Date: 11/30/23 8:35 am From: Jim and Karen Rowe <00000131a1cf8fbc-dmarc-request...> Subject: Temporary closure of Frog Bayou WMA
In case you had birds plans on the WMA, please note that AGFC, USDA APHIS feral hog removal will temporarily will close Frog Bayou WMA Frog Bayou Wildlife Management Area in Crawford County will be temporarily closed Dec. 4-8 in cooperation with the Arkansas Feral Hog Task Force to fight the spread of invasive feral swine in Arkansas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services will be conducting aerial operations aimed at reducing feral hog populations near and on the WMA. The flights will be dependent on the weather.
“The 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation shows that wildlife viewing has by far the greatest level of participation and highest level of spending: 148 million watchers is more than twice the number of hunters and anglers combined (assuming there is no overlap), with $250 billion spent on wildlife watching compared to $99 billion by anglers and $45 billion by hunters. https://lnkd.in/eH-jcDif hashtag#Conservation
hashtag#OutdoorRecreation
hashtag#WildlifeViewing”
Comment taken from LinkedIn.
Date: 11/29/23 7:11 pm From: David Arbour <arbour...> Subject: Red Slough Bird Survey - Nov. 28 - Belated Report
It started off mostly clear, calm, and in the upper 20's with a heavy frost on the ground and stayed mostly clear, warmed up to the 60's, with a slight wind, on the bird survey yesterday. 64 species were found. Several of our notable Summer birds are still lingering. About mid-morning I received a text message from Robert Bastarache (Forest Service Biologist over Red Slough) saying he was down at unit 31 and had a Vermilion Flycatcher. I rushed down there and we quickly discovered that there were actually two immature males hanging out together. They were still present at the same location today. I also found an American Bittern, 2 Black-crowned Night-Herons, and a flock of Rusty Blackbirds. Here is my list for yesterday:
> On Nov 29, 2023, at 17:01, Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks, sounds like a good idea. Can anybody recommend a good source in northwestern AR?
>
> On Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 09:43:01 PM CST, Jack and Pam <00000064a46c579c-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
>
> Try keeing the niger seed cold or even frozen until they are to be used in the feeder. I've learned, the hard way, even with black oil sunflower seed, to take care where the seed is purchased. If product turnover is low you may be buying unsold seed from last year.
>
> Jack Stewart
> Newton County
>
> On Monday, November 27, 2023 at 06:46:14 PM CST, Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
>
> Thistle has to be fresh. I believe the difficulty is that it can loose oils quickly. Get only small amounts. I want to put out thistle this year to attract Pine Siskins. Does anybody have any suggestions on the best approach, given the freshness problem? When should I put out seeds How much?
>
> On Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 11:08:14 AM CST, Aster Droste <eviedroste...> wrote:
>
>
> I've got 2 nyjer/thistle feeders at my bird feeding station, but have yet to see any goldfinch visitors or see the seed level in the feeders go down at all. Am I doing something wrong, or are the finches just not nearby?
>
> The first one, a wire mesh tube feeder, has been up for 2-3 months now, and I've cleaned it and changed out the seed several times when I noticed the seed was dried out (no longer producing fragrant oils when squeezed) or when I began to see mold at the feeder base. The second one is an acrylic tube feeder with very small openings for the seed next to each perch, and I just put it up a few days ago. The feeders are both about 8-10 feet from the ground, hanging on low branches of a large oak tree in my backyard. They are fairly obscured by the leaves. My cats and dogs are both active in that area, but the feeders are out of their reach. The nyjer seed I use is fairly dark brown, not dried out or infested, and seems decent quality. I live just outside of city limits in West Little Rock, with nearby habitat being mostly deciduous forest and residential areas. I haven't heard or seen any goldfinches nearby at all, so I'm worried it may just not be the right habitat that they like to hang out in. Frequent visitors to my other feeders (sunflower and suet) are nuthatches of all types (most commonly white-breasted), Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, downy woodpeckers, and dark-eyed juncos.
>
> So am I doing anything wrong here? Do I need to display the feeders differently, provide a different type of food, or just be patient? Or are they just not present in this kind of habitat?
>
>
> -Aster Droste (he/him)
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
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Date: 11/29/23 4:53 pm From: Anderson, Leif - FS, AR <000002b0bc8b0106-dmarc-request...> Subject: Limpkins and the CBC
Greetings all,
That would be awesome to have Limpkins on the CBC. There are at least 8 CBC's with good Limpkin habitat in south AR & OK. And if they want to show themselves in central or northern AR, that would be good too!
Leif, at Hector
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I go to the Farmer’s Coop in Springdale for most of my seed. Wild Birds unlimited might be the best source for nyjer seed. Lauren, the manager at WBU in Fayetteville, would know how fresh the seed is and would be honest with you.
Robin
> On Nov 29, 2023, at 5:00 PM, Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
> Thanks, sounds like a good idea. Can anybody recommend a good source in northwestern AR?
>
> On Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 09:43:01 PM CST, Jack and Pam <00000064a46c579c-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
>
> Try keeing the niger seed cold or even frozen until they are to be used in the feeder. I've learned, the hard way, even with black oil sunflower seed, to take care where the seed is purchased. If product turnover is low you may be buying unsold seed from last year.
>
> Jack Stewart
> Newton County
>
> On Monday, November 27, 2023 at 06:46:14 PM CST, Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
>
> Thistle has to be fresh. I believe the difficulty is that it can loose oils quickly. Get only small amounts. I want to put out thistle this year to attract Pine Siskins. Does anybody have any suggestions on the best approach, given the freshness problem? When should I put out seeds How much?
>
> On Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 11:08:14 AM CST, Aster Droste <eviedroste...> wrote:
>
>
> I've got 2 nyjer/thistle feeders at my bird feeding station, but have yet to see any goldfinch visitors or see the seed level in the feeders go down at all. Am I doing something wrong, or are the finches just not nearby?
