Taylor Ferry Beach - Wagoner, OK (May 3, 2009)

Map of Taylor Ferry Beach:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&safe=active&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=X9IBSty_LaSgM5faseEH&msa=0&ll=35.939934,-95.278866&spn=0.008495,0.013733&t=h&z=16&msid=103228297516276567813.000469424fe36ad249314

May 3rd Outing:

I was driving from Tulsa to Sequoyah State Park and spotted a large concentration of shorebirds along the banks of Lake Ft. Gibson. I turned off of HWY-51 into a closed US Army Corps of Engineers beach named Taylor Ferry Beach.

Along the bank of Lake Ft. Gibson I counted 14 Ring-billed Gulls, 2 Cattle Egret, and 47 Caspian Terns. Both the Cattle Egret and the Caspian Terns would be new additions to my lifelist. This group of birds would take flight when I exited the car, only to come back several minutes later. I took several photos of them (a couple are posted above) but the overcast skies hindered the needed light for the shots.

On the large trees found in the deeper sections of the lake I could see dozens of egret/heron nests clustered among the branches. I counted 9 Great Blue Herons and 14 Great Egrets in the trees, though some of the GEs may actually be juvenile GBHs, a difficult determination to make from 100 yards away. I also spotted a pair of American White Pelicans swimming near the trees, a strange sight considering I usually see groups of 20+ AWPs. I counted 15 Barn Swallows as they swooped about catching insects in flight from just above the water's surface.

Location: Taylor Ferry Beach - Wagoner, OK

Observation date: 5/3/09 Number of species: 9

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 2

American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhynchos 2

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 9

Great Egret - Ardea alba 14

Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis 2

Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis 14

Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia 47

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2

Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 15

New Additions to SPQ's Lifelist:

162) Cattle Egret (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cattle_Egret/id)

163) Caspian Tern (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/caspian_tern/id)

Photos:

Top: A mixed group of Caspian Terns, Ring-billed Gulls, and Cattle Egrets takes flight as I exit my car.

Bottom: A view of the trees housing the Great Blue Heron and Great Egret nests.

-SPQ 5/6/2009