Buck Creek State Park

This is the best birding area in Clark County. The park is on the northeast side of Springfield. There are several places around the park to look. Some are better at certain seasons and not very interesting at others. I will describe several of the areas starting at the southwest corner of the park.

At the south side of the park west of the lake is an area managed by the United States Corps of Engineers. The entrance is off Croft Road. Soon after turning on Overlook Drive there is a left turn that leads to a small parking lot. If you don't turn here, there is another parking lot on your right after a short distance. You can access the same trails from either parking lot. There is a woods along Buck Creek. From the parking lot near the creek there is a trail along the creek. There is also a bike trail on the north side of the woods. You can walk all of the way around the woods or cut through the middle of the woods on the bike trail. A few ducks or herons can sometimes be seen on the creek. The woods is good for Yellow-throated Warblers and Northern Parulas in the spring and summer. The winter has only some common permanent residents. In migration a variety of warblers and other migrants can be seen.

North of the woods is a prairie. Sedge Wrens have been seen here in the summer. In the spring woodcocks sometimes display. Some sparrows can be seen most of the year. On the west side of prairie is a small marsh which has held Swamp Sparrows and occasionally a Marsh Wren. Blackbirds have roosted here in the fall or early spring.

There is also a trail west of the road. It has some brushy areas where chats, White-eyed Vireos, and House Wrens have been seen in the proper season.

If you continue walking up the road you go through some wooded areas. You can continue along the road all of the way to the historic Crabill House or turn onto the Buckhorn Trail which goes for miles along the western part of the park. We usually just walk the road to the Crabill House. This area can be quite good for warblers in the spring. It can have warblers in the fall also but some trails east of the lake may be better for warbler migration in the fall.

If you drive past the Prairie View parking lot to the visitor's center area there are more birding opportunities. There is a small woods that can have a few warblers in spring migration. Most of the time people come to this spot to look over the lake for ducks and other waterbirds in the colder months of the year. It is probably the best place to look over the lake in the afternoon.

Back along Croft Road there is a small parking lot on the north side of the road. This would access the same woods as from the Prairie View parking lot.

Farther east along Croft Road is the turn to Robert Eastman Road. Immediately after turning there is a parking lot. From here you can walk up the steps on the dam to look over the lake. You can see the south end of the lake from here. Also Cliff Swallows usually nest under the walkway to the tower.

If you continue across the dam you come to Buck Creek Lane. This brings you to the state park area. Turn left to enter the park. If you are accessing the park from the south, Buck Creek Lane becomes Bird Road as you go south from Old Columbus Road. From US Route 40 you would turn onto Bird Road which brings you into the park. After entering the park there is the parking lot for the beach but that parking lot is closed in the winter. You can continue and turn left at the next road which leads to another parking lot that is always open. We usually park there to walk the beach. This is a good spot to look over the lake. The beach attracts gulls, terns, and shorebirds especially in the spring, late summer, and fall. Many species of gulls, terns, and shorebirds have been recorded here but usually only a few species on any given day. The brush around the beach parking lot can attract a few birds. The most interesting might be Blue Grosbeack which has spent recent summers in the parking lot area.

If you go east on the main road you come to a road that goes left to some picnic areas but we seldom bird these areas. Continue east and you can turn left on the road to the marina. This is another place to look over the lake in the colder months for waterbirds.

If you stay on the road to the next turn and go left you can reach a couple more parking lots. From here you can access the trails that run under the powerlines. You can walk either way. These trails are good for birds most of the year but the fall can be the best.

If you continue past the turnoff to the disc golf area, there is another parking lot on your left. It is marked as the Coyote Run Trail. This accesses the same areas as the disc golf area but this trail is paved and is the best handicapped trail in the park. The paved trail goes for about a quarter mile and can be good for many woodland birds.

If you continue past this parking lot there is another parking lot on the right. This also accesses the trail under the powerlines. The trail under the powerlines to the south of here has been really good in fall warbler migration some years. If you go north in the early spring at dusk you have a good chance to hear woodcocks displaying.

The road continues to the cabins and to the campground. There really isn't parking in the cabin area. You can probably park in the campground at the tent camping spots in the winter. From there you can walk a small trail to the lake. This can be a good place to look for ducks in cold weather. You can walk north to look that direction also.

To access other areas of the park you must exit the park. Go south on Buck Creek Lane and turn left on Old Columbus Road which is at the traffic light. Then turn left on Grant Road. After about two miles there is a gravel road to the left marked as the Horseman's Area. From here you can access bridle trails which connect to other trails accessible from earlier mentioned locations. If you walk west instead of under the powerlines you will come to an old boat ramp that is no longer used. This is a place to look over the lake which is most productive in the colder months when waterbirds are migrating.

If you continue north on Grant Road to the bottom of the hill, there is another access to the lake. There is limited parking here and it might not be a good birding location during duck or goose season. At times it can be very good. In early spring or late fall when the lake level is low there can be shorebirds on the mudflats. It can also be good for ducks, gulls, and terns. This short walk can also be good for warblers and other migrants in the spring and fall. I have recorded over 40 species of birds in spring or fall migration on this short walk.

From here you can continue north on Grant Road, then turn left on Moorefield Road and then south on the next street. At the south end of the street there is a little parking lot. A trail leads south from here but I don't think this is the most productive trail in the park. You can walk east toward the lake to get another view of the lake. This can get you close to the mudflats if the lake level is low but it requires walking down a steep hill then over the railroad tracks which isn't an easy walk.

There is one more access point to the park. Continue west on Moorefield Road and south on State Route 4. After about a mile, across from a cemetery is a small parking area. You can walk along the trail to the lake. This is another place to look for waterbirds in colder weather. The trail is also lined with sweetgum trees. On rare occasions we have seen Pine Siskins or Common Redpolls here.

There are a couple other areas along nearby roads that are worth driving at certain times of years. About half way along Grant Road is a road going east called Yeazell Road. Go east a little past Hodge Road and there are hayfields that usually have Bobolinks and Savannah Sparrows in late spring and early summer. If you turn north on Hodge Road you can often find Horned Larks and in the summer you may be able to find Vesper Sparrows or Red-headed Woodpeckers. If you go to Moorefield Road and turn west there is another hayfield near the intersection with Baldwin Lane. This hayfield usually has Savannah Sparrows in summer and has had other grassland birds at times.