Howard County Bird Club
Wilde Lake
Columbia Maryland 21044
Size: 22-acre lake with adjacent open space
Best Months: Late February through May; September and October. Even when most of this lake freezes, there is usually at least one hole where waterfowl gather.
Habitat: Suburban with mown grass, shrubs, and trees. A few brushy tangles. Some trees in a parklike setting east of the dam and a wooded area at the northwest end of the lake.
Coverage Time: 20 minutes to one hour.
Trails/Path: The path around the lake is 1.46 miles. It is paved on the west, north, east, and half of the south side of the lake. On the southwest side, it becomes a mulched path for a short distance before swinging away from the lake edge to the street, skirting several houses before it returns to the paved path system at the west end of the lake.
Notable Birds: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Greater White-fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, Greater Scaup, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Red-necked Grebe, American Bittern, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Black-bellied Plover, Piping Plover, Sanderling, Short-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Glaucous Gull, Black Tern, Forster’s Tern, Anhinga, Least Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Golden-winged Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Common Redpoll.
Amenities: A few picnic tables in the vicinity of the barn; and a few benches around the lake.
Handicapped Access: Generally good along the north side. The east end near the dam has several steep inclines.
Operation and Hours: Columbia Association open space; 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Special Attractions: Flocks of Bonaparte’s Gulls are an almost annual event during late March and early April. This lake is also one of the best places in the county for summer night-herons. Several dozen trees on the west side labeled with identifying information constitute the Wilde Lake Arboretum.
Nearby Sites: Lake Kittamaqundi, Centennial Park, Lake Elkhorn.
Compiler: Joanne Solem.