>
> The first one, a wire mesh tube feeder, has been up for 2-3 months now, and I've cleaned it and changed out the seed several times when I noticed the seed was dried out (no longer producing fragrant oils when squeezed) or when I began to see mold at the feeder base. The second one is an acrylic tube feeder with very small openings for the seed next to each perch, and I just put it up a few days ago. The feeders are both about 8-10 feet from the ground, hanging on low branches of a large oak tree in my backyard. They are fairly obscured by the leaves. My cats and dogs are both active in that area, but the feeders are out of their reach. The nyjer seed I use is fairly dark brown, not dried out or infested, and seems decent quality. I live just outside of city limits in West Little Rock, with nearby habitat being mostly deciduous forest and residential areas. I haven't heard or seen any goldfinches nearby at all, so I'm worried it may just not be the right habitat that they like to hang out in. Frequent visitors to my other feeders (sunflower and suet) are nuthatches of all types (most commonly white-breasted), Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, downy woodpeckers, and dark-eyed juncos.
>
> So am I doing anything wrong here? Do I need to display the feeders differently, provide a different type of food, or just be patient? Or are they just not present in this kind of habitat?
>
>
> -Aster Droste (he/him)
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
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>
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Date: 11/29/23 3:24 pm From: Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> Subject: Fw: bird activity in Ft. Smith
Just forwarding this to the list in case anybody from the area wishes to answer the email…
----- Forwarded Message ----- From: <richard...> <richard...>Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 12:29:53 PM CSTSubject: Fwd: bird activity in Ft. Smith
Received this email; am forwarding it to the Board in case anyone wants
to respond.
Richard Stauffacher
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:
Date: 28.11.2023 08:42
From: Jim H <jimandbrenda609...>
To: "<info...>" <info...>
I used to belong to the Audubon group in Fort Smith in the 90’s.
I’ve continued to be interested in the local birds and provide feeders
at my home. Lately, for quite some time, I haven’t had any bird
activity at all. I never even see any birds whatsoever in the trees
around pur home. It’s getting a bit spooky and I’m wondering if
others have noticed this in our area??
Thanks
Jim Habersetzer
Van Buren
Date: 11/29/23 3:23 pm From: Betty Evans <betty_evans...> Subject: Re: Birding The Ranch and Lake Maumelle Tuesday
Only a couple of the sites at Lake Maumelle are written up on the Birding Hotspots https://birdinghotspots.org/region/US-AR website. If you know details about these sites I encourage you to update them using the suggest edit link on the page for the sites. This question shows the value of the Birding Hotspots website, but it is only valuable if knowledgeable people provide input to the site.
Here is a link to all of the sites on Lake Maumelle: https://birdinghotspots.org/group/G364665. There is general information about the Lake and a map for each location.
Please consider updating the website for your favorites hot spots. Or if you are uncomfortable using the site forms, send me an email with a few sentences about your favorite places to bird and I will update them with your content.
Betty Evans Arkansas Editor - Birding Hotspots
> On 11/29/2023 5:07 PM CST Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> wrote: > > > > This was so interesting to read. I am not familiar with Lake Maumelle. Is there a website with detailed directions for each of these locations on or near the lake? NWAAS has directions for many northwestern spots. Any good links for this? > > On Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 08:25:04 PM CST, Karen Holliday <ladyhawke1...> wrote: > > > We ladies of leisure decided to take advantage of the mild, sunny weather to look for arriving winter birds. We started the morning at the Nature Conservancy's The Ranch in west Little Rock to look for sparrows. Sparrow numbers and species were low and a bit reluctant to pop up. It's was fairly chilly for the first part of the morning. No rare sparrows. Most numerous were Field Sparrows. We had a total of 6 sparrow species. Woodpecker species were Red-bellied, Red-headed, Pileated, Downey, Sapsuckers, and YS Flicker. Lots of both Crows calling. A Red-shouldered Hawk circling above was nice. > We then headed to Lake Maumelle, but made a quick stop at Sturgis Pond on the way. Gadwalls, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Buffleheads, and a Brown-headed Nuthatch were added to the day's checklist. > Loon numbers at Lake Maumelle are still low, as is the water level. At Loon Point we had 7 Common Loons, 8 American White Pelicans, 17 Ring-billed Gulls, some Buffleheads, 1 Horned Grebe, 5 Golden-crowned Kinglets, and a couple of Canada Geese. > In the shallow inlet across the highway from Loon Point, we were excited to find a group of 14 male and female Hooded Mergansers. The bright sunlight really highlighted all the colors in both the males and females. Nice! Also had a Kingfisher. > At Hundley Bay causeway, we had big rafts of Ruddy Ducks and Buffleheads, plus 8 Ring-necked Ducks, more Horned Grebes and 2 Common Loons. > Last stop was Vista View. Because of all the exposed mud islands due to low water levels, we had shorebirds in the lake! Crazy! Some may be a first for this location....2 Greater Yellowlegs, 6 Lesser Yellowlegs...their yellow legs shining in the sun, and 18 Wilson's Snipe! They were working the mud and the shallow pools along with a Killdeer. A male Hooded Merganser was hanging out with a bunch of Mallards and lots of Canada Geese. No Cackling Geese. 3 Common Loons were out in the bay. > Across the highway at West Bay View, it's very dry. Some water and mostly mud. A COLO, a Horned Grebe, a Kingfisher and a Pileated Woodpecker were added to the final list of the day with 6 more species. > The surprise was there were no Bald Eagles at Lake Maumelle. I guess it's still warm up north and birds aren't in a hurry to leave. > Karen Holliday > > > --------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link: > http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link: > http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
Date: 11/29/23 3:07 pm From: Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Birding The Ranch and Lake Maumelle Tuesday
This was so interesting to read. I am not familiar with Lake Maumelle. Is there a website with detailed directions for each of these locations on or near the lake? NWAAS has directions for many northwestern spots. Any good links for this?
On Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 08:25:04 PM CST, Karen Holliday <ladyhawke1...> wrote:
We ladies of leisure decided to take advantage of the mild, sunny weather to look for arriving winter birds. We started the morning at the Nature Conservancy's The Ranch in west Little Rock to look for sparrows. Sparrow numbers and species were low and a bit reluctant to pop up. It's was fairly chilly for the first part of the morning. No rare sparrows. Most numerous were Field Sparrows. We had a total of 6 sparrow species. Woodpecker species were Red-bellied, Red-headed, Pileated, Downey, Sapsuckers, and YS Flicker. Lots of both Crows calling. A Red-shouldered Hawk circling above was nice. We then headed to Lake Maumelle, but made a quick stop at Sturgis Pond on the way. Gadwalls, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Buffleheads, and a Brown-headed Nuthatch were added to the day's checklist. Loon numbers at Lake Maumelle are still low, as is the water level. At Loon Point we had 7 Common Loons, 8 American White Pelicans, 17 Ring-billed Gulls, some Buffleheads, 1 Horned Grebe, 5 Golden-crowned Kinglets, and a couple of Canada Geese. In the shallow inlet across the highway from Loon Point, we were excited to find a group of 14 male and female Hooded Mergansers. The bright sunlight really highlighted all the colors in both the males and females. Nice! Also had a Kingfisher. At Hundley Bay causeway, we had big rafts of Ruddy Ducks and Buffleheads, plus 8 Ring-necked Ducks, more Horned Grebes and 2 Common Loons. Last stop was Vista View. Because of all the exposed mud islands due to low water levels, we had shorebirds in the lake! Crazy! Some may be a first for this location....2 Greater Yellowlegs, 6 Lesser Yellowlegs...their yellow legs shining in the sun, and 18 Wilson's Snipe! They were working the mud and the shallow pools along with a Killdeer. A male Hooded Merganser was hanging out with a bunch of Mallards and lots of Canada Geese. No Cackling Geese. 3 Common Loons were out in the bay. Across the highway at West Bay View, it's very dry. Some water and mostly mud. A COLO, a Horned Grebe, a Kingfisher and a Pileated Woodpecker were added to the final list of the day with 6 more species. The surprise was there were no Bald Eagles at Lake Maumelle. I guess it's still warm up north and birds aren't in a hurry to leave. Karen Holliday
Date: 11/29/23 3:05 pm From: Jack and Pam <00000064a46c579c-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Limpkin
One does wonder if they have enough sense to go south before it really gets cold! Jacknewton County On Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at 04:29:13 PM CST, Lynn Christie <christie-j...> wrote:
While I was slaving away at home my husband, Jack, was kayak fishing the Maumelle river. He just got home and showed me pictures of Limpkins! He saw two together not far from the put in on Hwy 300 and another further down the river. He was whining because he only caught 4 little fish. Good gosh! Lynn Christie
Date: 11/29/23 3:01 pm From: Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Feeding finches?
Thanks, sounds like a good idea. Can anybody recommend a good source in northwestern AR?
On Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 09:43:01 PM CST, Jack and Pam <00000064a46c579c-dmarc-request...> wrote:
Try keeing the niger seed cold or even frozen until they are to be used in the feeder. I've learned, the hard way, even with black oil sunflower seed, to take care where the seed is purchased. If product turnover is low you may be buying unsold seed from last year.
Jack StewartNewton County
On Monday, November 27, 2023 at 06:46:14 PM CST, Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> wrote:
Thistle has to be fresh. I believe the difficulty is that it can loose oils quickly. Get only small amounts. I want to put out thistle this year to attract Pine Siskins. Does anybody have any suggestions on the best approach, given the freshness problem? When should I put out seeds How much?
On Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 11:08:14 AM CST, Aster Droste <eviedroste...> wrote:
I've got 2 nyjer/thistle feeders at my bird feeding station, but have yet to see any goldfinch visitors or see the seed level in the feeders go down at all. Am I doing something wrong, or are the finches just not nearby?
The first one, a wire mesh tube feeder, has been up for 2-3 months now, and I've cleaned it and changed out the seed several times when I noticed the seed was dried out (no longer producing fragrant oils when squeezed) or when I began to see mold at the feeder base. The second one is an acrylic tube feeder with very small openings for the seed next to each perch, and I just put it up a few days ago. The feeders are both about 8-10 feet from the ground, hanging on low branches of a large oak tree in my backyard. They are fairly obscured by the leaves. My cats and dogs are both active in that area, but the feeders are out of their reach. The nyjer seed I use is fairly dark brown, not dried out or infested, and seems decent quality. I live just outside of city limits in West Little Rock, with nearby habitat being mostly deciduous forest and residential areas. I haven't heard or seen any goldfinches nearby at all, so I'm worried it may just not be the right habitat that they like to hang out in. Frequent visitors to my other feeders (sunflower and suet) are nuthatches of all types (most commonly white-breasted), Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, downy woodpeckers, and dark-eyed juncos.
So am I doing anything wrong here? Do I need to display the feeders differently, provide a different type of food, or just be patient? Or are they just not present in this kind of habitat?
While I was slaving away at home my husband, Jack, was kayak fishing the Maumelle river. He just got home and showed me pictures of Limpkins! He saw two together not far from the put in on Hwy 300 and another further down the river. He was whining because he only caught 4 little fish. Good gosh!
Lynn Christie
Date: 11/28/23 7:43 pm From: Jack and Pam <00000064a46c579c-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Feeding finches?
Try keeing the niger seed cold or even frozen until they are to be used in the feeder. I've learned, the hard way, even with black oil sunflower seed, to take care where the seed is purchased. If product turnover is low you may be buying unsold seed from last year.
Jack StewartNewton County
On Monday, November 27, 2023 at 06:46:14 PM CST, Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> wrote:
Thistle has to be fresh. I believe the difficulty is that it can loose oils quickly. Get only small amounts. I want to put out thistle this year to attract Pine Siskins. Does anybody have any suggestions on the best approach, given the freshness problem? When should I put out seeds How much?
On Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 11:08:14 AM CST, Aster Droste <eviedroste...> wrote:
I've got 2 nyjer/thistle feeders at my bird feeding station, but have yet to see any goldfinch visitors or see the seed level in the feeders go down at all. Am I doing something wrong, or are the finches just not nearby?
