Midland Valley Trail / Riverparks Trails / Newblock Park Trail - Tulsa, OK (May 16, 2009)

Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103228297516276567813.00046a4902786328cf377&ll=36.141202,-95.997505&spn=0.021002,0.068321&z=14

About the Midland Valley Trail:

http://www.incog.org/transportation/trailguide/MidlandValley/midlandvalley.htm

(From the INCOG Website):

The Midland Valley Trail runs along the abandoned rail corridor once used by the Midland Railroad. Now the trail connects Tulsa's Central Business District with with Riverparks.

About Tulsa River Parks:

http://www.riverparks.org/

(From the Tulsa River Parks Website):

Spread along miles of the Arkansas River, as it flows through Tulsa, River Parks provides some of the metropolitan area's finest outdoor recreation. More than 26 miles of asphalt-surfaced recreation trails weave past picnic areas, playgrounds, fountains and sculptures. The park's landscape ranges from manicured lawns to the rugged terrain of the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area.

About the Newblock Park Trail:

http://www.incog.org/transportation/trailguide/Newblock/newblockpark.htm

(From the INCOG Website):

The Newblock Park Trail serves as a connector from the Riverparks trail system to the KATY trail that goes to Sand Springs.

The Newblock Park Trail is a beautiful connector to the KATY Trail for those wanting to visit Sand Springs. This trail passes Newblock Park as well as the Tulsa Police and Tulsa Fire vehicle storage buildings. This short 1.5 mile trail connects with the KATY trail at Gilcrease Museum Road. There is one semi-difficult street crossing at Charles Page Blvd, just after leaving Newblock Park. This is a 4-lane road without a signal. Usually traffic is not enough to make this crossing difficult.

There is a Tulsa Police Memorial located where the trail intersects Charles Page Blvd. It recognizes the bravery of Tulsa Police Officers.

May 16th Ride:

I followed 15th over to the north edge of Maple Park. There I joined the Midland Valley Trail and followed it south its terminus at the Pedestrian Bridge just north of 31st and Riverside. I crossed the pedestrian bridge, followed the River Parks Trail north to the bridge near HWY-75 where I crossed the river again. I then rode a portion of the Newblock Park Trail before turning back and following 11th back home.

Photos (Numbered from Top to Bottom)

1) A view of the spillway from above on the Pedestrian Bridge just north of 31st and Riverside.

2) A photo of the downtown skyline from the north side of Maple Park.

3) A view of the 21st-31st Corridor along the Midland Valley Trail.

4) A building along the Arkansas River.

5, 8-9) Several photos of the sunset taken on the east edge of Newblock Park.

7) The 21st Street bridge and the Arkansas River.

-SPQ 5/20/2009

Tishomingo NWR - HQ Boat Ramp - Tishomingo, OK (May 15, 2009)

May 15th Observations:

The recent rains had flooded large sections of the Tishomingo NWR making many areas inaccessible, most notably the observation tower found to the east. I decided to park at a parking lot near the Refuge HQ, appropriately named the HQ Boat Ramp.

I took several pictures of Cumberland Pool (a part of the larger Lake Texoma) and used my spotting scope to scan the water for birds. I could hear a very distinctive song, one I had heard before, so I searched the nearby trees and shrubs for the source. Very quickly I spotted the source perched atop an exposed branch, a male Dickcissel.

Last summer I was able to shoot a small amount of video of an unknown bird singing in a drainage ditch near Bixby. I first thought the mystery bird was a Meadowlark, but the beak was much more reminiscent of a Sparrow or Bunting. After hearing several of the Dickcissels singing at Tishomingo I made the connection between last summer's mystery bird and the Dickcissel.

Bird Count:

Location: Tishomingo NWR "HQ Boat Ramp" - Tishomingo, OK

Observation date: 5/15/09 Number of species: 1

Dickcissel - Spiza americana 7

New Addition to SPQ's Lifelist:

164) Dickcissel - 5/15/2009

Photos (Numbered from Top to Bottom)

1) The small field near Cumberland Pool where I spotted the Dickcissels.

2) A half-submerged tree in Cumberland Pool.

3) A view of the clouds over Cumberland Pool.

