Date: 1/16/25 4:13 am From: Joseph Neal <0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...> Subject: Norwood
Norwood is west of Fayetteville, just west of Ozark National Forest at Wedington, roughly half way to Siloam Springs.
Norwood Prairie was shown on hand drawn maps of what is today Northwest Arkansas City during the Civil War. Tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides passed through on the way to battles at Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Fayetteville, Maysville plus countless skirmishes. Armies at that time were powered by horses and mules. Finding grass forage for thousands of animals made prairies a critical resource.
Norwood was a Tallgrass Prairie. Botanicals that make a prairie largely disappeared after the war, a result of plowing rich prairie soils. The odd patch of Big Bluestem grass remains … a reminder ... But some other aspects of former prairies also remain in wide open spaces once covered with Swamp Milkweed, Sawtooth Sunflowers and Indian Paintbrush.
Today’s Norwood includes extensive open fields, poultry barns, a dairy, and Norwood church and cemetery. The church is no longer active, but it received a new roof before the old church deteriorated,. The sprawling urbanism associated with Fayetteville/Siloam Springs is popping up in former Tallgrass Prairie fields, slowly filling up with new homes.
A few avian aspects of Tallgrass Prairie also remain. In summer: Lark Sparrow, Painted Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, and Bell’s Vireos – and if you are lucky Northern Bobwhite. Loggerhead Shrikes -- all year. I go out during the winter months, in part hoping to see some of the variety of Red-tailed Hawks subspecies typical of former prairie habitats in NWA City – Harlan’s, Krider’s, Western (calurus), and Northern (abieticola).
During a couple of hours out there yesterday, I had good looks at Harlan’s – so striking with a bold white tail; a Western calurus – just sort of almost black with a bold red tail and super contrast when see from below; and the Northern Red-tail, abieticola. See them here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S209471885<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Fchecklist%2FS209471885&data=05%7C02%<7Carbird-l...>%7Cdd408d626d5842f8d85f08dd3627390b%7C79c742c4e61c4fa5be89a3cb566a80d1%7C0%7C0%7C638726264274070983%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=9qO2p%2BIhHJ918qnYxKC9mzKEO3Iwh9zG3Z2wPQKiwXE%3D&reserved=0>.
For the most part there’s not much traffic on graded side roads. When I see something I need to see better, I hop out. I tend to get a little dazed/dizzy trying to follow hawks overhead – you whirl and twirl trying to follow them – trying for a photo that can help document when you get the eBird “need more information” cue --