The first one, a wire mesh tube feeder, has been up for 2-3 months now, and I've cleaned it and changed out the seed several times when I noticed the seed was dried out (no longer producing fragrant oils when squeezed) or when I began to see mold at the feeder base. The second one is an acrylic tube feeder with very small openings for the seed next to each perch, and I just put it up a few days ago. The feeders are both about 8-10 feet from the ground, hanging on low branches of a large oak tree in my backyard. They are fairly obscured by the leaves. My cats and dogs are both active in that area, but the feeders are out of their reach. The nyjer seed I use is fairly dark brown, not dried out or infested, and seems decent quality. I live just outside of city limits in West Little Rock, with nearby habitat being mostly deciduous forest and residential areas. I haven't heard or seen any goldfinches nearby at all, so I'm worried it may just not be the right habitat that they like to hang out in. Frequent visitors to my other feeders (sunflower and suet) are nuthatches of all types (most commonly white-breasted), Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, downy woodpeckers, and dark-eyed juncos.
So am I doing anything wrong here? Do I need to display the feeders differently, provide a different type of food, or just be patient? Or are they just not present in this kind of habitat?
Date: 11/28/23 6:25 pm From: Karen Holliday <ladyhawke1...> Subject: Birding The Ranch and Lake Maumelle Tuesday
We ladies of leisure decided to take advantage of the mild, sunny weather to look for arriving winter birds. We started the morning at the Nature Conservancy's The Ranch in west Little Rock to look for sparrows. Sparrow numbers and species were low and a bit reluctant to pop up. It's was fairly chilly for the first part of the morning. No rare sparrows. Most numerous were Field Sparrows. We had a total of 6 sparrow species. Woodpecker species were Red-bellied, Red-headed, Pileated, Downey, Sapsuckers, and YS Flicker. Lots of both Crows calling. A Red-shouldered Hawk circling above was nice. We then headed to Lake Maumelle, but made a quick stop at Sturgis Pond on the way. Gadwalls, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Buffleheads, and a Brown-headed Nuthatch were added to the day's checklist. Loon numbers at Lake Maumelle are still low, as is the water level. At Loon Point we had 7 Common Loons, 8 American White Pelicans, 17 Ring-billed Gulls, some Buffleheads, 1 Horned Grebe, 5 Golden-crowned Kinglets, and a couple of Canada Geese. In the shallow inlet across the highway from Loon Point, we were excited to find a group of 14 male and female Hooded Mergansers. The bright sunlight really highlighted all the colors in both the males and females. Nice! Also had a Kingfisher. At Hundley Bay causeway, we had big rafts of Ruddy Ducks and Buffleheads, plus 8 Ring-necked Ducks, more Horned Grebes and 2 Common Loons. Last stop was Vista View. Because of all the exposed mud islands due to low water levels, we had shorebirds in the lake! Crazy! Some may be a first for this location....2 Greater Yellowlegs, 6 Lesser Yellowlegs...their yellow legs shining in the sun, and 18 Wilson's Snipe! They were working the mud and the shallow pools along with a Killdeer. A male Hooded Merganser was hanging out with a bunch of Mallards and lots of Canada Geese. No Cackling Geese. 3 Common Loons were out in the bay. Across the highway at West Bay View, it's very dry. Some water and mostly mud. A COLO, a Horned Grebe, a Kingfisher and a Pileated Woodpecker were added to the final list of the day with 6 more species. The surprise was there were no Bald Eagles at Lake Maumelle. I guess it's still warm up north and birds aren't in a hurry to leave. Karen Holliday
was watching a movie and had to pause to listen... There's a
great-horned owl singing nearby.. really loud. They're fun to listen to
and I rarely hear them this loud. Almost doesn't sound real. Aside from
it sounding a little odd in that way, the pattern is a little different
than the typical one I'd hear in person or in recordings.
normally it's hoo hoo hoo hoooooo hoo
This is hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hooo
Where I'd normally expect a longer hoooooooo it's broken in two, and it
almost sounds like a phrase or word that would sound the same backwards
of forwards.
I can't tell how close it is, I think in the neighbor's yard. These are
the times I wish I had some sort of night vision and/or tech to see heat
signatures, that sort of thing. ha...
Date: 11/27/23 5:28 pm From: Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Crow fun
Thanks for the post! I first misread the "1" for "I immediately gave the all for..." - I was truly impressed, wondering how you learned that!!
On Thursday, November 23, 2023 at 09:19:03 AM CST, Anderson, Leif - FS, AR <000002b0bc8b0106-dmarc-request...> wrote:
Greetings all,
I just had some fun observing crows.
2 crows landed at the feeding station. 1 immediately gave the call for… come over here, there is food. More crows arrived. The welcoming crow was the most aggressive on keeping other crows away from its immediate area. Eventually this same crow gave an alarm call, that sent all but one crow flying away. The original 2 continued to feed.
Just a thanksgiving chuckle.
Cheers, Leif at Hector
This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.
Date: 11/27/23 4:46 pm From: Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Feeding finches?
Thistle has to be fresh. I believe the difficulty is that it can loose oils quickly. Get only small amounts. I want to put out thistle this year to attract Pine Siskins. Does anybody have any suggestions on the best approach, given the freshness problem? When should I put out seeds How much?
On Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 11:08:14 AM CST, Aster Droste <eviedroste...> wrote:
I've got 2 nyjer/thistle feeders at my bird feeding station, but have yet to see any goldfinch visitors or see the seed level in the feeders go down at all. Am I doing something wrong, or are the finches just not nearby?
The first one, a wire mesh tube feeder, has been up for 2-3 months now, and I've cleaned it and changed out the seed several times when I noticed the seed was dried out (no longer producing fragrant oils when squeezed) or when I began to see mold at the feeder base. The second one is an acrylic tube feeder with very small openings for the seed next to each perch, and I just put it up a few days ago. The feeders are both about 8-10 feet from the ground, hanging on low branches of a large oak tree in my backyard. They are fairly obscured by the leaves. My cats and dogs are both active in that area, but the feeders are out of their reach. The nyjer seed I use is fairly dark brown, not dried out or infested, and seems decent quality. I live just outside of city limits in West Little Rock, with nearby habitat being mostly deciduous forest and residential areas. I haven't heard or seen any goldfinches nearby at all, so I'm worried it may just not be the right habitat that they like to hang out in. Frequent visitors to my other feeders (sunflower and suet) are nuthatches of all types (most commonly white-breasted), Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, downy woodpeckers, and dark-eyed juncos.
