Winter is coming ....

Winter is coming. As I looked out over the lake Saturday, lines of white appeared on the blue horizon. As the apparitions started came into focus flying in my direction, I knew what I was seeing.  During the winter migration, our lake system of Barkley and Kentucky Lakes, The American White Pelican visit Western Kentucky.

The bird primarily visits Lake Barkley during migration to (Oct-Nov) and from (March) the Gulf of Mexico.  They can have a wingspan over nine feet and weigh up to twenty pounds, making them one of the largest birds in Kentucky.

I had a hunch that morning that local birds would show their presence that day. Around an hour later as the Pelicans sat in the water. One can only wonder if they were feeling, annoyed by the Sea Gulls darting above their heads.  The gulls were darting into water to eat fish beside them.

I knew this was too tempting for the local predator of water birds. An American Bald Eagle appeared out of nowhere flying low upon the water, talons extended. I felt a rush and began to think was he hunting the pelicans?  I rushed down the stairs to see what his prey had been. Only a fish was in his talons as flew to the tree line for his reward of hunting.

Nick Edmonds

Hummingbirds Refuel at Lake Barkley State Resort Park

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been abundant at the park this week.  They can be seen darting from the flowers and feeders around the lodge pool as they try to fatten up before continuing their migration to Mexico and Central America.  Most of the birds that we are seeing around the park are not ones that nested here, but more likely ones that nested further north and are stopping over at the park to refuel for their migration south.  

 

A Ruby-throated Hummingbird refuels at a feeder

Ruby-throated hummingbirds weigh about the same as a penny and can double their weight in preparation for migration.  Males tend to migrate first and the females and young from this year follow shortly after.  You can keep your hummingbird feeders up through October or until the threat of freeze, and that way you can feed any stragglers headed south.  Keeping your feeders out longer will not prevent the birds from migrating, their migration is triggered by shortening day length not food availability.   

Over the next week or two we should see a dramatic decrease in the number of hummingbirds in Kentucky as more and more make the perilous journey across the Gulf of Mexico to their wintering grounds.  After spending a few months at their wintering grounds, the birds prepare to migrate again and usually return to Kentucky in April.  

Butterflies Abound at Lake Barkley SRP

This week at Lake Barkley we have seen an abundance of butterflies around the park.  Over the past two years, Lake Barkley has been converting some of its landscaping to native wildflowers and those native plants seem to be attracting lots of butterflies.  Tiger Swallowtails, Black Swallowtails, Spicebush Swallowtails, and Red Spotted Purples seem to be the most abundant this week and we have seen them visiting Butterfly Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, Blazingstar, and Buttonbush.

This Tiger Swallowtail butterfly was spotted on the Wilderness Trail

Wildflowers and Birds at Lake Barkley

This is the perfect time to make your way to Lake Barkley State Resort Park.  The rain will make it's way out of western Kentucky today and the forecast for the weekend will be warm and sunny.  The flowers and birds are abundant this week too.
Wildflower highlights include Fire Pink, Lyre-leaved Sage, phlox, and columbine.

Columbine blooming in one of Lake Barkley's wildflower gardens

The Columbine is blooming in abundance in one of our wildflower beds located on the east wing of the lodge.

The symphony of birds has been outstanding this week too.  Wood Thrushes can be heard in the morning and early evening hours around the cottage loop and campground, and hummingbirds can be seen darting back and forth between feeders.  A number of warbler species  can be heard on the park too including Tennessee, Prothonatary, Black-and-White, Yellow-throated, Chats, and Northern Parulas.  Our Birding on Barkley event is sold out for Saturday but I'll post our sightings.

Friends of Lake Barkley Golf Tournament - June 8th

The Friends of Lake Barkley State Resort Park is a non-profit organization that supports  Lake Barkley through community involvement, volunteerism and fund-raising. Last year they donated over 4,000 hours on trail maintenance, decorating, special events, gardening projects,and fundraising.  

This year they are again hosting a golf tournament at Lake Barkley's Boots Randolph Golf Course on June 8th with a start time of 1p.m.  For more information click here  

Colors and sounds at Lake Barkley SRP

Pink Dogwoods in bloom around the lodge at Lake Barkley

This week has been a great one to get out and enjoy the sights and sounds at Lake Barkley.  The weather has been warm and the colors vibrant.  Dogwoods (including the pink ones around the lodge), redbuds and an abundance of wildflowers are colorful now.  Wildflowers in bloom include Rue Anemone, Cut-leaf Toothwort, Blue Phlox, Pennywort, bluets, Prairie Trillium, and a variety of violet species.  The Mayapple leaves have also popped up on the forest floor creating a nice green covering.

The birds have been singing up a storm this week too.  I heard an Orchard Oriole singing just outside the front desk a few days ago, and Wood Thrushes can be heard in the campground and around the cottages.  Yellow-throated Warblers, Northern Parulas, Chipping Sparrows, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers continue to be abundant around the park and can be heard near the lodge.  Prothonotary Warblers, Purple Martins, and Chimney Swifts have also returned to Lake Barkley.

