Skiatook WMA - "Area #1" - Skiatook, OK (April 2, 2009)

About Skiatook WMA:

(From ODW's website):

Skiatook WMA covers 5,085 acres of Osage County in north central Oklahoma. Skiatook WMA is located on the upper ends of Skiatook Lake near the towns of Hominy and Skiatook.

Hominy Creek is the major drainage that supplies the lake. Most of the WMA is comprised of post oak-blackjack timber with openings in tall grass prairie species. While most of the bottomland hardwood timber was destroyed during reservoir construction, sizeable fragments still remain on the far upper ends of the major drainages. Water portions of the lake comprise approximately 1,800 acres of the WMA. Due to the rugged terrain and limited access points, much of the WMA is best accessed by boat.

Management efforts focus on producing native wildlife foods and cover through habitat protection. Food plots are found at limited locations on this area.

Area #1:

The parking area for "Area#1: is located on a peninsula surrounded by Skiatook Reservoir, accessible via a bridge (County Road - 2535) if you are using Highway 20. The southern section of Area #1 is dominated by a small stream which empties into the Skiatook Reservoir. The western section has a large, maintained field bordered to the west by a large ridge which extends to the south and west. Creek crossings can often be hard to find and the soggy soil in the southern section can make traveling tough.

April 2nd Excursion

The weather for April 2nd was slated to be cold and windy in the morning followed by an afternoon of thunderstorms. I chose to spend the morning at Skiatook WMA and leave before noon to avoid the rain. I arrived at "Area #1" at around 8:20 am.

Upon exiting my car I could hear numerous vocalizations coming from the wooded areas surrounding the parking area. Without the aid of binoculars or a scope, I could watch a male Red-bellied Woodpecker as he hopped around the branches of a tree in search of food. I could also hear the call of a Northern Flicker, a call I have become familiar with due to a flicker making his home near my house.

As I moved into the forest I could hear what sounded like a large congregation of birds. I counted close to 40 American Goldfinches feeding on the buds of a nearby tree, some chasing each other around the thickets. Audibly, I could identify the song of a Northern Cardinal, the calls of several Carolina Chickadees, and the distinctive liberty! call of a Carolina Wren. I heard a high-pitched, nasal call and quickly honed in on the culprit: a newly arrived Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, the first I have seen this season.

I first headed south to catch a glimpse of some wading birds or waterfowl. A hidden Great Blue Heron burst from the bank, followed shortly by a Great Egret, each honking loudly in alarm. Overhead, a group of nine Double-Crested Cormorants flew north, possibly to a new location along the reservoir. While moving through a marshy area along the creek and the slough I heard the calls of an identified duck as it landed in the slough, out of my range of vision. I crept along the creek until the duck was in my line of sight, then, using my scope, identified 2 male and one female Wood Ducks. I tried to creep close enough for a photo, but given the range of my lens and the skittish nature of Wood Ducks, it was an ill-conceived idea.

I set up my tripod and gear behind a downed tree along the stream. My goal was to remain quiet and hopefully the Wood Ducks would return. After 20 minutes they did return, however they spotted me before I could get a good shot. I spotted several Tufted Titmice frolicking among the branches of an American Sycamore, which prompted me to practice some Pishing:

(Via Wikipedia): A pish is an imitated bird call (usually a scold or alarm call) used by birders and ornithologists to attract birds (generally Passerines).[1] The action of making the sound is known as pishing. This technique is used by scientists to increase the effectiveness of bird diversity surveys, and by birders to attract species that they might not otherwise see.

Article on Pishing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pishing

I used several different pishing methods, one which excited the titmice enough to seem effective. I heard a familiar ascending call, scanned the trees near the creek, and identified a male Black and White Warbler foraging in his usual manner. While watching the BWW, I noticed another small bird foraging in a similar fashion. The suspect had a similar black and white patterning to the his wings, yet I could clearly see his yellow throat. After consulting my field guide (I prefer "The Sibley Guide to Birds ", it's heavy but thorough and the illustrations are fantastic) I determined the suspect bird to be a Yellow-throated Warbler, another spring migrant to be welcomed back.

I began to leave the area along the creek, until several microbirds in the trees above me caught my attention. I could identify the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, the nasal spee! and foraging behavior are relatively easy to distinguish. However, the other microbird was not as easy to identify, partly because his form was silhouetted by the sun. I watched him for a while, noting a distinctive white eyering, and determined the suspect to be a kinglet. I consulted my field guide and found the suspect to be a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet; Golden-Crowned Kinglets do not have an eyering.

Unfortunately, by 11:00 am the wind had picked up and the temperature was slowly dropping, not to mention the occasional drops of rain. I began packing up my gear around 11:30, satisfied with the amount of birds seen for a 3 hour outing.

Bird Count:

Location: Skiatook WMA - "Area 1" - Skiatook, OK

Observation date: 4/2/09 Number of species: 22

Wood Duck - Aix sponsa 3

Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus 9

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 2

Great Egret - Ardea alba 1

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 3

Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 2

Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 1

Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus 1

Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 2

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 6

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 4

White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 1

Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula 1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 3

Yellow-throated Warbler - Dendroica dominica 1

Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 1

Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis 11

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 3

Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 25

American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis 40

Photo:

The ODW sign found at the parking area for "Area #1"

-SPQ 4/3/2009