So am I doing anything wrong here? Do I need to display the feeders differently, provide a different type of food, or just be patient? Or are they just not present in this kind of habitat?
On Sun, Nov 26, 2023, 7:35 PM Ragan Sutterfield < <000003499a91e99c-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> I saw a strange goose that I believe could be some sort of unusual goose, > perhaps a Snow Goose hybrid. It's not entirely clear in my poor job of > digiscoping but it had a clearly black bill and gray legs. I'd love any > thoughts on the attached images. > > The goose was solo at the Port of Little Rock. > > Thanks, > Ragan > > Pulaski County > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link: > http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
I saw a strange goose that I believe could be some sort of unusual goose, perhaps a Snow Goose hybrid. It's not entirely clear in my poor job of digiscoping but it had a clearly black bill and gray legs. I'd love any thoughts on the attached images.
Date: 11/26/23 4:53 pm From: Krajcir, Kevin <KrajcirKJ...> Subject: Little Rock and Lonoke CBCs Sign Up!
Hello, AR Birders!
I am taking over for Dan as the new Compiler for the Little Rock and Lonoke Christmas Bird Counts. I am now taking sign-ups for the Little Rock (Saturday Dec 16) and Lonoke (Sunday Dec 17) Christmas Bird Counts. It is free to participate in any Christmas Bird Count, and birders of all levels of experience are welcome! If you are interested, please specify which count(s) you are signing up for and if you have any preference for survey sections or group assignments. Contact me at <kjkrajcir...><mailto:<kjkrajcir...> (different from the email I’m reaching out from here) to sign up!
If you live inside either circle but don’t want to be in the field please sign up to be a Feederwatcher. You can watch yard birds for as little as 15 min. With so many Little Rock birders, we could really benefit from having more feeder-watching participants than we have had in the past. Give me your address off-list and I’ll tell you if you live inside the circle, then I’ll give you a special data sheet and instructions.
Thank you, and happy birding!
Kevin Krajcir, Compiler
Date: 11/26/23 5:54 am From: Adam Schaffer <000000135bd342dd-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Geese Galore
We had a campfire at our house in Bentonville Friday night. We were hearing geese pretty much anytime we got quiet. I think they were all Snow Geese. They must have been moving through in large numbers.
Adam Schaffer
> On Nov 25, 2023, at 7:28 AM, Ian MacGregor <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
>
> Well perhaps not galore, but yesterday mornimg a flock of about 150 Snows flew over my street, and yesterday evening about nine, I heard another flock of Snows going over. This morning off in the distance I could see another skein of geese. From the shape of the skein they ere either Snows or White-fronts. Probably Snows as the others have been. I'm wondering if White-fronts migrate a bit earlier than Snows.
>
> Yesterday, was a bit frustrating, a lot of "that's Almost!!! certainly a ____." birds
>
>
> Ian MacGregor Bella Vista
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1
For those who may have missed the announcement in The Snipe
Join us Saturday, December 2nd, from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m., at the Little Rock Audubon Center for the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas's Holiday Potluck and Silent Auction.
This fun-filled event is a great opportunity to enjoy wonderful food, spread some holiday cheer, and exchange stories with fellow birders from around the state.
If you are bringing an item for the silent auction, please be there by 1:00 p.m. in order to get the item(s) labeled and in place. We'll begin accepting bids at 1:15 and sit down for lunch at 1:30. Auction items can be purchased or handmade.
ASCA will provide the drinks. Plates, cups, and utensils will be furnished by Audubon Delta.
In addition to all the fun, we'll conduct one important point of business - election of Board Members and Vice President for 2024.
Directions: The Little Rock Audubon Center, 4500 Springer Blvd., Little Rock. Take I-440 to Exit 1, Springer Blvd. Go south (left) on Springer Blvd., cross the railroad tracks, then look for the center and Audubon sign on the right.
We (my wife, Terry, and I) saw and photographed 3 sandhill cranes today (25 November) in fields viewable from the bridge on Hasley Road S of Arkadelphia, Clark County.
Renn Tumlison
Emeritus Professor of Biology and Curator of Vertebrates
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, AR 71999
<tumlison...>
870 230 5152
Date: 11/25/23 4:30 pm From: Anderson, Leif - FS, AR <000002b0bc8b0106-dmarc-request...> Subject: 124th Christmas Bird Count, adding Magnolia/Lake Columbia date.
Greetings all,
It's getting close to the coolest (figuratively & literally) birding of the year.
The Christmas Bird Counts are held around the Americas from 12/14 through 1/5. Counts have been done for 124 years - the oldest citizen science bird database in the hemisphere.
If you've seen any Audubon bird or climate reports like "Survival by Degrees" then you know that the CBC supplied much of the data that made the reports possible. Here is your chance to help the science, building toward future research!
Any birding skill level is fine.
Any length of time is welcome.
Just contact a compiler for details & area assignments to join in the fun.
It's FREE for all, though donations to Audubon are always appreciated. If you can do more than 1 count, that would be very helpful.
If you know of counts in adjoining states, that have an AR connection, I'd love to advertise them here.
You're welcome to contact me for general information - Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov If you're looking for life birds, contact me and I can tell you which counts would give you the best chance of seeing them.
"at" = @ in the list below.
Dec 14th Thurs:
RED SLOUGH, OK; David Arbour arbour "at" Windstream.net
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK; Chace Holzheuser chace_holzheuser "at" nps.gov Sponsored by Hot Springs NP
LONOKE; Kevin Krajcir; kjkrajcir "at" gmail.com Sponsored by the Audubon Society of Central AR
18th Mon:
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE; Chris Cash; c52cash "at" sbcglobal.net Sponsored by Hot Springs Village Audubon
MAGNOLIA/ LAKE COLUMBIA; Drew Harvey harveydrew.wildlife "at" gmail.com
MOUNT MAGAZINE; Jeremy Everitts jeremy.everitts "at" usda.gov Sponsored by US Forest Service & Mount Magazine SP
20th Wens:
NORTH FORK of the ILLINOIS BAYOU (near Hector); Charity Woolsey; charity.e.woolsey "at" usda.gov; Sponsored by US Forest Service.
