Wendell Kreder Reservoir and Oak Hill Dairy
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Checklists
Location
This spot is just west of Buena Vista in southern Polk County. From Monmouth, travel south on 99W for 4.5 miles. Turn east on Old Fort Road and then south on Parker Road. Parker turns east and dead-ends at Corvallis Road. Take a right (south) on Corvallis. It will quickly turn east and Oak Hill Road is on the left a 0.25 miles down from that turn. The dairy and Wendell Kreder is only a quarter mile down Oak Hill Road.
DirectionsHabitat and Birds
There are several ponds around a large dairy and the biggest is Wendell Kreder Reservoir. A scope is helpful here and be sure to bird only from the road. Private land borders both sides of this road. Water birds are the main attraction here. 18 species of ducks and geese have been recorded from these ponds and the surrounding dairy land. Rarities here include Least Bittern, Tufted Duck, Red Phalarope, Swamp Sparrow, Tree Sparrow and a possible Sedge Wren. Other interesting species include Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, White Pelican, Horned Grebe, Northern Harrier, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Greater Yellowlegs, Dunlin, Long- billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Snipe, California Gull, Acorn Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Steller’s Jay, several species of swallow, Bushtit, Marsh Wren, Cedar Waxwing, Wilson’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Lincoln Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, and American Goldfinch. Black-bird flocks are often seen near the dairy, and Brown-headed Cowbirds are fairly reliably mixed in with the Red-winged and Brewer’s Blackbirds.
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