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20 Nov Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse [Timothy O'Connell ] 20 Nov Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse [Melinda Droege ] 20 Nov Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse [Brian Davis ] 20 Nov Re: Friday Notes [Lindell Dillon ] 20 Nov Friday Notes [Bill Carrell ] 20 Nov Re: roadkill owls [Laura Erickson ] 20 Nov roadkill owls [jwoodard ] 20 Nov Re: Norman Merlin [Andy Feldt ] 20 Nov Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse ["Curtis, Tom" ] 20 Nov Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse [Timothy O'Connell ] 20 Nov Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse [Dan Reinking ] 20 Nov Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse [David McNeely ] 20 Nov Meadowlark killing a mouse [Dan O'Donnell ] 19 Nov Red Slough Bird Survey - Nov. 19 [David Arbour ] 19 Nov Re: TAS field trip 11-21-09 [Tomye Mainer ] 19 Nov wildlife management institute [Dora Webb ] 19 Nov Along South Jenkins [matthew jung ] 19 Nov Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge CBC [Michael Husak ] 19 Nov Re: TAS field trip 11-21-09 [Sandy Jones ] 18 Nov TAS field trip 11-21-09 [Jana Singletary ] 18 Nov Re: Late Yahola Report [Q Weeks ] 18 Nov Late Yahola Report [Bill Carrell ] 18 Nov Re: Binocular question [J Pat Valentik ] 18 Nov Re: Binocular question [Laura Erickson ] 18 Nov Re: Rebecca Wolff is out of the office. [Paul ] 18 Nov Re: Binocular question [David McNeely ] 18 Nov young Blue Heron [Mark Cromwell ] 18 Nov Rebecca Wolff is out of the office. [Rebecca Wolff ] 17 Nov Binocular question [MARK WILLIAMS ] 17 Nov odd prairie chicken location ["Curtis, Tom" ] 16 Nov Peregrine [FRANK SANDFORD ] 16 Nov Re: Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Christmas Bird Count [John Fisher ] 16 Nov Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Christmas Bird Count [Don Wolfe ] 16 Nov golden eagle - Cimarron Turnpike [Timothy O'Connell ] 15 Nov Tulsa Audubon Update: Correction [John Kennington ] 15 Nov Lake Overholser [Bill Adams ] 15 Nov Re: OKC-Audubon, Lake Hefner Tuesday [TR Ryan ] 15 Nov Tulsa Audubon Update: Dr. Bill Caire, Field Trip Change [John Kennington ] 15 Nov Salt Plains Saturday and Sunday [Bill Adams ] 15 Nov Tulsa Area [Terry Mitchell ] 15 Nov Norman Merlin [JOS GRZYBOWSKI ] 15 Nov Re: Salt Plains bird list [jwoodard ] 15 Nov Lake Yahola Trip 11/14 [Alex James ] 15 Nov Salt Plains bird list [Doug Wood ] 15 Nov Re: Whoopers/Salt Plains--Sat [Mark Cromwell ] 15 Nov Re: Whoopers/Salt Plains--Sat [David McNeely ] 15 Nov Whoopers/Salt Plains--Sat [jwoodard ] 14 Nov iPhone, iPod Touch Apps [Ben Holt ] 14 Nov Re: anyone have an Iphone with birding applications? [Bob Fisher ] 14 Nov Re: anyone have an Iphone with birding applications? [OK Birding ] 14 Nov Re: anyone have an Iphone with birding applications? [Ron Johnson ] 14 Nov Re: Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/10/09 [Lindell Dillon ] 13 Nov anyone have an Iphone with birding applications? [josh engelbert ] 13 Nov sightings [Brad Harris ] 13 Nov purple finch [Terri Underhill ] 13 Nov OKC-Audubon, Lake Hefner Tuesday [Bill Diffin ] 13 Nov new bird photos, page 115 [Dan Reinking ] 13 Nov Re: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR [Mary Lane ] 13 Nov Re: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR [Leslie Imboden ] 13 Nov Re: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR [Berlin Heck ] 13 Nov Re: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR ["M. S. Harris" ] 13 Nov Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR [Mary Lane ] 12 Nov Re: Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/10/09 [Linda Adams ] 12 Nov Re: Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/10/09 [David McNeely ] 12 Nov Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/10/09 [Rebecca Wolff ] 12 Nov Re: dead birds [Sue & Bob Lutze ] 12 Nov Re: dead birds [Richard Gunn ] 12 Nov Re: dead birds [Tamaki Yuri ] 12 Nov Fwd: Fw: eBird Report - Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/7/09 [Eric Beck ] 12 Nov dead birds [Sue & Bob Lutze ] 12 Nov Re: Whooping Cranes Near Salt Plains NWR [Bill Adams ] 12 Nov Re: Whooping Cranes Near Salt Plains NWR [Bill Adams ] 12 Nov Broken Bow CBC Information [Berlin Heck ] 12 Nov Re: Single Hummer [Doug Wood ] 11 Nov Whooping Cranes Near Salt Plains NWR [Lela McCracken ] 11 Nov FW: eBird Report - Lake Durant , 11/11/09 [Doug Wood ] Subject: Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse From: Timothy O'Connell <tim.oconnell AT OKSTATE.EDU> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:34:57 -0600 > Meadowlarks also kill baby shrikes in the nest. OK, that's it. Now we need to find a way to stop those menacing meadowlarks! It was cute when it was just killing a mouse, but meadowlark-on-shrike violence can simply not be tolerated. Subject: Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse From: Melinda Droege <oklagranny26 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:19:03 -0600 Strangely enough I recall Randy Porter watching a meadowlark killing a Tree Sparrow...in that same spot...below Hulah dam. He wrote it up for the OOS Bulletin so maybe it is online. Very interesting. Meadowlarks also kill baby shrikes in the nest. Melinda Droege Bville On Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 8:46 AM, Dan O'Donnell wrote: > Mark Dreiling and I witnessed a meadowlark attacking and killing a mouse > just below Hulah Dam and we were wondering if this is usual behavior for > them. We were able to observe the attack for several minutes and photograph > it. Mark's photo is located here: > > http://www.pbase.com/m3ling/image/119534630 > > and my photos of it are here: > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/18276798 AT N07/sets/72157622841610770/ > > If anyone out there has observed this behavior before, we would be very > interested in hearing about it! > > Dan O'Donnell > Subject: Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse From: Brian Davis <bmdavi AT OU.EDU> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:32:38 -0600 Looks like a Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys), which is ironically also carnivorous. Great photos! Brian Davis On Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 8:46 AM, Dan O'Donnell wrote: > Mark Dreiling and I witnessed a meadowlark attacking and killing a mouse > just below Hulah Dam and we were wondering if this is usual behavior for > them. We were able to observe the attack for several minutes and photograph > it.  Mark's photo is located here: > > http://www.pbase.com/m3ling/image/119534630 > > and my photos of it are here: > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/18276798 AT N07/sets/72157622841610770/ > > If anyone out there has observed this behavior before, we would be very > interested in hearing about it! > > Dan O'Donnell > -- _________________________________________ Brian M. Davis Department of Zoology and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History University of Oklahoma 2401 Chautauqua Ave. Norman, OK 73072 (405) 325-4772 bmdavi AT ou.edu Subject: Re: Friday Notes From: Lindell Dillon <reddirtbird AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:32:24 -0600 I was at Thunderbird yesterday and noticed there were more Ring-bills than Franklins. Plenty of coots, too! Didn't see any eagles or osprey. LD Norman On Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 12:59 PM, Bill Carrell wrote: > Hello All, > > Just a few observations from this morning's rounds. > > The gull balance has shifted at Yahola from Franklin's to predominantly > Ring-Bills. Bonaparte's and one Herring Gull were also present. The dark > Red-Tail (not a Harlan's) that has overwintered near 129th E. ave. and the > port road for several years showed up today. Also watched an adult Bald > Eagle harassing some coots at Lynn Lane reservior. > > Good > Birding, > > Bill > Carrell > Tulsa, > OK > > > Subject: Friday Notes From: Bill Carrell <okdragonhunter AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:59:58 -0800 Hello All,               Just a few observations from this morning's rounds.   The gull balance has shifted at Yahola from Franklin's to predominantly Ring-Bills. Bonaparte's and one Herring Gull were also present. The dark Red-Tail (not a Harlan's) that has overwintered near 129th E. ave. and the port road for several years showed up today. Also watched an adult Bald Eagle harassing some coots at Lynn Lane reservior.                                                                        Good Birding,                                                                        Bill Carrell                                                                      Tulsa, OK Subject: Re: roadkill owls From: Laura Erickson <chickadee AT LAURAERICKSON.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:07:42 -0500 Barn Owl legs dangle very low when they're carrying prey. One morning when I was birding with a group in southeastern Arizona, we saw what looked like a dead Barn Owl hanging on a fence--when we approached so people could see how beautiful their plumage is, the bird fluttered weakly. It had been carrying a packrat, and one of its legs had been impaled by a barb. In struggling, it had sliced a long gaping wound into that leg and the other leg was messed up too. It was starting to go into shock, so I gave it some gator-ade (the only thing we had on hand) and we brought it to a vet clinic--they and a rehabber attended to its stitches, antibiotics, and some steroid applications, and it was released a few days later. Fences are the number one cause of mortality for female prairie chickens. And highway collisions take out a lot of owls. Photo here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48014585 AT N00/4120379910/ Best, Laura Erickson Migrant worker between Ithaca NY and Duluth MN On Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 12:32 PM, jwoodard wrote: > > > In the past few days, I’ve noticed several owls > dead alongside or near roads. I’ve seen several Great Horneds and one > possible Barred. > > Also, I saw one Barn Owl hung up in a barbed wire > fence near Hwy 152 and SW 59th on the east side of Mustang. It must’ve > swooped across > > the road to hunt in the grassy right of way next to > the road and flew too low into the fence. > > > > > > > > Jimmy Woodard > > Mustang, OK > -- -- Laura Erickson Science Editor Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 607-254-1114 If you've found this information useful, I hope you'll consider supporting our work on behalf of birds and other wildlife. In addition to knowing that you'll be making a difference for conservation, you'll receive our award-winning Living Bird magazine and informative BirdScope newsletter four times a year. We invite you to join our "force for nature." To sign up or watch our video about membership, visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu/NetCommunity/membership or call us at 1-800-843-2473. For the love, understanding, and protection of birds There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. --Rachel Carson Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. Subject: roadkill owls From: jwoodard <j.woodard AT COX.NET> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:32:18 -0600 In the past few days, I've noticed several owls dead alongside or near roads. I've seen several Great Horneds and one possible Barred. Also, I saw one Barn Owl hung up in a barbed wire fence near Hwy 152 and SW 59th on the east side of Mustang. It must've swooped across the road to hunt in the grassy right of way next to the road and flew too low into the fence. Jimmy Woodard Mustang, OK Subject: Re: Norman Merlin From: Andy Feldt <feldt AT NHN.OU.EDU> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:15:51 -0600 I looked for the Merlin last year (and found it) after reading about it here. I ride my bicycle to and from work along that stretch of Wylie and carried my binoculars with me for a while so I could verify that it was the dark, male Merlin. So, I began looking for it again this year (but neglected to carry binoculars) and saw a Merlin on one of the poles on November 11. It did seem browner to me, too, but this was just an impression from a distance. (Or maybe he just magically transformed! ;-) I will try to remember to carry binoculars for the next few weeks and see if I can get a better look. Andy Feldt On Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:47:47 -0800, JOS GRZYBOWSKI wrote: >Howdy, ��� This may sound like our local magician, but...... ��� The past several years (maybe more), I had been seeing a dark male Merlin wintering in the area between Lindsey St. and Main St. in the section just east of W. 24th St.�� One location I more frequently observed him was in the baseball park at Wylie and Boyd Sts. on the poles. �� Yesterday evening, I located a Merlin at this park perched atop a pole, working on some small bird.� I thought it was little larger, and seemingly browner (so possibly a female, and a different bird from previous years), but it was overcast.