If you would like to see and hear the warblers and returning migrants in western Kentucky, then join Lake Barkley and Land Between The Lakes NRA for Birding on Barkley on May 11th.  Experienced guides will take you to hot spots around Lake Barkley and Land Between The Lakes. More information can be found here

Birding on Barkley event - May 11th

Lake Barkley State Resort Park and Land Between The Lakes NRA are pleased to again present a wildlife viewing opportunity dedicated to birding.  Experience the peak of songbird migration, as our birding guides offer identification and viewing tips and help search out prothonotaries, parulas, and pewees.  Many non-breeding warblers venture along Lake Barkley at this time, so we will keep our binoculars ready for that special life lister.  Discover birding hot spots around Lake Barkley and Land Between The Lakes by joining us on one or both of our hot spot tours.  Tours are $10/person and depart at 8a.m. to explore the northern end of Land Between The Lakes, and 1p.m. to explore the southern end.  Tour sizes will be limited to allow the best viewing opportunities, so make your reservations early by calling 270-924-2020. 

In conjunction with Birding on Barkley, Lake Barkley will be hosting Birding and Beer, an evening of bird trivia, beer, and an opportunity to meet fellow birders.  Birders and non-birders will both enjoy this event as topics will range from bird ID to birds in sports. Bird related beers will also be available for purchase during this event.   This event is free to attend, but reservations are required.  Teams can be from 2 – 8 people and prizes will be awarded to the winning team, trivia starts at 7p.m. at Lake Barkley Lodge.  

Spring Awakening at Lake Barkley

Redbuds stating to bloom at Lake Barkley 

It amazes me how quickly the forest can go from winter browns to spring greens.  In just a matter of 48 hours of warm weather the forest has awakened with the sounds of arriving migrants like Northern Parulas, Yellow-throated Warblers, Black and White Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, and Yellow-throated Vireos.  Gray Tree frogs have also added to the symphony of spring and can be heard calling around the park.  The trees have also begun to bud out and produce leaves, and the redbuds are finally blooming dotting the roadsides and under story with purple.

Pussytoes at Lake Barkley SRP

  The number of wildflowers has increased too and includes Spring Beauty, Bluets, Pussytoes, Sandwort, Pennywort, Rue Anemone, Birds Foot Violet, and purple, yellow, and white violets. 

Sights and sounds from a walk through the woods

It finally feels like spring in western Kentucky and the sunshine seems to have awoke some of our early spring arrivals.  On a hike through the rolling hills of Lake Barkley State Resort Park yesterday I came across some of those arrivals.  Here is a quick list of the woodland flowers:

• Lots of Cut-leaf toothwort was blooming
• Trillium leaves have emerged from the leaf litter but haven’t yet bloomed
• A single blooming Rue Anemone
• A few Pennyworts blooming  
• May apple leaves have emerged
• Spring Beauty, Bluets, and Pussytoes continue to bloom

The forest was also alive with the sounds of singing birds.  At the start of my hike I was surprised to hear the low hoot of a Great Horned Owl.  Great Horned Owls are some of the earliest nesting birds in Kentucky usually starting to breed in December and January.  The Kentucky Environmental Education Projects (KEEP), activated their Lake Barkley Osprey nest camera this year and to their surprise they found it was already occupied by a pair of Great Horned Owls and two young chicks.  

Two young Great Horned Owls from KEEP's nest camera

The chicks are quickly growing and it has been interesting to check in on them from time to time.  Great Horned Owls have a wide variety of prey items, and this pair has brought fish, coots, rabbits, and even a meadowlark home for dinner.  You can check out the nest camera  here, but check it out soon because it won’t be long before the young take flight.  

Spring Arrivals

The sights and sounds of spring can be seen and heard around Lake Barkley this week.  The sun has been trying to get out from behind the clouds, but the plants and animals have spring fever (despite the winter-like temperatures)   Daffodils have been blooming for a few weeks now and Spring Beauty, Bluets, Pussy toes, and violets can be seen popping up here and there around the park.  

A few toothworts have been spotted on the park, but most were still closed up this morning. 

Cut-leaf Toothwort starting to bloom at Lake Barkley SRP

The morning the air was filled with singing Eastern Phoebes, Carolina Wrens, Blue jays and Eastern Bluebirds.  Hermit Thrushes also seem to be migrating through Western Kentucky this week and their flute like sound has been heard in the campground and around the cottages the last few days.  Cliff swallows have also returned to their nesting colony near the golf course.

A male and female Bluebird were seen staking their claim to a nest box near the lodge and two Canada Geese seem to be setting up shop on one of the islands off the west wing of the lodge.  Pelicans and juncos are still around but not for long as spring is here and they will soon be departing for their northern nesting grounds.