Nesmith County Park
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Location
From Rickreall, head south on 99w for a 1/4 mile and turn left into the Polk County Fairgrounds and take an immediate left down a side road for Nesmith County Park. There is a nice set of trails that all make their way down to the creek where there is a picnic area.
The park is generally open May 1st to September 30th.
DirectionsHabitat and Birds
This park has a nice mix of trees, open spaces and riparian creek habitat. Even from the parking lot there can be a good number of birds viewable in the trees and surrounding fields. From the parking lot there is a trail that makes its way down to the Rickreall Creek. Keep an eye out for warblers, woodpeckers and flycatchers in the trees. House Sparrows, Eurasian Collared Doves and Starlings all use the farm buildings behind the gravel parking area. Once at the creek, look for Belted Kingfisher, Spotted Sandpiper, Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, and Northern-rough winged Swallows. Don’t forget to keep an eye and ear to the sky too, many birds seem to follow the contour as they fly, including Vaux’s Swifts, Peregrine Falcons, Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers. Other birds to look for include Cedar Waxwings, Evening Grosbeaks, Chipping Sparrow and Black-headed Grosbeaks.
Rare birds that have occurred here have included a Clark’s Nutcrackers seen in one of the tall trees here in 1987, a Long-billed Curlew in 1995 and a group of Whimbrels in 1990.
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