Our first stop of the day was at Salyer's Lake near Binger, OK. This Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) was in a tree near the highway.

This first-year White-Crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) was in a nearby tree.

The other cheek of the White-Crowned Sparrow at Salyer's Lake, OK

Brown-Headed Cowbird at Crowder Lake near Colony, OK

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) near the administrative headquarters at Crowder Lake State Park, OK

Harris' Sparrow at Crowder Lake

First-year White-Crowned Sparrow

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) at Crowder Lake State Park, OK

Lark Sparrow at Crowder Lake

Rufous-Crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps) at Quartz Mountain State Park near Altus, OK

About 30 American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) flew over the lake near where we found the Rufous-Crowned Sparrow.

The Rufous-Crowned Sparrow hopped into a nearby tree and soon started singing to us.

On a rock above us, a Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) also made its presence known.

We drove on into Altus and visited the Altus City Lake where we saw this male Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) swimming with a couple of male Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata).

There were also Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) on the lake; note no white tip on bill and no red line from eye to bill.

Dark tip of bill indicates this is an Eared Grebe at Altus City Lake

We also found this Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) along the shore.

In one corner of the lake, this Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) was wading. This was our last birding stop for the day.

Saturday morning we loaded into our cars and started caravaning toward Eldorado, but stopped just north of there to look at this Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) in a big nest in top of a tree well off the highway. The owl seemed to be hiding behind a branch of the tree and we never got a clear look at it.

South of Eldorado we stopped for another Great Horned Owl that allowed a little better view.

At the same stop, we saw this Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) along a creek bed below us.

On the other side of the road, this female Ladder-Backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) flew up to a tree and pecked around.

Ladder-Backed Woodpecker south of Eldorado, OK

Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

Farther down the road we were looking for Verdin, but found this Ash-Throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) instead.

Ash-Throated Flycatcher south of Eldorado, OK

Ash-Throated Flycatcher

North and west of Eldorado, we stopped at a cattle watering hole. On the far side (too far away to get a clear photo with our camera, but it's evidence) was a single Chestnut-Collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus). Others saw a Sprague's Pipit here too, but we were bringing up the rear of the caravan and missed it.

Chestnut-Collared Longspur finishing a bath in a cattle watering pond.

We stopped at 2-3 deserted buildings hoping to find owls; at this one we found another Eastern Phoebe.

There were also several Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) like this one.

Farther down the road, we saw this pair of Lark Buntings (Calamospiza melanocorys) beginning to get their breeding colors.

On the other side of the same road was this lone Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris).

At the end of the day's tour, we stopped again at Altus City Lake. This adult male Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) was obligingly close to shore.

Mary and I had not gotten good looks at the Burrowing Owls when the group went by in the morning, so we went back to the Prairie Dog village after supper and found this Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) sitting up in a burrow.

We had seen two owls fly away as we drove up and wondered whether this might be an immature owl the adults were luring us away from.

It was getting near dusk, but we did find the other two owls farther away from us near the rear of the Prairie Dog village.

Here are the two other Burrowing Owls in the distance on either side of the photo.

The two of them then flew together, but even farther away from us.

Two Burrowing Owls southwest of Altus, OK

We went back to take another look at the first owl and it had climbed out of its burrow.

Burrowing Owl southwest of Altus, OK

Burrowing Owl

There were storm clouds building southeast of us.

As we drove west to get to the highway to go back to town, we spotted a large group of blackbirds on the wires in the sunset.

On Sunday (Easter morning), we decided to drive south of Eldorado again. In a field west of the road, we saw several Long-Billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) foraging in the grass.

Long-Billed Curlew south of Eldorado, OK

A cow and a Long-Billed Curlew feeding in the same field south of Eldorado, OK, on Easter morning

We went looking for the Verdin again and struck out again. With the help of some noisy American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), we did find a pair of Great Horned Owls nesting above the road. Here a crow sits above one of the owls, taking a respite from its harassing. The owls were lighter than usual.

The crow gave up, but the owl lingered near its nest.

Lark Sparrow on a wire

Our group got spread out over the hills looking for the Verdin.

We think that little white puffball on the nest is a Great Horned Owl chick.

This Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) took off from its perch in a tree, but Mary got some good pictures of it on the wing.

Swainson's Hawk south of Eldorado, OK

We also spied this American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) with a grasshopper in its mouth.

American Kestrel with grasshopper

American Kestrel south of Eldorado, OK

Here's some of the beautiful southwest Oklahoma landscape we enjoyed on the trip.

There were 4-5 Vesper Sparrows (Pooecetes gramineus) at the edge of the field that flew from bushes into a bare tree.

We turned north and came upon this Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) in a field on the east side of the road.

Upland Sandpiper southwest of Eldorado, OK

Turning west toward Hollis, we saw blackbirds on the ground among cattle, including this Yellow-Headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalos).

Yellow-Headed Blackbird east of Hollis, OK

After lunch in Elk City, we went to Elk City Lake and found this Baird's Sandpiper (Caladris bairdii) on the west side of the lake.

Near the boat ramp on the west side of Elk City Lake, we saw several Long-Billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus scolopaceus) foraging in the muddy water that was red from the previous night's rain.

Long-Billed Dowitchers at Elk City Lake, OK

Another Baird's Sandpiper at Elk City Lake, OK

The last of our travel group disbanded in Elk City, but Mary and I decided to stop by Foss Reservoir on the way home. In one of the picnic areas on the south side of the lake, we saw this female Red-Shafted Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus).

At the same picnic area, we saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) eating berries or seeds that had fallen on the ground from a tree.

An American Robin (Turdus migratorius) was also in the vicinity.

Cedar Waxwings at Foss Reservoir, OK

From Foss, we drove north, then east to the Washita National Wildlife Refuge. From the highway running through the refuge, we saw these nests in the trees in the distance.

We didn't go back to the trail to try walking into the area, but it looked to us as if a bird was using the nest on the left. It was late in the day, so we ended our trip with this stop.