LOCATION: Northeast Lake (OKC Zoo Lake)
Contributed by: Nancy Vicars & Ernie Wilson
35.312017 N 97.275778 W
DESCRIPTION OF AREA: A small lake and park with mostly oak trees plus several brushy hillsides. This is a public park and the gate is open from dawn to dusk. Ample parking is available in several locations on the south side of the lake with convenient access from I-35. There are areas where you can observe waterfowl from your parked car which is delightful especially for handicapped birders or in extreme weather conditions.
 In addition to the Oklahoma City Zoo, this lake is in the immediate vicinity of Remington Park Race Track, the Kirkpatrick Center OmniPlex, National Softball Hall of Fame and Lincoln Park Golf Course.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
From: I-35 exit #132A onto NE 50th St. and turn west for .4 mile. At the intersection with Grand Blvd., jog SW into the entrance of the south end of the lake. A loop drive returns to the starting point.
From: I-44 exit #129 onto ML King Blvd. and turn south at the 2nd traffic light. Turn east onto Remington Place continue past the zoo then turn right onto Grand Blvd.
Year-round: Canada Goose, Mallard, Wood Duck, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Great-blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Crow, Red-tailed & Red-shouldered Hawks, American Kestrel, Mourning Dove, Red-winged Blackbird, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina & Bewick’s Wrens, Northern Mockingbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy, Red-headed & Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Common & Great-tailed Grackle and House Finch.
Spring: Migrating Wood Warblers including Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Northern Parula, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green, Blackpoll, Black & White, American Redstart, Prothonotary, Ovenbird, Northern & Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentucky, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson’s, Canada & Yellow-breasted Chat. Blue-headed, Warbling, Red-eyed & White-eyed Vireos, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Wood & Swainson’s Thrushes , Olive-sided, Least and Acadian Flycatchers, House Wren, Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows.
Summer: Mississippi Kite, Great & Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned & Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Green-backed & Little Blue Herons, Scissor-tailed, Great Crested, Western & Eastern Flycatchers, Eastern Phoebe, Summer Tanager, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Orchard & Baltimore Orioles, Field & Lark Sparrows, Barn, Cliff & Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Purple Martin, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
Winter: Ducks species are generally plentiful and include American Wigeon, Redhead, Canvasback, Gadwall, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead and Hooded Merganser. Double-crested Cormorant, Ring-billed & Bonaparte’s Gulls may also be present. Woodland birds include Great-horned Owl, Cooper’s & Sharp-shinned Hawks, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, Winter & Marsh Wrens, Cedar Waxwing, Ruby & Golden-crowned Kinglets, Spotted & Eastern Towhees, Fox, Song, Swamp, Lincoln, Harris’, White-throated & White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco and American Goldfinch.
ACCIDENTAL: Bald Eagle, Roseate Spoonbill, Osprey, American White Pelican, American Bittern, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Long-billed Curlew, Wilson’s Snipe and American Woodcock. There is the possibility of some great mammal sightings such as Fox, Bobcat, Deer and Coyote.
BIRDING OBSERVATION LOCATIONS:
Drive the loop road and bird from your car or walk along the lake from any parking location on the south side of the lake. Be sure to check the vine covered, overgrown, brushy hillsides carefully. Patience and pishing helps to bring those secretive species out for a quick look. There is a small stream near the north end of the loop drive that provides excellent habitat , especially in the winter. It is the best place to check for wintering Sparrows, Towhees and Wrens. At the point where the stream enters the lake is the best place to look for the elusive Winter & Marsh Wrens and Swamp Sparrows. There are trees where you can bring a chair and your scope to observe birds in the shade and enjoy a picnic. Be sure to always scope out along the north shore (Zoo side) for the resident Wood Ducks.
