C. Bickham Dickson Park
C. Bickham Dickson Park is located within the city limits of Shreveport. It is part of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge system and encompasses Old River Lake, a 200-acre oxbow lake.
Probably the "hottest" of all eBird hotspots in the Shreveport area, this site features bottomland hardwood forest, open, shrub-scrub woodlands, patches of freshwater marsh and cypress-tupelo swamp, as well as the open water of the lake. The checklist for this site includes nearly 250 species, including numerous vagrants, rarities, and other birds of great interest such as Surf Scoter, Eared Grebe, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Yellow Rail, and Couch’s Kingbird.
The lake is the primary birding attraction here. In winter, it hosts 19 recorded duck species, along with Sora and Virginia Rails, Common Gallinule, American Coot, seven species of gulls and terns, and Belted Kingfisher. Typical summer waterbirds include Great Blue, Little Blue, Tricolored, and Green Herons, Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egrets, Yellow-crowned and Black-crowned Night-Herons, and in late summer, both Wood Stork and Roseate Spoonbill.
Two dozen species of plovers, sandpipers, and allies have been recorded -- primarily in the migration months of May and October–including uncommon species such as Baird’s and White-rumped Sandpipers.
The woodlands and fields of this site have yielded an equally impressive list of passerine species, including White-winged, Inca, and Common Ground Doves, Black-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-bellied, Acadian, Alder, Willow, and Least Flycatchers, Lark, Fox, LeConte's, and Harris's Sparrows, and a rotating cast (depending on the season) of over 30 warbler species.
The lake features a fishing pier and boat launch for non-motorized watercraft only. A hiking/equestrian trail and picnic area are also located at the park. Typical outdoor activities include birding, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, paddling, and picnicking. Partially handicapped-accessible. This site is often underwater after periods of heavy rains. Call ahead to confirm that the gate to the access road is open.
