Date: 1/18/26 12:37 pm From: Taylor Long <00001397303cad80-dmarc-request...> Subject: NWAAS Field Trips: Jan-Mar 2026
Greetings Birders!
I wanted to share a few of upcoming Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society
field trips (see below). We may add more to the schedule (like a pop-up
Woodcock field trip in mid-Feb). As always, you can check our website
<https://www.nwarkaudubon.org/> for the latest field trip info and ask
to be added to the field trip mailing list for specific invites to each
field trip (usually 2-3 weeks prior).
Happy Brrrrrrding 🥶
-Taylor Long
NWAAS Field Trip Coordinator
Bald Eagles at SWEPCO Lake - Saturday January 24th, 2026
The Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society will host a birding field trip at
SWEPCO Lake in Gentry on Saturday January 24th, 2026. Meet at 9:00 AM in
the Eagle Watch Nature Trail parking lot (21721-21779 AR-12, Gentry, AR
<https://goo.gl/maps/roH4cx2SDE2rTeMH6>). There is a short walk on the
trail through open field habitat to a pavilion designed to provide high
quality views plus an older viewing platform. The total walking distance
is 1 mile round-trip on generally level mulched surface. The outing
should last about an hour and a half. There are no restrooms (the
closest restroom is the Gentry McDonald's). We'll have good potential to
see Bald Eagles, various species of hawks and sparrows, ducks and other
water birds. The approximately 1,500 acres of EWNT are part of the 500-
acre SWEPCO Lake constructed to provide cooling water for the coal-fired
plant generating electricity for Northwest Arkansas. During winter,
temperatures in the lake average in the low 70s. This warm water is
presumably the reason for high numbers of Bald Eagles and other
interesting bird records. While seeing eagles is likely, it's never
guaranteed.
More details... <https://nwaas.notion.site/Bald-Eagles-at-SWEPCO-Lake- 2e311f0e048b8091a40bc2ca11b5d92a>
GBBC at Devil's Den - Saturday, February 14th, 2026
The Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society and Devil's Den State Park will
host a birding field trip on Saturday, February 14th, 2026, starting at
9:00 AM. This is an easy guided bird walk that is open to everyone.
We'll focus on finding and identifying winter birds that call this
valley home while also contributing our sightings to the Great Backyard
Bird Count <https://www.birdcount.org/>, a global effort to count birds
on this weekend. Meet in the parking area at the lower Devil's Den
Trailhead on the south side of Lee Creek bridge on Saturday morning at
9:00 AM (GPS: 35.781349, -94.249876
<https://goo.gl/maps/LMGFGz9pfbvTvRNc6>). The walk will cover
approximately one mile on paved surfaces over two hours.
More details... <https://nwaas.notion.site/GBBC-at-Devil-s-Den- 2ec11f0e048b80a58869d326d1f69df4>
Arkansas Reads Aldo Leopold - Sunday, March 8th, 2026
Details forthcoming on a special event, hosted by the Ozark Natural
Science Center at their Lake Fayetteville campus, celebrating Aldo
Leopold's legacy as part of the Arkansas Reads Aldo Leopold program. The
event will include a reading of selections from Leopold's works, a
guided nature walk, and activities for all ages. Stay tuned for more
information!