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LOCATION: Yukon City Park (Yukon, OK)
Contributed by Jimmy Woodard
 Description: Yukon City Park, Chisholm Trail Park and Freedom Trail Playground are interconnected recreation facilities on approx. 100 acres in Yukon just north of I-40. The Copeland Nature Trail runs along a heavily wooded creek on the east side of the park. The trail includes tall cottonwoods and several patches of dense trees with heavy undergrowth. There is a gravel trail through the woods on the south end of the park. The north end of Copeland Trail is dirt or grass and follows along the 5-acre Mulvey’s Pond. There is also a wide dirt trail along Spring Creek that goes north from the dam. This trail runs north across open fields to Chisholm Trail Park.
Yukon City Park is a 47 acre-facility; covered shelters, playgrounds, restrooms, junior Olympic size pool, kiddy pool, 10-acre pond, nature trails, horseshoe courts, baseball, softball, sand volleyball and football fields, basketball, bank-shot basketball courts – includes award winning handicapped accessible Freedom Trail Playground, designed for all children.
The Park is located on the area in eastern Canadian County where the Chisholm Trail passed during the post-Civil War days of cattle drives from Texas to Abilene, Kansas. Mulvey’s Pond is the actual site of the last spring-fed watering hole the cowboys and cattle encountered before reaching Abilene. It was considered the last guaranteed water on the trip through Indian Territory.
 Directions: West of Oklahoma City on I-40. Exit north at Czech Hall Road. Turn west on NW 10th and turn north on S. Holly, the first street you approach.
Recent sightings (fall 2006): Downy, Redhead, Red-bellied, and Flicker woodpeckers. Bewick’s Carolina and House Wrens. Great Crested and Least Flycatchers. Warblers included Black & White, Redstart (male and female), Nashville, Orange-crowned, Yellow, Wilson’s, and Common Yellowthroat, as well as Blue-headed and Warbling Vireos. Other birds seen were Sharp-shinned Hawk, Osprey (2 migrating together), Robins, Blue Jays, Bullock’s Oriole, Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, and several
Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
Other birding opportunities: Lake Overholser is located northeast of Yukon City Park. Also located in the area are Rose Lake and Stinchcomb Wildlife Preserve (north of Lake Overholser).
LOCATION: Lake Thunderbird and Lake Thunderbird State park
Contributed by Larry Mays
35.124510 N 97.181061 W
Lake Thunderbird is located in Cleveland County east of Norman. The lake covers approximately 6,070 acres, and has about 86 miles of shoreline. The state park covers 1,874 acres on the north and south shores of the lake.
 Birding the lake is best during migration and in winter when the crowds have gone. Lake Thunderbird is one of the most used lakes in Oklahoma, but most of the visitors have gone when the waters become too cool for skiing and swimming. The state park lands, however, can be birded all year with interesting results. Just be aware that ticks and chiggers abound, and be alert for pigmy rattlesnakes and copperheads when birding off the trails.
The visiting birder can expect a variety of resident birds in the mixed habitat surrounding the lake, and the lake itself attracts many species. Such species as chickadees and titmice, and several species of woodpeckers are common year round. American Crow, Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, and Northern Mockingbird are some of the species which are permanent residents in the park. Migration and summer bring good numbers of neotropical species which both pass through and nest in the park. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Summer Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Red-eyed Vireo, Indigo Bunting and Painted Bunting are some of the species that can be quite common.
The easiest access to the lake and park is from State Highway (SH) 9. From Interstate 35 on the south side or Norman take the Tecumseh (SH9) exit. There are approaches from both north and south and SH9 goes only east from this point. From the exit travel east approximately 11 miles. Look for the intersection with East 84th Street. This is the easiest way to access the north side of the lake. State Park lands are adjacent to the road at several places. Two and a half miles north on 84th Street brings you to Alameda Street. Turn right and follow Alameda to Robinson Street. Robinson Street runs east until it dead ends at the lake. There are many places to bird in this area. You can find several spots to glass the lake as well.
If you return to SH9 and continue east 2 miles, you can then turn north on 108th Street. Go north one mile, then back west on Lindsay one mile to where it turns north onto 94th street. Look for a pulloff spot just west of this corner. Birding here is almost always good. This is a regular spot for Prothonotary Warbler. Mourning Warbler has been seen here during migration, and Kentucky Warblers have spent the summer here.
