Fort RenoOklahoma CountyBy Jimmy Woodard and Max Fuller, from the OKC Audubon Society, 2007 The following, by Jimmy Woodard and Max Fuller, is excerpted from the OKC Audubon Society Fort Reno Page. Please visit their page their page for a complete account: General Info: Historic Fort Reno was a military post from 1875 through 1947. The U.S. Department of Agriculture took it over in 1947 and now administers the roughly 7,000 acres as an agricultural research station. Many of the buildings have been restored for historic reenactments. The Fort's visitor center and main gate are open Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and holidays / weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Directions: Take the Business I-40 exit off I-40 on the west side of El Reno. Go north about 1/2 mile, turn left then right into the Fort. From Highway 81 and Old Highway 66 / Bus 40 in El Reno, go west on Old Hwy 66 about 4 miles, turn right and immediately right into the Fort. Birding Locations: Only the main road, main compound, cemetery road and cemetery are open to the public. Please do not cross fences or enter locked gates without permission. Some migrants seen include Swainson's Hawk, American Golden-Plover, Upland Sandpiper, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Orange-crowned and Yellow Warbler; Chipping, Clay-colored and Vesper Sparrows, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Some local breeders include Barn, Barred and Great Horned Owls; Carolina, Bewick's and House Wren; Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo; and Cassin's, Field and Lark Sparrows. Some Winter birds are Northern Harrier, Rough-legged Hawk, Merlin, Short-eared Owls. The unofficial bird list for Fort Reno, updated as of 6-24-2006, stands at 170 species. Please see the excellent OKC Audubon Society Fort Reno Page for complete details on birding this area and the birds one may find. |
