Red Rock Canyon State Park
Caddo
County
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From the 1986 edition of A Guide to Birding in
Oklahoma published by the Tulsa Audubon Society. This account was partially reviewed and updated in 2007.
Red Rock Canyon State Park
is located 3 miles south of the intersection of I 40-US 281, just south
of Hinton. The well-marked entrance is on the east side of US 281. The
park occupies about a mile and one-quarter of the north end of one of
Caddo County's famous canyons. Much of the original woods has been
removed to accommodate campers and recreational vehicles. Because of the
noisy campers, it is best to visit during early morning hours on week
days.
A small, usually all-year,
stream runs the length of the canyon. Elm, box elder, sugar maple,
willows, and oak trees along the steep red sandstone walls present an
attractive background and furnish shelter and nesting sites for some
local birds. The fairly dry east and west rims of the canyon are
partially covered by juniper, post, and blackjack oaks. Cliff swallows
usually build their gourdlike mud apartments on the west wall over the
small pond, and Rough-winged Swallows nest in natural cavities on the
east wall.
The woodpeckers,
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood Pewee, Great Crested
Flycatcher, Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern
Bluebird, Warbling Vireo, Summer Tanager, Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak,
Indigo Bunting, Chipping Sparrow, and Northern Oriole are found in the
canyon woods. Bewick's Wren, Painted Bunting, Lark and Field sparrows
use the drier areas of the canyon rims.
In previous years the rare
Black-capped Vireo, Lesser Goldfinch, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow were
nesting species. Back in the moist, largely undisturbed north end of the
canyon, Green-backed Herons; Horned and Barred owls, and Eastern
Screech-Owls; Chuck-will's-widows; Carolina Wrens; and Louisiana
Waterthrushes are found.
During migration several
warblers are found here, Nashville, Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, and
Wilson's being the usual species. Late fall and winter bring in the
kinglets, Cedar Waxwings, wrens, towhees, juncos, Lincoln's, Song,
Harris's, and White-throated sparrows, and possibly even Mountain
Bluebirds and Townsend's Solitaires. October weather turns the remaining
sugar maples to a beautiful display of reds, oranges, and yellow, well
worth a special trip to this unique area. |
