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I arrived at the park at 8:30. We had had a cold front pass through overnight and it was colder than I expected or was dressed for at 42 F. With all the rain in the last few days, the streams in the parks were flowing quite well.

Species seen or heard:

• American Robin
• Eastern Phoebe
• Carolina Chickadee
• Tufted Titmouse
• Blue Jay
• American Crow
• Pine Warbler
• Dark-eyed Junco
• American Goldfinch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Northern Cardinal
• Carolina Wren
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• White-throated Sparrow
• Northern Flicker
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Downy Woodpecker

I arrived at 8:06 AM. The skies were clear, surprisingly, the temperature nice and little or no wind. Started seeing ducks right off the bat. After all the recent rain, the roads were a little soft and one spot in particular near the eastern side where there was no gravel was especially soft. I saw at least two breeding plumage Bonaparte’s Gulls which was nice.

Species seen or heard:

• Eastern Bluebird
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Ruddy Duck
• Lesser Scaup
• Great Blue Heron
• Eastern Meadowlark
• American Crow
• Greater Yellowlegs *
• Lesser Yellowlegs *
• Bonaparte’s Gull
• Northern Shoveler
• Mourning Dove
• Long-billed Dowitcher *
• Fish Crow
• Killdeer
• Solitary Sandpiper *
• Pectoral Sandpiper *
• Great Egret
• Barn Swallow *
• American Coot
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Blue Jay
• Canvasback
• Tufted Titmouse
• Bufflehead
• Snowy Egret *
• Ring-necked Duck

* – first of season.

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