From the perspective of any North American migratory songbird, any forested habitat located along or near the Gulf Coast is a precious commodity. A migratory trip around the Gulf Rim or directly across the Gulf of Mexico is an arduous and often perilous journey. Coastal forests, no matter how small, can make the difference between life and death for traveling songbirds. There, they can rest, eat, and find fresh water in order to maintain their energy levels. Ornithologists refer to such places as "stopover habitat"–every bit as crucial to birds as their nesting and wintering destinations are.
Golden Meadow's Oak Ridge Community Park is a prime example of crucial stopover habitat. This small site was built along a forested ridge containing live oaks, American elms, hackberries, and other bottomland hardwood species. It is a traditional stop for not only migrating birds, but also for birders headed to nearby coastal birding destinations in the area.
Over 170 species of birds have been recorded at this small, unassuming park. Activity is especially high during migration periods (March-May and August-October) and in the winter.
Forest birds recorded here include eight hawks, six woodpeckers, seven flycatchers, eight mimic thrushes/thrushes, a strong assortment of sparrows, blackbirds, and orioles, both Summer and Scarlet Tanagers and Indigo and Painted Buntings, along with nearly 30 species of warblers.
Along with the small forested ridge are two brushy canals that hold an amazing diversity of shrub-scrub-thicket birds and waterbirds. These include nine species of waterfowl, 15 shorebirds, seven species of gulls and terns, American Coot, Common Gallinule, Common Loon, both Double-crested and Neotropic Cormorants, and American White and Brown Pelicans, Anhinga, as well as a dozen or so wading bird species.
Amenities at the park include gravel parking, a playground, ball fields, a picnic area, restrooms/water, and a 0.5-mile walking trail. The site is partially handicapped accessible.
