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Bill Shepherd & Dan Scheiman first spotted the rare (for Arkansas) Vermillion Flycatcher at Stuttgart Municipal Airport on Friday the 9th. I got a call from Dottie that night telling me that she, Doris, and Karen were heading there Saturday morning and were saving a spot for me and Sam. So we bundled up and headed out. We arrived at the airport at 8:15 and went to the location Dan provided. Lots of White-crowned Sparrows, thousands of Snow Geese, a few Ross’s Geese, aand assortment of other birds but no easy to spot flycatcher. So we walked around in the 30+ degree but thankfully no wind weather. For two hours. Then at 10:30, when he deemed it warm enough to look for insects, the flycatcher arrived. Flitting from tree to rice stubble to bush, he stayed there the entire rest of the time we were there. I had seen one out west about 25 years ago but not since and not in Arkansas. It was a life bird for Sam and several others.

A Brewer’s Sparrow was reported at Woolsey Wet Prairie in Fayetteville Wednesday. Friday evening, Karen called to see if I’d be interested in chasing it.  So, Saturday Sam & I met her, Dan, Dottie, and Doris at the Carpet Barn for nearly three hour trek.  There we met Joe Neal who would serve as our guide.  The temperature was supposed to be about 50 but the 20 MPH wind made it feel much cooler and inhibit birding opportunities.  We were there for two hours and really saw very few birds considering the time spent.  However, we did get to see the bird soon after arrival. I managed to squeeze off one moderately acceptable picture but for the most part this and all other sparrows stayed under the brush to avoid the wind.  After that sighting, we walked around looking for our second target bird – American Tree Sparrow. We managed to site three or four of those, adding a second life bird for Sam, Dottie, and Doris.  Our third target, Harris Sparrow was a no show.  The exhausted group headed home with rain drops nipping at our heels.

Brewer's Sparrow Woolsey Wet Prairie December 2011