21st Thurs:
SYLAMORE RANGER DISTRICT; (near Mountain View); Idun Guenther; idun.guenther "at" usda.gov Sponsored by US Forest Service.
23rd Sat:
BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER EAST (near Buffalo Point on Hwy 14); Megan Foll auntm13 "at" gmail.com Sponsored by Buffalo National River Partners.
CROOKED CREEK (near Harrison); Alan Gregory; quattro "at" windstream.net
26th Tues:
PINE BLUFF; Devin Moon; moondevg "at" gmail.com Sponsored by Three Rivers Audubon Society
MISSISSIPPI RIVER SP (near Marianna); Idun Guenther; idun.guenther "at" usda.gov Sponsored by US Forest Service & Mississippi River SP..
29th Fri:
LAKE OUACHITA SP; Emily Stubblefield emily.stubblefield "at" arkansas.gov Sponsored by Lake Ouachita SP
30th Sat:
WAPANOCCA NWR/MEEMAN-SHELBY FOREST SP; Dick Preston; 901-837-3360 dickpreston48 "at" gmail.com Co-compiler of TN side Van Harris shelbyforester1223 "at" gmail.com Sponsored by TN Ornithological Society
31st Sun:
POND CREEK NWR; Devin Moon; moondevg "at" gmail.com and Matt Gideon; paulmatthewgideon "at" gmail.com
Jan 1st Mon:
LAKE DARDANELLE; Kenny Nichols; kingbird101 "at" gmail.com
2nd Tues:
HOLLA BEND NWR; Leif Anderson; Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov Sponsored by Holla Bend NWR & the Friends of Holla Bend NWR.
3rd Wens:
BIG LAKE NWR; Leif Anderson; Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov
5th Fri:
LAKE GEORGIA PACIFIC/ FELSENTHAL NWR; Leif Anderson; Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov Sponsored by Felsenthal NWR and the Friends of Felsenthal NWR.
WHITE RIVER NWR; (Near St. Charles) Than Boves; tboves "at" astate.edu
TEXARKANA (northern Miller co); Jean Bratton mjbrat67 "at" gmail.com Meeting 7am at Rondo Methodist Church at jct of Hwy 237 & E 19th st.
VILLAGE CREEK SP; Sponsored by Village Creek SP.
Hope you can join the counts, Leif at Hector
This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.
Date: 11/25/23 1:31 pm From: Jerry Davis <jwdavis...> Subject: Re: Feeding finches?
My American Goldfinches are slow to arrive this year. I started with one a month ago which went to 2 and then 4. They feed on my Blackoil sunflower seeds and search for the ones their size. I stopped feeding Niger/thistle seeds a few years back when the seed quality was bad.
Jerry Wayne Davis
Hot Springs
From: Aster Droste
Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2023 11:07 AM
To: <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Feeding finches?
I've got 2 nyjer/thistle feeders at my bird feeding station, but have yet to see any goldfinch visitors or see the seed level in the feeders go down at all. Am I doing something wrong, or are the finches just not nearby?
The first one, a wire mesh tube feeder, has been up for 2-3 months now, and I've cleaned it and changed out the seed several times when I noticed the seed was dried out (no longer producing fragrant oils when squeezed) or when I began to see mold at the feeder base. The second one is an acrylic tube feeder with very small openings for the seed next to each perch, and I just put it up a few days ago. The feeders are both about 8-10 feet from the ground, hanging on low branches of a large oak tree in my backyard. They are fairly obscured by the leaves. My cats and dogs are both active in that area, but the feeders are out of their reach. The nyjer seed I use is fairly dark brown, not dried out or infested, and seems decent quality. I live just outside of city limits in West Little Rock, with nearby habitat being mostly deciduous forest and residential areas. I haven't heard or seen any goldfinches nearby at all, so I'm worried it may just not be the right habitat that they like to hang out in. Frequent visitors to my other feeders (sunflower and suet) are nuthatches of all types (most commonly white-breasted), Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, downy woodpeckers, and dark-eyed juncos.
So am I doing anything wrong here? Do I need to display the feeders differently, provide a different type of food, or just be patient? Or are they just not present in this kind of habitat?
I've got 2 nyjer/thistle feeders at my bird feeding station, but have yet to see any goldfinch visitors or see the seed level in the feeders go down at all. Am I doing something wrong, or are the finches just not nearby?
The first one, a wire mesh tube feeder, has been up for 2-3 months now, and I've cleaned it and changed out the seed several times when I noticed the seed was dried out (no longer producing fragrant oils when squeezed) or when I began to see mold at the feeder base. The second one is an acrylic tube feeder with very small openings for the seed next to each perch, and I just put it up a few days ago. The feeders are both about 8-10 feet from the ground, hanging on low branches of a large oak tree in my backyard. They are fairly obscured by the leaves. My cats and dogs are both active in that area, but the feeders are out of their reach. The nyjer seed I use is fairly dark brown, not dried out or infested, and seems decent quality. I live just outside of city limits in West Little Rock, with nearby habitat being mostly deciduous forest and residential areas. I haven't heard or seen any goldfinches nearby at all, so I'm worried it may just not be the right habitat that they like to hang out in. Frequent visitors to my other feeders (sunflower and suet) are nuthatches of all types (most commonly white-breasted), Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, downy woodpeckers, and dark-eyed juncos.
So am I doing anything wrong here? Do I need to display the feeders differently, provide a different type of food, or just be patient? Or are they just not present in this kind of habitat?
