Public Access Birding Sites in Barren County, Kentucky

 

If you have information about other public access birding sites in this county, please send details to me at this e-mail address:

    Barren County covers an area of 1295 km2 (500 mi2). A map of the county—with the some sites noted below coded on it—is available via the following link:

 

Barren River Reservoir is the main attraction in Barren County.  There are many access points to this lake that provide an opportunity for scanning with a scope for waterbirds.  Some of these include Peninsula—aka Sawyer's Landing (SALA)—Barren River Dam (BRD), Bailey's Point (in Allen County), Walnut Creek, the Narrows, and the park noted below.

 

Barren River Lake State Resort Park (BRLSRP) is one of the better birding sites in Barren Co., KY.  To reach this park, take Rt. 31A southwest from Glasgow about 10 miles, and the park entrance will be on your right opposite Rt. 1318.  Quite a few birding opportunities are available in the park.  You may walk a paved hiking trail that features some good woodland birding.  You may also search the many pine groves bordering the fairways of the golf course for pine obligates, but be sure to drop in at the pro shop and let the folks there know of your plans—and be careful not to disturb the golfers during your effort to search the pines; no Brown-headed Nuthatches have been found at this site, but it would be good to remain alert for their presence when you are in this area. Here is a link to a checklist of the birds that have been observed in the park.

 

Brigadoon State Nature Preserve (BSNP) is a worthwhile site to check out during a visit to this county; it is located a few miles off of Rt. 31E.  From the state park, go north on Rt. 31E to Browning School Rd. on the right and take it a few km (1–2 mi) east to Mutter Rd. on the left; take Mutter Rd. about 1 km north to the parking lot for the preserve, which features a 1.5-km-long nature trail (loop) that offers good woodland birding most of the year.  About 120 species, including Bachman's Sparrow, have been reported in the preserve, but a full list of species is not currently available.

 

    Please send details about any birds you record in these areas—or any public access site in Barren Co., Kentucky—to me at the e-mail address noted above. sjs.

 

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