March 2011 Totals

Tree Swallow

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

March was a pretty slow month for birding. I was only able to get out and look for birds on three occassions this month due (due in part to the weather and other obligations). I should be able to make up for it over the next couple months.

I witnessed the return of several common summer species this month. On a couple of occassions I saw a small group of Tree Swallows (swallows being a common sight in the summers) performing acrobatics over Coot Pond at Oxley Nature Center. I also heard and saw the familiar summer visitor the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher in the North Woods.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)    8


Gadwall (Anas strepera)     25


Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)     5


Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)      35


Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)     17


Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)     22


Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)     10


Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)      25


American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)     19


Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)     2


Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)     1


Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)     1


Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)     1


American Coot (Fulica americana)       230


Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)      120


Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)     1


Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)      10


Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)     3

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)     3


Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)     3


Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)      3


Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)     2


American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)     3


Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)      15


Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)     12


Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)     3


Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)     2


Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)     1


Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)     1


Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)     1


Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)     4


Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)     1


Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)     2


White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)     5


Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)     3


Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)     14


Tree Swallow photo courtesy of Pictures of Birds
(http://www.pictures-of-birds.info/2009/02/pictures-of-birds-tree-swallow-birds-pictures-and-tree-swallow-birds-kind/)
 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher photo courtesy of Paul Tessler, found at Birdzilla.com
(http://www.birdzilla.com/images/stories/450images/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-450.jpg)
 
-SPQ 3/30/2011

Oxley Nature Center, North Woods (Oxbow Lake, North Woods, Sierra Club Trails) - March 20, 2011 - Tulsa, OK

Turkey Vulture

Location: Oxley Nature Center (North Woods) - Tulsa, OK


Map: http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=36.228523,-95.926352&spn=0.016617,0.027509&t=h&z=15&msid=211656245233415273419.00049f0551924d71473ef
Observation date: 3/20/11

Number of species: 22



Canada Goose - Branta canadensis    1

Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors    20

American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhynchos    19

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura    1

Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis    1

American Coot - Fulica americana    65

Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis    35

Red-headed Woodpecker - Melanerpes erythrocephalus    3

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus    1

Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens    1

Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus    2

Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus    2

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos    3

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis    5

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor    3

Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus    1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea    1

Yellow-rumped Warbler - Dendroica coronata    1

Spotted Towhee - Pipilo maculatus    1

Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus    1

White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis    3

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis    6
 
 
- Turkey Vulture photo courtesy of Samuel Blanc, via Wikipedia.org
 
-SPQ 3/21/2011

Oxley Nature Center, North Woods (Oxbow Lake, North Woods Trails / Lake Yahola) - March 12, 2011 - Tulsa, OK

                                   Blue-winged Teal


Location: Oxley Nature Center (North Woods) - Tulsa, OK


Map: http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=36.223954,-95.926995&spn=0.016168,0.027509&t=h&z=15&msid=211656245233415273419.00049e859d1d1d169c191

Observation date: 3/12/11

Number of species: 24



Canada Goose - Branta canadensis    7

Gadwall - Anas strepera    10

Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors    15

Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata   17

Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca   22

Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps   10

Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus   25

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias   2

Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii    1

American Coot - Fulica americana    75

Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis    85

Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon    1

Red-headed Woodpecker - Melanerpes erythrocephalus   2

Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens    1

Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus    1

Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus    1

Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata    2

Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor   10

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis    3

Brown Creeper - Certhia americana    2

Yellow-rumped Warbler - Dendroica coronata   2

Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus    1

Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis    3

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis    5
 
Blue-winged Teal Photo courtesy of MONGO, via Wikipedia.org
 
-SPQ 3/15/2011

Oxley Nature Center, North Woods (Oxbow Lake/ North Woods/ Sierra Club Trails) - March 5, 2011 - Tulsa, OK

Tree Swallow

Location: Oxley Nature Center (North Woods) - Tulsa, OK


Map: http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=211656245233415273419.00049dd51ddb39f454717&t=h&z=15
Observation date: 3/5/11

Number of species: 12



Gadwall - Anas strepera    15

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos    5

American Coot - Fulica americana    90

Red-headed Woodpecker - Melanerpes erythrocephalus    5

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus    2

Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens    1

Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor    5

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis    4

Brown Thrasher - Toxostoma rufum    1

Yellow-rumped Warbler - Dendroica coronata    1

White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis    2

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis    3

     I noticed a small group of swallows that were feeding on "Coot Pond" in the North Woods section of Oxley Park on Saturday. Fortunately, two of the swallows perched on a downed tree near the edge of the pond, giving me an oppurtunity to identify them as Tree Swallows. The blue-green sheen from their feathers certainly aided in identification. This was the first time I had seen a Tree Swallow, so I was quite happy for the new addition to the Lifelist.

-New Species for the Lifelist!  #191:

Tree Swallow
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tree_swallow/id
 

Tree Swallow photos courtesy of Snowmanradio, via Wikipedia.org
 
-SPQ 3/6/2011