Swan Lake - Tulsa, OK - April 27, 2010

About Swan Lake:

http://tulsapreservationcommission.org/nationalregister/districts/swanlake/

Location: Swan Lake - Tulsa, OK

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=active&q=PArks&ie=UTF8&radius=0.15&sll=36.135934,-95.969412&sspn=0.002071,0.005472&split=1&rq=1&ev=zi&hq=PArks&hnear=&ll=36.136007,-95.969369&spn=0.002071,0.005472&t=h&z=18

Observation date: 4/27/10
Number of species: 7

Greater White-fronted Goose - Anser albifrons 1

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 4

Trumpeter Swan - Cygnus buccinator 2

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 8

Purple Martin - Progne subis 3

American Robin - Turdus migratorius 2

Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos 1


-SPQ 4/28/2010

Osage Prairie Trail - "91st St N. Slough" - Sperry, OK - April 24, 2010

About Osage Prairie Trail:

http://www.incog.org/transportation/trailguide/Osage/osageprairie.htm

Location: Osage Prairie Trail - "91st St. N. Slough" - Sperry, OK
http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=74120&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.29802,56.337891&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tulsa,+Oklahoma+74120&ll=36.287188,-95.988965&spn=0.004134,0.010943&t=h&z=17

Observation date: 4/24/10
Number of species: 6

Wood Duck - Aix sponsa 2

Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors 12

Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea 2

Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 1

Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 10

Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 12

-SPQ 4/25/2010

Tulsa Rivertrails (West) - "PSO Trail" Rest Area - Tulsa,OK - April 20, 2010

Location: River Park Trails (West) - "PSO Trail" - Tulsa, OK http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=36.116826,-95.99014&spn=0.001889,0.005273&t=h&z=18&msid=103228297516276567813.000484c0846d7fc18e40e
Observation date: 4/20/10
Number of species: 6

Notes: Watched birds from a small rest area along the west side of the River Parks Trail. Directly east of the PSO Power Station.

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 12

American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhynchos 12

Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus 25

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 10

Great Egret - Ardea alba 4

Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum 20

-SPQ 4/21/2010

Local Mockingbird - Tulsa, OK - March 28, 2010

Recently, we have been awoken in the mornings by the ever-changing calls of a Northern Mockingbird. Often he can be heard calling from the shrubs across the street or atop the large dead tree directly across from our terrace. One of his favored perches, and the one I favor because of how well I can photograph him, is a small tree that is just below the east side of our terrace. On several occasions this past Sunday he sat and sang from the small tree, giving me ample opportunities to photograph him.

Another of the more vocal birds in the area is a Carolina Wren. Given his small stature, it is amazing how loud his tea-kettle calls can be. The only time I have actually seen the wren he was bounding about on the upper branches of the large, dead tree across the street.

Several male Northern Cardinals live in the area. Throughout the day one can hear them call from the precipice of local trees - most often their cheer call. I have seen some of the female Cardinals, but they are not as vocal as the males.

In the evenings, a large group of Common Grackle will roost in a pair of trees on the next block. We are able to see the group roosting from the terrace; the trees they roost in are quite tall. I am not sure if they are just hanging around the area for a while, soon to be heading further north, or if they will be a summer fixture in the neighborhood.

.....and of course the infamous House Sparrows, European Starlings, and Rock Pigeons. I am not exactly ecstatic to hear their calls.

-SPQ 3/31/2010

Purple Martin Mania - August 21, 2009

Basic Information about the Purple Martin Roost in Downtown Tulsa:

From Tulsa Audubon Webpage:

Every summer downtown Tulsa hosts a Purple Martin roost, and this year between 100,000-250,000 birds are present. Purple Martins are highly social birds, and after leaving their nesting colonies form large, communal roosts where they sleep at night prior to and during migration. Downtown Tulsa has had a roost since the early 1980’s. This summer the best vantage point to view the Martins is the top of the downtown Doubletree Hotel parking garage.