Back on SH 9 continue east another 2.5 miles and watch for the state park sign on the left. You can follow the roads down to several campgrounds, boat ramps and such, and birding can be good anywhere.
Return again to SH9 and continue east another mile and turn left at the marked road. This road leads to the dam, and a nice campground and picnic area. There are also several hiking trails here which access good birding areas. You can also glass the lake by walking out onto the dam a little distance.
Once more back to SH9, and follow the highway as it turns north. In about a mile look for an access road to the left. Although the road is now closed to cars, you can pull off (be sure not to block the roadway when you park), and bird the woodland below the dam.
Another area worth exploring is the Little Axe park at Lake Thunderbird. Turn north on 156th Street NE and follow signs to the park area.
Continue east and look for the intersection for Little Axe School. Turn right on to 168th Street, and follow the road to the bottom of the hill. About a half mile south on the left is an oilfield access road onto which you can pull off and then bird from the road. This wooded creek and surrounding areas can be an excellent birding spot during migration. Frequently Barred Owls are heard here as well as Pileated Wodpeckers, Red-shouldered Hawks and Parula Warblers.
LOCATION: Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge
From the 1986 edition of A Guide to Birding in Oklahoma published by the Tulsa Audubon Society, and partially updated in 2007.
This marshland and the adjoining heavily wooded swamp along the North Canadian River for a little over 2 miles have been designated as a wildlife refuge. It is available for hikers and at times by permit for entry by cars along paralleling dirt roads. The refuge lies just north of Lake Overholser, north of US 66.
The primary ways to enjoy the refuge are by foot, mountain bike and boat. Several trails suitable for hiking run through the refuge linking four small lakes to the river. Entrances to the trails are from NW 50th on the east side of the refuge and County Line and Morgan Roads on the west side.
Nesting Prothonotary Warblers and Wood Ducks are found in the several ponds along the river roads. Indigo Buntings, American Goldfinches, smaller woodpeckers, and Carolina Wrens are among the small birds present. Late summer concentrations of Double-crested Cormorants may number in the hundreds. Mississippi Kites, Swainson’s and Red-tailed Hawks use the area as well as Great Horned, Barred, and Eastern Screech-Owls. When water levels are low, wading birds including White-faced Ibis and rarely such southern visitors as the White Ibis. During the periods of migration warblers, kinglets, and smaller flycatchers are abundant. Fall weather brings the wintering sparrows: Song, Swamp, Lincoln’s, White-throated, White-crowned, Harris’s and Fox.
Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge is managed by the Oklahoma City Water Trust. The four ‘lakes’ on the refuge serve as sedimentation basins for the NW Oklahoma City water system. Water from the North Canadian River (which becomes the Oklahoma River as it flows through downtown Oklahoma City) is backed up from Lake Overholser (just to the South) into the refuge, where the sediment drops out prior to diverting it to storage in Lake Hefner (to the NW).
LOCATION: Rose Lake – Yukon
Contributed by Patricia Velte
35.53309 N 97.70682 W
Rose Lake is located near Northwest 63rd and Sara Road in Yukon
Editor’s Note: This Hot Spot report is under construction and will be updated by more experienced birders as soon as they volunteer. For now, I’ll do my best to provide the basic information about Rose Lake.
 Rose Lake is something of a mystery. It is located in eastern Canadian County, on the west side of Sara Road, just south of Northwest 63rd Street. I don’t know who owns the land, I don’t know how long the lake has been there, but there will be seasons, and even years, when the area is dry and sometimes planted in crops. The term lake is something of a misnomer, I believe. Rose Lake is very shallow and is really a low area that appears to be prone to flooding when rainwater is abundant. But then again, the landowner seems to have the ability to drain the land for agriculture or fill the lake with rainwater. I’ve provided a photo of the lake as it appeared in May 2006. There are times when the water reaches closer to the road… and then times when there are only small muddy puddles. Whatever or whomever is in control of this area, it is certainly an incredible hot spot for migrant birds.
