Date: 12/7/25 6:59 am From: Kenny Nichols <kingbird101...> Subject: Re: LAKE NO LOONS (BEAVER) LIVES UP TO ITS REP … BUT OTHERWISE GENEROUS
Joe…Greer’s Ferry Lake near Heber Springs is exactly the same. I birded
that lake a hundred times before I finally just gave up. And like you, I
suspect the lack of fish is the problem. According to my bass fishing
buddies, the hybrid bass that were stocked in the lake by the AGFC have
voracious appetites and due to such have wiped out just about everything
else.
Kenny Nichols
Dardanelle, AR
<kingbird101...>
<kingbird...>
On Sun, Dec 7, 2025 at 7:49 AM Joseph Neal <
<0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> Beaver Lake in the Ozarks of Northwest Arkansas City supports a modest
> Common Loon presence during migrations of spring and fall, but no so much …
> at mid-winter. Less than 100 miles away, but also in the Ozarks, Tenkiller
> Lake in northeast Oklahoma supports a robust Common Loon presence during
> migration and also throughout winter.
> In terms of the birding experience, if I see 2 or 3 Common Loons in winter
> at Beaver – it’s a good day. A similar trip, to Tenkiller Lake, easily
> results in seeing 75 Common Loons or upwards (occasionally 200!).
> Yesterday (December 6) we birded several access points on Beaver’s north
> shore. Lake No Loons lived up to its reputation. No loons even on a day of
> flat water allowing observation of big open waters. But we did see many
> other interesting birds at Beaver (Horned Grebes, Common Goldeneyes, Bald
> Eagles, a Red-breasted Merganser, and heard a Spotted Towhee). Here’s are
> links to what I submitted to eBird:
> Slate Gap at Old Glade: *https://ebird.org/checklist/S287629299 > <https://ebird.org/checklist/S287629299>* > Indian Creek: *https://ebird.org/checklist/S287628970 > <https://ebird.org/checklist/S287628970>* > Beaver Lake dam site: *https://ebird.org/checklist/S287626858 > <https://ebird.org/checklist/S287626858>* > Hopefully some enterprising graduate student with an interest in both
> birds and fisheries will look into differences between Beaver and Tenkiller
> that may explain differences in wintering loon populations. However, I
> suspect the fact that Tenkiller has many White Pelicans, several species of
> gulls, and scores of Common Loons (and other loon species) suggests it’s
> all about fish. Tenkiller has them, Beaver doesn’t, at least not in
> quantities that can support populations of fish-eating birds.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
