Date: 11/7/24 11:03 am From: Bryan Reynolds <nature_photo_man...> Subject: Recent Oklahoma Birds - 25 Oct and 1 Nov
All,
I finished up processing a couple batches of Oklahoma bird images and thought I'd share with the group. A couple weeks ago (25 Oct), I did a short stop to Lake Thunderbird State Park, mostly looking for whitetail bucks. While searching, I got a couple shots of some common birds (Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, and White-breasted Nuthatch). Then last Friday (1 Nov), I headed to OKC and first visited the OKC Zoo Lake at sunrise. I walked out to the end of the first 'pier' and set up on a camp chair. There was a lot of fog coming up off the water and I had to wait until the direct sun burned it off. As I waited, I got a couple flight shots of common birds (Ring-billed Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, and Great Blue Heron). Once the fog cleared, I got some shots of a Double-crested Cormorant feeding frenzy. There were no ducks near the eastern edge of the lake, so after a bit, I left the 'pier' and walked around looking for other species. I got a decent shot of a Carolina Chickadee near the parking lot and then decided to head to Lake Hefner.
Lake Hefner is still drawn down with a large band of mudflat along the edge. I drove all along the southern and western access points, with the most productive area being the Lake Hefner Pier (SW corner). Besides Mallards, I didn't see any other species of ducks. Everything else were common species such as more Great Blue Herons, Great Egret, American White Pelicans, and a single shot of a male Downy Woodpecker. I did get a fly-over from an American Eagle, but I was not able to get a keeper photo because I noticed it too late. Like usual, I tried to get behavior shots, especially of GBH's plunging and swallowing. I also got a couple of them when they flipped a fish for easy swallowing (beak open with the fish 'suspended' in midair). I also photographed a Great Egret sitting on its ankles. I've never seen this before.
