[texbirds] Lake Bardwell flooded and trashed - Ellis County (local interest)

  • From: Ted Drozdowski <muddykayak@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 5 Dec 2015 21:28:46 -0600

Hello,
I went to check out parts of Lake Bardwell that I haven't been to
since the rain started last May. I was hoping to pick up a few Ellis
County year birds and I did pick up four new species, bringing my 2015
Ellis County list to 211. I hesitate to call it a big year, because its
not. Still, 211 is my all time high annual list for Ellis.
Getting back to Lake Bardwell, the water seems to be maybe 10 to 12
feet over its banks. Four of the five Army Corp parks are closed. The one
exception is High View Park, but it's closed to day use visitors, so unless
you're camping or launching a boat you can't use that park either.
Waxahachie Creek Park is still closed and I'm sure their infrastructure and
plumbing was probably destroyed last May.The high water has scoured the
shoreline vegetation and when you get to the previous high water line the
amount of trash is mind boggling. Tens of thousands of plastic bottles and
every other imaginable piece of trash can be found. I think every piece of
trash in Ellis County (not properly disposed of) wound up on Lake
Bardwell's shores. Also, they are putting in a massive pipeline and it
appears that access to the Buffalo Creek Wetlands and Dam area is
temporarily cut-off.
Not that anybody does, but if you are going to bird Lake Bardwell it
looks like you're limited to the Observation Overlook area, and the hunting
area off North Cooke Road.
Sparrows were good today with ten species and I got great looks at a
LeConte's at Obs. Overlook. I also had a Spotted Towhee there which was
also new for 2015.
Over on the NE side on Laneview Road, I had four Rusty Blackbirds.
Not many birds were on the lake and the only real highlights on the water
were two Horned Grebes and one Eared Grebe near the dam.
Lake Bardwell is an enigma: Nearly its entire 20+ miles of shoreline
is public, but you will almost never run into anybody there. The Big Woods
on the Northwest side undoubtedly contain the largest collection of massive
trees in Ellis County away from the Trinity River. It's a wild area with a
fourteen mile equestrian and hiking trail weaving in and out of the woods.
You will always have it to yourself. The Army Corp has five parks plus
numerous other access areas and a few other trails, and if you go, you will
not likely see another soul other than a boat or two and maybe a few
campers at High View park, maybe.
The birding isn't always great, but over the years I've found
some good birds here. Anybody "Century Clubbing" Ellis County will likely
spend some time at Lake Bardwell, alone.
Ted Drozdowski
Lake Waxahachie
Ellis County


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  • » [texbirds] Lake Bardwell flooded and trashed - Ellis County (local interest) - Ted Drozdowski