Date: 9/20/25 4:56 am From: Joseph Neal <0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...> Subject: Peregrine in the River Valley
When I was in Arkansas River Valley yesterday, I photographed an adult female PEREGRINE FALCON. I was parked near intersection of Hamer and Orrick roads (near Alma Wastewater Treatment Facility) with a good view of two stock ponds and fields of King Ranch. I was checking out Blue-winged Teal and several shorebird species when the peregrine made several tight loops over the pond and eventually caught a Killdeer.
According to Brian K. Wheeler’s “Birds of prey of the west” (Princeton, 2018), this is an adult female of “Anatum” subspecies (see p. 268-269, illustration 69i). This peregrine is from the northwest, primarily nesting in Alaska and NW Canada, but also down into the northern Rockies.
Before all the peregrine excitement, I started the morning at West-Ark Sod. LOTS of Killdeer and a flock (7) of BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS. Also, for first time since late spring, quite a few Eastern Meadowlarks, with many singing. No Westerns yet.
EBird submissions, with photos, here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S274392532 (Kibler bottoms) and https://ebird.org/checklist/S274394491 (Orrick Road including Alma Wastewater).