Perhaps its location about 3 miles northwest (as the bird flies) from Lake Overholser is part of its appeal to migrants. I’ve wondered if they’re drawn to Overholser’s large water mass but then find Rose Lake’s very shallow and marshy areas more to their liking.
Birders frequently report a wide variety of sandpipers at Rose Lake during spring and fall migration. It’s very easy to pull over along the gravel road and watch White-faced Ibis; Little Blue Heron; Snowy, Great and Cattle Egrets; Wilson’s Snipe; Avocet; Yellow-crowned and Black-crowned Night-Herons; Mississippi Kite; Red-tailed Hawks, Osprey, gulls and terns.
 Several birders have located Glossy Ibis and Common Moorhen at Rose Lake. I’m not one of them so they are still on my “wish list.” But I have seen several Yellow-head Blackbirds in the areas around Rose Lake. In fact, if you travel north on Sara Road to 63rd and turn right, you can find quite a few grebes, Canada Geese, Killdeer, and Red-winged Blackbirds along the ponds and ditches.
If you continue east on 63rd Street, you’ll find open fields that attract hawks, harriers and kestrel. 63rd Street ends at Morgan Road and it’s an easy trip to Lake Overholser if you turn south for two miles and cross 39th Street Expressway (Route 66).
LOCATION: Myriad Botanical Garden
Contributed by Nancy Vicars
35.275141 N 97.31429 W
 DESCRIPTION OF AREA: The Myriad Gardens are a welcome oasis in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City for migrating birds. The delightful seventeen acres are as varied as they are beautiful, with trees, graceful hills, inspired plantings, and several lily ponds complete with shimmering carp. There is a public parking lot located on the southeast corner of Robinson & Reno Avenues. This facility is in the immediate vicinity of the Cox Convention & Ford Event Centers and two blocks West of Bricktown.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
From Westbound I-40, exit #150C to Robinson Ave., turn right (North) proceed to Reno Ave. then turn left (West) onto Reno then jog immediately right to enter the public parking lot.
From Eastbound I-40, exit #150B to Harvey Ave., turn right (North) proceed 3 blocks to Reno Ave., turn right (East) onto Reno Ave., go ½ block then turn left to enter the public parking lot.
Year-round: Canada Goose, Mallard, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, American Crow, Northern Mockingbird, Bewick’s Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Great-tailed Grackle, Northern Cardinal, House Finch and House Sparrow.
Spring: Migrating Wood Warblers including Orange-crowned, Nashville, Northern Parula, Yellow, Black & White, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson’s and Yellow-breasted Chat. Blue-headed, Warbling & Philadelphia Vireos, Eastern Phoebe, Olive-sided, Least and Great-crested Flycatchers, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Clay-colored & Chipping Sparrows, House Wren, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Summer Tanager.
Summer: Eastern & Western Kingbirds, Baltimore Oriole, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Winter: Sparrow species include Song, Fox, Harris’s, White-throated & White-crowned, Lincoln and Field. Spotted & Eastern Towhees, Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Common Flicker, American Goldfinch and Marsh Wren.
Accidental: Common Barn Owl, Cooper’s & Sharp-shinned Hawks, Wood Duck, Belted Kingfisher, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Wilson’s Snipe, Common Poorwill, Killdeer, Red-headed Woodpecker and Black-throated Blue Warbler.
Additional Species observed flying over and or perched on near-by buildings:
Turkey & Black Vultures, Osprey, Red-tailed & Swainson’s Hawks, American Kestrel, Peregrine & Prairie Falcons, Chimney Swift, Purple Martin and Mississippi Kite.
Birding Observation Locations: Beginning at the public parking area, there is an upper and lower pathway that will circle around and through the entire garden. Pay close attention where the habitat includes dense shrubs, hedges and vines as this provides excellent cover for Towhees, Sparrows, Kinglets and Hermit Thrush during the winter season. In the spring and summer, Brown Thrashers and Catbirds like these same areas. Around any water feature always check for Common Yellow-throats and Marsh Wren. Most all the trees and plants produce fruit or berries which in turn attract insects that lay eggs and produce larvae that provide BIRD FOOD. With all this shelter, water and food it is no wonder this is truly a Garden of Eden for the birds.