� Today, about 1:00ish, passed through, and found it atop the same pole--had the same impression on color. � If any Normanites are passing through there, might want to check the tops of the poles. CHEERS,������������������� JOE Grzybowski Subject: Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse From: "Curtis, Tom" <tom.curtis AT OKSTATE.EDU> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:49:10 -0600 I lived in Florida for several years and at one point watched a pair Purple Gallinules working as a team to dispatch a cotton rat. They then proceeded to feed pieces to the brood of young. The parents' behavior looked very much like that of raptors. They stood on the rat, tore off small pieces, and either put the pieces directly in the mouths of the young, or dropped bits on the ground and allowed the young to pick them up. Have fun, Tom Curtis -----Original Message----- From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Timothy O'Connell Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 9:34 AM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse Wonderful. I love it when smaller songbirds "go rogue" and start preying on other vertebrates. This is why I love shrikes so much. I've also watched waterthrushes methodically preying on salamanders and tadpoles. Cool stuff. On Nov 20, 2009, at 9:08 AM, David McNeely wrote: Subject: Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse From: Timothy O'Connell <tim.oconnell AT OKSTATE.EDU> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:34:29 -0600 Wonderful. I love it when smaller songbirds "go rogue" and start preying on other vertebrates. This is why I love shrikes so much. I've also watched waterthrushes methodically preying on salamanders and tadpoles. Cool stuff. On Nov 20, 2009, at 9:08 AM, David McNeely wrote: > Wow, remarkable find and photos. A question. How do you know the > meadowlark attacked and killed the mouse? Could it have been > investigating an already dead mouse? Thanks for sharing this with us. > > David > > > On Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 8:46 AM, Dan O'Donnell wrote: > >> Mark Dreiling and I witnessed a meadowlark attacking and killing a >> mouse just below Hulah Dam and we were wondering if this is usual >> behavior for them. We were able to observe the attack for several >> minutes and photograph it. Mark's photo is located here: >> >> http://www.pbase.com/m3ling/image/119534630 >> >> and my photos of it are here: >> >> http://www.flickr.com/photos/18276798 AT N07/sets/72157622841610770/ >> >> If anyone out there has observed this behavior before, we would be >> very interested in hearing about it! >> >> Dan O'Donnell Subject: Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse From: Dan Reinking <GMSARC AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:21:25 EST According to The Birds of North America Online, there are occasional reports of meadowlarks feeding on roadkilled birds or small mammals, especially during times of heavy snow cover. There is some evidence of predation on other birds in times of winter stress, and a few stomachs contained lizards in one study. Citation: Lanyon, Wesley E. 1995. Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: _http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/160_ (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/160) _doi:10.2173/bna.160_ (http://dx.doi.org/10.2173/bna.160) It is certainly a really interesting observation, and fantastic to have captured photos of it. Dan Reinking Sutton Avian Research Center In a message dated 11/20/2009 8:47:31 A.M. Central Standard Time, djodokla AT SBCGLOBAL.NET writes: Mark Dreiling and I witnessed a meadowlark attacking and killing a mouse just below Hulah Dam and we were wondering if this is usual behavior for them. We were able to observe the attack for several minutes and photograph it. Mark's photo is located here: http://www.pbase.com/m3ling/image/119534630 and my photos of it are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/18276798 AT N07/sets/72157622841610770/ If anyone out there has observed this behavior before, we would be very interested in hearing about it! Dan O'Donnell Subject: Re: Meadowlark killing a mouse From: David McNeely <mcneely4 AT COX.NET> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:08:34 -0500 Wow, remarkable find and photos. A question. How do you know the meadowlark attacked and killed the mouse? Could it have been investigating an already dead mouse? Thanks for sharing this with us. David On Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 8:46 AM, Dan O'Donnell wrote: > Mark Dreiling and I witnessed a meadowlark attacking and killing a > mouse just below Hulah Dam and we were wondering if this is usual > behavior for them. We were able to observe the attack for several > minutes and photograph it. Mark's photo is located here: > > http://www.pbase.com/m3ling/image/119534630 > > and my photos of it are here: > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/18276798 AT N07/sets/72157622841610770/ > > If anyone out there has observed this behavior before, we would be > very interested in hearing about it! > > Dan O'Donnell Subject: Meadowlark killing a mouse From: Dan O'Donnell <djodokla AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:46:44 -0600 Mark Dreiling and I witnessed a meadowlark attacking and killing a mouse just below Hulah Dam and we were wondering if this is usual behavior for them. We were able to observe the attack for several minutes and photograph it. Mark's photo is located here: http://www.pbase.com/m3ling/image/119534630 and my photos of it are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/18276798 AT N07/sets/72157622841610770/ If anyone out there has observed this behavior before, we would be very interested in hearing about it! Dan O'Donnell Subject: Red Slough Bird Survey - Nov. 19 From: David Arbour <arbour AT WINDSTREAM.NET> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:28:59 -0600 It was mostly clear, mild, and windy on the survey today. 60 species were found. I stayed till dark to look for Short-eared Owls but struck out on them but while standing on Paschal Lane watching for them, had two Am. Bitterns chasing each other and a King Rail calling nearby, so it was worth the wait. Here is my list for today: Gadwall - 1,155 American Wigeon - 39 Mallard - 51 Blue-winged Teal - 14 Northern Shoveler - 64 Northern Pintail - 84 Green-winged Teal - 74 Canvasback - 7 Redhead - 9 Ring-necked Duck - 1,715 Greater Scaup - 2 Lesser Scaup - 1 Hooded Merganser - 5 Ruddy Duck - 118 Pied-billed Grebe - 80 Double-crested Cormorant - 150 American Bittern - 2 Great Blue Heron - 12 Black Vulture - 5 Turkey Vulture - 14 Bald Eagle - 1 adult Northern Harrier - 10 Red-tailed Hawk - 2 American Kestrel - 1 King Rail - 1 Virginia Rail - 3 American Coot - 6,000 Killdeer - 2 Greater Yellowlegs - 2 Least Sandpiper - 9 Long-billed Dowitcher - 35 Wilson's Snipe - 53 Mourning Dove - 8 Belted Kingfisher - 6 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 Hairy Woodpecker -1 Northern Flicker - 2 Pileated Woodpecker - 1 Eastern Phoebe - 3 Loggerhead Shrike - 2 Blue Jay - 2 American Crow - 6 Fish Crow - 9 Carolina Chickadee - 2 Tufted Titmouse - 1 Carolina Wren - 1 Bewick's Wren - 1 Sedge Wren - 1 Marsh Wren - 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1 European Starling - 2 American Pipit - 1 Savannah Sparrow - 9 Fox Sparrow - 2 Song Sparrow - 10 White-throated Sparrow - 8 Northern Cardinal - 3 Red-winged Blackbird - 575 Eastern Meadowlark - 10 Common Grackle - 205 Odonates: Rambur's Forktail Common Green Darner Variegated Meadowhawk Black Saddlebags Good birding! David Arbour De Queen, Arkansas Visit the Red Slough Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/ouachita/natural-resources/redslough/ Personal Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/sloughbirder Subject: Re: TAS field trip 11-21-09 From: Tomye Mainer <tomyemainer AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:26:03 -0500 Jana, I want to RSVP for the field trip. I am riding up with Jo. Thanks, Tomye -----Original Message----- From: Jana Singletary To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Wed, Nov 18, 2009 11:56 pm Subject: TAS field trip 11-21-09 This is just a reminder about the TAS field trip scheduled for Sat.,11-21-09. Shea Hammond, the Wildlife Refuge Specialist who will be giving us a tour of the Ozark Plateau NWR, has requested to know the number of people who will be attending on Saturday. Therefore, if you are planning to attend and have not yet contacted me, please RSVP as soon as possible. I'll send further details about the trip to those planning to attend on Friday. Thanks, Jana Singletary home: (918) 296-9629 cell: (918) 808-5554 email: jssingletary AT sbcglobal.net Subject: wildlife management institute From: Dora Webb <owl112 AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:13:45 -0600 This is a link to the Wildlife Management Institute. It has a couple of articles of interest on birds, Sage-grouse and Eurasian collard-dove, as well as others. http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=402:new-study-estimates-impacts-on-sage-grouse&catid=34:ONB%20Articles&Itemid=54 Subject: Along South Jenkins From: matthew jung <mpjung5125 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:47:43 -0800 Libby and Dick Gun and I met up around 8 AM Thursday and walked S. Jenkins for three hours and found 36 species.    It was a Robin-mania starting at the Police Range going south to past the brush piles.  Hundreds of Robins were flitting around, bathing, chatting, texting!  A goodly number of Cedar Waxwings were mixed in with them also bathing.    One Winter Wren made a brief appearance at the brush piles and then dove for cover, we heard 3 Marsh Wrens simultaneously singing/chiding north of the pond - saw movement in the reeds but the birds never showed.     Pat Garrison came cruising by and later called saying he had a Roadrunner at the yield sign on Jenkins where the oil storage tanks are.   Matt Jung, OKC (and Norman) Subject: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge CBC From: Michael Husak <michaelh AT CAMERON.EDU> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:04:25 -0600 Hi all, Steve Hodge and I were finally able to set a date for the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge CBC, and I would like to extend an open invitation to come out and participate... This year our count will be on Wednesday, 30 December 2009. We will meet in Cache, OK at the Smalltown Cafe between 5:30 and 6:00 AM to assign groups and areas. I know this is an odd day for this particular count, but because Christmas and New Years are on a Friday this time, and because we were trying to avoid conflict with a lot of other counts in the state, and because the refuge has a late hunt this year, it was the most logical date we could get set up for. If anyone is interested in participating, contacting either me or Steve Hodge (at the refuge) would be appreciated so that we can start planning. Good birding! Mike Husak Lawton, OK Subject: Re: TAS field trip 11-21-09 From: Sandy Jones <bjonz AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:09:18 +0000 You didn't entice them with all the food choices? Sj Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from U.S. Cellular -----Original Message----- From: Jana Singletary Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:56:21 To: Subject: TAS field trip 11-21-09 This is just a reminder about the TAS field trip scheduled for Sat.,11-21-09.  Shea Hammond, the Wildlife Refuge Specialist who will be giving us a tour of the Ozark Plateau NWR, has requested to know the number of people who will be attending on Saturday.  Therefore, if you are planning to attend and have not yet contacted me, please RSVP as soon as possible.  I'll send further details about the trip to those planning to attend on Friday.   Thanks, Jana Singletary home: (918) 296-9629 cell:    (918) 808-5554 email:  jssingletary AT sbcglobal.net     Subject: TAS field trip 11-21-09 From: Jana Singletary <jssingletary AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:56:21 -0800 This is just a reminder about the TAS field trip scheduled for Sat.,11-21-09.  Shea Hammond, the Wildlife Refuge Specialist who will be giving us a tour of the Ozark Plateau NWR, has requested to know the number of people who will be attending on Saturday.  Therefore, if you are planning to attend and have not yet contacted me, please RSVP as soon as possible.  I'll send further details about the trip to those planning to attend on Friday.   Thanks, Jana Singletary home: (918) 296-9629 cell:    (918) 808-5554 email:  jssingletary AT sbcglobal.net     Subject: Re: Late Yahola Report From: Q Weeks <Shotgun150 AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:10:25 EST What side did you go to and did you get close enough to photograph ? Life is not measured by the Number of breaths we take, But by the moments that Take our breath away. Quinton Weeks In a message dated 11/18/2009 7:06:23 P.M. Central Standard Time, okdragonhunter AT YAHOO.COM writes: Hello All, Whoops, forgot to post these sightings from Lake Yahola on Sunday, in addition to those already reported by other birders: small numbers of Greater Yellowlegs, Long-Billed Dowitchers, Dunlin, and one Sanderling. Good Birding, Bill Carrell Tulsa, OK Subject: Late Yahola Report From: Bill Carrell <okdragonhunter AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:05:48 -0800 Hello All,             Whoops, forgot to post these sightings from Lake Yahola on Sunday, in addition to those already reported by other birders: small numbers of Greater Yellowlegs, Long-Billed Dowitchers, Dunlin, and one Sanderling.                                                               Good Birding,                                                               Bill Carrell                                                             Tulsa, OK Subject: Re: Binocular question From: J Pat Valentik <jettpakk AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:32:59 -0600 One of the reasons I love my old Swifts is, they have had enough water in them to came halfway up the objectives, on High Island, and dried out completely with no noticeable ill effects. Patience advised. MARK WILLIAMS wrote: > I left my old swift audubons outside last night, and like a dummy brought them in the warm house this morning (to watch an Osprey fishing over a watershed lake bordering our property) where they immediately fogged up, inside and out. It's been 14 hours and they are still fogged, even inside the eyepiece lenses. Should I just wait or is there something I should do to fix them, or are the eyepieces just ruined? By the way, I never saw the Osprey catch anything but I followed him in my spotting scope for a while - I didn't know they could hover (for a few seconds) like a Kestrel. