Wintering Longspurs John Muller will be the guest presenter at the November 18 meeting of the Oklahoma City Audubon Society . The title of John’s presentation: “Movement, Habitat Associations, and Distribution of Oklahoma’s Wintering Longspurs and Co -Occurring Species.” For his Master’s Thesis John studied the wintering ecology of Sprague’s Pipits along the Texas Coastal Prairie. John is currently in the third year of his Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma where he is studying the wintering ecology of migratory grassland birds, specifically focusing on the four species of Longspur. John is collecting local and landscape - level habitat measurements where Longspurs are found to build hierarchical habitat models to help focus conservation actions. He is also attaching radio -transmitters to Chestnut - collared Longspurs ( Calcarius ornatus ) at the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge to determine daily and seasonal movement, wintering home range, social structure and within -season factors that are affecting mortality to this imperiled species. John was born and raised in Austin, TX and has always been an avid naturalist with primary interests shifting between plants, birds, herps, butterflies, and fish. He completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Wildlife Ecology from Texas State University. In between degrees he worked for multiple agencies, institutions and NGOs including Tishomingo NWR, Buenos Aires NWR, Fort Hood and Fort Sill Military bases, The National Park Service, and Tucson Audubon Society. Our meetings are held September through June on the third Monday of each month (with the exception of January, when the meeting is held on the fourth Monday). Meetings begin at 7 p.m. Visitors are always welcome. Meeting Location : Our meetings are held at the Will Rogers Garden center, located at the intersection of NW 36th Street and I -44. President’s Perspective Even the way birds reproduce is related to flight. Instead of carrying the extra weight of developing young inside By Betz Hacker their bodies, they lay eggs and incubate them in a nest. There is so much to learn about each bird and probably I often wonder what attracts even more importantly, they are just plain fun to watch! people to birding. Whether a backyard birder, a casual Tall Tales observer, citizen scientist, or December is the month we have a potluck and share bird a competitive birder, what is stories. It's always a lot of fun, so come prepared! it about these winged vertebrates that draws us to Christmas Bird Count them? Saturday, December 14. Nathan Kuhnert will be calling volunteers. We will meet at a Johnny's Restaurant All birders are often asked (location to be announced) at the end of the day to tally the question, “what is their the results. favorite bird.” While I admit to being partial to 3 species of bluebirds, for me, it's truly a Volunteers question that has no answer. A big thank you to all the OCAS volunteers! Every place I go, I see birds and they are all different. Some birds run, while others jump, hide, swim, and dive. Birds are found worldwide and in all habitats. The largest is the nine -foot -tall ostrich. The smallest is the two -inch -long bee hummingbird. Some, like penguins, that have lost the ability to fly but retained their wings and are adept swimmers, defy my imagination. Dedicated birders actually enjoy venturing out in frigid weather with hurricane force winds to find a rare species, like the black scoter on Lake Hefner. The anatomy of a bird is the reason it can fly. For example, Oklahoma City Audubon Society birds wings are shaped to create lift. The leading edge is Officers 2019 thicker than the back edge and are covered in feathers of various sizes that narrow to a point. Each species' feathers President Elizabeth Hacker 638 -6210 are different and suited to its flight. Most birds use tail Vice President Grace Huffman 388 -7369 - feathers for directional steering. We are fortunate that Secretary Sharon Henthorn 521 9958 Treasurer Nancy Vicars 831 -1945 Warren Harden, often brings feathers to our meetings and Parliament Valerie Bradshaw 664 -6956 asks members to identify the bird. We all try to guess Programs Warren Harden 596 -2759 before he explains what it is and its purpose. Recorder Esther M. Key 735 -1021 Conservation Ann Sherman 410 -8656 The bones and muscles of a birds wing are also highly Field Trips Nancy Vicars 831 -1945 specialized. The main bone, the humerus, which is similar Jimmy Woodard 365 -5685 - to the upper arm of a mammal, is hollow instead of solid. It