Oklahoma Trip Highlights

Jerry Cooper is the author of that superb book, published by the ABA, called Birdfinder: A Birder's Guide to Planning North American Trips. I was understandably delighted when he offered to show me around his home state of Oklahoma for a few days. In the end it turned out to be a great trip - and not just for me.

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There were several species I particularly wanted to film and Jerry did a great job of getting me and my camera in front of American Tree Sparrow…

…as well as that monster of a sparrow, the Harris's Sparrow:

A trip to a wetland yielded really good views of Ring-necked Duck…

…as well as close-up shots of Common Snipe. Look carefully, because this isn't quite the same as the European Snipe; the heavy barring on the flanks is a clue that this is the American version, commonly known as Wilson's Snipe.

Having filmed the American version of our Snipe, I also wanted the American version of our Hen Harrier. These long-distance shots of a Northern Harrier were the best I could manage.

A bare tree near a sewage pond had two more 'new' birds for our library, the rather plain Brewer's Blackbird…

…and the slightly more colourful Rusty Blackbird with its bronze colouring on its breast.

There was also a chance to get better flight shots of Ring-billed Gulls…

…and the smaller Bonaparte's Gulls.

But the most unexpected bird of the trip was this adult Iceland Gull. When I pointed this out to Jerry he admitted that it wasn't just his first Iceland Gull in Oklahoma, it was also the first he'd seen anywhere. Having also helped him to find his first Goshawk, I was delighted that all his efforts in helping me to see certain birds had been rewarded with a couple of exciting finds for him too. Thanks Jerry.