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Mark Williams > > > Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:31:00 -0600 > From: tom.curtis AT OKSTATE.EDU > Subject: odd prairie chicken location > To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU > > > > > > Driving to work this morning I encountered a prairie chicken standing alongside the road. Probably not a terribly uncommon experience for some, but I live on the south side of Keystone lake near Mannford where the predominant habitat is oak forest. It was so unexpected, and given the habitat, my first instinct was Ruffed Grouse (lived in Pennsylvania for 40 years). It missed being a new species for my yard by about 200 ft. > > Have fun, > Tom Curtis > -- J Pat Valentik 970 Madison 1050 Huntsville, AR 72740 479 981 0901 Subject: Re: Binocular question From: Laura Erickson <chickadee AT LAURAERICKSON.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:06:38 -0500 If you happen to have any little packets of silica gel (the ones packaged with new electronics that always seem to say "DO NOT EAT" on them), they may hasten the drying process. I'd put the binoculars and two or three silica gel packets in a small box on a heat register, if heat is needed in your neck of the woods this time of year. Best, Laura Erickson Migrant between Duluth MN and Ithaca NY (where in both cases heat is most definitely needed in November) On Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 9:23 AM, David McNeely wrote: > Mark, if you leave the binoculars in a really warm place (not hot enough to > damage anything, but warmer than comfortable for most people), they'll dry > out. That is, if this is not a "waterproof" model, in which case, they > likely will not dry. At least, when my Pentax DCF WPs eventually fogged > from immersion, they stayed that way. The upside for me is that they have a > lifetime warranty, which Pentax honored. In fact, the company completely > reconditioned them, though I had to pay shipping cost. > > David McNeely > > > > On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 10:38 PM, MARK WILLIAMS wrote: > > I left my old swift audubons outside last night, and like a dummy brought >> them in the warm house this morning (to watch an Osprey fishing over a >> watershed lake bordering our property) where they immediately fogged up, >> inside and out. It's been 14 hours and they are still fogged, even inside >> the eyepiece lenses. Should I just wait or is there something I should do >> to fix them, or are the eyepieces just ruined? By the way, I never saw the >> Osprey catch anything but I followed him in my spotting scope for a while - >> I didn't know they could hover (for a few seconds) like a Kestrel. >> >> Thanks, >> >> >> Mark Williams >> >> >> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:31:00 -0600 >> From: tom.curtis AT OKSTATE.EDU >> Subject: odd prairie chicken location >> To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU >> >> >> >> >> >> Driving to work this morning I encountered a prairie chicken standing >> alongside the road. Probably not a terribly uncommon experience for some, >> but I live on the south side of Keystone lake near Mannford where the >> predominant habitat is oak forest. It was so unexpected, and given the >> habitat, my first instinct was Ruffed Grouse (lived in Pennsylvania for 40 >> years). It missed being a new species for my yard by about 200 ft. >> Have fun, >> Tom Curtis >> > > -- -- Laura Erickson Science Editor Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 607-254-1114 If you've found this information useful, I hope you'll consider supporting our work on behalf of birds and other wildlife. In addition to knowing that you'll be making a difference for conservation, you'll receive our award-winning Living Bird magazine and informative BirdScope newsletter four times a year. We invite you to join our "force for nature." To sign up or watch our video about membership, visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu/NetCommunity/membership or call us at 1-800-843-2473. For the love, understanding, and protection of birds There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. --Rachel Carson Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. Subject: Re: Rebecca Wolff is out of the office. From: Paul <polivier3 AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:06:57 -0600 REBECCA I'M BEGGING U TO HELP ME GET OUT OF THIS EMAIL STUFF. I WANT TO QUIT OK BIRDS. I'VE TRYED EVERYTHING TO QUIT GETTING EMAILS . PLEASE DO WHATEVER U CAN TO GET ME OUT OF THIS. I'VE DONE EVERYTHING PEOPLE HAVE HAD ME TRY ITS BEEN 8 MONTHS OF TRYING.PLEZZZZZZZZZ. ----- Original Message ----- From: Rebecca Wolff To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 5:01 AM Subject: Rebecca Wolff is out of the office. I will be out of the office starting Tue 11/17/2009 and will not return until Mon 11/30/2009. Due to a family emergency in Ohio I will be out of the office until ??? I will be checking my email but internet availability will be sporadic. If you need assistance please call the refuge office at 580-626-4794. For emergencies or for press release information and follow up you may call my work cellphone at 580-596-6455. Subject: Re: Binocular question From: David McNeely <mcneely4 AT COX.NET> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:23:13 -0500 Mark, if you leave the binoculars in a really warm place (not hot enough to damage anything, but warmer than comfortable for most people), they'll dry out. That is, if this is not a "waterproof" model, in which case, they likely will not dry. At least, when my Pentax DCF WPs eventually fogged from immersion, they stayed that way. The upside for me is that they have a lifetime warranty, which Pentax honored. In fact, the company completely reconditioned them, though I had to pay shipping cost. David McNeely On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 10:38 PM, MARK WILLIAMS wrote: > I left my old swift audubons outside last night, and like a dummy > brought them in the warm house this morning (to watch an Osprey > fishing over a watershed lake bordering our property) where they > immediately fogged up, inside and out. It's been 14 hours and they > are still fogged, even inside the eyepiece lenses. Should I just wait > or is there something I should do to fix them, or are the eyepieces > just ruined? By the way, I never saw the Osprey catch anything but I > followed him in my spotting scope for a while - I didn't know they > could hover (for a few seconds) like a Kestrel. > > Thanks, > > > Mark Williams > > > Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:31:00 -0600 > From: tom.curtis AT OKSTATE.EDU > Subject: odd prairie chicken location > To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU > > > > > > Driving to work this morning I encountered a prairie chicken standing > alongside the road. Probably not a terribly uncommon experience for > some, but I live on the south side of Keystone lake near Mannford > where the predominant habitat is oak forest. It was so unexpected, > and given the habitat, my first instinct was Ruffed Grouse (lived in > Pennsylvania for 40 years). It missed being a new species for my > yard by about 200 ft. > Have fun, > Tom Curtis Subject: young Blue Heron From: Mark Cromwell <mark.cromwell01 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:00:58 -0600 My wife is enjoying a Blue Heron that likes to hang around our pond at Perkins. She discovered the antics of this obviously young bird (or rather it discovered her), when she fed the fish one evening. Suddenly, out of now where, this Blue Heron appeared. She tried to scare him away, but he was soooooo very excited, he ignored the human waving her arms and clapping her hands. She at first was worried he was going to eat a bunch of fish; but, alas, this guy is a poor hunter, he can barely catch one. He tries and tries; he will dive head first into deep water, wildly flail his wings and then spastically swim back to the shore. He is a total scream. (She is getting some fun pictures of this guy). Happy Thanksfiving everyone & just want to tell you all that I really appreciate the subjects, informative chats and great people who read the OKBIRDS. Mark Cromwell Enid, OK Subject: Rebecca Wolff is out of the office. From: Rebecca Wolff <Rebecca_Wolff AT FWS.GOV> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:01:31 -0700 I will be out of the office starting Tue 11/17/2009 and will not return until Mon 11/30/2009. Due to a family emergency in Ohio I will be out of the office until ??? I will be checking my email but internet availability will be sporadic. If you need assistance please call the refuge office at 580-626-4794. For emergencies or for press release information and follow up you may call my work cellphone at 580-596-6455. Subject: Binocular question From: MARK WILLIAMS <will351 AT MSN.COM> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:38:10 -0600 I left my old swift audubons outside last night, and like a dummy brought them in the warm house this morning (to watch an Osprey fishing over a watershed lake bordering our property) where they immediately fogged up, inside and out. It's been 14 hours and they are still fogged, even inside the eyepiece lenses. Should I just wait or is there something I should do to fix them, or are the eyepieces just ruined? By the way, I never saw the Osprey catch anything but I followed him in my spotting scope for a while - I didn't know they could hover (for a few seconds) like a Kestrel. Thanks, Mark Williams Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:31:00 -0600 From: tom.curtis AT OKSTATE.EDU Subject: odd prairie chicken location To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Driving to work this morning I encountered a prairie chicken standing alongside the road. Probably not a terribly uncommon experience for some, but I live on the south side of Keystone lake near Mannford where the predominant habitat is oak forest. It was so unexpected, and given the habitat, my first instinct was Ruffed Grouse (lived in Pennsylvania for 40 years). It missed being a new species for my yard by about 200 ft. Have fun, Tom Curtis Subject: odd prairie chicken location From: "Curtis, Tom" <tom.curtis AT OKSTATE.EDU> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:31:00 -0600 Driving to work this morning I encountered a prairie chicken standing alongside the road. Probably not a terribly uncommon experience for some, but I live on the south side of Keystone lake near Mannford where the predominant habitat is oak forest. It was so unexpected, and given the habitat, my first instinct was Ruffed Grouse (lived in Pennsylvania for 40 years). It missed being a new species for my yard by about 200 ft. Have fun, Tom Curtis Subject: Peregrine From: FRANK SANDFORD <sprugr51 AT COX.NET> Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:02:31 -0600 Thought I would check out the birds at Yahola today. I was there at about 3:30 pm. Within 5 minutes I saw an immature peregrine falcon fly by me and head over the mudflats. It was dark brown with large sideburns, pointed wings and a chunky body. It harrassed some gulls and then disappeared around the corner at the northwest end of the lake. I did not stay out very long because of the coolld wind. Happy birding, Frank Sandford Sand Springs Subject: Re: Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Christmas Bird Count From: John Fisher <rgs455 AT COX.NET> Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:42:39 -0500 Don, Count me in. John ---- Don Wolfe wrote: > The 2009-2010 Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Christmas Bird Count will be on 2 > January 2010. While the total species count of the TGPCBC may not rival > OKC, Norman, or Tulsa, (average of 76 species over the previous 11 years; 85 > species last year; 118 species over the 11 years), we regularly get species > that are not found or only rarely found on most of the other CBCs in > Oklahoma. Some TGPCBC specialties include: > > > > Trumpeter Swan (4 of 11 years) > > Bald Eagle (11 of 11 years, average of 12 per year) > > Ferruginous Hawk (2 of 11 years) > > Rough-legged Hawk (11 of 11 years, average of 17 per year) > > Golden Eagle (6 of 11 years, average of 2 per year) > > Merlin (10 of 11 years) > > Prairie Falcon (10 of 11 years) > > Greater Prairie-Chicken (11 of 11 years, average of 15 per year) > > Short-eared Owl (8 of 11 years, average of 3 per year) > > Sedge Wren (5 of 11 years, average of 2 per year) > > Sprague's Pipit (7 of 11 years, average of 3 per year) > > Savannah Sparrow (11 of 11 years, average of 110 per year) > > LeConte's Sparrow (10 of 11 years, average of 8 per year) > > Lapland Longspur (8 of 11 years, average of 34 per year) > > Smith's Longspur (11 of 11 years, average of 109 per year) > > > > A few other not-so-common species that have been recorded in past years: > > Greater White-fronted Goose > > Snow Goose > > Common Goldeneye > > Red-breasted Merganser > > Sandhill Crane > > Turkey Vulture > > Peregrine Falcon > > Gyrfalcon > > Greater Roadrunner > > Barn Owl > > Northern Saw-whet Owl > > Gray Catbird > > Chestnut-collared Longspur > > Yellow-headed Blackbird > > > > If you think any of the above species would be a great start for your 2010 > year list, or just want to have fun participating, send me an email or call > me at the number(s) below. > > > > Don > > > > Don Wolfe > > Senior Biologist > > G. M. Sutton Avian Research Center > > University of Oklahoma > > P.O. Box 2007 > > Bartlesville, OK 74005 > > 918-336-7778 (office) > > 918-336-7783 (fax) > > 918-397-4885 (mobile) > > dwolfe AT ou.edu > > www.suttoncenter.org > > "In the environment, every victory is temporary, every defeat permanent." - > Thomas Jefferson > > "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." - > Thomas Jefferson > > "A little repentance just before a species goes over the brink is enough to > make us feel virtuous. When a species is gone we have a good cry and repeat > the performance." - Aldo Leopold > > > Subject: Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Christmas Bird Count From: Don Wolfe <dwolfe AT OU.EDU> Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:08:15 -0600 The 2009-2010 Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Christmas Bird Count will be on 2 January 2010. While the total species count of the TGPCBC may not rival OKC, Norman, or Tulsa, (average of 76 species over the previous 11 years; 85 species last year; 118 species over the 11 years), we regularly get species that are not found or only rarely found on most of the other CBCs in Oklahoma. Some TGPCBC specialties include: Trumpeter Swan (4 of 11 years) Bald Eagle (11 of 11 years, average of 12 per year) Ferruginous Hawk (2 of 11 years) Rough-legged Hawk (11 of 11 years, average of 17 per year) Golden Eagle (6 of 11 years, average of 2 per year) Merlin (10 of 11 years) Prairie Falcon (10 of 11 years) Greater Prairie-Chicken (11 of 11 years, average of 15 per year) Short-eared Owl (8 of 11 years, average of 3 per year) Sedge Wren (5 of 11 years, average of 2 per year) Sprague's Pipit (7 of 11 years, average of 3 per year) Savannah Sparrow (11 of 11 years, average of 110 per year) LeConte's Sparrow (10 of 11 years, average of 8 per year) Lapland Longspur (8 of 11 years, average of 34 per year) Smith's Longspur (11 of 11 years, average of 109 per year) A few other not-so-common species that have been recorded in past years: Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Common Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Sandhill Crane Turkey Vulture Peregrine Falcon Gyrfalcon Greater Roadrunner Barn Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Gray Catbird Chestnut-collared Longspur Yellow-headed Blackbird If you think any of the above species would be a great start for your 2010 year list, or just want to have fun participating, send me an email or call me at the number(s) below. Don Don Wolfe Senior Biologist G. M. Sutton Avian Research Center University of Oklahoma P.O. Box 2007 Bartlesville, OK 74005 918-336-7778 (office) 918-336-7783 (fax) 918-397-4885 (mobile) dwolfe AT ou.edu www.suttoncenter.org "In the environment, every victory is temporary, every defeat permanent." - Thomas Jefferson "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." - Thomas Jefferson "A little repentance just before a species goes over the brink is enough to make us feel virtuous. When a species is gone we have a good cry and repeat the performance." - Aldo Leopold Subject: golden eagle - Cimarron Turnpike From: Timothy O'Connell <tim.oconnell AT OKSTATE.EDU> Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:22:45 -0600 Was surprised on on my way to Tulsa Friday afternoon (11/13) by an immature Golden Eagle that swooped low across the Cimarron Turnpike from the south and landed in a field on the north side. This was in Pawnee County near the North Council Creek Rd crossing. Spectacular bird; never tire of seeing them. ~Tim O'Connell Stillwater Subject: Tulsa Audubon Update: Correction From: John Kennington <johnkennington AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:06:12 -0600 For the Field Trip on Nov. 21 to the Ozark Plateau National Wildlife Refuge, I had an incorrect phone number for Jana Singletary. To RSVP on this field trip, please call Jana at 918-296-9629. Thanks, John On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 9:06 PM, John Kennington wrote: > *Tulsa Audubon Society Update > *Please visit www.tulsaaudubon.org for more information on our activities > or contact John Kennington , 918-809-6325 > ------------------------------ > *November **Monthly Meeting* > ***"Bats of Oklahoma*" with Dr. Bill Caire > > Tuesday, Nov. 17th, 7:00 p.m. for snacks, program at 7:30 p.m. > > Dr. Caire is a mammologist with the University of Central Oklahoma’s > Selman Living Laboratory. He will share his knowledge of our only flying > mammal. > > *Please join Dr. Caire and other TAS members and friends for dinner at > 5:15 at Chimi's Mexican Restaurant, at 1304 E 15th (15th and Peoria). > * > ------------------------------ > *Upcoming TAS Events > * > > ** *Nov. 21, Sat. Field Trip, Sequoyah NWR and Strayhorn Landing at Lake > Tenkiller. *Contact leader Cyndie Browning at > 918-492-5622 to RSVP and for more information. > > *Please note change of location for this field trip! > Nov. 21, Sat. Field Trip, Sequoyah NWR and Strayhorn Landing at Lake > Tenkiller. * Contact leader Cyndie Browning at > 918-492-5622 to RSVP and for more information. *Ozark Plateau National > Wildlife Refuge.* The refuge manager will be meeting us to show us some of > the newly opened areas in this refuge. Meet at 8:30 at the Oklahoma Welcome > Center just off the Hwy. 59 exit from the Cherokee Turnpike. Please RSVP to > Jana Singletary, 918-269-9629 if you are planning to join us. > > * Dec. 5, 2009, Sat. Field Trip, North Prairies *This will be a late > afternoon field trip for hawks and owls. For more information contact Jo > Loyd , 918-835-2946. > > Dec. 12, Sat. *TogetherGreen Volunteer Day, ** Oxley Nature Center > Habitat Improvement > *. 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Oxley parking lot. Join us to help remove > invasive species from Oxley's habitats, and perform other work to improve > Oxley's trails and ecosystems. Lunch will be provided, and participants will > receive a Together Green/TAS T-Shirt. For more information, contact John > Kennington , 918-809-6325. > > *Dec**. 15, Tue. 7:30 p.m. Society Meeting - Annual Christmas Show and > Tell Party.* Attendees are invited to bring stories, slides, artifacts, or > digital images (up to about 10) on any subject of general interest (birds, > animals, travel, wildflowers, etc.) to share with the group. Members bring > treats to share after the meeting. Please contact Gail Storey, > 742-2684 or about your presentation. Please bring your digital photos on a > CD or flash drive. > *Dec. 19, Sat.* * Christmas Bird Count. *Tulsa Audubon Society will be > participating in the 107th count by the National Audubon Society. For > information contact Jo Loyd , 918-835-2946. > > > > > > Subject: Lake Overholser From: Bill Adams <ba1980 AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:32:21 -0800 We had to make a stop by Home Depot in OKC on our way home (out of the way) so we decided to make a drive around Lake Overholser.  Our first time to visit. Didn't spend a lot of time and didn't see much. Ring-billed gulls (lots) Franklin's Gulls (lots) DC Cormorants American Coots Northern Shovelers Mallards Bill & Linda Adams Tishomingo & Duncan, OK www.southernokphotography.com Subject: Re: OKC-Audubon, Lake Hefner Tuesday From: TR Ryan <trryan AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:11:54 -0600 Hey Bill, Had a great time last Tuesday at Lake Hefner. Thank you very much for spending almost the entire day with us. I posted some of the photos from last Tuesday on my blog and I was wondering when you have a second if you could make sure I got the ID¹s right. Especially on the Herring Gull or what I have labeled as the Herring Gull. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/4ck7lY Many thanks Bill. Tim > > > > > Subject: Tulsa Audubon Update: Dr. Bill Caire, Field Trip Change From: John Kennington <johnkennington AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:06:52 -0600 *Tulsa Audubon Society Update *Please visit www.tulsaaudubon.org for more information on our activities or contact John Kennington , 918-809-6325 ------------------------------ *November **Monthly Meeting* ***"Bats of Oklahoma*" with Dr. Bill Caire Tuesday, Nov. 17th, 7:00 p.m. for snacks, program at 7:30 p.m. Dr. Caire is a mammologist with the University of Central Oklahoma’s Selman Living Laboratory. He will share his knowledge of our only flying mammal. *Please join Dr. Caire and other TAS members and friends for dinner at 5:15 at Chimi's Mexican Restaurant, at 1304 E 15th (15th and Peoria). * ------------------------------ *Upcoming TAS Events * ** *Nov. 21, Sat. Field Trip, Sequoyah NWR and Strayhorn Landing at Lake Tenkiller. *Contact leader Cyndie Browning at 918-492-5622 to RSVP and for more information. *Please note change of location for this field trip! Nov. 21, Sat. Field Trip, Sequoyah NWR and Strayhorn Landing at Lake Tenkiller. * Contact leader Cyndie Browning at 918-492-5622 to RSVP and for more information. *Ozark Plateau National Wildlife Refuge.* The refuge manager will be meeting us to show us some of the newly opened areas in this refuge. Meet at 8:30 at the Oklahoma Welcome Center just off the Hwy. 59 exit from the Cherokee Turnpike. Please RSVP to Jana Singletary, 918-269-9629 if you are planning to join us. * Dec. 5, 2009, Sat. Field Trip, North Prairies *This will be a late afternoon field trip for hawks and owls. For more information contact Jo Loyd , 918-835-2946. Dec. 12, Sat. *TogetherGreen Volunteer Day, ** Oxley Nature Center Habitat Improvement *. 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Oxley parking lot. Join us to help remove invasive species from Oxley's habitats, and perform other work to improve Oxley's trails and ecosystems. Lunch will be provided, and participants will receive a Together Green/TAS T-Shirt. For more information, contact John Kennington , 918-809-6325. *Dec**. 15, Tue. 7:30 p.m. Society Meeting - Annual Christmas Show and Tell Party.* Attendees are invited to bring stories, slides, artifacts, or digital images (up to about 10) on any subject of general interest (birds, animals, travel, wildflowers, etc.) to share with the group. Members bring treats to share after the meeting. Please contact Gail Storey, 742-2684 or about your presentation. Please bring your digital photos on a CD or flash drive. *Dec. 19, Sat.* * Christmas Bird Count. *Tulsa Audubon Society will be participating in the 107th count by the National Audubon Society. For information contact Jo Loyd , 918-835-2946. Subject: Salt Plains Saturday and Sunday From: Bill Adams <ba1980 AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:42:12 -0800 My mom and I arrived NW of Nash around 10am to find a flock of 15 Whoopers.  Called Doug Wood and Bill Carter, they told us Jimmy Woodard spotted a flock of around 20 East of the cemetery (at this point we were at the damn).  Went back to the cemetery to start Eastward and had a flock of 23 fly directly overhead. Our other highlight was a Ferruginous Hawk (East of Cherokee).  And a lot of sandhills in the pasture just East of the Refuge headquarters this morning which was our first time this trip to see them in great numbers in the fields. We tried to find the Blue-headed Vireo and Rough-legged Hawk for pictures, but couldn't. We were focused on Whoopers this trip so we missed a lot of the common birds. Whooping Cranes Sandhill Cranes Meadowlarks Red-tailed Hawks Northern Harriers Ring-necked Pheasants American Kestrels Northern Cardinals Dark-eyed Juncos Great Blue Herons Ring-billed Gulls American White Pelicans American Avocets American Crows Cedar Waxwings Yellow-rumped Warblers Harris Sparrows American Goldfinches Northern Flickers Snow Geese Black Vulture (with a very hurt wing in the RV campground) Ferruginous Hawk Red-bellied Woodpeckers Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Loggerhead Shrike Carolina Chickadees Belted Kingfisher Mallard Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Eagle (thanks to Jimmy Woodard) Northern Shoveler American Wigeon Killdeer Wilson's Snipes (in one of the ponds on the auto route tour) Yellowlegs Hooded Mergansers Pie-billed Grebe Franklin's Gulls Mourning Doves DC Cormorant Carolina Wrens Le Conte's Sparrow Tufted Titmouses Pileated Woodpeckers (2 on Eagle Roost Nature Trail) Blue Jay Ruddy Ducks Pigeons European Starlings Bobcat Deer Pictures will come in a few days. Bill & Linda Adams Tishomingo & Duncan, OK www.southernokphotography.com Subject: Tulsa Area From: Terry Mitchell <terry AT PECOT.COM> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:57:38 -0600 Saturday at Yahola I had 6-Great Egrets, 75 Least Sandpipers and 2,000 Franklins Gulls. Today in the woods between my house and Mingo Creek I had my FOS Cedar Waxwings and Harris Sparrows. On Mingo creek I had 2-Greater Yellowlegs and 30-Least Sandpipers. Terry. Subject: Norman Merlin From: JOS GRZYBOWSKI <j_grzybowski AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:47:47 -0800 Howdy,     This may sound like our local magician, but......     The past several years (maybe more), I had been seeing a dark male Merlin wintering in the area between Lindsey St. and Main St. in the section just east of W. 24th St.   One location I more frequently observed him was in the baseball park at Wylie and Boyd Sts. on the poles.    Yesterday evening, I located a Merlin at this park perched atop a pole, working on some small bird.  I thought it was little larger, and seemingly browner (so possibly a female, and a different bird from previous years), but it was overcast.  Today, about 1:00ish, passed through, and found it atop the same pole--had the same impression on color.   