Tulsa Audubon is hosting two Purple Martin Roost Watches on Sat. Aug. 15 and Sat. Aug. 22 at 8:15 p.m. We will meet on the top level of the Doubletree Hotel parking garage, 616 W. Seventh St., which provides a perfect overview of downtown Tulsa. You may park on the street and take the elevator to the top level, or park in the garage itself, for which there may or may not be a charge.

On Aug. 15th, everyone is also invited to join TAS members at about 6:00 p.m. at the Seven West Cafe in the Doubletree Hotel to talk about Purple Martins and have dinner.
Thank you to the Downtown Tulsa Doubletree for allowing us to their facility to observe the martins. If you are coming from out of town please call the Doubletree at 918-587-8000 for a perfect location to stay.

August 21st Watch:

I arrived at the parking garage for the Downtown Doubletree at around 7:50 pm; enough time to survey the scene and unload my tripod. To the south one could observe the Purple Martins amassing along the powerlines that are found next to HWY-51. On other nights I have witnessed the groups forming along the powerlines found near the Riverparks (roughly 15th/Riverside).

By 8:10 pm many of the birds (some cursed European Starlings were seen intermixed with the Purple Martins) had begun flying around in large groups inside the IDL (inner-dispersal loop). It seems that the birds slowly close in on their roost (the trees near the Doubletree, in this case) from 8-8:30, feeding all the while on swarms of insects.

Toward the end of the "watch" the groups had begun to concentrate around 7th street, occassionally landing on the tops of the trees. During this period huge clusters of Purple Martins would rush past the onlookers on the parking garage, some coming within mere inches of hitting the spectators. By 8:40pm , most of the birds had found a place to roost for the night.

-SPQ 8/26/2009

Deep Fork NWR - Montezuma Creek - Schulter, OK - (May 30, 2009)

May 30th Excursion:

I arrived at the Montezuma Creek area at around 10:00 am. It was a warm day so much of the bird activity had died down by the time I began my hike around the area.

I walked along the south side of the large pond found at the Montezuma Creek area. One can view a rather large (considering its location) Beaver lodge that is found near the south bank of the pond. I have not seen any beaver activity in or around it the two times I have visited the area, but I certainly don't rule out the possibility of live beavers inhabiting it.

The distinctive call of several male Red-winged Blackbirds rose from somewhere around the pond, while the familiar calls of Indigo Buntings could be heard emanating from the forests bordering the trail. Several Turkey Vultures drifted lazily on columns of hot air (called thermals) in search of the scent of a carcass.

I followed the trail east toward the junction with Montezuma Creek. About 200 yards down the path I encountered a thick swath of mosquitoes, which convinced me to spend more time exploring the areas closer to the pond. I turned back and walked 20 yards, found a good spot underneath a large oak tree, and setup my scope.

While watching for birds from under the oak I heard a loud ruckus coming from the undergrowth behind me. I turned quietly and watched a young White-tailed doe wade through the foliage, ultimately standing less than 50 feet from my position. The wind was blowing from the north, so I had the advantageous position of being upwind from the doe, a considerable bonus considering the sensitivity of a deer's sense of smell. I sat motionless for several minutes watching her then slowly reached into my bag to get my camera. The sound and motion of reaching for my camera must have spooked the doe because she bolted back to the east as knelt next my camera bag.

I followed the trail back to the pond, this time opting for the branch that lead north to a small dock found on the east bank of the pond. Here I scanned the pond for any waterfowl or wading birds, but found neither. From deep within the forest I could hear the call of two Red-shouldered Hawks, though I would never actually see the raptors.

With the day nearing noon, I slowly made my way back to my car. I packed up my gear and began the drive back into Tulsa.

Location: Deep Fork NWR - ("Montezuma Creek") - Schulter, OK

Observation date: 5/30/09 Number of species: 8

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 2

Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus 1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris 1

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 4

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 2

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 2

Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 2

Photos:

Top: The pond found near the parking area of the Montezuma Creek section (viewable from HWY-75)

Middle: An (as-of-yet) unidentified wildflower.

