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I took Wednesday off today and went to Craighead Forest Park. I made the mistake of leaving later than I should have and didn’t get there until 9 AM, two hours after sunrise. The birding was slower than I expected, perhaps that was why. I walked the area for 3 hours, leaving at noon, getting a morning’s tally of 32 species. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was a Winter Wren although it was not truly notable, just unexpected. What’s interesting is I’m learning that not all exotic and mysterious sounding birds are warblers, listen to a Brown-headed Cowbird or a Field Sparrow some time.

Species seen or heard:

• Canada Goose
• American Robin
• Northern Mockingbird
• Killdeer
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Carolina Wren
• Brown Thrasher
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Eastern Towhee
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• European Starling
• Pine Warbler
• Mourning Dove
• Tufted Titmouse
• American Crow
• White-throated Sparrow
• Winter Wren
• Blue Jay
• Field Sparrow
• Northern Cardinal
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Eastern Bluebird
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
• Carolina Chickadee
• Belted Kingfisher
• Green Heron
• Eastern Wood-pewee
• Northern Flicker
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Fish Crow

I went to Pine Bluff this morning to these two areas just off of I-530. I spent 2 hours at BB Nature Trail and about 40 minutes at Byrd Lake NA. I got first of seasons Anhinga, Red-eyed Vireo, Broad-winged Hawk, and Blue-winged Warbler. These are two easy nature trails well worth the less than one hour’s drive from West Little Rock.

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Species seen or heard at Bayou Bartholomew Nature Trail:

• Anhinga *
• Red-eyed Vireo *
• Broad-winged Hawk *
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Northern Parula
• Common Yellowthroat
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Pine Warbler
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Red-winged Blackbird
• White-throated Sparrow
• White-eyed Vireo
• Killdeer
• Green Heron
• American Crow
• Blue Jay
• Tufted Titmouse
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Brown Thrasher
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
• American Robin
• Belted Kingfisher
• Great Blue Heron
• Carolina Wren
• Northern Mockingbird
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Canada Goose
• Northern Cardinal
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Turkey Vulture
• American Goldfinch
• Eastern Phoebe
• Wood Duck
• Barn Swallow

Species seen or heard at Byrd Lake Natural Area:

• Blue-winged Warbler *
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Common Yellowthroat
• Pine Warbler
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Blue Jay
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Parula
• Northern Cardinal
• American Crow
• Tufted Titmouse
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Carolina Wren
• White-eyed Vireo
• White-throated Sparrow
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

I arrived at the 7:40 AM. It was cloudy but clearing and about 65F. It was supposed to clear but about 2 hours into the excursion a light rain started forcing me to stow the camera. The rain didn’t amount to much but it was disappointing. I left at 10:50. My pedometer said I had walked 5 miles which sounds about right for the amount of time spent though its hard to believe there’s 5 miles of trails in there. First of season birds are marked with an asterisk.

Species seen or heard:

• Black-throated Green Warbler *
• Louisiana Waterthrush
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Chestnut-sided Warbler *
• Hooded Warbler *
• Pine Warbler
• Tufted Titmouse
• Carolina Wren
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Northern Flicker
• American Robin
• Northern Cardinal
• Blue Jay
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• White-eyed Vireo
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Eastern Phoebe
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Pileated Woodpecker
• White-throated Sparrow
• American Crow
• Downy Woodpecker
• Turkey Vulture
• Fish Crow
• Blue-winged Teal
• Belted Kingfisher
• Brown Thrasher