If any Normanites are passing through there, might want to check the tops of the poles. CHEERS,                    JOE Grzybowski Subject: Re: Salt Plains bird list From: jwoodard <j.woodard AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:25:57 -0600 The only species I would add to Doug's list is Long-billed Dowitcher. We had one in Sand Creek Bay and 7 at the small pond opposite the turn in to the entrance to the refuge off Hwy 38. Jimmy _____ From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Doug Wood Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 2:00 PM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Salt Plains bird list Hi All, I dragged, gently, Bill Carter up to Salt Plains to do some birding this weekend (list below). Highlights of course were the Whooping Cranes (thanks to folks who posted the location south of the airfield near the Thrall Cemetary)which we found early Saturday morning. Other highlights included a Blue-headed Vireo in the RV campground at the spillway. This morning (Sunday) we counted 5 Mountain Bluebirds just east of the intersection of hwy 11 and the road north Nascatunga (38). We ran across Jimmy Woodard and Nadine Varner in Cherokee (Ms. Dottie's Cafe - good hamburger, coffee mugs with birds on 'em for sale; ate hamburgers, didn't buy mugs) and Bill and Linda Adams called and said they found the cranes too. Doug. Whooping Crane sightings: 8:00 AM Saturday the 14th - I spotted first flock about half mile southeast of Thrall Cemetary 6 Adults 2 Juveniles foraging in tilled field 8:15 AM Saturday the 14th - Bill spotted second flock flying in from the east that landed about 3/4 mile northeast of Thrall Cemetary. 12 Adults and 3 Juveniles. We could see both flocks simultaneously. Late morning Saturday Bill Adams called and said they saw a flock in approximately the same spot 5:15 PM Saturday the 14th: Bill and I drove back by the site at Thrall Cemetary and found 6 Adults 0 Juveniles in the same location that we spotted first flock at 8:00AM 8:40 AM Sunday the 15th (this morning). After birding at the fish hatchery, we headed east on hwy 11 and almost immediately spotted 12 Adults flying with a flock of several hundred Sandhill Cranes. They were heading northeast. Good sign. This cold (and rainy!) front might push them out soon but if they are still heading northeast to forage, then they may stick around awhile longer. Species List for Saturday (Salt Plains area) and Sunday (fish hatchery): Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Canada Goose Wood Duck Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard Blue-winged Teal N. Shoveler N. Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Bufflehead C. Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Ring-necked Pheasant American White Pelican Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey - 1 Sandy Creek Bay Bald Eagle - 1 Immature Sandy Creek Bay Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk (1 over Sandpiper Trail; 1 south of airfield) A. Kestrel A. Coot Sandhill Crane (um..a lot) Whooping Crane Killdeer A. Avocet G. Yellowlegs W. Sandpiper L. Sandpiper Franklin's Gull Ring-billed Gull Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Greater Roadrunner Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker N. Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Loggerhead Shrike Blue-headed Vireo A. Crow Horned Lark Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren Bewick's Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet E. Bluebird M. Bluebird Hermit Thrush A. Robin E. Starling Cedar Waxwing Yellow-rumped Warbler (all Myrtle's) Spotted Towhee Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Harris's Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco N. Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird E. Meadowlark (no Westerns heard) Brewer's Blackbird C. Grackle Great-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird House Finch A. Goldfinch Subject: Lake Yahola Trip 11/14 From: Alex James <ivorybill15 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:28:14 -0800 Hey everyone!  I spent the day at Lake Yahola in Tulsa. The weather was wonderful, and we saw 41 species, including a 2nd year Bald Eagle! The lake was very low, and upon the wide sand flats were thousands of Ring-billed and Franklin's Gulls. A short trip through Oxley was also taken.     Total Species: 41 1. Franklin's Gull    8,000 2. Ring-billed Gull    2,000 3. Great Blue Heron    3 4. Great Egret    5 5. Gadwall        25 6. Mallard        20 7. Wood Duck    1 8. American Coot    5 9.  Canada Goose    40 10. Double-crested Cormorant    40 11.. Pied-billed Grebe    4 12. Killdeer    2 13. Red-tailed Hawk 14. Red-shouldered Hawk    1 15. Bald Eagle    1 16.. Belted Kingfisher    1 17. Red-bellied Woodpecker    3 18.. Downy Woodpecker    2 19. Northern Flicker    4 20. Pileated Woodpecker    1 21. Blue Jay    5 22. American Crow    2 23. Carolina Chickadee    4 24. Tufted Titmouse 25. White Breasted Nuthatch    1 26. Carolina Wren    4 27. Winter Wren    2 28. Marsh Wren    2 29. Eastern Bluebird    2 30. American Robin 20 31. Northern Mockingbird    1 32.. Brown Thrasher    1 33. Cedar Waxwing    9 34. Yellow-rumped Warbler    5 35. Song Sparrow    5 36. White-throated Sparrow    6 37. Dark-eyed Junco    4 38. Northern Cardinal    4 39. Common Grackle    8 40. Red-winged Blackbird    40 41. American Goldfinch    8 Great Birding, Alex James Jenks, OK Subject: Salt Plains bird list From: Doug Wood <DWood AT SE.EDU> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:59:48 -0600 Hi All, I dragged, gently, Bill Carter up to Salt Plains to do some birding this weekend (list below). Highlights of course were the Whooping Cranes (thanks to folks who posted the location south of the airfield near the Thrall Cemetary)which we found early Saturday morning. Other highlights included a Blue-headed Vireo in the RV campground at the spillway. This morning (Sunday) we counted 5 Mountain Bluebirds just east of the intersection of hwy 11 and the road north Nascatunga (38). We ran across Jimmy Woodard and Nadine Varner in Cherokee (Ms. Dottie's Cafe - good hamburger, coffee mugs with birds on 'em for sale; ate hamburgers, didn't buy mugs) and Bill and Linda Adams called and said they found the cranes too. Doug. Whooping Crane sightings: 8:00 AM Saturday the 14th - I spotted first flock about half mile southeast of Thrall Cemetary 6 Adults 2 Juveniles foraging in tilled field 8:15 AM Saturday the 14th - Bill spotted second flock flying in from the east that landed about 3/4 mile northeast of Thrall Cemetary. 12 Adults and 3 Juveniles. We could see both flocks simultaneously. Late morning Saturday Bill Adams called and said they saw a flock in approximately the same spot 5:15 PM Saturday the 14th: Bill and I drove back by the site at Thrall Cemetary and found 6 Adults 0 Juveniles in the same location that we spotted first flock at 8:00AM 8:40 AM Sunday the 15th (this morning). After birding at the fish hatchery, we headed east on hwy 11 and almost immediately spotted 12 Adults flying with a flock of several hundred Sandhill Cranes. They were heading northeast. Good sign. This cold (and rainy!) front might push them out soon but if they are still heading northeast to forage, then they may stick around awhile longer. Species List for Saturday (Salt Plains area) and Sunday (fish hatchery): Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Canada Goose Wood Duck Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard Blue-winged Teal N. Shoveler N. Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Bufflehead C. Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Ring-necked Pheasant American White Pelican Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey - 1 Sandy Creek Bay Bald Eagle - 1 Immature Sandy Creek Bay Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk (1 over Sandpiper Trail; 1 south of airfield) A. Kestrel A. Coot Sandhill Crane (um..a lot) Whooping Crane Killdeer A. Avocet G. Yellowlegs W. Sandpiper L. Sandpiper Franklin's Gull Ring-billed Gull Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Greater Roadrunner Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker N. Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Loggerhead Shrike Blue-headed Vireo A. Crow Horned Lark Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren Bewick's Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet E. Bluebird M. Bluebird Hermit Thrush A. Robin E. Starling Cedar Waxwing Yellow-rumped Warbler (all Myrtle's) Spotted Towhee Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Harris's Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco N. Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird E. Meadowlark (no Westerns heard) Brewer's Blackbird C. Grackle Great-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird House Finch A. Goldfinch Subject: Re: Whoopers/Salt Plains--Sat From: Mark Cromwell <mark.cromwell01 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:39:16 -0600 I found 14 Whoopers in same NNW of Nash Thursday morning. I was very lucky! They were on wheat and wandered into a corn field. There is a definite pecking order. A fledgling got into trouble with an adult and was chased - flopping their wings. Enjoyed hearing their calls alot! Mark Cromwell, Enid, OK On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 12:13 PM, David McNeely wrote: > Just for the record, went to that area (SW of Kegelman and NW of Nash) > Saturday afternoon. Spent entire afternoon driving roads and looking in > fields. Saw nary a crane on the ground, lots of sandhills in the air. No > whoopers that we could identify. David McNeely > > > > On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 11:58 AM, jwoodard wrote: > > On Saturday, Dr Doug Wood and Dr Bill Carter saw 25 >> Whooping Cranes(20 adults and 5 juveniles) near Kegelman Auxiliary >> Airfield >> near >> >> Great Salt Plains NWR. Later that morning, Nadine Varner and I >> saw 20 adults and 2 juveniles approximately 2 miles NNW of Nash. They were >> in >> >> the company of several hundred Sandhill Cranes. >> >> >> >> Jimmy Woodard >> Mustang, OK >> > Subject: Re: Whoopers/Salt Plains--Sat From: David McNeely <mcneely4 AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:13:14 -0500 Just for the record, went to that area (SW of Kegelman and NW of Nash) Saturday afternoon. Spent entire afternoon driving roads and looking in fields. Saw nary a crane on the ground, lots of sandhills in the air. No whoopers that we could identify. David McNeely On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 11:58 AM, jwoodard wrote: > On Saturday, Dr Doug Wood and Dr Bill Carter saw 25 > Whooping Cranes(20 adults and 5 juveniles) near Kegelman Auxiliary > Airfield > near > > Great Salt Plains NWR. Later that morning, Nadine Varner > and I > saw 20 adults and 2 juveniles approximately 2 miles NNW of Nash. They > were > in > > the company of several hundred Sandhill Cranes. > > > > Jimmy Woodard > Mustang, OK Subject: Whoopers/Salt Plains--Sat From: jwoodard <j.woodard AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:58:11 -0600 On Saturday, Dr Doug Wood and Dr Bill Carter saw 25 Whooping Cranes(20 adults and 5 juveniles) near Kegelman Auxiliary Airfield near Great Salt Plains NWR. Later that morning, Nadine Varner and I saw 20 adults and 2 juveniles approximately 2 miles NNW of Nash. They were in the company of several hundred Sandhill Cranes. Jimmy Woodard Mustang, OK Subject: iPhone, iPod Touch Apps From: Ben Holt <benholtiii AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:00:13 -0600 Hi Fellow Birders, I think there's a few misconceptions regarding the available birding apps for iPhones (and various iPods such as the Touch). Bird Jam and iBird Explorer Pro are completely different applications that don't perform the same overall function (at all). BirdJam is really just for organizing song and call collections. Importantly, BirdJam doesn't actually have the songs, but is simply software designed to organize your pre-existing song collection from sources such as Stokes. Make sure you understand this point - if you want to use BirdJam, you will need to have 1) some sort of iPod (it's not just for iPhones!), 2) a pre-purchased collection of songs that is supported by BirdJam, and 3) the BirdJam software appropriate to your song collection. The BirdJam software alone costs about $60/collection and this does not include the iPod or song collection. If you use or want to use song collections in the field on a regular basis, it's probably a must have. It will allow you to organize your songs in ways that would be a real pain in the rear on your own. But that's it - other than the fact that some song collections also have associated image files, that's it for BirdJam. While BirdJam excels at organizing songs and calls, iBird Explorer Pro (don't get the cheaper version - if you have $20 to blow, just go all in for the $30 full version) is a compete field guide - certainly not the only field guide you need to own, but a field guide with some very nice (and a few irritating) features. I haven't tried the new Audubon, but the reviews suggest you might be better waiting until they work out a few remaining rough edges (iPod apps are almost always cheap and often rushed out too quickly, but they typically get fixed rapidly because, next to a woman, Hell hath no fury like a Hipster Mac user spurned). So what can you do with iBird Explorer Pro? Actually, quite a bit. It currently has 920 birds that can be searched by name, location, shape, size, habitat, and about 10 other criteria. You can store favorites and access them very rapidly (I use this feature to store collections of new birds whose field marks still confuse me for rapid reference in the field). Once you go to the information page for a given bird, you can examine a lot of useful information: 1. Several full color illustrations 2. Song - both the actual song and phonetic text (in the settings, you can set the song to play on a loop - I do that when I want to irritate Angie) - NOTE! There is only one song per bird and it doesn't currently have calls, so it's no replacement for BirdJam coupled with Stokes - also note that when you are at the page for a bird and go to its song tab, there will also be a short list of other playable, similar songs - e.g., if you are at the Swainson's Thrush page on the song tab, you will also have the songs for Hermit Thrush, Veery, and Wood Thrush available for quick comparison (nice feature!). 