-Photos from 3/26 Excursion coming soon-
About ACE Dike #9:
The ACE (Army Corps of Engineers) Dike #9 is the name I have given to the area around the dike, in the Waterfowl Sanctuary section of Ft. Gibson WMA. The area consists of a dike and its' basin, around which are several agricultural fields and tallgrass/briar fields. The dike connects to Lake Ft. Gibson, making the dike's basin an ideal habitat for wading birds, waterfowl, and shorebirds (depending on the water level). I have visited the area before, but it was over 6 years ago and I spent most of the time fishing along Lake Ft. Gibson.
March 26th Excursion
I arrived at ACE Dike #9 at around 10:45 am, late by my standards, but it wouldn't really affect the outing. While unloading my gear I could hear the trill of several Field Sparrows as well as the Northern Cardinal's (ubiquitous) cheer song.
I opted to walk a wide circle through the area, so I followed a path to the east, toward Lake Ft. Gibson. After walking past the tallgras, I could see a large, verdant agricultural field that stretched from my position to within 50 yards of the lake. Two large snags towered over the northwest corner, which attracted my attention because of they seemed to be a prime perch for a hawk or bird of prey.
As I studied the large snags I saw a large bird fly from the crotch of one of the snags to a small grove of trees north of the field. I scanned the trees, but could not dinstinguish anything. Fortunately, the bird took flight again and landed in the crotch of the snag, providing me with an oppurtunity to catch a glimpse of the creature. When I looked through my scope I saw a large, Great Horned Owl staring back at me from it's nest built in the fork okf the tree. He watched me for moment, then turned his attention back to the field, to scan for prey most likely. I walked on, along the southern edge of the field, my destination the edge of the lake.
While walking I spotted a lone Double-Crested Cormorant flying west overhead, possibly bound for the dike. Along the edge of the field the tracts of grass and briars provided an ideal environment for sparrows. As mentioned above, I would hear the trill of Field Sparrows for the entire outing. I spotted a small group of Song Sparrows foraging about among the grasses along the agricultural field while I walked toward the lake.
The area between the agricultural field and the lake was covered by low-lying briars which created a entangling blanket along the ground, making walking difficult. There weren't many birds along the edge of the lake, but I could spy quite a few different species that were congregated on the south edge of the lake. 8 Canada Geese could be spotted foraging along the edges of the lake, above which a dozen or more Ring-billed Gulls lazily drifted in the wind searching for food.
I was amazed when my scope caught sight of 14 American White Pelicans soaring in a loose formation over the lake. The American White Pelican is a common winter sight in Oklahoma, since the unfrozen lakes of the area provide excellent fishing opportunities. Another interesting fact about AWP is the manner in which they fish. AWPs fish in cooperatively, often wokring with other pelicans by forcing fish into a smaller area where catching them is easier.
Peeking through my scope from the lake's edge I saw a small Grebe-looking waterfowl, which quickly submerged itself, never to seen by me again. I checked my field guide and determined that the shy submarine was most likely a Horned Grebe, but I was not very sure (Eared Grebes look very similar from that distance). Fortunately, as I walked along the edge of the lake I spied a small group of Horned Grebes emerging from a small cove. I studied them for some time, and evnetually felt confident that I had positively identified the group as Horned Grebes.
While watching the Horned Grebes, a group of 12 DC Cormorants flew past me, headed for the cove to the west. I would later come to a small hill overlooking this cove, from which I could see the DCCs perched in a group of snags.
As I emerged from a grove of trees along the lake's edge, I noticed the increasingly ominous storm clouds billowing in the west. I took several picutres and walked onward towards the dike, realizing my birding time was limited. The skies to the east were calm and dotted with small clouds, yet to the west a dark gray mass was forming.
I pushed west and waded through a large hillside of briars, during which a pair of Blue Jays flew out of a tree noisily warning other birds if my presence. I began to feel some droplets of rain, so I quickened my pace and joined the trail running along the east edge of the dike's basin.
Even though I had to race the rain, I could not resist the temptation to scan the dike's basin for waterfowl. Several Great Blue Herons took wing when they saw me and flew to the south toward the other side of the dike. A Great Egret was also spotted hunting along the muddy banks of the dike, as well as a Lesser Yellowlegs. A little further down a pair of Northern Shovelers drifted about on the water foraging for a meal.
I jogged south to the road (which provides an excellent elevated view of the dike) and scanned the south section of the dike. A dozen Kildeer flushed from the shoreline as I approached, landing on the opposite side of the pond. A group of 30 Blue-winged Teal could also be observed slowly swimming away from my position. While observing the pond I could hear the distinctive call of a Red-winged Blackbird, who was most likely perched along the water's edge.
New Additions to SPQ Lifelist:
143) Great Horned Owl -3/26
144) Horned Grebe - 3/26
Bird Count:
Location: Ft. Gibson WMA - ACE Dike #9 - Wagoner, OK
Observation date: 3/26/09 Number of species: 27
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 8
Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors 30
Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata 2
Horned Grebe - Podiceps auritus 8
American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhynchos 14
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus 13
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 3
Great Egret - Ardea alba 2
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 2
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis 1
Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus 15
Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes 1
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis 15
Great Horned Owl - Bubo virginianus 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 1
Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus 2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 2
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 4
Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 4
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis 2
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos 1
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 4
Field Sparrow - Spizella pusilla 12
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia 18
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 4
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 1
Photos (from top to bottom):
1-3) Three pictures of the thunderclouds forming to the west of Ft. Gibson WMA
4-9) Several stages of the thunderstorm as it formed
10) A picture of the west side of the agricultural field
11) Several ladybugs cling to a tree stub along the edge of Lake Ft. Gibson
-SPQ 3/27/2009
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