Bottom: A photo of one of the small sloughs extending from Montezuma Creek into the surrounding forest.

-SPQ 6/4/2009

Deep Fork NWR - Cussetah Bottoms - Schulter, OK - (May 30, 2009)

May 30th Excursion:

When I arrived at the Cussetah Bottoms parking area of Deep Fork NWR at 8:10 there was one other vehicle already there. Being that it was so early I assumed that the car belonged to another eager birder.

After unpacking my gear I spent 20 minutes or so photographing the various wildflowers found in the small field near the parking area. The dew on the flowers and other forbs made for some terrific photos, in particular the Indian Paintbrushes.

I began by following the trail to the north toward the "Group Education Area", which consists of a small platform that juts out into a pond. However, as I began down the trail I encountered the owner of the car I spotted in the parking area. It was an older woman talking on her cell phone while walking the trail with a grandchild. This was not some short call either; she walked the entire trail twice, the entire time talking at an elevated volume on her phone. Since she has arrived before I did I can only assume her chatter scared away any of the wading birds and waterfowl that would haunt the pond in the mornings. More to the point: why would someone drive out to a wildlife refuge to talk on the phone?

I observed a male Common Yellowthroat singing persistently from a perch above the pond. Later while on the other observation platform I would see his mate foraging among the leaves of a small tree. Sadly, I didn't see any other birds on or around the pond.

During the walk I could hear a strange, yet familiar call coming from west of the refuge. Later, while driving on the gravel road next to the refuge I encountered a man photographing something in a tree with a large telephoto lens. He informed me he was taking photos of a Barred Owl, which was probably what was making the strange noise I heard earlier.

I walked along the boardwalk between the observation deck and the nature trail. Unfortunately the nature trail was thick with mosquitoes, so I opted instead to trek over to the photographic blind found to the south of the boardwalk.

During the walk to the photographic blind I spotted several Carolina Chickadees, a couple of Tufted Titmice, and a few Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. I noticed that a pavilion has been erected alongside the path, most likely intended as a place for people to eat lunch. The last time I was at Cussetah Bottoms a bulldozer was in the process of clearing the space for the future pavilion.

Strangely, there was little activity at the photographic blind as well. I saw a single Great Blue Heron flying lazily over the field behind the blind towards the Deep Fork River. The metallic call of a male Brown-headed Cowbird alerted me to the bird's presence.

I walked back along the path to the parking area, pausing to focus my binoculars on a Red-bellied Woodpecker climbing the trunk of one of the larger trees. I loaded my gear into the car and began the short drive to my next destination, the Montezuma Creek area of Deep Fork NWR.

Location: Deep Fork NWR ("Cussetah Bottoms") - Schulter, Oklahoma

Observation date: 5/30/09 Number of species: 16

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 1

Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus 2

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus 2

Barred Owl - Strix varia 1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris 2

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 1

Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 1

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 3

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 2

Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 3

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 6

Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas 2

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 2

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 3

Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater 1

Photos (Numbered from Top to Bottom)

1-4) I am pretty sure that the yellow wildflower in this group is a Black-eyed Susan. I checked it via http://www.kswildflower.org/bycolor.php, and it was the closest match.

5-7) A ubiquitous wildflower in Oklahoma during the early summer, the Indian Paintbrush. (From Kansas State Wildflowers):Native Americans used an infusion of flowers to treat colds and and would use the plant as a love charm by hiding it on the person who was the object of their infatuation.

8) A cluster of leaves I photographed. I like how well the picture caught the darkness in the background.

9) An (as-of-yet) unidentified wildflower.

10) A view of the dew-laden field I encountered when I first arrived at Cussetah Bottoms.

11) A ladybug ascending the leaf of a plant.

12) An (as-of-yet) unidentified wildflower.

-SPQ 6/4/2009