JamesDixon.us

It was a busy weekend. First there was an ASCA field trip to Lake Sylvia which was cold and sunny.  That was followed by chores to justify blowing them off earlier.  Sunday I birded parts of Burns Park and Cook’s Landing.  Sunday afternoon I wrapped it up with a butterfly outing to Pinnacle Mountain State Park.  Below are some pictures from the weekend.  Click the images to see a larger version.

The American Lady and Silver-spotted Skippers were first of season and the blue in the Prairie Lizard is a mating season accessory.

Karen Holliday, Sam, and I went to Lake Sylvia in the Ouachita National Forest Sunday.  Due to the clouds and wind, the birding was slow but we did pick up FOS Summer Tanagers and a pair of nesting Red-shouldered Hawks.  I did find a new life moth – the Grape Leafroller Moth.  After Sylvia, we went to a forest service lake that we were told about called Lake Huston near Perryville.  By the time the Sun was shining more and the insect life picked up there.  I found a life butterfly, the Hoary Edge (cool name, huh?) and there were several very striking Blue Corporeal dragonflies.  We also picked up FOS Chimney Swifts there and Prairie Warbler on Highway 10 on the way back.  None of my bird pictures turned out but some of the insects did. I hope you like them. Right click image to see an enlargement.

Sam and I joined several birders Saturday for an extended tour of Saul’s Fish Farm, Treadway Minnow Farm, and Bald Knob NWR. It was a beautiful days with lots of sunshine plus a Ruff (life bird for Sam) and a life butterfly, dragonfly, and damselfly for me. Plus an epic battle between a snake and a frog, the snake won. Sunday was cloudy and cold and more subdued but I managed a FOS Yellow-sided Skimmer.