Category: Birding

I walked Rock Creek Trail in West Little Rock Thursday morning in between rain episodes.  After all the rain the creek was way up from the last time I was there just four days ago.  At the lowest point in the trail, it was just eight inches or so above the water.  The best bird of the morning was a Northern Waterthrush , a first of year for me and first for the trail according to Ebird records.  I distinguished it from the more likely Louisiana Waterthrush by the finer breast streaks, the less prominent eye stripe and the song.  Also found were Blue-winged Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, and a Nashville Warbler but no other migrants.

I took the morning off and visited Burns Park Wednesday morning.  Heavy thunderstorms came through the area the night before and I was hoping for a good turnout.  I walked the River and White Oak Trails for 3 hours and while there weren’t great numbers of individuals, I did encounter 48 species and picked up eight first of year species.  Included in the first of years were Yellow-throated Warbler, Dickcissel, Warbling Vireo, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Chimney Swift, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, and Semipalmated Plover.  Other interesting birds included Swainson’s Thrush, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike,  and White-crowned Sparrow.

I had trouble deciding between going to Bell Slough WMA or Gillam Park in SW Little Rock this morning. Finally I decided on the latter and I’m glad.  I hadn’t gone too far into the park when a Hooded Warbler made an appearance. He was soon joined by a couple more and a Worm-eating Warbler.  Further down, after the second gate I found a Louisiana Waterthrush, a Red-eyed Vireo and single Indigo Bunting.  All five were first of season for me.  I walked all the way down on what I consider the main trail and then back via the orange trail following the creek.   I picked up 35 species in all plus four turtle, two making whoopee, all of the same as yet undetermined species, plus 9 species of butterfly and four species of dragonfly that I need to identify when I get a chance.  Gillam is a great place and I don’t think I have ever been disappointed going there.