Mitch Park

Oklahoma County

By Terri Underhill, from the OKC Audubon Society, 2007

The following, by Terri Underhill, is excerpted from the OKC Audubon Society Mitch Park Page. Please visit their page their page for a complete account:

Mitch is a 133-acre park which features several play-grounds including handicap accessible facilities, multiple use trials, basketball courts, pavilions, picnic tables, grills, amphitheater, Multiple Activity Center and sports fields with concession stand and restrooms. The park is located at 1501 W. Covell (between Kelly & Sante Fe) in NW Edmond OK.

Getting to the park is easily accessible entering Covell from either Kelly or Santa Fe. You can take the main entrance into the park or follow the signs to the Mathis Skate Park on the east side of Mitch and north of Cheyenne Middle School. Both entrances are on Covell, along the south side of the park. Personally, I prefer to park and enter at the Skate Park since I can see and hear birds before I've even step foot on a trail.

The city of Edmond has done a fine job landscaping with native vegetation the birds and wildlife seem to thrive on. Throughout the park are benches and feeding stations where you can sit and enjoy the birds. I sometimes take along bird seed just in case the feeding stations have been depleted from the squirrels and rabbits.

During the summer months you most likely will have already seen numerous Mississippi Kites soaring before you even enter the park and the first song you'll want to listen for is the melodious song of the Painted Buntings.

The majority of the trails are paved and a newly-opened trail bridge opened during the winter of 2005. This new bridge is a great area to observe the Louisiana Waterthrush during the summer months.

On the east side of the bridge and about 200' south, there's an unmarked opening in the dense trees. This is where you can walk down to a hidden waterfall and see the wonderful red rock our state is commonly known for.

On the south end of the trails is a man made overlook. This is a great place for getting a birds eye view of the trees tops from down below and even a closer look at a variety of birds.

Please see the complete account by Terri Underhill on the excellent OKC Audubon Society Mitch Park Page for more details about birding this area and the birds one may find.