3. Range maps 4. Extensive details on the birds identity - really extensive - stuff like numbers of eggs per clutch and incubation times is there 5. A list of similar species that allows you to quickly look at their pages 6. Facts page 7. Photos, usually 3-5 from different angles (both photos and illustrations are taken from the community and submissions are welcomed - e.g., those nice LeConte's pictures from the listserv this week and just about any picture Jim Arterburn takes would be welcome additions!) 8. Link to Birdipedia if you are using an iPhone or picking up a wireless signal on an iTouch 9. Link to Flickr - awesome feature - they developed a search engine that simply looks on Flickr for the the name of the bird you are examining and assembles those pictures as thumbnails that you can expand - often there will be dozens or even hundreds of photos - have to be using iPhone or have access to a wireless connection 10. Notes function with one touch insertion of date and time, editable notes, and ability to email your notes with one touch 11. Family information 12. Ecological Information 13. Full size portrait (the illustration as a very large, high resolution image) I am not trying to sell anyone this app, but BirdJam and iBird Explorer Plus may as well be completely unrelated. Like every field guide I own (and between Angie and me it is a bit embarrassing), iBird definitely has some irritating problems. The two biggest are that it can be a bit slow (and if you are half as impatient as me...) and there are no arrows on pictures to point out the distinguishing field marks for a given bird (like you would find in Peterson of Kaufman). There is so much information for each bird that it can be a bit overwhelming - if I was talking to the programmers I would suggest arrows to key field marks and one new tab called something like "key marks" for quick id reference. The songs are useful, but definitely not as a good as a program with several longer recordings for each bird. Other than that, iBird is a pretty damn good application and they regularly make substantive (FREE) updates. I find myself pulling it out of my pocket several times a day for reference - love it. Shorter Ben - If all you want is to organize your pre-existing song collection on an iPod, go with BirdJam. If you want everything else, get iBird. Better yet, buy a packaged iPod Touch with BirdJam and Stokes pre-loaded (available from BirdJam - they do all the work) and then just cough up the extra $30 for iBird. The holiday seasons are upon us and that means we must all go out and make expensive purchases - it has been ordained. And what god/goddess could object to furthering your bird knowledge? Man, it sure is easy and fun to spend your money! If you want more info, feel free to send me an email. Ben Norman Subject: Re: anyone have an Iphone with birding applications? From: Bob Fisher <bobgfisher AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:34:51 -0600 We have had the same question on the Missouri list. The person requesting info settled on the "birdJam" application, which can be used with either an Ipod or an IPhone. BirdJam evidently uses the Stokes recordings. I had heard good things about "Ibird Explorer Pro," which is in one sense a relatively recent "upgrade" of "Ibird Explorer Plus." (Explorer Pro is not an "upgrade" in the usual sense of some software that the manufacturer ties into a previous edition for a relatively small price. Apple owns both apps. and sells them as separate products. Explorer Pro, which costs $30, replaces Explorer Plus, which costs $20. If you want to go up from Explorer Plus, you have to buy Explorer Pro by itself). Evidently, our Missouri inquirer settled upon birdJam over Ibird Explorer Pro because she said the songs lasted longer -- a definite advantage if the program is being used to call birds in by playing their songs in the field with a boosting amplifier. There are also some Peterson Field Guide IPhone apps to Warblers, Backyard Birds, Birds of Prey, etc., which can be purchased separately. See http://wildtones.com/Applications. One Missouri chatter decided these were good for a beginner. Bob Fisher Independence, MO bobgfisher AT comcast.net Subject: Re: anyone have an Iphone with birding applications? From: OK Birding <okiebirder AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:20:27 -0800 Thanks to all that have helped. I'll be going through the different apps suggested and pass it on to Mr. Clause. Thanks again, Josh Sent from my iPhone On Nov 13, 2009, at 7:16 PM, josh engelbert wrote: I recently purchased an iphone 3GS and have been looking at various birding apps. I know that there are a few iphone users out there and would greatly appreciate some advice if you use it for birding software. The Audubon app is at the top of my list after some brief searching. I really don't want to just drop $ to buy one and later find out it's not worth it. Anyway, it would be great if you have a favorite and could give me some pros and cons about its functions. Thanks Josh Engelbert Copan, OK Subject: Re: anyone have an Iphone with birding applications? From: Ron Johnson <jronson AT MSN.COM> Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:16:55 -0600 Josh, I have iBird Explorer Plus and I'm very satisfied with it. And from time to time I get upgrades free. The other day I was a little uncertain about a certain birds call so I played what I thought it might be, and it was obviously not the right one. But, there is a "Similar" button, and I could then locate the bird. He didn't come in nearer, and I didn't even see the bird, but knew what I was looking for. The pictures are becoming better as new photos come into being. I feel it is well worth the cost, which on iTunes app is not that expensive. When it first came out it was 10 times the cost than it is now. Hope that helps! Ron OKC Subject: Re: Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/10/09 From: Lindell Dillon <reddirtbird AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:26:26 -0600 My wife and I were there yesterday and were fortunate enough to see 43 whoopers! Rebecca's tip was that your highest percentage of a sighting is from the observation tower at the crystal digging site near roosting time. Sure enough I spotted the first large group of mostly whoopers after 5.00 p.m. flying in from the Northeast. Later I spotted 3 more flying with a group of Sandhills. Met birder Mary Jackson from Tulsa. She pulled up just as I had spotted the first group of whoopers several hundred yards out. I gave her a heads up to get up on the tower pronto as some whoopers were coming. They gave us a good fly-by, but no decent pics. Overcast and into the sun. Just black silhouettes. Most of the cranes seemed to approach from the Northeast, so I'm assuming most of them are out that way feeding during the day. The bunch we saw roosted due north of the observation tower, but the water is so far away, you won't get much of a view, even with a scope, because it's going to be close to dark when they land. Also saw a Peregrine Falcon from the tower. Any day you see whoopers is a good day birding! LD Norman On 11/12/09, Linda Adams wrote: > Bill and I would like to know this, too. Our looks last weekend were not > very satisfying. We don't even have to see numerous, just see one that we > can tell what it is instead of a white blob. Is there a phone number that > we could call while there to see if any are being sighted? > > Linda Adams > > > -----Original Message----- > From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of David McNeely > Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 4:35 PM > To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU > Subject: Re: Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , > 11/10/09 > > on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 4:10 PM, Rebecca Wolff wrote: > Rebecca, where is the best place and time for a visitor to have the best > chance to see numerous whooping cranes? Do they usually stay around > long enough so that one would have a decent chance to see them this > Saturday? David McNeely > Subject: anyone have an Iphone with birding applications? From: josh engelbert <okiebirder AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:16:06 -0800 I recently purchased an iphone 3GS and have been looking at various birding apps. I know that there are a few iphone users out there and would greatly appreciate some advice if you use it for birding software. The Audubon app is at the top of my list after some brief searching. I really don't want to just drop $ to buy one and later find out it's not worth it. Anyway, it would be great if you have a favorite and could give me some pros and cons about its functions. Thanks Josh Engelbert Copan, OK Subject: sightings From: Brad Harris <grtblueheron AT MSN.COM> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:19:36 -0600 Hi Everyone, I hope everyone is enjoying the beatiful fall wheather. This afternoon we went to Kerr Lock & Dam. The usual suspects were seen. DC Cormants Ring Billed Gulls Pelicans no Terns Highlight 3 Adult Bald Eagles Surpise 3 kettles of Broad Wing Hawks merging into one kettle each kettle had 30+. Great birding to everyone. Brad and Betty Harris Fort Smith AR grtblueheron AT msn.com EMAILING FOR THE GREATER GOOD Join me Subject: purple finch From: Terri Underhill <tunderhill AT COX.NET> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:13:18 -0600 Hello Okbirders, Today while looking out my kitchen window I had a female Purple Finch come to my back platform feeder. I easily have 100 Goldfinch and a few House Finch so the Purple Finch should feel right at home. I think it's been a few years since I've seen any at my feeders. Anyway, I ran for my camera and took a few pix and luckily the Rufous Hummer flew to my back window feeder at the same time and got a few shots of him. I hadn't photographed the hummer in a week and it was surprising to see how much color his gorget has now. Also today I've had a juv. Sharp-shinned Hawk terrorizing my poor birds. While I was observing him, I noticed the nervous twitch in his tail. I have observed this quite often in the past and wonder why the field guides don't mention this behavior. I always thought this behavior was a good way to tell a Sharpie from a Coopers but someone said they observed the Coopers twitching too. Maybe they only do it when they are on the hunt. It's always obvious when the Sharpie or Coopers is around cause my poor little Downey Woodpeckers look like statues on the feeders or tree trunks not even batting an eye. Wish this Sharpie would hurry up and eat and be on his way. Of course if I didn't feed the birds he wouldn't be coming to my smorgasbord:) good birding, Terri Underhill Edmond OK tunderhill AT cox.net www.okiebirdcam.com "The woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except those who sang best." Bernard Meltzer Subject: OKC-Audubon, Lake Hefner Tuesday From: Bill Diffin <WilliamDiffin AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:02:05 EST Charles Douglas, Lyn Pearce, Timothy Ryan, Sue Smith, Terri Underhill and Bill Diffin birded Lake Hefner on a cool and foggy Tuesday, 11/10. The early birders were greeted by a Common Loon yodeling in the mist near Britton Rd about 7 am. Horned Grebes and Pied-billed Grebes swam and dove in several places along the dam, and a raft of Redheads disappeared into the fog. A mature Herring Gull (smudgy neck, red spot on the large yellow bill, light gray back, black primaries with "windows") floated in the NW corner. Prairie Dog Point had Harris's, White-crowned, Savannah and Song Sparrows, Slate-colored Juncos, Yellow-rumped Warblers, House Finches, American Goldfinches and Cedar Waxwings. An American Kestrel hovered and dove west of Lakeshore Drive. Great Blue Herons and American Coots were consistent along the shoreline. The canal inlet had Mallards and a single female Blue-winged Teal, the Mute Swan and white Graylag companion. Across the inlet Double-crested Cormorants roosted in large numbers in the trees, Great Egrets stood below, and a few American White Pelicans swam well off to the northeast. The ponds north of the dam had nice rafts of Hooded Mergansers and Red-breasted Mergansers. Counts were difficult due to the fog, dives and partial merging of the rafts, but there were at least 30 of each species. Lesser numbers of Bufflehead tagged along, and half a dozen Scaup were a challenge to see on the more distant pond. A few Forster's Terns hovered and dove around the mergansers and along the dam. At the Hefner Road parking area, a dark Merlin buzzed a flock of resting gulls and then careened south over the greensward. Northern Shovelers dabbled in one of the parkway ponds. At the entrance to Stars and Stripes Park, we searched hard for a Marsh Wren, but instead got a cooperative Song Sparrow foraging on the ground just outside the cattails. The gull and duck feeding spot on the east side of the point provided close observation of different year plumages of Ring-billed and Franklin's Gulls. In the marsh across the road from the park entrance, an Osprey was perched on a dead tree. Along the Hobie Point entrance road, there seemed to be a flock of American Gold Finches in every direction. At Hobie Point we were discussing the dearth of birds when a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk flew low across the road, stopping briefly near the car. At the model airplane field, Canada Geese cropped the grass. A single, dark gray-brown, female blackbird with a short bill worried something in the field and flipped its tail incessantly, a Brewer's Blackbird it seems. A White-winged Dove thought it was hidden in the scrubby tree row. On the road west of the Fishing Pier, a Belted Kingfisher sat on a dead branch over the turnout -- it was the best of many Kingfishers during the day. At the south marina boat storage yard, some Juncos and Spizellas escaped precise id in the tree tops. Just west along the entrance to the closed lakeshore road, a Black-crowned Night Heron roosted in the willow scrub. 