Hal Yokum 819 4852 Bob Holbrook 496 -1731 also connects to the bird’s air sac system, which, in turn, Newsletter Editor Patricia Velte 751 -5263 connects to its lungs. The powerful flight muscles of the Publicity Doug Eide 495 -8192 shoulder attach to the keel, a special ridge of bone that Historian Vacant runs down the center of the wide breastbone. Refreshments Terri Underhill 844 -1244 Webmaster Patricia Velte 751 -5263 Birds have a unique digestive system that allows them to The Oklahoma City Audubon society is neither a eat when they can, often on the fly, and digest it later. chapter of nor affiliated with National Audubon. Their beaks serve many purposes including grab an insect, crack a nut, To remove feathers and tear flesh, feed For up -to -date Oklahoma City Audubon news visit: chicks, build a nest, drill a cavity and much more. OKC -Audubon.org 2 Cactus Wren, Willow Flycatcher, Western Wood -Pewee, West Texas in Painted Bunting, and Yellow Warbler. We also had a few August hummingbirds. Miller Ranch After birding around the house, we proceeded up another Segment ranch road, where we parked near a tank where spring water was contained and provided a small seep where By Patti Muzny various birds would come to bathe and drink. We took a relatively lengthy hike on a path that lead to the remains of In my last segment of West an old military outpost. Along that trail we were Texas 2019, I started more entertained by a feisty little Canyon Wren that popped up or less in the middle rather on a rock at the edge of a ravine and entertained us quite than at the beginning. It’s nicely. the author’s prerogative, isn’t it? For this article, I’m Some of the other species zeroing in on one of the Davis Mountain Hummingbird we found on our hike were: Festival’s field trips to the Miller Ranch, which is just a few Blue Grosbeak, Rufous - miles from the Mexican border and west of the town of Fort crowned Sparrow, Turkey Davis. Vulture, Rock Wren, Scott’s Oriole, Mockingbird, Say’s We had to be up early, grab a quick breakfast and get in Phoebe, Pyrruloxia, Lark line to carpool out to the ranch. It was Steve’s turn to drive Sparrow, Vermillion his relatively clean Honda CRV and the five of us folded Flycatcher, Black -headed ourselves into it before it was truly daylight and headed out Grosbeak, Ladder -backed of town. Some of the long drive was paved, but a good Woodpecker, Townsend’s portion of it was West Texas ranch roads. And we had had Warbler and Western Kingbird. I guess the sighting of a rain the night before. West Texas ranch roads in the desert dung beetle doing its job can still be counted as a species! could not be classified as smooth on a good day. Add a Hadn’t seen one of those since I was a farm girl in Payne good downpour that left impressive mud puddles in the County. In the years prior to electronics, we entertained impressive potholes and it makes for an interesting ride. ourselves with whatever was readily available. We also (An Army -issued Hummer would have been more suited for spotted a Javelina skulking along the side of a hill. this trip!) Sometimes we could dodge the deepest holes, but sometimes the side of the road appeared to be a poorer After a long, hot and circuitous hike in the desert, we choice than the middle of the road and the pothole waiting bushwhacked down the side of a ravine into a dry wash to swallow us up. Oh well…it’s only mud, Steve! and returned to our vehicles and drained a few water bottles. It was not cool in the desert, but it was such an By the time we arrived at the ranch headquarters, it was interesting place. While we were grabbing snacks and hard to determine the water, a Varied Bunting landed in the water below the tank color of Steve’s vehicle. and proceeded to grab a drink and a quick shower. We BUT…we arrived in time thought the bunting was pretty special, but we also spotted to see a beautiful a Golden Eagle soaring over the parched terrain. What a sunrise! At the ranch neat treat that was! headquarters we spent some time birding in the We headed back to the ranch and from there traveled the tall cottonwoods and ranch road back to the paved road. By afternoon most of pecan groves that the mud had morphed back into dirt and it was not quite as surrounded the ranch much of a challenge for Steve. And, we spotted house. There was also a Chihuahuan Ravens and a Roadrunner. The desert in late prolific fig tree which attracted a variety of birds and insects. August might be more than a little HOT, but the birding The ranch headquarters was an oasis in the desert and was was quite interesting.