Category: Birding

Karen Holliday, Samantha Dixon, and I birded Bald Knob NWR Saturday morning.  We had a pretty good morning with 54 species of bird and about ten otters.  We birded the flooded fields around the grain silos plus the swampy area to west of same.  We had some unusual out-of-season birds like Snow Goose (1), Northern Shoveler (2), Northern Pintail (5), and Green-winged Teal (1) but the best birds of the day for me were first of year Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, and Forster’s Tern.  We also saw Long-billed Dowitcher, Black-necked Stilt, Least Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, White Ibis, and all of the common egrets and herons.

Below are some pictures, I hope you enjoy them.

Black-crowned Nigh-Heron

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Herons/Black-crowned-Night-Heron-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4218

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Herons/Black-crowned-Night-Heron-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4213

Forster’s Tern

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Gulls/Forsters-Tern-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4325

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Gulls/Forsters-Tern-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4320

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Gulls/Forsters-Tern-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4321

Green Heron

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Herons/Green-Heron-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4195

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Herons/Green-Heron-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4194

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Herons/Green-Heron-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4191

Killdeer

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Shorebirds/Killdeer-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4305

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Shorebirds/Killdeer-Bald-Knob-NWR-July-2010-4314

I went to BKNWR Sunday. I started at the Mingo Creek Unit which is accessed from US 64. I’ve never been there before but it deserves another visit at a different time of year.  Its got a series interconnecting trails along the edge of the Little Red River.  I didn’t see anything unusual there but its looks like it has potential and did have some good butterflies.  Not to mention mosquitoes so take bug spray if you go.
After Mingo Creek, I went to the main BKNWR. The biggest surprise to me was three American White Pelicans although technically the most notable bird was one, presumably injured, Northern Shoveler.  We usually concentrate on the fields just north of the grain bins but I drove around and saw they had standing water in the fields south of the bins. So, if those stay wet until migration season they should be watched for shorebirds.  I noticed they were pumping water around far more than what I’ve seen in the past so there’s not telling which fields might be busy in six weeks.

Monday, I got up early and went to Magazine Mountain SP for Rufous-crowned Sparrow.  The weather was very nice there, even as late as 11:30 the temperature was pleasant. Its a good place for a hot summer day.  I worked the area by the lodge for two solid hours trying to coax the RCSP but they wouldn’t come.  I could hear one back in the woods which is better than nothing but not as good as getting as good photo.  I did however get my best view of the year of a Scarlet Tanager, see below.

Black-winged Redbird
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Tanagers/Scarlet-Tanager-Mount-Magazine-State-Park-July-2010-3950
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Tanagers/Scarlet-Tanager-Mount-Magazine-State-Park-July-2010-3947
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Tanagers/Scarlet-Tanager-Mount-Magazine-State-Park-July-2010-3945

Eastern Wood-Pewee, perhaps a juvenile.
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Flycatchers/Eastern-Wood-Pewee-Mount-Magazine-State-Park-July-2010-3903
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Flycatchers/Eastern-Wood-Pewee-Mount-Magazine-State-Park-July-2010-3909

American Goldfinch. I haven’t seen these since May but they are common at Magazine.
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Finches/American-Goldfinch-Mount-Magazine-State-Park-July-2010-3921

I also have some new butterflies from both locations if you want to look

https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Butterflies

Sam and I got up early Saturday, actually she stayed up all night, and went to Arkansas Post National Memorial. This is where the July ASCA field trip is going but I was looking forward to several possible year birds and went early.  The boundary of the memorial is along a shallow lake (not sure what the term for the habitat is) and as soon as we crossed over we saw FOY Anhingas and Common Moorhen.  Further in, we saw two juvenile Bald Eagles still hanging out at the nest.  They were too far away for decent pictures but there was an Anhinga and Moorhen who were more obliging.

Later in the day, about 6 PM, I went to Burns Park in hopes of Painted Bunting and found two.  Though not rare this time of year, everyone likes PABUs and so I thought I would mention them.  They were at mile marker 6.25, near plum thickets, on the River Trail about 3/4 the distance between the southwestern most parking area in Burns Park and the intersection of the River Trail and the Northshore Trail.

Sunday, I plan to go to Magazine Mountain State Park for Rufous-crowned Sparrow and butterflies.

Here are pictures of the obliging Anhinga and Common Moorhen. I hope you like them.

Anhinga
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Pelicans/Anhinga-Arkansas-Post-National-Memorial-July-2010-3513
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Pelicans/Anhinga-Arkansas-Post-National-Memorial-July-2010-3515
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Pelicans/Anhinga-Arkansas-Post-National-Memorial-July-2010-3519

Common Moorhen
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Duck-like-Swimmers/Common-Moorhen-Arkansas-Post-National-Memorial-July-2010-3549
https://jamesdixon.us/gallery/index.php/Birds/Duck-like-Swimmers/Common-Moorhen-Arkansas-Post-National-Memorial-July-2010-3554