Date: 9/15/25 5:30 am From: Ragupathy Kannan <0000013b0ad14faf-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Hummers and Jewelweed at Lake Atalanta
Great photos of all the action, Joe. Including goldfinches eating algae!
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On Monday, September 15, 2025, 4:31 AM, Joseph Neal <0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...> wrote:
#yiv3294410483 P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}Interesting Saturday morning of birding and native wild flora-ing at Lake Atalanta Park in Rogers. September 14; eBird submission here:https://ebird.org/checklist/S273504766RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD migration through Northwest Arkansas City is going strong. The core of this park is Prairie Creek, formed from a series of natural Ozark springs eventually impounded to form Lake Atalanta. Spring runs feature dense colonies of Spotted Jewelweed. This morning, Migration Centeral for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.I could easily have spent a couple of hours just hanging out on the walkway along Diamond Spring where it pours into Prairie Creek. The walk along the spring flow includes a protective railing above the spring and jewelweed. A theatre with perch. Just right for watching.Besides hummers, I spotted a LEAST FLYCATCHER making sallies out of the willows. High on the ridge above is a snag and perch for what – pointed out to me – turned out to be a beautiful OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. With distinctive olive sides and puffs of white downy feathers poking out.Both YELLOW-THROATED and WHITE-EYED VIREOS were singing in the park.Prize for the most dramatic moments awarded to the GREEN HERON spotted by Samantha Heller. It was intensely watching the shallow spring flow. Then, suddenly, it shot down into the shallows and came up with some species of small darter.Nearby, another dramatic moment, but on a more localized scale. A tiny, greenish-looking damselfly perched lengthwise on a grassy leaf long enough for photographs. Samantha used iNaturalist on her phone to determine it was a forktail. At home, with the book, pure FRAGILE FORKTAIL. Like Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, this damsel is small by some standards (total length in millimeters, 22-31), but doubtless, too, mighty in spirit:A creature that helpsOur poor Planet EarthKeep up her spinDespite all of our effortsTo bring it to an end.
