About Cedar Lake Recreation Area:
April 16th Excursion:
I arrived at the parking area for Cedar Lake Recreation Area at around 11:15 am, following my trek through the WMA.
I followed a small trail from the parking area along the earthen dam to the north bank of the lake. An Eastern Phoebe could be spotted on the dam, bobbing his tail and looking about for insects to nab. Two small sections of grass grew on each side of the dam and a troop of 3 Eastern Kingbirds were perched on the higher stalks, watching for prey. At one point the kingbirds could be seen chasing a pair of Barn Swallows, possibly to keep the swallows from eating their potential meal. I heard the memorable witchety-witchety song of a Common Yellowthroat, then used my binoculars to get a closer look, noticing the black mask of a male.
I walked to the far end of the earthen dam to take some photos of the lake. I heard a high-pitched whistle, then spotted a Broad-winged Hawk flying across the lake to a forested area. I could see the distinctive head of a Double-Crested Cormorant above the lake's surface, no doubt in search of fish. On the far side of the lake I could see a group of several dozen ducks, but I could not identify them. I decided to walk back along the dam, then drive down the shoreline to identify the ducks before pressing on.
I setup my scope several hundred yards west of my former position on the earthen dam. There I was able to identify the group of ducks: 11 Gadwall, 3 Green-winged Teal, and a single male Blue-winged Teal. While observing the ducks I noticed several American Coots foraging among the forage along the side of the lake, as well as 4 Pied-billed Grebes searching for food in the deeper waters.
And as always, a Turkey Vulture floated lazily overhead.
I walked back to my car and plotted a route to the Robert S. Kerr Botanical Area via HWY-59 and Scenic HWY-1.
Location: Cedar Lake Recreation Area - Zoe, OK
Observation date: 4/16/09 Number of species: 14
Gadwall - Anas strepera 11
Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors 1
Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca 3
Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps 4
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus 1
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 1
Broad-winged Hawk - Buteo platypterus 1
American Coot - Fulica americana 3
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 1
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus 3
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 3
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 2
Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 2
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas 1
Photos:
Top: A view of Cedar Lake and an overspill structure.
Bottom: A photo taken from the north end of the earthen dam.
-SPQ 4/20/2009
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