-SPQ 5/19/2009

Tishomingo NWR - Craven Nature Trail - Tishomingo, OK (May 15, 2009)

About Tishomingo NWR:

http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/oklahoma/tishomingo/

(From the Tishomingo NWR Website):

The 16,464 acre Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge is one of more than 540 refuges throughout the United States managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge lies at the upper Washita arm of Lake Texoma and is administered for the benefit of migratory waterfowl in the Central Flyway. Most of the refuge including the 4,500 acre Cumberland Pool, was acquired in 1946.

Whether you're here to view wildlife, fish for crappie or catfish, or to enjoy a little peace and quiet, you'll find Tishomingo NWR a place where it's easy to imagine a past era when great herds of wild animals grazed the prairies and bird flocks darkened the skies. It's appropriate that the refuge is named for a famous Chickasaw Indian chief.

Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=34.207809,-96.643982&spn=0.005377,0.008926&t=h&z=16&msid=103228297516276567813.00046a0c83070c0dbdc60

May 15th Excursion:

I arrived at the refuge at around 8:00 am following a 170 mile drive from Tulsa. The first parking area I came across was for a 3/4 mile nature trail dubbed the Craven Nature Trail. The sign indicated that the loop led to a boardwalk on Dick's Pond where one could observe wildlife. I opted to take the left fork first and eventually loop back to the trailhead.

As I exited my car I could hear the ascending call of a Black and White Warbler ring through the forest. I often have difficulty distinguishing between calls of a B&W Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, and an Ovenbird. Fortunately, after walking several yards into the forest I spotted the suspected male BWW perched on an exposed branch of a snag. Throughout the remainder of the hike I would hear several of these guys singing.

I followed the left fork towards the boardwalk hoping to catch a glimpse of some waterfowl near the pond. Above the trail I could hear the persistent spew! of several (6 or more) Blue-gray Gnatcatchers as they bounded along the branches, the leaves provided an effective cover. As I was watching the canopy for signs of the Gnatcatchers I heard a woodpecker drumming against a hollow tree. I zeroed in on the source, a female Hairy Woodpecker situated on the tip of a snag.

After a short 1/4 mile hike I reached the boardwalk. The boardwalk juts out from the shoreline about 20 yards, providing one with a great position from which to watch for wildlife. I used my scope to scan the water before I proceeded out onto the boardwalk and noticed a single Pied-Billed Grebe foraging near the southwest corner of the pond. I also noticed a pair of Green Herons ( my favorite nickname for them is "Fly-up-the-creek", due to their tendency to relocate after being disturbed) flying along the water's edge, ultimately landing along the bank to search for prey. As I watched him through the scope one of the Green Herons inched his way along a branch just above the water's edge. The GH moved ever-so slowly into place then snapped up a small frog from the mud.

A flock of 15 Snowy Egrets flew overhead, their bearing suggested that they were heading for the Cumberland Pool to the south. Several Canada Geese could be heard honking along the north side of the pond, the dense pond vegetation making visual confirmation difficult. While searching for the Canada Geese I noticed two American Coots among the reeds along the east bank. Perched atop some of the reeds were a couple Of Eastern Kingbirds watching the pond for insects to intercept.

I began to follow the trail leading to north which completed the second half of the loop. When I stopped to deploy my tripod I noticed that I would be attacked by several mosquitoes. I looked at the ground and could see swarms of mosquitoes hovering a foot from the ground. The recent rains had created a perfect breeding scenario for the mosquitoes. Even being doused in DEET didn't help my situation; I had to turn around and head back to the trailhead.

Bird Count:

Location: Tishomingo NWR - Craven Nature Trail - Tishomingo, OK

Observation date: 5/15/09 Number of species: 16

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 3

Wood Duck - Aix sponsa 1

Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps 1

Snowy Egret - Egretta thula 15

Green Heron - Butorides virescens 2

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 2

American Coot - Fulica americana 2

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 2

Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus 1

Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 1

Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus 2

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2

Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 3

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 5

Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 1

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 3

Photos (Numbered from Top to Bottom):

1-2) A couple of shots of the north end of Dick's Pond.

3) A sign displaying pictures and information about the types of wading birds found in and around Dick's Pond.

4) Another view of the pond.

5) A wildflower found along the Craven Nature Trail.

