| Hackberry Flat - Part 2 by David Dyer I am continuing the report of my visit to Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in southwest Oklahoma on Friday, April 19, 2008. Although I was there for only six hours, the number of species I observed migrating through and stopping at the WMA plus the total numbers of each species was remarkable to me. I continued westbound on the road I entered Hackberry on. I then observed a Long-billed Dowitcher, a wading bird, in shallow water back in some brush. I saw another large sandpiper species – a pair of Upland Sandpipers. At the western end of this road was a lake, just southeast of Frederick, Oklahoma. The lake was covered with waterfowl. I scoped the lake and identified 11 species of ducks, including 100+ Ruddy Ducks. American White Pelicans, 600+ American Coots, Double-crested Cormorants, and Ring-billed Gulls, all of which we have in eastern Oklahoma, were also present. Pied-bill Grebes and Eared Grebes were present. I then heard two Northern Bobwhite near the lake. As I left this lake to backtrack and start a “new” road, I met up with Lou and Mary Truex, who I mentioned previously, perform shorebird species surveys at Hackberry Flat. Lou was just finishing his survey and knew where all the “good” species of small sandpipers and plovers were. I thereupon was taken on a tour of locations where these small sandpipers, plovers, and other birds were. Lou showed me American Golden-Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Snowy Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Baird’s Sandpipers, Wilson’s Phalaropes, and Hudsonian Godwits. There were also numerous common Killdeer, which is a plover. Lou was very generous to take the time to show me small differences in some of the species, for identification purposes. He mentioned some more species of small sandpipers and plovers that would show up in the next couple of weeks during the Spring Migration. We heard a King Rail. We observed a Black-Crowned Night-Heron. We saw a flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds. All three teal species were seen yet again this day by me: Blue-winged, Green-winged, & Cinnamon. In these other areas of the WMA were yet more and more of the species I had already seen on my own during the afternoon. There were numerous species of birds, and in tremendous numbers, in all directions! I was surrounded by several bird species I had only read about and never observed before. As I turned a corner on a levee road, I saw a bird I had never seen before, within 20’ of me. It was large, tall, dark, with long legs, and with a thick, long downward-curved bill. I finally realized it was an Ibis, and it turned out to be a White-faced Ibis. I literally skidded to a halt in my Xterra! I watched him at very close range foraging with his bill in the water. In a moment, he jerked his bill up out of the water and had a crawfish! You could see the crawfish moving, struggling. Lou was leaving me behind, going to the next area of the WMA, to show me more species, so I had to leave in order to not lose Lou! In this part of Hackberry, we would see some small flocks of the White-faced Ibis. I estimated we saw 75+. As I made my long journey home to Fort Gibson Lake that night (almost 5 hours drive), the feeling of being overwhelmed continued. You really feel you are “seeing” the Spring Migration at Hackberry Flat. Since most birds migrate at night, you normally can only “see” the migration on radar on the internet. At Hackberry Flat you see these flocks, huge numbers of birds, which have stopped temporarily on their long northward journey. I was thankful I had spent several hours alone, with no one else even in sight, not just identifying and counting birds, but observing them – watching the Spring Migration in process. It was just these birds and me on the southern Great Plains with the wind, the sun, and the solitude. Ultimately it was not the “peeps”, small sandpipers, or plovers, that are difficult to locate and/or identify that made Hackberry Flat worth going to for me. The White-faced Ibis, American Avocet, and Black-necked Stilt were the species I enjoyed the most. These are not uncommon birds in North America. Yet I don’t see these birds on my pond or on my local birding hikes each week in my normal routine of life. It was their elegance I was fascinated with – the long bills, necks, and legs. I was in awe of their splendor and for sharing it with me. For more information, visit http://www.WildLifeDepartment.com/hackberry2.htm. |
| “My moments of keenest satisfaction and most complete mental peace have been those when the grandeur of nature's artistry has cast its spell over me. ” Clarence Mills |
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| Indian Nations Audubon Society Eastern Oklahoma Muskogee, Tahlequah, Wagoner Fort Gibson & Tenkiller Lakes |
