A Total Eclipse of the Heart
Oklahoma will witness a Total Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. Plus, the results are in for this year's Great Backyard Bird Count.
A Total Eclipse of the Heart
I feel like I’ve been talking about this for months. Well, now the time is finally here. Our country will witness a Total Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024, on a line from Texas to Maine, crossing the very southeastern corner of Oklahoma.
The very center line of the eclipse path crosses the Red River into Oklahoma in a line between Idabel and Haworth and exits into Arkansas east of Eagletown. Still, totality can be experienced across the entire southeastern corner of the state, roughly from 10 miles east of Durant, Oklahoma, to the Arkansas border south of Fort Smith, Arkansas.
In Idabel, Oklahoma, the eclipse will begin at 12:28 PM CDT and end at 3:06 PM, with totality beginning at 1:45 PM, and lasting 4 minutes and 20 seconds.
The rest of the state will see an amazing partial solar eclipse, with coverage of 99% in Durant in the southeast to 78% in Boise City in the northwest.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to travel across the state. So, in Elk City, Oklahoma, where I'll be, the partial eclipse will begin at 12:24 PM CDT with maximum coverage of around 89% at 1:42 PM. It’ll still be quite a show.
Please remember to view the solar eclipse safely. DO NOT look directly at the sun without proper protection. DO NOT use regular sunglasses. You will damage your eyes. Only use specialized solar eclipse glasses and ISO and CE-certified filters for solar viewing. For more information on viewing the eclipse safely, please read this.
Fun fact: The single version of “A Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler is 4 minutes and 27 seconds.
The next total solar eclipse to be viewable in Oklahoma will be August 12, 2045. Mark your calendars now. Ha!
The Great Backyard Bird Count
The results for this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count have been released. This year, a remarkable 7,920 species of birds were identified.
A snapshot as of March 12, 2024:
7,920 species of birds identified
210 countries or subregions
384,416 eBird checklists
313,874 Merlin Bird IDs (step-by-step, sound, or photo)
164,740 photos, videos, and sounds added to Macaulay Library
642,003 estimated global participants
385 reported community events
In Oklahoma, 163 species were observed with 994 completed checklists. That includes my three. Ha!
Oklahoma County reported the most species identified (102), followed by Tulsa (92), Noble (93), and Payne (87) counties. My three here in Beckham County round out the bottom of the list with McIntosh (3) and Major (1) counties. Ten counties didn’t have any results.
Ring-billed Gulls, Snow Geese, American Robins, and Red-winged Blackbirds were the most reported in the state. My three, Mourning Doves, House Sparrows, and Blue Jays, show up near the middle of the list. And a few Bald Eagles were even counted this year.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is always fun to participate in. The next count will be February 14-17, 2025. For details, please visit birdcount.org.
In The News
A look at some of the latest headlines from around Oklahoma and beyond.
OSDE approves charter school requests in March board meeting | KFOR
Lawsuit claims Swadley's cheated state out of more than $4.7M | The Oklahoman
Oklahoma legislator's struggle to legalize sports betting due to the lack of an agreement | KTUL
Cherokee Nation’s 2024 special election question: What to know | Cherokee Phoenix
Federal gun-control center unable to give state resources due to ‘Anti-Red Flag Act’ | KSWO
Hacker steals $14k, 33k social media followers from OKC vintage market | KFOR
El Paso residents explain why they didn’t vote in primaries | The Texas Tribune
Meta is limiting how much political content users see. Here's how to opt out of that | KGOU
Poison hemlock, kudzu could be added to an Oklahoma plant hit list | Oklahoma Voice
About Oklahoma: Grant County
Welcome to Grant County.
Grant County is in the north-central part of the state on the Kansas border. It was created in 1893 when the Cherokee Outlet was opened for settlement as County L. The county was later named after President Ulysses S. Grant after an election in 1894.
Medford, Oklahoma, in the center of the county at the intersections of U.S. Highway 81 and State Highway 11 is the county seat and the county’s largest city.
Other notable communities include Manchester, Wakita, and Rentow in the northern, Deer Creek in the eastern, and Nash, Pond Creek, Jefferson, and Lamont in the southern parts of the county.
Wakita, Oklahoma, is home to the Twister Movie Museum. Salt Plains State Park borders the county to the east in neighboring Alfalfa County.
Established: 1893
County Seat: Medford, Oklahoma 73759
Nation: none
Map: Google Maps
Area: 1,001 mi2 (2,593 km2)
Population: 4,169 (2020 Census)
Time Zone: UTC−6 (Central), DST observed
Area Code: 580
Congressional District: 3
State House District: 38
State Senate District: 19
Weather: NWS Norman
Tourism Region: Red Carpet Country
History: Oklahoma Historical Society
Historic Places: [Exploring Oklahoma History](http://blogoklahoma.us/county/grant
More Information: Wikipedia
Extras
Here are some more things I hope you'll find interesting.
Total Solar Eclipse 2024 - WHEN, WHERE, WHAT, HOW, & WHY | Dr. Becky
How to Safely Watch a Total Solar Eclipse | NASA Goddard
Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around) (Official Video)
Your Chip Bags Can Save Lives | Brothers Make
Michael Jackson - Thriller (Electric Device Cover) | Device Orchestra
Feedback Welcome
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Have a great week.
– K.