Spring and Summer: You will see large numbers of ducks, mergansers and grebes. Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, and Ruddy Ducks are the most common. Hooded and Common Mergansers; Pied-billed, Horned and Eared Grebes can be found. Warblers include Black-and-White, Wilson’s, Orange-crowned, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstarts, Prothonotary, Nashville, Yellow, Kentucky, and Louisiana Waterthrush. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are numerous. Chipping, Lark, Grasshopper and other sparrows are also around as are Orchard and Baltimore Orioles. Wood Thrush can be seen. Look for Mississippi Kites, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern and Western Kingbirds, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Indigo and Painted Buntings, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Blue Grosbeaks, Gray Catbird, and Dickcissel. Vireo sightings include White-eyed, Yellow-throated, Bell’s, Red-eyed, and Warbling.
Forster’s and Common Terns, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Snowy Egret, Yellow-crowned and Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Cattle Egret. Hawks include Cooper’s Red-shouldered, Red-tailed, Swainson’s; also found are American Kestrels, Turkey Vultures, Common Nighthawks, Chimney Swift, Cliff and Barn Swallows, and Purple Martin.

Fall and Winter: The Bald Eagle is the best bird to look for during winter months. Arcadia Lake sponsors an Eagle Watch on the first weekend in January with discounted admission. Ospreys are also seen over the lake during both spring and fall migrations. Also watch for Merlin and Sharp-shinned Hawks, Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Cedar Waxwings, Spotted Towhee; White-throated, Harris’s, Lincoln’s and Song Sparrows. Pine Siskin, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned, Fox and American Tree Sparrows, Double-crested Cormorant are abundant during the winter months and roost in high numbers during the late afternoon.

Year round: American White Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Red-tailed Hawk, Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite, American Coot, Ring-billed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Roadrunner, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Pileated, Red-head and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina and Bewick’s Wrens, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Phoebe, Spotted Towhee, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow.

Arcadia Lake is located east of I-35 in Edmond, Oklahoma. It is bounded on the north by 2nd Street and on the south by I-44/Turner Turnpike. Parks and campgrounds are access from 2nd and 15th Streets. Arcadia Lake is a water supply and recreational lake. It was built as a cooperative effort between the US Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Edmond. The normal elevation of Arcadia Lake is 1006 feet with a surface area of 1,820 acres. It is surrounded by 26 miles of shoreline. The lake, parks and camping areas are all fee-based ($6 per day / per car). 

All the roads around the lake are paved. The park is always clean and well maintained. Birding is very good on and around the lake during any season. There are limited areas for mudflats since the lake level remains fairly constant. However, the western edge of the overnight camping area at Edmond Park provides areas for some shorebirds.