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I went to Mena this afternoon, hoping to get my second life bird for the day. It was almost a three hour drive but I wasn’t disappointed. About 20 minutes after I got there, he arrived with a few Indigo friends. He didn’t stay long but apparently came back after I left. I hope he hangs around a while.

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I went to Gillam this morning, keeping close to home so that I could go to Mena Lazuli hunting later. It was kind of slow, I think the migration bump is definitely almost over. However, I did encounter a first of season and a first of life. The lifer, a Blue-headed Vireo, is here in the winter and leaves during the 3^rd week of May so I just barely caught this one. It is “unusual” but still a winter resident, I’m surprised I’ve never encountered it yet. *=First of Season, **=Life Bird.

Species seen or heard:

• Blue-headed Vireo **
• Northern Waterthrush *
• Carolina Chickadee
• Tufted Titmouse
• White-eyed Vireo
• Eastern Phoebe
• Carolina Wren
• Chimney Swift
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Northern Cardinal
• Wood Thrush
• Fish Crow
• Kentucky Warbler
• Acadian Flycatcher
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Indigo Bunting
• Common Yellowthroat
• Great Blue Heron
• Green Heron
• Belted Kingfisher
• Philadelphia Vireo
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Magnolia Warbler
• Orange-crowned Warbler
• Wood Duck
• Blue Jay
• Eastern Wood-Pewee

Plan A had been to drive to Craighead Forest Park this morning but I saw a post from Dick Baxter last night where he and Ron Howard had birded the area yesterday and the list of notables that he provided made me think whether I wanted go there in the rain. As it turns out, all of this birding and these trips I’ve made recently have paid off, I had already seen (this year) every bird on his list except the Caspian Tern. The tern would be nice but I decided against going up there in a driving rain for the chance of seeing him.

I left the house (in the rain) for Bell Slough WMA this morning with the thought that it might well be submerged. Sure enough it was so I went to Plan C. Plan C was Allsopp Park even though I had just been there yesterday. Not surprisingly, mine was the only car at Allsopp since there was a steady moderate rain. I donned poncho and waterproof boots and took off. I went up the main paved trail as usual and then at the top took the trail to the east. This “high” trail seems to pace Cedar Street and then ends up at the softball field. By the time I finished, at 9:10, the rain had stopped so I took off back up the main trail hopping for more birds this time. Once I got to the top this time I veered to the west and walked the biking trails on that side. In all I spent 2:10 there and walked about 3.5 miles.

Species seen or heard:

• American Robin
• Tufted Titmouse
• Northern Cardinal
• Swainson’s Thrush
• Gray Catbird
• Magnolia Warbler
• Carolina Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• American Crow
• Killdeer
• Mississippi Kite
• White-eyed Vireo
• Northern Mockingbird
• Chimney Swift
• Worm-eating Warbler
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Summer Tanager
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Eastern Phoebe