1 Common Loon 2 Horned Grebe 3 Pied-billed Grebe 4 Am. White Pelican 5 Double-crested Cormorant 6 Great Blue Heron 7 Great Egret 8 Black-crowned Night Heron 9 Mute Swan 10 Canada Goose 11 Graylag Goose (all white domestic) 12 Mallard 13 Gadwall 14 Blue-winged Teal 15 Northern Shoveler 16 Redhead 17 Scaup 18 Bufflehead 19 Hooded Merganser 20 Red-breasted Merganser 21 Red-shouldered Hawk 22 Red-tailed Hawk 23 Osprey 24 Merlin 25 Am. Kestrel 26 Am. Coot 27 Killdeer 28 Franklin's Gull 29 Ring-billed Gull 30 Herring Gull 31 Forster's Tern 32 Mourning Dove 33 White-winged Dove 34 Eurasian Collared Dove 35 Rock Dove 36 Belted Kingfisher 37 Downy Woodpecker 38 Red-bellied Woodpecker 39 Yellow-shafted Flicker 40 Blue Jay 41 Am. Crow 42 Carolina Chickadee 43 Carolina Wren (vocalizations) 44 Am. Robin 45 Northern Mockingbird 46 Eu. Starling 47 Cedar Waxwing 48 Yellow-rumped Warbler 49 Northern Cardinal 50 Savannah Sparrow 51 Song Sparrow 52 Harris's Sparrow 53 White-crowned Sparrow 54 Slate-colored Junco 55 Red-winged Blackbird 56 Brewer's Blackbird 57 Great-tailed Grackle 58 House Finch 59 Am. Goldfinch Bill Subject: new bird photos, page 115 From: Dan Reinking <GMSARC AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:56:47 EST OKbirders, Photos of Lazuli Bunting, King Rail, Least Sandpiper, Ovenbird, Say's Phoebe, Red-shouldered Hawk, Brown Thrasher, Black-throated Sparrow, American Robin, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Black-necked Stilt, Blue-winged Teal, Common Nighthawk, Grasshopper Sparrow, Laughing Gull, and Great Blue Heron have been placed on the OKbirds photo page at _http://www.suttoncenter.org/okbirdspix.html_ (http://www.suttoncenter.org/okbirdspix.html) . Dan Reinking Sutton Avian Research Center Subject: Re: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR From: Mary Lane <mm_lane AT SWBELL.NET> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:40:02 -0600 Thanks for all the comments - LeConte it is, and obviously a new bird for us! Mary At 06:59 AM 11/13/2009, you wrote: >LeConte's Sparrow. Note the purplish colored lines on the nape--they >are distinctive. > >Berlin Heck >Broken Bow > >On Nov 13, 2009, at 1:04 AM, Mary Lane wrote: > >>I am having a hard time identifying this pretty sparrow we saw at >>Salt Plains NWR last Saturday, could someone please help? These >>pictures may be different individuals among the dozen or so we saw >>on Sandpiper Trail. >> >>http://www.pbase.com/mml81/sparrow_1 >> >>Thanks - >> >>Mary Lane Subject: Re: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR From: Leslie Imboden <lesnpat AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:03:02 -0800     I agree with Berlin that it's LeConte's, and would emphasize his comment on noting the nape as that easily separates LeContes from the less likely, but possible, Henslow's and Nelson's Sharp-tailed.  Nice shots of the bird, BTW!  Les Imboden Stillwater OK Subject: Re: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR From: Berlin Heck <baheck AT PINE-NET.COM> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:59:44 -0600 LeConte's Sparrow. Note the purplish colored lines on the nape--they are distinctive. Berlin Heck Broken Bow On Nov 13, 2009, at 1:04 AM, Mary Lane wrote: > I am having a hard time identifying this pretty sparrow we saw at > Salt Plains NWR last Saturday, could someone please help? These > pictures may be different individuals among the dozen or so we saw > on Sandpiper Trail. > > http://www.pbase.com/mml81/sparrow_1 > > Thanks - > > Mary Lane > Subject: Re: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR From: "M. S. Harris" <mbhsuzy AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:54:29 -0600 Mary, those are excellent photos! I'm far from an expert, but I think it's a LeConte's Sparrow. They are a beautiful winter sparrow in Oklahoma. If I'm not mistaken, the white stripe on the head that extends toward the nape is a key identifying mark. Again, absolutely great photos! Suzy Harris Bartlesville -----Original Message----- From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Mary Lane Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 1:04 AM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR I am having a hard time identifying this pretty sparrow we saw at Salt Plains NWR last Saturday, could someone please help? These pictures may be different individuals among the dozen or so we saw on Sandpiper Trail. http://www.pbase.com/mml81/sparrow_1 Thanks - Mary Lane Subject: Help identify a sparrow at Salt Plains NWR From: Mary Lane <mm_lane AT SWBELL.NET> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:04:16 -0600 I am having a hard time identifying this pretty sparrow we saw at Salt Plains NWR last Saturday, could someone please help? These pictures may be different individuals among the dozen or so we saw on Sandpiper Trail. http://www.pbase.com/mml81/sparrow_1 Thanks - Mary Lane Subject: Re: Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/10/09 From: Linda Adams <lindafay AT CABLEONE.NET> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:55:47 -0600 Bill and I would like to know this, too. Our looks last weekend were not very satisfying. We don't even have to see numerous, just see one that we can tell what it is instead of a white blob. Is there a phone number that we could call while there to see if any are being sighted? Linda Adams -----Original Message----- From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of David McNeely Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 4:35 PM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/10/09 on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 4:10 PM, Rebecca Wolff wrote: Rebecca, where is the best place and time for a visitor to have the best chance to see numerous whooping cranes? Do they usually stay around long enough so that one would have a decent chance to see them this Saturday? David McNeely Subject: Re: Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/10/09 From: David McNeely <mcneely4 AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:34:31 -0500 on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 4:10 PM, Rebecca Wolff wrote: Rebecca, where is the best place and time for a visitor to have the best chance to see numerous whooping cranes? Do they usually stay around long enough so that one would have a decent chance to see them this Saturday? David McNeely Subject: Fw: eBird Report - Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/10/09 From: Rebecca Wolff <Rebecca_Wolff AT FWS.GOV> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:10:58 -0700 Subject: Re: dead birds From: Sue & Bob Lutze <bslutze AT PLDI.NET> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:01:27 -0600 Tamaki I have the bird in the freezer and will contact you some time next week or later about bringing it by and would love a tour of the research collection. Thanks for the answer. Off to see who has arrived on the lake today. Sue Dear Sue, We would love to have the Yellow Rumped Warbler for our research collection. Please keep the bird in the freezer with data (the location, date, and your name and phone number, as you stated, would be great). We would greatly appreciate it if you could bring the bird to our museum in Norman whenever convenient for you (please email me in advance). We can give you a tour of our research collection if you would like. If you cannot come to us, I can come to your place to pick it up. Thank you. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tamaki Yuri, Ph.D. Collection Manager, Ornithology Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73072-7029 Phone: 405-325-8243 Fax: 405-325-7699 Email: tyuri AT ou.edu On Nov 12, 2009, at 11:32 AM, Sue & Bob Lutze wrote: An Yellow Rumped Warbler died on our patio yesterday after apparently hitting the glass. Is there anywhere we can take the birds we find dead on our property? For study? I would like to do that but am not sure where to take them. Do I freeze them with the location, date, our name and phone number ? Any information anyone can share would be appreciated. By the way, the birds have finally arrived. Or are arriving. I enjoying the anticipation of seeing who shows up for the meals each day. Today's attention is focused on the large group of Robins feasting on the blue Red Cedar berries just waiting for them. Sue Lutze Tuttle, OK bslutze AT pldi.net "If we allow ourselves to be enchanted by the beauty of the ordinary, we begin to see that all things are extraordinary." D. Koontz Subject: Re: dead birds From: Richard Gunn <rgunn1 AT COX.NET> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:57:03 -0600 Tamaki-- I have a Greater Prairie Chicken that I shot in South Dakota last year in my freezer. The breast skin is slightly torn but I would like to pass it off to you some time and see if it is suitable for museum skin. if you think it is worth looking at it let me know and I will arrange to drop it off. Thanks. dick ----- Original Message ----- From: Tamaki Yuri To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 12:20 Subject: Re: dead birds Dear Sue, We would love to have the Yellow Rumped Warbler for our research collection. Please keep the bird in the freezer with data (the location, date, and your name and phone number, as you stated, would be great). We would greatly appreciate it if you could bring the bird to our museum in Norman whenever convenient for you (please email me in advance). We can give you a tour of our research collection if you would like. If you cannot come to us, I can come to your place to pick it up. Thank you. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tamaki Yuri, Ph.D. Collection Manager, Ornithology Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73072-7029 Phone: 405-325-8243 Fax: 405-325-7699 Email: tyuri AT ou.edu On Nov 12, 2009, at 11:32 AM, Sue & Bob Lutze wrote: An Yellow Rumped Warbler died on our patio yesterday after apparently hitting the glass. Is there anywhere we can take the birds we find dead on our property? For study? I would like to do that but am not sure where to take them. Do I freeze them with the location, date, our name and phone number ? Any information anyone can share would be appreciated. By the way, the birds have finally arrived. Or are arriving. I enjoying the anticipation of seeing who shows up for the meals each day. Today's attention is focused on the large group of Robins feasting on the blue Red Cedar berries just waiting for them. Sue Lutze Tuttle, OK bslutze AT pldi.net "If we allow ourselves to be enchanted by the beauty of the ordinary, we begin to see that all things are extraordinary." D. Koontz Subject: Re: dead birds From: Tamaki Yuri <tyuri AT OU.EDU> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:20:59 -0600 Dear Sue, We would love to have the Yellow Rumped Warbler for our research collection. Please keep the bird in the freezer with data (the location, date, and your name and phone number, as you stated, would be great). We would greatly appreciate it if you could bring the bird to our museum in Norman whenever convenient for you (please email me in advance). We can give you a tour of our research collection if you would like. If you cannot come to us, I can come to your place to pick it up. Thank you. