Scissortail Ballet
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
One look at the impossibly long tail of the scissor-tailed flycatcher might make you wonder if handicaps this bird by its excess. But once you see the owners in flight, you realize the tails have a purpose.
They act as rudders of sorts, allowing the birds to dart after flying insects with finesse.
The males sport the longer tails, and if they had the capability, they’d probably take great pride in their amazing accouterments.
This is the Oklahoma state bird, and in summer they find plenty of places in the small trees dotting fields and prairies to make their nests.
It seems as if the scissortails revel in their acrobatic ability.
Notice the female’s shorter tail.
These birds were at Fort Sill, which is part of the Wichita Mountains.
In fall they gather by the dozens – or even hundreds – as they discuss their migration flight plans.
I haven’t seen a gathering that large, but just seeing one in an aerial ballet is enough majesty for me.
Photos and text copyrighted by Cindy McIntyre
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Website: CindyMcIntyre.com
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Nighthawks and Pauraques
Common nighthawk
Nighthawks are among the birds of my childhood. Their “buick buick” calls at dusk, the quick wingbeats followed by a glide, remind me of warm Southern nights. I remember being outside when it was nearly dark, and a nighthawk flew past my head.
I took off after it in my bare feet. (My feet were perpetually black in summer from running on pavement).
It landed in the fields behind our house, and to my surprise I was able to pick it up. I carried it around awhile, proud of my trophy. I figured it was a juvenile that didn’t know how to fly very well yet.
Of course, I released it after a few minutes.
I’ve seen male nighthawks courting their ladies. The females were on a post or the ground and the male would make a steep dive, pulling up with a roar of wind through his wingtips. It was an amazing sound.
Here’s a female I saw last month in Osage County, Oklahoma just as the sun had set. The male was flying nearby and you can hear the “roar” as he dives near her off-camera.
The common nighthawk is found all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The lesser nighthawk is found in very southern parts of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California. Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of a lesser nighthawk.
I’ve only seen lesser nighthawks at Big Bend National Park in Texas. They tended to run right into my car headlights after insects, and it broke my heart when I hit one.
Notice how big the eyes are. Nighthawks need to see in the dark. The mouths are huge, too, to scoop flying bugs into their maw.
I saw about two dozen common nighthawks on a trip through farmland between Lawton and Frederick, Oklahoma recently. I’ve never seen so many before, many sitting on fence posts or “bob wahr.” One was even high on a phone line.
I also saw relatives of theirs, the common pauraque, in far South Texas several years ago. We were told exactly where they were resting amid leaves on the ground at Estero Llano Grande State Park. But it still took a minute to see them even though they were literally out in the open. That’s how good the camouflage was.
Common Pauraque
See what I mean?
Common pauraque
Here’s an interesting tidbit from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website: Eastern common nighthawks are browner than those from the northern Great Plains, which are silvery gray overall.
Photos and text copyrighted by Cindy McIntyre
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Website: CindyMcIntyre.com
Online gallery: Smugmug and Fine Art America
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Contact: cindy at cindymcintyre.com
Hackberry Flat in Spring
American Badger
I figured I’d start with the badger since it’s the most unusual animal of the day. It’s technically not in the boundaries of Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in Southwest Oklahoma, but pretty close. Read the rest of this entry »
Rattlesnake Roundup
I’m not a fan of this, really. It’s not what I would call a lighthearted family event. But geeze Louise, it’s a tradition here in Oklahoma. It’s part of the culture. I mean, many of these folks are raised on farms. They hunt and fish. They eat what they kill. But still…
There are some interesting facts that accompany a rattlesnake roundup like this one. And some opinions that may or may not be accurate. To be honest, I found it fascinating. All of it. Even the part that comes next — the shock and awe of seeing a perfectly good snake butchered. I was transfixed. Don’t watch this next video if you get easily freaked out. Read the rest of this entry »
Birds at my feeder
Male house finch
My best photographs of birds at my backyard feeder come on overcast days, because there are too many window reflections on a sunny day. Read the rest of this entry »
Owls ‘n Hawks
Short-eared owl
I understand the short-eared owls at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in Southwest Oklahoma will be leaving soon for their breeding grounds up north. This was my second time seeing them last Sunday. Read the rest of this entry »
Apache, Oklahoma
Apache, Oklahoma murals
There’s a little town in Southwest Oklahoma not too far from where I live, and it’s impressive for two things. One is the number of murals painted everywhere on the town’s main street.
Apache, Oklahoma murals
Kestrel (Sparrow Hawk)
American kestrel male
I spent about an hour last month photographing a single male American kestrel, also known as a sparrow hawk. When he first arrived at the blind at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in southwest Oklahoma, he was wet. Read the rest of this entry »
Harriers and a Merlin
Northern Harrier
Harriers, also known as marsh hawks, are a very common sight here in southwestern Oklahoma in winter. Although the Cornell Lab of Ornithology map shows they occur year-round in the northwestern parts of our state, I did not see any last summer. They were replaced by the very numerous Mississippi kites. Read the rest of this entry »
American Bittern and Some Other Birds
American bittern
Sometimes you have to look hard to find a bird that blends in so well with its surroundings as does the American bittern.
I was with another birder on Jan. 2 when a photographer drove up and told us where to find a bittern at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in southwestern Oklahoma. Read the rest of this entry »