| Hackberry Flat - Part 1 by David Dyer I was fortunate to be able to visit the legendary Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in southwest Oklahoma on Friday, April 19, 2008. This 7,120 acre waterfowl refuge is managed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Hackberry Flat is considered a “world class” site for shorebird species especially during the Spring Migration. This WMA is on the central migration flyway so birds northbound in the Spring utilize this managed refuge as stopover habitat. Most of these birds are en route to distant places, such as the northern Great Plains, Canada, Alaska, and the Arctic Tundra. You can easily observe bird species that are uncommon to rare to nonexistent in northeastern Oklahoma. Hackberry Flat is, well, uh, flat. Ha! The WMA is a windswept, treeless wetland and upland, in low rolling hills of the southern Great Plains. The ODWC manages a series of levees, dikes, ditches, plus native and agricultural plants to maintain habitat which attracts these migrating birds. The number of species that stop at Hackberry Flat to forage and rest on their northward journey is incredible. On any given day during the Spring Migration, there are easily 20+ species of shorebirds, the gamut of duck & teal species, plus a variety of herons, egrets, and grebes. The numbers of many species can be counted in the hundreds and thousands. As I entered Hackberry alone at 1:30 p.m., I knew there were certain species I could not hope to identify on my own. So I dispensed with wasting my time trying to identify the “peeps”, small sandpipers that basically look alike, and different plover species. Lou and Mary Truex, who perform bird species surveys at this WMA, were to meet me later. Lou would point out to me these species and the small differences between them. I concentrated my efforts on identifying the larger sandpipers and shorebirds, which are fairly easy. I stopped at the first “water” I came to and got out my binoculars and scope. By “water”, I mean usually very shallow water (inches deep) with tall grasses interspersed and also areas of mud flats. These areas are managed. The first large shorebird I saw was a Willet, a large sandpiper. Okay, I identified one! This was like the 2nd Willet I had ever seen in my life. The “peeps” and plovers were out there and I couldn’t resist scoping them, but I restrained myself from bogging down with the field guides in a futile attempt to identify some of them. It was hard to pass them by, I’m used to identifying almost every bird I see or hear at home. As I moved another 50-100 yards into the WMA, I could already tell this was going to be a very slow process. The “water” was covered with birds! I then saw 3 American Avocets, a tall and elegant shorebird. Again, this was like the 2nd time I had seen American Avocets. I was now totally absorbed in this endeavor! As I scanned with the binoculars, I saw 3 Black-necked Stilts were about 10 yards to the left of the American Avocets. I had never seen Stilts before so this was a life bird for me. Both species are majestic with the long necks, bills, legs. If you don’t make much noise and move around much, they will come quite close to you. Both came within 30+ feet of me. I could hardly contain my excitement! I would thereupon see Avocets and Stilts all over Hackberry Flat that afternoon and Lou counted 100+ of each that day during his survey. Greater Yellowlegs, a large sandpiper, were everywhere. Lesser Yellowlegs were also common. We have these two species in eastern Oklahoma, but I had never seen the numbers of them like this before. I also was able to see both species in my scope at the same time and compare the differences. That was a first for me. I would have a lot of “firsts” at Hackberry Flat that day. At times I felt like I was on another planet! The whole experience was overwhelming – the variety of species and the total numbers of each species. At times, I couldn’t write down the species fast enough and/or count all of them. Shorebirds, waders, divers, dabblers, ducks, teal, herons, egrets, grebes, sandpipers (large & small), plovers and some of these present in huge numbers…and there were miles of roads like this! I realized I could spend days and countless hours here during the Spring Migration and always see something new, unique every few minutes. This overpowering influx of information, experiences, and events would continue for six hours. I’ll continue my story in a second part next month. For more information, visit http://www.WildLifeDepartment.com/hackberry2.htm. |
| Left: American Avocet Right: Black-necked Stilt |
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| Left: White-faced Ibis Right: Snowy Plover |