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I arrived at the park at 7:30, willing to take whatever I could find but hoping for spring migrants. I made a large clock-wise loop going up into the “hill country” then down into the marshes and swamps and back. Probably a distance of three miles in as many hours. Nothing exotic although Gillam Park is proving to be the best place I know of for Hairy Woodpeckers, they seem to like the “hill country”. I don’t know if sapsuckers breed in Arkansas at all but the 4 I saw appeared to paired off.

Species seen or heard:
• Fish Crow – 18
• Carolina Wren
• Carolina Chickadee
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 2
• Tufted Titmouse
• American Robin
• Blue Jay
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 4
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Towhee
• Northern Mockingbird
• Eastern Phoebe
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Turkey Vulture – 20
• Pine Warbler
• Hairy Woodpecker – 3
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Northern Cardinal
• Downy Woodpecker
• White-throated Sparrow
• Brown Thrasher
• Wood Duck
• Blue-winged Teal
• Brown Creeper
• Field Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco

I arrived at the lake at about 7:45. It was cloudy but clearing and about 50+ degrees. I wanted to get back into Bell Slough to see if anything was new in the last week. The first thing I noticed was the water over the dam was much less that 7 days ago. Later as I got into the WMA, I realized the water level there was 3, maybe even 4 feet lower than last Sunday. In fact, Grassy Lake was flowing into Palarm Creek instead of the other way around. I got my first of season Black-and-white Warbler today and Yellow-breasted Chat, both based on calls. There was a probably escaped domestic or domestic hybrid goose on the creek. He was mostly white, orange feet, gray wings, black bill, with black markings on his neck and head. Even though it did not seem as birdy as last Sunday, I got 40 species in about 2.5 hours.

Species seen or heard:
• Black-and-white Warbler *
• Yellow-Breasted Chat *
• Mallard
• American Robin
• Carolina Chickadee
• White-throated Sparrow
• Blue Jay
• Northern Cardinal
• Northern Mockingbird
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Blue Heron
• Belted Kingfisher
• Eastern Phoebe
• Ring-billed Gull
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Eastern Towhee
• Tufted Titmouse
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Brown Thrasher
• Carolina Wren
• American Crow
• Great Egret
• Northern Flicker
• Fish Crow
• Blue-winged Teal
• Common Grackle
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Eastern Bluebird
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Field Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Turkey Vulture
• Brown Pelican
• American Coot
• Purple Martin
• House Sparrow

* First of season

I arrived at 8:05. It was cloudy with temperatures in the mid 40s but there was no wind and it was milder that I expected for that reason. My target bird was the Brown Pelican reported there yesterday, it would be a state bird for me. The bird was not apparent from the dam site so I moved into Bell Slough figuring I check the lake more when I was done. I did see the Brown Pelican when I checked the lake the second time. 38 species in about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Species seen or heard:
• Brown Pelican
• American Coot
• Canada Goose
• Blue Jay
• Northern Cardinal
• Carolina Chickadee
• Pine Warbler
• Great Blue Heron
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Egret
• Belted Kingfisher
• Fish Crow
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Mockingbird
• Eastern Bluebird
• American Crow
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Mallard
• Eastern Phoebe
• White-throated Sparrow
• Wood Duck
• Common Grackle
• Eastern Wood-Pewee
• European Starling
• Northern Flicker
• Blue-winged Teal
• Downy Woodpecker
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Turkey Vulture
• Brown Thrasher
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Carolina Wren
• American Robin
• Swamp Sparrow
• Ring-billed Gull