-SPQ 5/19/2009

Evening Thunderstorm - Tulsa, OK (May 13, 2009)

On Wednesday Night (5/13/09) a series of thunderstorms rolled across the Tulsa Metro Area. I setup my camera and tripod on the front porch of my house in hopes of capturing a lightning strike on film. Fortunately the porch awning provided a great barrier against the precipitation.

The photo above was taken using the Bulb setting at F-3.5 or F-4. I was informed later that the ideal F-stop would have been around F-20 or higher, so as to capture the actual lightning strikes more starkly. I was pleased to capture a lightning strike, though it took me 115 shots to get it!

-SPQ 5/16/2009

Night Photography - 14th & S. Peoria / 13th & S. Frankfort / 13th & S. Cincinnati - Tulsa, OK (May 9, 2009)

Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103228297516276567813.000469b8406a072de6004&t=h&ll=36.145083,-95.980897&spn=0.008473,0.013733&z=16

Photos:

1-2) Photos were taken above HWY-51 from the Peoria overpass (near 14th St. S). Refer to the easternmost marker on the map above.

3-4) Photos were taken near the IDL, close to 13th and Frankfort. Refer to central marker on the map above.

5-6) These photos of the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church were taken from a church parking lot at 13th and Cincinnati. Refer to the westernmost marker on the map above.

7) This photo was taken from the parking lot directly north of the Boston Ave. Church.

-SPQ 5/16/2009

Heyburn WMA - "Park 02" - Kellyville, OK (May 9, 2009)

May 9th Jaunt:

I arrived at the parking area for "Park o2" of Heyburn WMA at around 8:30 am. The sun was out and the sky had cleared to some degree, so I expected an ideal morning for birding. Within 90 minutes I would be proven wrong.

As I began down the trail the familiar call of a Northern Cardinal could be heard nearby. I was able to identify a single Baltimore Oriole among the upper branches of a tree, just before he disappeared from sight among the leaves. While scanning the tree in which I saw the oriole, the actions of 2 Red-eyed Vireos caught my eye.

The path I followed leads though a small forested section before opening onto a large unmaintained field. Much of the southern section of Heyburn WMA is like this, numerous fields surrounded by small to medium sections of forests. As I passed through the first field I noticed a single male Indigo Bunting perched on the top branch of a small tree. Last summer I complained about how common Indigo Buntings were (dubbing them "The Ubiquitous Indigo Bunting"), yet I am happy to see them back this spring.

As I came to the end of the field I could see a bird slowly hopping through the foliage, careful to keep his movements from being noticeable. The shade of the leaves aided in keeping him hidden, but when I was able to discern the silhouette and yellow beak of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a common migratory bird found in Oklahoma during the spring and summer.

I stopped about a mile north of the parking area to try and see some of the birds I could hear in the area. A male and female Brown-headed Cowbird could be observed vocalizing from the top of a small tree. Several Blue Jays could be heard nearby, their metallic cries a distinct bird vocalization to me. A pair of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers could be heard and seen bounding about the branches of a tree in search of insects.

As I was scoping out the area I could see flashes of lightning and thunder coming from the west of my position. At first I thought I could ignore the rain and hope for it to blow north or south of me. However, I quickly realized that I would be a mobile lightning rod, since much of the area consists of fields free of tall trees.

As I neared the parking area it began to rain steadily, bringing an end to birding for the day.

Location: Heyburn WMA (Park 02) - Kellyville, OK

Observation date: 5/9/09 Number of species: 16

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 1

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura - 1

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 1

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus 1

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Tyrannus forficatus 1

Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus 2

Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 3

Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 4

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 2

Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 2

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 2

Summer Tanager - Piranga rubra 1

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 2

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 1

Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater 2

Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula 1

Photos:

Top: A view of the approaching storm clouds.

Bottom: An example of a typical field found in the southern section of the Heyburn WMA.

-SPQ 5/11/2009

Backyard Photos - Tulsa, OK (May 7, 2009)

May 7th:

Unforeseen auto troubles kept me from visiting Oxley Nature Center as planned on Thursday. I decided to take some photos of the various plants growing in our backyard. The early morning fog and the dew it left on the plants made for some interesting photos.

-SPQ 5/8/2009