Yesterday I heard some snow geese flying overhead from my backyard, and when I played the calls for my sister she said she'd heard them several times earlier in the day too. We're in West Little Rock, just outside of city limits. iNat post with the recording: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/191997634
-Aster Droste (he/him)
On Sat, Nov 25, 2023, 7:28 AM Ian MacGregor < <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> Well perhaps not galore, but yesterday mornimg a flock of about 150 > Snows flew over my street, and yesterday evening about nine, I heard > another flock of Snows going over. This morning off in the distance I > could see another skein of geese. From the shape of the skein they ere > either Snows or White-fronts. Probably Snows as the others have been. > I'm wondering if White-fronts migrate a bit earlier than Snows. > > Yesterday, was a bit frustrating, a lot of "that's Almost!!! certainly a > ____." birds > > > Ian MacGregor Bella Vista > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link: > http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
Date: 11/25/23 8:21 am From: Ian MacGregor <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Geese Galore
I had two additional flocks of Snows this morning, and my first seven different kinds of woodpecker walk of the season.
Ian MacGregor Bella Vista
On Saturday, November 25th, 2023 at 9:06 AM, Patty McLean <plm108...> wrote:
> Nice report! We had our first flocks of Snows yesterday in White County. And, yes, the Greater White-fronteds began arriving weeks ago. However, this could just be an anomaly since eBird data shows both species begin showing up in good numbers in October. So apparently there is some variation and I suspect their migration south has something to do with weather, noting the weather change happening this weekend across the plains and the arrival of larger numbers of geese. Maybe the same for Sandhill Cranes.
>
> Patty
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Ian MacGregor <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...>
> Date: 11/25/23 7:28 AM (GMT-06:00)
> To: <ARBIRD-L...>
> Subject: Geese Galore
>
> Well perhaps not galore, but yesterday mornimg a flock of about 150 Snows flew over my street, and yesterday evening about nine, I heard another flock of Snows going over. This morning off in the distance I could see another skein of geese. From the shape of the skein they ere either Snows or White-fronts. Probably Snows as the others have been. I'm wondering if White-fronts migrate a bit earlier than Snows.
>
> Yesterday, was a bit frustrating, a lot of "that's Almost!!! certainly a ____." birds
>
> Ian MacGregor Bella Vista
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1
Thousands of Snow Geese flew over the river bottoms near Fort Smith Flock after flock went through. yesterday. You could hear them before they were seen, mere specks in the ski.
Sandy B On Sat, Nov 25, 2023 at 7:28 AM Ian MacGregor < <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> Well perhaps not galore, but yesterday mornimg a flock of about 150 > Snows flew over my street, and yesterday evening about nine, I heard > another flock of Snows going over. This morning off in the distance I > could see another skein of geese. From the shape of the skein they ere > either Snows or White-fronts. Probably Snows as the others have been. > I'm wondering if White-fronts migrate a bit earlier than Snows. > > Yesterday, was a bit frustrating, a lot of "that's Almost!!! certainly a > ____." birds > > > Ian MacGregor Bella Vista > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link: > http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
Date: 11/25/23 5:49 am From: James Dixon <jamesdixonlr...> Subject: Loon @ Lake Maumelle
This might be old news but I don't recall seeing any posts about it. Saw my first Common Loon of the season at the marina at Lake Maumelle Saturday morning.
Jim Dixon
Little Rock, AR
www.jamesdixon.us
sent from my cell phone
Date: 11/25/23 5:28 am From: Ian MacGregor <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...> Subject: Geese Galore
Well perhaps not galore, but yesterday mornimg a flock of about 150 Snows flew over my street, and yesterday evening about nine, I heard another flock of Snows going over. This morning off in the distance I could see another skein of geese. From the shape of the skein they ere either Snows or White-fronts. Probably Snows as the others have been. I'm wondering if White-fronts migrate a bit earlier than Snows.
Yesterday, was a bit frustrating, a lot of "that's Almost!!! certainly a ____." birds
Date: 11/24/23 10:29 am From: Lynn Schaefer <lynnr...> Subject: Advice on bird feeder camera?
I’m in the market for a bird feeder camera and wondered which brand you all
recommend. Bird Buddy seems to be the best known, but how easy is it to
use? Also, I’m wondering if squirrels and raccoons tend to tear them up.
I’d probably want to mount it on a pole and use a baffle , correct?
Date: 11/23/23 7:24 am From: Jerry Davis <jwdavis...> Subject: Re: Crow fun
Thanks for sharing. Crows are smart enough to know how to thin out the competition. My crows do the same assemble call and the seeds are spread out so they do not have to fight for food, but there is usually a sentinel crow in the tree above to sound an alarm if things appear to be threatened.
Jerry Wayne Davis
Hot Springs, AR
From: Anderson, Leif - FS, AR
Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2023 9:18 AM
To: <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Crow fun
Greetings all,
I just had some fun observing crows.
2 crows landed at the feeding station. 1 immediately gave the call for… come over here, there is food. More crows arrived. The welcoming crow was the most aggressive on keeping other crows away from its immediate area. Eventually this same crow gave an alarm call, that sent all but one crow flying away. The original 2 continued to feed.
Just a thanksgiving chuckle.
Cheers, Leif at Hector
This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.
Date: 11/23/23 7:19 am From: Anderson, Leif - FS, AR <000002b0bc8b0106-dmarc-request...> Subject: Crow fun
Greetings all,
I just had some fun observing crows.
2 crows landed at the feeding station. 1 immediately gave the call for... come over here, there is food. More crows arrived. The welcoming crow was the most aggressive on keeping other crows away from its immediate area. Eventually this same crow gave an alarm call, that sent all but one crow flying away. The original 2 continued to feed.
Just a thanksgiving chuckle.
Cheers, Leif at Hector
This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.
