From: The Birds of Arkansas Discussion List <ARBIRD-L...> on behalf of Joseph Neal <0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...> Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 9:14 PM To: <ARBIRD-L...> <ARBIRD-L...> Subject: Mr Maurice Loux and astonishing eagles Today was eagle day for us. Lots to see in western Benton County, plus adjacent eastern Oklahoma and SW Missouri. This whole area is the former Beatie Prairie. Still open country for the most part. Lots of huge chicken barns and pastures with cattle. We lucked out. Our eagle watching was comfortable under a big blue sky with temps in the upper 60s. After a couple of hours we counted at least 59 Bald Eagles – 29 adults, 30 subadults. We saw them everywhere we went. The Big Finale involved a concentration of mainly subadults south of Maysville. We saw them on the ground and then watched as they formed kettles. Watching a kettle like this contributes to an eagle version of “warbler neck.” I was reminded of January 1986 when Maurice Loux, a lifelong Maysville resident, invited our fledgling Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society to come out to see eagles on his farm. He promised a really big show. One family member was in the chicken business. For two weeks before our trip they saved dead chickens collected from the barns. On the day of our visit, Mr Loux loaded up the chickens and dumped them in a field where it would be easy to observe from his front yard along the county road. The eagle total came to an astounding 115! That was a typical cold January day. Thankfully, Mr Loux had invited the local 4 H club to set up a table with hot chocolate for sale.
