Dallas

Habitat and Birds

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was here in August 2000. A Brambling was found in December 1985 and another was in Monmouth in spring the of 2006. A very excellent place to bird in Polk County is the Dallas City Park and the Arboretum . This park is good for warblers in the spring as well as other birds. The arboretum is great for nesting birds such as Bushtits, Brown Creepers,and hummingbirds (easy to see find nests) as well as Green Herons along the creek and Western Bluebirds at the open field along the creek. Once Barred Owls lived here in the park for at least three years. You are missing out if you skip the arboretum. A good side trip here is to take Ellendale all the way through town and westward into some good lowland forested areas. (Thanks to Carol Karlen for info about Dallas City Park.)

There is also a nice trail called the Rickreall Creek Trail in Dallas that follows along the creek for a mile or so. The best starting place is at the Dallas Aquatic Center. Birds to find on this trail are all the expected warblers, Purple Finch, Evening Grosbeak, Anna’s Hummingbird, Vaux’s Swift, Green Heron, Acorn Woodpecker and Black-headed Grosbeak. Here is a link to the ebird Hotspot for the Rickreall Creek Trail.