Weekend Critters – Oxley Nature Center and More

Earlier this week I spent the morning at Oxley Nature Center here in Tulsa. I was hoping to see some deer but I went too late for that I think. I did find some mosquitos, or rather they they found me!! Thanks to slathering on my 40% DEET repellant and I emerged unscathed from them but they followed me everywhere.

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While still on the boardwalk off the visitor center I spotted this gray squirrel and their friend. They are very shy.

Just off the boardwalk I found these. INaturalist says they may be a wild iris. I loved the color.

Where a Green Heron had been just a minute or two earlier.

I walked on down to Coal Creek and stopped at this swampy area. There was a guy there with a huge camera and one of those gigantic grey colored lens on it. He said there was a green heron. He told me where to go to see it which was just a few steps from where I was standing. So I went over and looked and looked, he eventually wandered back and tried to help me find it but he couldn’t find it either. He showed me one of photos he captured and then left. So I stayed for a while and two other people showed up making lots of noise and then the heron sprang up from right where I had been looking and went into the tree canopy and I lost sight of it. I just got a glimpse of it. I’d never seen one before.

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And then I walked along Coal Creek hoping to see the otters that live there but again, too late in the day. These turtles were all over the place.

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I was walking along one of the muddy trails and saw this snake wriggling its way along the same trail. It slithered into the brush so I went and found it. I think it is a rat snake. Lots of them at Oxley.

And here is a Relive Video of my first hike at Oxley.

I went back to the Visitor Center and drove to a remote section of Oxley called the North Woods and hiked their loop. I saw no wildlife at all except the mosquitos were really out. I was hiking along and I heard this sound like some critter was really in distress. What in the world I thought and I came up on this group of four guys with big huge cameras and they had an electronic device that was making very loud bird calls. All the birds in the area were responding to it and the guys were scoping the trees with binoculars. When they saw me they acted a little sheepish, and told me they were trying to call warblers. I said okay and walked on and they took their device and moved on elsewhere. Anyway I enjoyed the rest of my hike without the racket they were making.

Here is the Relive Video of my second hike.

On the home front, we put out a hummingbird feeder and within a day we saw a hummingbird feeding at it. I put up my trailcam and no hummingbird’s on it yet. We got this squirrel checking it out.

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The only bird I’ve captured is this hawk (I think it’s a hawk) high in the air.

Speaking of squirrels, here is an action shot of me mowing the yard.

I’m linking Eileen’s Saturday’s Critters. Check it out!

10 thoughts on “Weekend Critters – Oxley Nature Center and More

  1. Gaelyn

    I like the relive videos, and the squirrel. Don’t approve of bird calling by photographers, confuses the birds.

  2. Alana

    The iris (if that is what the flowers are) are a lovely find. I can understand why those birders with the recordings looked sheepish – I understand that many birders are opposed to that practice. Mowing the lawn while it is 100 degrees – ugh!

  3. Nancy Chan

    Cute squirrel. They are usually too fast for me to take snapshots of them. Looks like there is some shade while you mow the grass. Enjoy your weekend.

  4. Sallie

    Those birders with the call were committing a crime against nature if not one that is against the law. Horrible to disturb the birds in that way, how selfish of them. I’m also sorry those other noisy hikers disturbed the green heron, but at least you got to see it. (I was at Six Mile one day trying to take a picture of a bird (from a respectful distance) and some idiot walked up behind me and yelled “whatcha doing, taking a picture of a bird?”. I wanted to shoot him (and not with my camera)…… OK rant over. Sorry about that.
    This was a great hike in spite of the annoyances — what a great place!

  5. Eileen

    Hello,
    Except for the mosquitoes sounds like a nice hike and great sightings. It took me forever to find the Green herons, they blend in so well. I like seeing all those turtles, I hope the snake was a friendly one. Those birders should know better to call warblers during the mating/breeding season. Pretty irises, I have similar irises called Siberian Iris. I am sure your hummingbird feeder will be attracting the hummers soon. Great videos! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend! PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

  6. Fun60

    Looks like a good hike except for the mosquitoes. Even covered in deet those mosquitoes are so annoying. Hope you have more luck seeing the hummingbirds.

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