We stopped near the town of Nescatunga, where we found some Ruddy Ducks near shore and lots of American White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants on an island in the distance.

An immature Bald Eagle watched us from a nearby perch.

We heard Eastern and Western Meadowlarks throughout the day.

The Sandhill Cranes were moving to the surrounding fields from the overnight roosting spots on the lake.

Sandhill Cranes

We drove into the refuge and walked out to the Eagle Roost observation blind where we saw more Sandhill Cranes and other birds feeding in the water.

This coyote must have been looking for smaller game; he seemed to ignore the cranes.

Coyote

Coyote

The Northern Shovelers kept their heads down.

The coyote wandered along the edge of the reeds before disappearing into them.

American White Pelicans

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Cranes

There were one or two Franklin's Gulls among the Ring-billed Gulls in the water.

We also saw American Avocets and dowitchers from the roost blind.

Dowitchers

We walked the nature trail and saw female and male Red-winged Blackbirds.

One or two more immature Bald Eagles soared overhead, along with a Red-tailed Hawk.

Immature Bald Eagle

Despite its being a chilly morning, there were many dragonflies along the trail, like this Variegated Meadowhawk.

Two Variegated Meadowhawks

Red-breasted Nuthatch, along the nature trail at Salt Plains NWR, OK

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Variegated Meadowhawk

Variegated Meadowhawk

Common Green Darner

Inky Cap mushrooms, along the nature trail

That black edge around the top of the Inky Cap really is inky black that comes off easily.

Inky Cap

Inky Caps

Bushy Bluestem

Bushy Bluestem

Bushy Bluestem

Top view of Bushy Bluestem

The tree had an odd series of holes vertically along the trunk.

The nature trail near the admin building at Salt Plains NWR

Switchgrass

Switchgrass

Dotted Wolf Spider, on the gravel trail

Our OCAS group, on the nature trail at Salt Plains NWR, OK

Mary and I were bringing up the rear and got a few photos of the group: Jane, Cathy, John, Nancy R, Pete, and Nancy V.

Bird! I joined the group for a photo by Mary, but some of us got distracted.

...and Mary.

Sunlight through the trees

iNaturalist says this is Cannabis sativa that Mary photographed along the trail.

More switchgrass

Switchgrass

Little Bluestem

More grasses

Little Bluestem

When we got back to our cars, we decided to eat our packed lunches and this Eastern Yellowjacket was very interested in what we brought.

Eastern Yellowjacket

I think it may have been licking the grape juice off my thumb.

We went back to the point of land near Nescatunga--Whooping Cranes had been seen from there the day before--but we found a flock of American Avocets foraging in the water. I think we reported 60 or 65, but I count at least 85 in this photo.

American Avocets

American Avocets

American Avocets

I got a little too close for their comfort and the American Avocets took to the air.

American Avocets, in flight over the lake at Salt Plains NWR near Nescatunga, OK

American Avocets

Out on the island, there were still 100s of cormorants, and some of us thought we might be seeing Whooping Cranes in the distance, but they were too far away to confirm.

We decided to drive around to observation deck at the Selenite crystal-digging site on the W side of the lake. We stopped at this barn, thinking there might be an owl there, but did not see one.

From the viewing platform on the W side of the lake, we saw these blobs that were keeping their distance from a large group of what looked like pelicans nearby, but again we could not confirm they were the Whoopers.

This Prairie Sunflower was growing near the observation deck.

Prairie Sunflower, with Spotted Cucumber Beetle

On our way home, we stopped at Drummond Flats Wildlife Management Area. There was very little water present. We were looking for sparrows hiding in the reeds near the edge of this water, but they flew too far away to ID.

Cathy, John, Nancy R, Nancy V, Steve and Pete, looking for sparrows at Drummond Flats WMA, OK

When we got back on the road through the WMA, some Savannah Sparrows posed for photos.

Savannah Sparrow, being blown by the wind

We heard this Western Meadowlark calling from its perch on a gate.

American Kestrel

After leaving Drummond Flats, we stopped at the Dover marsh, where we saw a Bald Eagle perched on a snag on the opposite shore.

The eagle was probably drawn to the marsh by the 100s of ducks on the water.

There were several species of ducks on the water, including American Wigeons.

Redhead and American Coot

Redheads, coots and other ducks at Dover marsh

In the reeds on our side of the marsh, some Red-winged Blackbirds were roosting.

Mallard

It was getting close to sunset...

...but we kept looking and taking photos.

Then, in the pink sky after the sun was down, our persistence was rewarded with a group of dark ibis cruising in the land in the reeds on the W side of the marsh.

Dark ibis, coming to roost for the evening

Ibis, silhouetted against the evening sky

Ibis

More birds came in to roost for the evening, including this big group of grackles on the far S shore.
By then it was too dark to see much or to take photographs, so we called it a day.