Today Claudia and I walked the dyke road along the southern edge of the area along Oak Orchard Creek, west side of Albion Rd. A highlight was seeing four Sandhill Cranes flying in and calling as they landed well ahead of us. A lowlight was I didn't think to bring my spotting scope, it would have come in handy with all the ducks out in the pools! 😛
Saturday, March 20, 2021
About that NYS map
The downloadable map from NYS for the Oak Orchard WMA is informative, but also has some omissions and errors. For example, it does not show the observation tower on Albion Rd. It shows some boardwalk sections that aren't there off the main parking lot on Albion Rd. Oh well, it gives a lot to work with, and leaves a lot for me to explore!
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
The official map
Only once or twice have I walked the trails beyond the pavilion off Knowlesville Rd., so that's an area to explore more. I should draw my own map, learn the names of all the pools, which I don't other than Windmill, and name the dike trails just to keep it clear for myself.
Oak Orchard Swamp
Officially known as the Oak Orchard WMA (Wildlife Management Area.) The area is a 2500 acre parcel that is the eastern end of several wildlife areas, state and federal lands, that together make up an area significant in many natural resources, especially migratory birds.
I am focusing on Oak Orchard WMA in this blog. Being a bit closer to my home, it just is the one I go to most often. The federal area to the west, also part of the Oak Orchard Swamp, Iroquois NWR, gets plenty of attention anyway, so let's give Oak Orchard WMA a little attention, lol.
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