This bird list is the result of a weekly one year census, beginning October 6, 2001 thru October 10, 2002, by Oklahoma City Audubon members, Nancy Vicars, Max Fuller, Nealand Hill and additional sightings as a result of Oklahoma City Audubon Field Trips over the years.
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LOCATION: Mitch Park – Edmond�
Contributed by Terri Underhill
35.411255 N 97.300477 W
Mitch Park 1501 W. Covell (between Kelly & Sante Fe) in NW Edmond OK.
Mitch is a 133-acre park which features several play-grounds including handicap accessible facilities, multiple use trials, basketball courts, pavilions, picnic tables, grills, amphitheater, Multiple Activity Center and sports fields with concession stand and restrooms.
 Getting to the park is easily accessible entering Covell from either Kelly or Santa Fe. You can take the main entrance into the park or follow the signs to the Mathis Skate Park on the east side of Mitch and north of Cheyenne Middle School. Both entrances are on Covell, along the south side of the park. Personally, I prefer to park and enter at the Skate Park since I can see and hear birds before I’ve even step foot on a trail.
During the summer months you most likely will have already seen numerous Mississippi Kites soaring before you even enter the park. The wooded areas of Edmond are ideal for nesting and therefore loved by the Kites, Red Shouldered Hawk and numerous raptors. This is the habitat they prefer to breed and raise their young in.
During the summer months the first song you’ll want to listen for is the melodious song of the Painted Buntings. The males sing from the tops of the trees along the paved trails close to the area he nests in. The city of Edmond has done a fine job landscaping with native vegetation the birds and wildlife seem to thrive on. Throughout the park are benches and feeding stations where you can sit and enjoy the birds. I sometimes take along bird seed just in case the feeding stations have been depleted from the squirrels and rabbits.
The majority of the trails are paved and a newly-opened trail bridge opened during the winter of 2005. This new bridge is a great area to observe the Louisiana Waterthrush during the summer months. The Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks also enjoy this area and can be seen and heard during their summer stay.
 On the east side of the bridge and about 200′ south, there’s an unmarked opening in the dense trees. This is where you can walk down to a hidden waterfall and see the wonderful red rock our state is commonly known for. If you’ve ever had the urge to step back in nature but don’t want to take a drive to the country, this is great little place to check out. This beautiful area is a bird magnet in the heat of the day when the birds and critters come to bath and drink from the cool pools of water below the slow streaming fall.
On the south end of the trails is a man-made overlook. This is a great place for getting a bird’s eye view of the trees tops from down below and even a closer look at a variety of birds. Native birds can be seen carrying nesting material in spring and later caring for their young in this densely wooded area. Mockingbirds, Thrashers, Bluebirds and many other fruit loving birds and wildlife can be seen enjoying the extremely popular fruit from the native Chickasaw Plums bordering many of the nicely paved trails. An assortment of Sparrows and many other birds use the dense thicket of Chickasaw Plums for nesting and a safe haven for their young. The thorny spurs give maximum protection against even the boldest of predators.
