I didn’t feel like going far afield when I got up an decided to hit Allsopp and Murray Parks. I did so, running into fellow birders Lynn and Becky at Allsopp. Things were kind of slow at Murray so I left there a little early with a vague idea of going to Terry Dam later to look for Painted Buntings.
When I got home I got an email from ARBird about a Gull-billed Tern spotted near Arkansas City by Dick Baxter. That’s in the southeast corner of the state and about 2 hours away. After thinking about it for a while, I called Dick and got some directions and also realized that he intended to stay there to help birders in the new and temporary birding Mecca. So Angie and I got ready and headed there. We found the site without too much trouble and found Dick and his wife Sarah, Kenny & LaDonna Nichols, and Dennis Braddy there. They had the tern spotted and scoped for us. Unfortunately it was too far away for the camera but the identification was easy in a scope. This was a new bird for Arkansas, from what I hear it has never been reported before. Thank you, Dick.
** = New Life Bird, * = First of Season
Species seen or heard at Allsopp:
- Rock Pigeon
- Mourning Dove
- Carolina Chickadee
- American Robin
- Northern Cardinal
- White-eyed Vireo
- Red-eyed Vireo
- European Starling
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Nashville Warbler
- Brown Thrasher
- Pine Warbler
- Northern Flicker
- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Blue Jay
- American Crow
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Fish Crow
- Hooded Warbler
- Orchard Oriole
- Mississippi Kite
- Broad-winged Hawk
- Carolina Wren
- Tufted Titmouse
Species seen or heard at Murray:
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
- European Starling
- Northern Mockingbird
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Turkey Vulture
- Fish Crow
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow
- Northern Cardinal
- Belted Kingfisher
- Mourning Dove
- Blue Grosbeak
- Eastern Kingbird
- Canada Goose
Species seen or heard at Dick Baxter’s site:
- Gull-billed Tern **
- Black-necked Stilt *
- Willet *
- Semipalmated Sandpiper *
- Least Sandpiper *
- Bobolink *
- Mallard
- Northern Shoveler
- American White Pelican
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Great Egret
- American Coot
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Scarlet Tanager
