by Jimmy Woodard
Stroud Lake, boasting 621 surface acres, is about 4 miles northeast of the town of Stroud in the far west end of Creek County. The northwest arm of the lake does extend into Lincoln County for about a half mile and can be accessed from NS3580 from the entrance road to the lake.
Take Hwy 99 north from the Turner Turnpike and turn East(Right) onto EW840. Proceed east two miles. When the Road jogs left into the trees, you are now in Creek County. The next mile goes thru woodlands and brushy fields. The riparian area is an excellent spot in spring and winter. Mostly sparrows and woodland residents are common here.
Once at the lake, proceed into the park and bird the west side of the lake. At the north end of the campground, if the gate is open, continue on the dirt road along the west side of the lake to the northern point of land jutting into the lake. From here, you can scan the north end of the lake and the large arm extending to the northwest.
Back at the park entrance, proceed on the paved road over the dam to another park area on the southeast side of the lake. This spot gives you a good look at the main north-south body of the lake. CR EW840 continues east for another mile. The area around a creek is a good spot for winter specialties such as Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Golden-crowned Kinglet and waxwings.
As you cross the dam, a road leads down below it to a wet area with some trees which has some potential for decent birding. Do not drive down there if it has been wet. It can be quite muddy.
This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you.
Waterfowl
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Long-tailed Duck
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Grouse, Quail, and Allies
Northern Bobwhite
Wild Turkey
Grebes
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Pigeons and Doves
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Cuckoos
Greater Roadrunner
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Nightjars
Common Nighthawk
Swifts
Chimney Swift
Hummingbirds
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Rails, Gallinules, and Allies
American Coot
Shorebirds
Killdeer
Upland Sandpiper
Baird’s Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Wilson’s Snipe
Wilson’s Phalarope
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Franklin’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Loons
Common Loon
Cormorants and Anhingas
Double-crested Cormorant
Herons, Ibis, and Allies
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Vultures, Hawks, and Allies
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Owls
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Kingfishers
Belted Kingfisher
Woodpeckers
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Falcons and Caracaras
American Kestrel
Tyrant Flycatchers: Pewees, Kingbirds, and Allies
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill’s Flycatcher)
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Shrikes
Loggerhead Shrike
Vireos
White-eyed Vireo
Bell’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Jays, Magpies, Crows, and Ravens
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
crow sp.
Martins and Swallows
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
swallow sp.
Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Nuthatches
White-breasted Nuthatch
Treecreepers
Brown Creeper
Wrens
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
Bewick’s Wren
Gnatcatchers
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Kinglets
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Thrushes
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Catbirds, Mockingbirds, and Thrashers
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Starlings and Mynas
European Starling
Waxwings
Cedar Waxwing
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
House Finch
American Goldfinch
New World Sparrows
Grasshopper Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Harris’s Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Eastern Towhee
Yellow-breasted Chat
Yellow-breasted Chat
Blackbirds
Eastern Meadowlark
Western/Eastern Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Common Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Wood-Warblers
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.)
Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Dickcissel
Old World Sparrows
House Sparrow