Date: 1/19/25 8:30 pm From: Karen Holliday <ladyhawke1...> Subject: ASCA January Field Trip report
Saturday was January's Audubon Society of Central Arkansas (ASCA) field trip. Our goal was to bird both Lake Dardanelle and Holla Bend NWR and hopefully make a run through Atkins Bottoms to look for the small group of swans being seen there. An enthusiastic group of 22 birders showed up at Lake Dardanelle's Delaware Recreation Area. It was sunny but windy, making the lake choppy and hard to see the few birds out there. Birds were scarce. We had only 9 species. A low number for what is usually a great birding spot. Next stop was the Riverview Recreation Area at the dam on the Dardanelle side. Only 7 species, mostly gulls and pelicans. Best was a Bald Eagle on a nest.Finished the morning and headed to Holla Bend NWR. First stop was the area at the headquarters office where we ate lunch. After lunch, we did a 30 minute sweep that netted us 19 species, including 3 diffent blackbird species, 3 species of woodpeckers, Cedar Waxwings, and large flock of 30 soaring White Pelicans. Next was birding along the river channel and the old spillway. We found huge numbers of DC Cormorants, Ring-billed Gulls, Pelicans, Red-winged Blackbirds, Pintails, and 4 Bald Eagles. On our drive to the observation tower, we added 32 species. At the observation tower we formed a line and walked the field trying to flush LeConte's Sparrows. No luck. Only flushed Savannah Sparrows. We then finished our loop of the Holla Bend NWR and headed to Atkins Bottoms. At Atkins Bottoms, Kenny and LaDonna Nichols showed up with their adorable poodle Hunter and pitched in to help us try to find the swans. Unfortunately, in spite of our search teams efforts, no swans were spotted. Since it was now getting dark, we split up and headed home. A fun ending to a delightful day of birding. We finished with a total 50 species just as daylight was fading.Karen Holliday ASCA Field Trip Coordinator