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tamaki Yuri, Ph.D. Collection Manager, Ornithology Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73072-7029 Phone: 405-325-8243 Fax: 405-325-7699 Email: tyuri AT ou.edu On Nov 12, 2009, at 11:32 AM, Sue & Bob Lutze wrote: > An Yellow Rumped Warbler died on our patio yesterday after > apparently hitting the glass. Is there anywhere we can take the > birds we find dead on our property? For study? I would like to do > that but am not sure where to take them. Do I freeze them with the > location, date, our name and phone number ? Any information anyone > can share would be appreciated. > > By the way, the birds have finally arrived. Or are arriving. I > enjoying the anticipation of seeing who shows up for the meals each > day. Today's attention is focused on the large group of Robins > feasting on the blue Red Cedar berries just waiting for them. > > Sue Lutze > Tuttle, OK > bslutze AT pldi.net > > "If we allow ourselves to be enchanted by the beauty of the > ordinary, we begin to see that all things are extraordinary." D. > Koontz Subject: Fwd: Fw: eBird Report - Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/7/09 From: Eric Beck <oklahomaiba AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:50:13 -0600 Hello All, Sue Selman and I spent about five hours, give or take, at the Salt Plains on Saturday morning. Here is the ebird generated list, I also put a little on my blog (www.afieldinoklahoma.blogspot.com). Not bad for a short visit. Wish we had better views of those Whooping Cranes though! Cheers, Eric Beck State Coordinator Oklahoma Important Bird Areas Program Oklahoma Audubon Council ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Eric Beck Date: Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 11:45 AM Subject: Fw: eBird Report - Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/7/09 To: oklahomaIBA AT gmail.com --- On *Thu, 11/12/09, do-not-reply AT ebird.org *wrote: From: do-not-reply AT ebird.org Subject: eBird Report - Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge , 11/7/09 To: brdbrn1979 AT yahoo.com Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009, 12:45 PM Location: Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge Observation date: 11/7/09 Number of species: 33 Greater White-fronted Goose 2 Canada Goose 170 American Wigeon 15 Mallard 10 Northern Shoveler 3 Northern Pintail 4 Hooded Merganser 5 Ruddy Duck 35 American White Pelican 7 Double-crested Cormorant 5 Great Blue Heron 4 Bald Eagle 9 Northern Harrier 1 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Sandhill Crane 3000 Whooping Crane 3 Killdeer 2 American Avocet 28 Ring-billed Gull 10 Great Horned Owl 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 2 American Crow 2 Carolina Chickadee 1 Carolina Wren 1 Eastern Bluebird 2 American Robin 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler 17 Spotted Towhee 1 Song Sparrow 2 Dark-eyed Junco 40 American Goldfinch 10 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Subject: dead birds From: Sue & Bob Lutze <bslutze AT PLDI.NET> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:32:52 -0600 An Yellow Rumped Warbler died on our patio yesterday after apparently hitting the glass. Is there anywhere we can take the birds we find dead on our property? For study? I would like to do that but am not sure where to take them. Do I freeze them with the location, date, our name and phone number ? Any information anyone can share would be appreciated. By the way, the birds have finally arrived. Or are arriving. I enjoying the anticipation of seeing who shows up for the meals each day. Today's attention is focused on the large group of Robins feasting on the blue Red Cedar berries just waiting for them. Sue Lutze Tuttle, OK bslutze AT pldi.net "If we allow ourselves to be enchanted by the beauty of the ordinary, we begin to see that all things are extraordinary." D. Koontz Subject: Re: Whooping Cranes Near Salt Plains NWR From: Bill Adams <ba1980 AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:27:50 -0800 Oops, that was supposed to go to Lela, not the list. Bill --- On Thu, 11/12/09, Bill Adams wrote: From: Bill Adams Subject: Re: Whooping Cranes Near Salt Plains NWR To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009, 8:24 AM Lela, From your pictures it looks like you were pretty close to the Whoopers.  Last weekend my mom and I were at the salt plains, but only saw a possibility of 4.  3 of them were from the crystal digging area tower so they were so far off we couldn't make much out of them.  Then we had 1 fly over at the Eagle Roost Nature Trail, but it was backlit so bad that we couldn't see it very well.  I tried for a picture, but even the picture I couldn't get much out of it.  We want to see them alot closer and are debating another trip this weekend (4.5 hour drive from Duncan where my mom is at). What kind of camera and lens do you have? Thanks Bill Adams ba1980 AT sbcglobal.net Tishomingo, OK www.southernokphotography.com --- On Wed, 11/11/09, Lela McCracken wrote: From: Lela McCracken Subject: Whooping Cranes Near Salt Plains NWR To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 11:14 PM Hello OK Birders, Today was a personal high for the two birders who live at my house. (Myself and the mister!) ;-) We made a second trip to Salt Plains today. Thank you, Ron Shepperd, for your great info regarding your Whooping Crane sightings last weekend. We saw a total of 32 Whoopers today starting at 3 p.m. - three miles west, two north & one west of Nash, OK. (We parked near a cemetery.) The fields are approximately  two miles south of the Kegelman Aux. Air Force Base. A group of 6 adults & 2 juveniles grazing in a field north of us eventually joined a large group southeast of us - bringing the total to 31! When the Sand Hill Cranes left for the Refuge, the Whooping Cranes followed. I have four photos of the Whooping Cranes on my flickr account if you'd like to see them. (Not to mention that I also have about 800 more photos that are not posted.) ;-) Enjoy! Other sightings of note: Thousands of Sand Hill Cranes - on the fields & at Sand Creek Bay 20 Avocets & 2 White Pelicans - Sand Creek Bay (Plus the usual suspects - ducks & geese) Happy Birding, Lela Bouse-McCracken Ponca City, OK Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. Get it now. Subject: Re: Whooping Cranes Near Salt Plains NWR From: Bill Adams <ba1980 AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:24:24 -0800 Lela, From your pictures it looks like you were pretty close to the Whoopers.  Last weekend my mom and I were at the salt plains, but only saw a possibility of 4.  3 of them were from the crystal digging area tower so they were so far off we couldn't make much out of them.  Then we had 1 fly over at the Eagle Roost Nature Trail, but it was backlit so bad that we couldn't see it very well.  I tried for a picture, but even the picture I couldn't get much out of it.  We want to see them alot closer and are debating another trip this weekend (4.5 hour drive from Duncan where my mom is at). What kind of camera and lens do you have? Thanks Bill Adams ba1980 AT sbcglobal.net Tishomingo, OK www.southernokphotography.com --- On Wed, 11/11/09, Lela McCracken wrote: From: Lela McCracken Subject: Whooping Cranes Near Salt Plains NWR To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 11:14 PM Hello OK Birders, Today was a personal high for the two birders who live at my house. (Myself and the mister!) ;-) We made a second trip to Salt Plains today. Thank you, Ron Shepperd, for your great info regarding your Whooping Crane sightings last weekend. We saw a total of 32 Whoopers today starting at 3 p.m. - three miles west, two north & one west of Nash, OK. (We parked near a cemetery.) The fields are approximately  two miles south of the Kegelman Aux. Air Force Base. A group of 6 adults & 2 juveniles grazing in a field north of us eventually joined a large group southeast of us - bringing the total to 31! When the Sand Hill Cranes left for the Refuge, the Whooping Cranes followed. I have four photos of the Whooping Cranes on my flickr account if you'd like to see them. (Not to mention that I also have about 800 more photos that are not posted.) ;-) Enjoy! Other sightings of note: Thousands of Sand Hill Cranes - on the fields & at Sand Creek Bay 20 Avocets & 2 White Pelicans - Sand Creek Bay (Plus the usual suspects - ducks & geese) Happy Birding, Lela Bouse-McCracken Ponca City, OK Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. Get it now. Subject: Broken Bow CBC Information From: Berlin Heck <baheck AT PINE-NET.COM> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:23:01 -0600 This year the CBC will be Wednesday, December 30, and you are invited. We will dine at Papa Poblano’s Mexican Restaurant in Idabel on December 29 at 6:00 PM, renew acquaintances, and discuss strategy. Papa Poblano’s is about 400 yards north of the 4-way intersection east of Idabel where you find the Valero (Roadrunner) gas station and Catfish King Restaurant. I hope you like good hot food. If you plan to attend but cannot make this meeting, contact me and I will get you set up with a group or assign an area. I will also try to collect the $5 required participant fee from everyone while at dinner (that’s the yankee word for supper), or on count day. For this fee, you will receive the CBC issue of “American Birds”, and a big “thank you!!” from yours truly. Breakfast on count day is available at McDonald’s (5:30 AM) and a couple of other places along Hwy. 70/259. There is a McDonalds in Broken Bow and in Idabel. If you are an insomniac, try for the three species of Owls at Beaver’s Bend State Park; we got only Screech and Barred Owls last year and the year before--recorded calls are legal for use during the count. We will meet at 1:00 PM on count day at Steven’s Gap Restaurant at Hochatown, about 10 miles north of Broken Bow, where we will eat and do the count-down. It is just south of the road that goes to Steven’s Gap, on the west side of Highway 259. I need to know how many folks are coming so I can arrange room for our meetings at restaurants. Please let me know, and contact me for questions that you might have. Berlin Heck 109 Kaye Drive Broken Bow, OK 74728 580-584-6958 baheck AT pine-net.com Subject: Re: Single Hummer From: Doug Wood <DWood AT SE.EDU> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:56:50 -0600 Diane, they are pretty skittish this late in season. Bill Carter in Oakman had a skittish one like that last week too. DW ________________________________ From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Diane Trisdale Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 4:58 PM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Re: Single Hummer Doug, I had either another or the same hummer at 8:30 this a.m. and at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon. I was gone most of the day so don't know if it was here between those times or not. To the best of my knowledge, it was a female or im. Ruby-throated. It didn't stick around long enough either time it was here to get a really good look at it. I have my binos on the table near my window now in case it comes back. Diane --- On Wed, 11/11/09, Doug Wood wrote: From: Doug Wood Subject: Re: Single Hummer To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 7:54 AM Diane, thanks for post. Just to clarify, was it a Ruby-throated Hummingbird? Doug. ________________________________ From: okbirds [mailto:OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU] On Behalf Of Diane Trisdale Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 4:49 PM To: OKBIRDS AT LISTS.OU.EDU Subject: Single Hummer To my great surprise I had a single hummer at my feeder this a.m. I had decided to leave it up until the first freeze, cleaning and refilling every few days but hadn't had a hummer since Oct. 29. This weekend I had 7 Inca Doves feeding on scattered mixed grain and black oil sunflower seeds. I'm hoping the birds are beginning to come back to my feeders....I have had a few cardinals, titmice and chickadees in the past few days. Diane Trisdale Cumberland Marshall Co, Ok Subject: Whooping Cranes Near Salt Plains NWR From: Lela McCracken <lela_mccracken AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:14:36 -0600 Hello OK Birders, Today was a personal high for the two birders who live at my house. (Myself and the mister!) ;-) We made a second trip to Salt Plains today. Thank you, Ron Shepperd, for your great info regarding your Whooping Crane sightings last weekend. We saw a total of 32 Whoopers today starting at 3 p.m. - three miles west, two north & one west of Nash, OK. (We parked near a cemetery.) The fields are approximately two miles south of the Kegelman Aux. Air Force Base. A group of 6 adults & 2 juveniles grazing in a field north of us eventually joined a large group southeast of us - bringing the total to 31! When the Sand Hill Cranes left for the Refuge, the Whooping Cranes followed. I have four photos of the Whooping Cranes on my flickr account if you'd like to see them. (Not to mention that I also have about 800 more photos that are not posted.) ;-) Enjoy! Other sightings of note: Thousands of Sand Hill Cranes - on the fields & at Sand Creek Bay 20 Avocets & 2 White Pelicans - Sand Creek Bay (Plus the usual suspects - ducks & geese) Happy Birding, Lela Bouse-McCracken Ponca City, OK _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/ Subject: FW: eBird Report - Lake Durant , 11/11/09 From: Doug Wood <DWood AT SE.EDU> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:16:24 -0600 Hi All. Took 3 students with me on short bird trip to Lake Durant. Slow at first, picked up later. As ducks came in, along with a lot of cormorants from Lake Texoma/Red River, had an American Black Duck drop in near some Gadwall and Mallards about 50 yards from us. I was a bit surprised, although I did have a student shoot one last winter up near Allen. I think the cranes are beckoning from Salt Plains this weekend...Doug. ________________________________________ From: do-not-reply AT ebird.org [do-not-reply AT ebird.org] Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:11 PM To: Doug Wood Subject: eBird Report - Lake Durant , 11/11/09 Location: Lake Durant Observation date: 11/11/09 Number of species: 44 Gadwall 20 American Wigeon 4 American Black Duck 1 Mallard 12 Northern Pintail 1 Redhead 4 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Double-crested Cormorant 3000 Great Blue Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 3 Northern Harrier 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 American Kestrel 1 American Coot 5 Killdeer 1 Mourning Dove 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 3 Blue Jay 7 American Crow 3 Carolina Chickadee 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Eastern Bluebird 2 Northern Mockingbird 2 Brown Thrasher 1 European Starling 9 Cedar Waxwing 16 Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 Spotted Towhee 1 Chipping Sparrow 25 Le Conte's Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 1 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 2 Harris's Sparrow 1 White-crowned Sparrow 3 Dark-eyed Junco 6 Northern Cardinal 7 Red-winged Blackbird 45 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Common Grackle 18 Brown-headed Cowbird 30 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)