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West Creek Reservation
This park contains 278 acres, lining parts of the nine-mile-long West Creek, a tributary of the Cuyahoga River. In recent years, West Creek has gained fame as a good spot to turn up a variety of sparrows. Brushy fields and woodland edges regularly produce Clay-colored, Le Conte's, and Nelson's sparrows in addition to all of the more frequent species.
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26 - West Creek Reservation
Cleveland Metroparks
1969 West Ridgewood Drive., Parma, OH 44134
216.341.9225
Public Access
Open daily, dawn until 11 p.m.
Amenities
Hiking Trails, Restrooms, Picnic Area, Handicap
Accessible Trails
GPS Coordinates
N 41° 23'30.14"; W 81° 41'46.14"
Driving Directions
From I-48-, exit at State Road. Turn right on State Road
and go approximately 2 miles to West Ridgewood Drive.
Turn left on West Ridgewood Drive. Park entrance is
on the right. |
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What To Look For
This park contains 278 acres, lining parts of the nine-mile-long West Creek, a tributary of the Cuyahoga River. In recent years, West Creek has gained fame as a good spot to turn up a variety of sparrows. Brushy fields and woodland edges regularly produce Clay-colored, Le Conte's, and Nelson's sparrows in addition to all of the more frequent species. October is peak sparrow-finding month.
Fall can also be excellent for a variety of Neotropical migrants, including Olive-sided Flycatcher and Orange-crowned Warbler. In all, over 150 species have been tallied, most of them migrants detected during spring and fall migrations. A summertime visit will find a variety of breeding birds, including Wood Duck, Yellow-throated Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, and Baltimore Oriole. The Stearns Homestead farm, which is a very short distance west of West Creek Reservation at 6975 Ridge Road, Parma, is well worth a stop during the breeding season. Grassland species including Eastern Meadowlarks and Bobolinks nest, and Willow Flycatchers can be found in shrubby areas.
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Noteworthy Rarities
Noted primarily for the numerous records of Clay-colored, Le Conte's, and Nelson's sparrows, as well as uncommonly detected fall migrants such as Grasshopper Sparrow.
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Natural Features
The diversity of habitats, especially woodlands, makes for a spectacular spring wildflower show. April and May are the prime months to catch wildflowers in bloom.
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