Oxley Nature Center - Tulsa, OK - September 16, 2010

Yellow-throated Vireo

Location: Mohawk Park--Oxley Nature Center


Map: http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=36.22539,-95.897062&spn=0.008482,0.013754&t=h&z=16&msid=103228297516276567813.00049074ca9cf6f4be782
Observation date: 9/16/10

Number of species: 18



Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors   22

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias   1

Great Egret - Ardea alba   5

Snowy Egret - Egretta thula   1

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura   6

Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus   3

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris   1

Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon   3

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus   1

Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus   1

Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe   1

Yellow-throated Vireo - Vireo flavifrons   1

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos   7

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis   3

Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus   2

American Robin - Turdus migratorius   16

Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis   1

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis   5
 
    I spent a little over an hour sitting on the observation deck watching  for birds (I figured that if I remained relatively motionless for a period of time I might see some of the more shy residents).
 
   While sitting and waiting, I saw a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird buss past me towards a Trumpet Vine flower. She hovered in front of it and stuck her beak into the blossom. Apparently, she couldn't get enough nectar this way, because he next tactic was to wedge herself into the blossom, straining to get her beak as deep as possible, all the while her wings bussing near the flower opening (even with her wingspan restricted she could stay aloft).
 
-Photo courtesy of Mdf, via Wikipedia.org
 
-SPQ 9/17/2010