Category: Birding

This bird first seen by Kenny & LaDonna Nichols on Thursday. Friday, Karen, Doris, Dottie and I made a speed run to lake Dardanelle to see it but was foiled.  Saturday, the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas on their monthly field trip spent a lot of time looking for it.  I had to take off around noon and missed its recovery at about 4 PM. So Sunday morning, Dan Scheiman and I went one more time and found it within about 15 minutes.  Third time charm.  Common on the east coast, never seen in Arkansas before. I saw one on the east coast 29 years ago so this is only a half-life bird and a great state bird #340.

Just finished the last of five Christmas bird counts this season, two more than my previous record. First it was Lonoke on December 14, then Little Rock and Conway on the 20th & 21st. Then Hot Springs (in a constant drizzle) on January 4th and Holla Bend on the 5th. I was supposed to do six but let the threat of ice from the sky and the crud that’s going around keep me from doing that one. Fun but exhausting and glad its over.

Notable sightings from the five counts:

• A Screech Owl at Holla Bend (I’m usually lucky to hear one once a year) that I somehow surprised.
• 14 Harris Sparrows along Country Loop Road south of Holla Bend.
• Two Great Horned Owls (one outside my territory) at Lonoke.
• Merlin at Lonoke.
• Bewick’s Wren in Conway.
• 300 Smith’s Longspurs also in Conway.
• 3 Brown-headed Nuthatch in what is reportedly a new location in Conway. Although I have them at my feeders, they are apparently uncommon in Conway.

The Audubon Society of Central Arkansas visited Frog Bayou Saturday. We saw plenty of good bird, Merlin, Laughing Gull, Sora.  I managed to get a few butterflies too. Click for a larger image.