(Click
here for download / printable version of map)
Species seen
(Number of Species: 82 as of
5-15-06)
List compiled by
Terri Underhill, Pat Velte & Susy Hall
s=summer, w=winter, a=all year, m=migrant
Northern Bobwhite (a)
Turkey Vulture (a)
Mississippi Kite (s)
Northern Harrier (w)
Red-shouldered Hawk (a)
Red-tailed Hawk (a)
American Kestrel (a)
Killdeer (a)
Rock Pigeon (a)
Mourning Dove (a)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (s)
Great Horned Owl (a)
Barred Owl (a)
Common Nighthawk (s)
Chimney Swift (s)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (s)
Belted Kingfisher (a)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (a)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (w)
Downy Woodpecker (a)
Northern Flicker (a)
Eastern Phoebe (a)
Great Crested Flycatcher (s)
Western Kingbird (s)
Eastern Kingbird (s)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (s)
Blue-headed Vireo (m)
Blue Jay (a)
American Crow (a)
Purple Martin (s)
Carolina Chickadee (a)
Tufted Titmouse (a)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (w)
White-breasted Nuthatch (a)
Brown Creeper (w)
Carolina Wren (a)
Bewick’s Wren (a)
House Wren (a)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (w)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (w)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (s)
Eastern Bluebird (a)
Swainson’s Thrush (m)
Hermit Thrush (w)
Northern Mockingbird (a)
Brown Thrasher (a)
European Starling (a)
Cedar Waxwing (w)
Tennessee Warbler (m)
Orange-crowned Warbler (m)
Nashville Warbler (m)
Yellow Warbler (s)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (w)
Louisiana Waterthrush (s)
Wilson’s Warbler (m)
Spotted Towhee (w)
Chipping Sparrow (s)
Field Sparrow (a)
Vesper Sparrow (w)
Lark Sparrow (s)
Savannah Sparrow (w)
Fox Sparrow (w)
Song Sparrow (w)
Lincoln’s Sparrow (w)
White-throated Sparrow (w)
Harris’s Sparrow (w)
White-crowned Sparrow (w)
Dark-eyed Junco (w)
Northern Cardinal (a)
Blue Grosbeak (s)
Indigo Bunting (s)
Painted Bunting (s)
Dickcissel (s)
Red-winged Blackbird (a)
Eastern Meadowlark (a)
Western Meadowlark (a)
Common Grackle (a)
Great-tailed Grackle (a)
Brown-headed Cowbird (a)
House Finch (a)
American Goldfinch (w)
House Sparrow (a)
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LOCATION: Martin Park Nature Center
Contributed by Henry Benedict
35.363295 N 97.363365 W
Description: Martin Park is a 140-acre nature park with over 3.5 miles of nature trails, ponds and a bird feeder blind. The staffed center includes a hands-on museum, browsing library, gift shop, and restroom. It is managed by the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and closed through the Christmas holidays.
 Martin Park is a wildlife sanctuary so smoking, pets, fishing, hunting, bike riding, camping, fires and other activities are not allowed. Naturalist Neil Garrison is often on duty to answer any questions. The park is a big piece of country in the middle of suburban Oklahoma City and well worth the visit.
Directions: Martin Park Nature Center located just west of Mercy Hospital at 5000 West Memorial Road, on the south side of Memorial between North MacArthur Boulevard and Meridian Avenue. Traffic is one-way, eastbound at the entrance to the park. Accessing the are from the east: take Memorial Road west past Meridian and look for the left turn at the top of the hill (about .5 mile). (See map)
While visiting the park, look for deer and armadillo. Many species of birds call the park their home:
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Lesser Scaup
Northern Bobwhite
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Barn Owl
Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
|
Red-bellied
Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Bewick’s Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing |
Yellow-rumped
Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Harris’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow |
Related sites:
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Birding Places & Checklists 
Birding Hot Spots
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Central
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With its variety of habitats, birding can be good here any season of the year. Obviously, spring and fall migrations are best with the combination of migrant passerines, shorebirds and waterfowl producing the largest numbers of birds. Winter can be productive with large rafts of ducks, gulls and cormorants, especially during iceover events.
From Stars & Stripes Park there are hiking trails that access all sides of the lake. There is also a quasi creek the ends south of the road. Water birds in this area are primarily dabbling ducks, geese, and waders. The south side of Lake Hefner offers a great diversity of habitat as there are many trees, mowed areas, undisturbed habitat, and cedar plantings. The lake in this area has many fingers or small coves that are easily accessed by the path. There is only a small amount of marshland. When the lake level is low there are extensive flats at “Hobie Point” or the YMCA Sailing Center that is well marked on the Lake Road a few hundred yards west of Portland Ave.