

This is not the best shot…..But it is an Indigo Bunting! There

are a lot of sightings of the buntings around town. I was lucky

to see this one at the lake.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

First love, of the bird variety.

It’s a bit funny to think about myfirst favorite bird.

 

It is a tossup between the American Robin and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

My grandmother really enjoyed feeding and watching birds. Working at OU she would often see George M. Sutton around campus and they would talk about birds. Growing up we would spend a lot of time at her house. She fed birds and we were in charge of filling the feeders and washing the bird bath. She lived outside of town. Having had many acres, we spent hours upon hours playing outside. We made forts, tree houses and generally getting very dirty and having a wonderful time. We filled the hummingbird feeders and watched as a lot of hummingbirds consumed the nectar that she had made. My grandmother died several years ago. Her house has been sold twice since her death. The new owners have changed not only the inside but outside of the house as well. My mother has her bird book that she had recorded her sighting and dates. I have her bird bath. When I think of my grandmother (which is everyday) I think of the birds and most often, the hummingbirds.

 

American Robin

 

There was a song about a Robin we would sing in elementary school, I don’t remember how the song goes. The Robin is easily identifiable and is often associated with spring. Robins, in Oklahoma, are here year round. In the fall and winter I often see Robins with the Cedar Waxwings. Both types of birds are looking for the same kind of food, fruits and invertebrates. I have also seen them at the same water source. When I used to work in my grandmother’s garden a Robin sit near and watch the happening.

 

 

So what bird is my favorite now?

 There is no way to answer that question.

 

I spend at least 7 hours a day talking about birds and wildlife. I help people decide what feeders, seeds/ food, and nesting boxes will meet their birding needs. Yes it is the best job in the world. I blog, facebook, and tweet about birds and get paid to do so. Sweet! Most Sundays I am out in the field birding….and taking photos.There is no way to pick my favorite bird. It is usually the bird I am seeing through my lense.

Chickadee dee dee dee dee

A Dark-eyed Junco A cute little Chickadee

The challenges of photographing water birds

                                                                             One of the hardest thing about getting a good shot of birds in the water is getting close enough.

It is the art of getting the shot without disturbing the subject…be it bird, wildlife or scenery.

This is a Lesser Yellowlegs, a cute little bird.

Great Blue Herons are here in Oklahoma year round.