Our first stop was Lake Elmer Thomas dam. There were lots of wildflowers and we managed to see several Black-capped Vireos, but none stayed still long enough to snap a photo.

Steve walked around the west of the dam to look for flowers and birds.

Spiderwort

At the edge of the road as we were leaving the dam, we spotted these Purple Prairie Clover flowers blooming.

Purple Prairie Clover

We drove on into the refuge and started seeing whole fields of gallardia and black-eyed susans blooming.

We stopped at the Mt Scott picnic area at the base of the mountain and started taking photos.

Sensitive plant and gallardia

Gallardia, black-eyed susans, sensitive plant and Indian paintbrush

Echinacea

Rock Wren on a snag at Mt Scott picnic area

Rock Wren

Tufted Titmouse

Nightshade, rudbeckia and gallardia

Another fellow pointed out a big patch of Standing Cypress farther down the road through the picnic area.

Mary posed with these upright red flowers we've seen at the refuge before in different places: Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra).

Looking south from the road through the Mt Scott Picnic Area

Mary captured some immature sumac.

There was a Mississippi Kite watching us from a tall snag on the south side of the road.

Mississippi Kite

I walked a little farther down the road and spotted this female Summer Tanager in the trees.

Not far away was a male Summer Tanager.

Male Summer Tanager

Female Summer Tanager

Female Summer Tanager

Female Summer Tanager

A Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher also showed itself along the road.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher looked like a black-and-white picture against the gray clouds.

The Summer Tanagers

Lark Sparrow

Great Crested Flycatcher

More immature sumac at the side of the road as we left the picnic area

We drove over to the Holy City area and there were Prairie Dogs in the field at the turn-off.

Prairie Dogs near the Holy City

We found a table in the shade near the closed gift shop at The Holy City and ate our packed lunch while watching a pair of Eastern Phoebes taking insects to their nest in the eave of the building.

One of a pair of Eastern Phoebes looking for insects for their nestlings

The second Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebe nest, under the eave of the Holy City Gift Shop building

Eastern Phoebe nest

Looking closely, we saw a couple of small beaks poking up over the edge of the nest.

Coneflowers in the field near the Holy City, WMWR, Lawton, OK

A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher flew onto a rock and posed for us as we were leaving.

Next we drove over to the Rush Lake dam and, on the way, stopped to take photos of the little barrel cacti blooming in the field.

Monarda among the gallardia and rudbeckia

A bigger stand of monarda as we approached Rush Lake

And some coneflowers

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Eastern Meadowlark singing to us

Wildflowers above Rush Lake dam

Widow Skimmer dragonfly

This male Painted Bunting was flying back and forth among the scrubby oaks above the dam.

Male Painted Bunting

Male Painted Bunting

Yellow wildflowers

We caught a glimpse of this Blue Grosbeak as we were crossing the creek on the road going into the back side of Jed Johnson Lake.

Blue Grosbeak

Steve, looking and finding little at Jed Johnson Lake dam

Still nothing

Rock tower at Lake Jed Johnson

The visitor center was closed and we drove on to Lake Quanah Parker, where we found the Killdeer.

These goslings and their nearby parent did not want to yield the shoreline to us and we were not inclined to bother them, so we went to the next trail to the water.

A field of Purple-headed Sneezeweed? at the next turn-in

Blooming Prickly Pear cactus

There were at least three beetles in the flower.

Bison at the east end of Lake Quanah Parker, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Lawton, OK

This fellow was at the next trail to the water and we were not inclined to bother him either.

Male Painted Bunting on the west side of the dam at Lake Quanah Parker

Black-chinned Hummingbird, west of the dam at Lake Quanah Parker

Our first glimpse of a male Indigo Bunting; he was below us as we looked down from the west side of the dam.

Indigo Bunting

This Rufous-crowned Sparrow seemed to be vying with the bunting for perches below the dam.

Back view of the Indigo Bunting

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

On the distant side of the small canyon below the dam, was an Eastern Phoebe.

Small world moment: At the steps around the Quanah Parker Lake dam, we met Bob Harden, a bird and butterfly photographer from Arkansas. Mary asked whether he knew one of our Ecuador birding companions, also an Arkansas butterfly photographer, David Oakley, and learned they are friends who often go on trips together.

Bob showed us this tarantula he was photographing as it crawled up the wall along the steps around the dam.

Yellow wildflowers, as we were leaving Quanah Parker Lake dam

Small herd of bison at the east end of Lake Quanah Parker

We drove around to the north side of the lake and walked the trail at the Environmental Education Center, where we saw this Black-and-white Warbler.

Carolina Chickadee, above the Environmental Education Center trail

A juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker

There were a couple of Eastern Phoebes near the education center buildings.

We found a White-eyed Vireo in the trees above the education center.

White-eyed Vireo

As we got back on the main road heading west from the education center, we saw this Wild Turkey glistening in the afternoon sunlight.

Wild Turkey

Young male White-tailed Deer along the road as we drove west

We stopped at the Prairie Dog Town to watch them for a while.

Purple grass blowing in the wind

We found a few thistles blooming.

When we see cars stopped along the road, we know there's something to see; this time it was three elk grazing on the south side of the road.

Another big stand of monarda blooming

We drove to French Lake; there were some dried grasses swaying in the wind along the creek.

The photographer's dilemma: There were two birds and I chose to shoot this Lark Sparrow instead of the Blue Grosbeak that was gone when I turned back to look for it.

Black-chinned Hummingbird, on a tall snag across the bridge from the parking lot--same place we saw one the last time we were here

Female Painted Bunting

The view up the hill to the east from the trail to the lake

Steve, on the trail to French Lake

Mexican Hat flower

White wildflower

Seed heads of grass along the trail

Male Painted Bunting

Indian Paintbrush

Thistle heads about to bloom

Butterfly

White wildflower

As we were approaching the dam, Mary looked back to the west and caught the sun as it was beginning to set.

The dam and fish ladder at French Lake dam

Steve was looking for Cave Swallows.

Water running down the rocks from the spillway

Eastern Phoebe, along the water below the dam with a bug

The nests in the fish ladder seemed to be abandoned, but there were still a few Cave Swallows swooping around.

Cave Swallow

Milkweed along the trail

A field of wildflowers in the late evening sunlight as we walked back from the dam

A blooming thistle

Indian Paintbrush

Male Painted Bunting

As we were driving out of the park, we passed this small herd of bison walking away from the road.