Date: 11/23/23 6:14 am From: Patty McLean <plm108...> Subject: Arkansas' Great Hotspots
With the holiday season upon us, many birders will be visiting or passing through our state as they travel to see friends and family. Even some of us may travel to an area in the state where we've seldom been...and might want to slip out to do some birding. But where to go -- and what's it like there? Several dedicated birders have been working on this highly useful tool--Arkansas Hotspots--providing habitat photos and tips on birding our great hotspots across the state. Will you help us fill in the missing pieces?It's easy to do. Check the link below to see if your favorite places have a few habitat photos and important information, especially for new and first-time visitors to know about. Afterwards, please take a moment to scroll down the list of Nearby Hotspots and see what's missing. Your photos and write-ups can be brief and will be reviewed by an editor before going public. Here's the link:https://birdinghotspots.org/region/US-ARAlso, is there someone from Northeast Arkansas who knows the area and would be willing to be an Editor? We could use some help from that area too.Thanks, y'all. And Happy Holidays! Patty McLean
Date: 11/22/23 9:02 am From: Patty McLean <plm108...> Subject: Trumpeters Returning to Cleburne County
Heard through the Arkansas Birders fb group (via Kenny Nations and Dawna Stirrup) that the Swans are beginning their return to the ponds on Hiram Rd and soon should be at Magness Lake.A big thank you to the family of the late Verlon Abram who has so generously allowed visitors to continue enjoying these beautiful creatures on this private land. We are all very grateful.Patty McLean
Date: 11/21/23 7:23 pm From: David Arbour <arbour...> Subject: Red Slough Bird Survey - Nov. 21
It was heavy overcast, cool (40's & 50's), and very windy on the bird survey today. After noon the sun finally came out and the wind slowed a bit. 59 species were found. Still have a number of lingering summer breeders plus some new late records. Best highlight today was an immature Roseate Spoonbill that flew in from the SE around 8:30 and circled around Pintail Lake before disappearing in the back part of the lake. Passerines were scarce today but came out some in the afternoon with the sun. Here is my list for today:
Date: 11/20/23 5:51 pm From: Than Boves <tboves...> Subject: Cornell Land Trust Small Grant Program – 2024 RFP Information
Opportunity that may be of interest to land trusts here in Arkansas.
Than Boves
________________________________
From: Sara E. Barker <sb65...>
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2023 3:18:40 PM
To: Pamela Hunt <phunt...>; Meyer, Ashley R (DEC) <Ashley.Meyer...>; Jim Giocomo <jgiocomo...>; Dettmers, Randy <randy_dettmers...>; Than Boves <tboves...>; Harding, Sergio (DWR) <Sergio.Harding...>; Warner, Zoe <zmw...>; <kristina.hick...> <kristina.hick...>; <jritterson...> <jritterson...>; Tania Homayoun <tania.homayoun...>; <lkr...> <lkr...>; <jordan.brown...> <jordan.brown...>; <richard.s.bailey...> <richard.s.bailey...>; Amy Tegeler <TegelerA...>; Amy Johnson <johnsonae...>; Hazel Wheeler <hazel...>; <h.hess...> <h.hess...>; Laura Lecker <laura.lecker...>; Allison Manthorne <amanthorne...>; Scott Hall <Scott.hall...>; <amatthews...> <amatthews...>; Liner, Jillian <Jillian.Liner...>; <maeve...> <maeve...>; <mfowle...> <mfowle...>; Valachovic, Abigail C (DEC) <Abigail.Valachovic...>
Cc: Meghan Schader <mcw11...>
Subject: Cornell Land Trust Small Grant Program – 2024 RFP Information
Hi Eastern Working Grasslands folks, Hoping you all can help spread the word about this competitive grant program for land trusts and their partners run through Cornell Lab’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative. In 2024, the program will
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Hi Eastern Working Grasslands folks,
Below are write-ups of varying lengths that can be shared in emails, blogs, eNewsletters, and via social media with your respective regional audiences and partners.
Many thanks and hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! (sorry for any cross posting)
Applications are due March 1, 2024, with funds dispersed at the end of May.
Capacity and Partnership Projects:<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.birds.cornell.edu/landtrust/2021-request-for-proposals/*section1__;Iw!!PirnAJVEmx4jpg!8cfYrZ2PUTibz6vBaXbekHTVP3tyw6FdJPoT-8ejF1-fM_vqb8BFvM_zyspuHjUGD6LwgI5PJa-H_kM$>
6 grants of $5,000 each
Projects should build land trust capacity by teaching or demonstrating how birds can enhance strategic planning and mission fulfillment of land trusts and/or facilitate mutually beneficial collaborations and partnerships with the bird conservation community. Accredited and non-accredited land trusts are welcome to apply.
Management and Restoration Projects:<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.birds.cornell.edu/landtrust/2021-request-for-proposals/*section2__;Iw!!PirnAJVEmx4jpg!8cfYrZ2PUTibz6vBaXbekHTVP3tyw6FdJPoT-8ejF1-fM_vqb8BFvM_zyspuHjUGD6LwgI5PvuiL97g$>
We anticipate these projects will have far-reaching benefits by protecting natural ecosystems through management and restoration and supporting land protection efforts via increased land trust capacity.
We invite you to apply!
Questions can be directed to: Sara Barker, Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Program Director, <sb65...><mailto:<sb65...>
Greetings all,
It's getting close to the coolest (figuratively & literally) birding of the year.
The Christmas Bird Counts are held around the Americas from 12/14 through 1/5. Counts have been done for 124 years - the oldest citizen science bird database in the hemisphere.
If you've seen any Audubon bird or climate reports like "Survival by Degrees" then you know that the CBC supplied much of the data that made the reports possible. Here is your chance to help the science, building toward future research!
Any birding skill level is fine.
Any length of time is welcome.
Just contact a compiler for details & area assignments to join in the fun.
It's FREE for all, though donations to Audubon are always appreciated. If you can do more than 1 count, that would be very helpful.
If you know of counts in adjoining states, that have an AR connection, I'd love to advertise them here.
You're welcome to contact me for general information - Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov If you're looking for life birds, contact me and I can tell you which counts would give you the best chance of seeing them.
"at" = @ in the list below.
Dec 14th Thurs:
RED SLOUGH, OK; David Arbour arbour "at" Windstream.net
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK; Chace Holzheuser chace_holzheuser "at" nps.gov Sponsored by Hot Springs NP
LONOKE; Kevin Krajcir; kjkrajcir "at" gmail.com Sponsored by the Audubon Society of Central AR
18th Mon:
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE; Chris Cash; c52cash "at" sbcglobal.net Sponsored by Hot Springs Village Audubon
MOUNT MAGAZINE; Jeremy Everitts jeremy.everitts "at" usda.gov Sponsored by US Forest Service & Mount Magazine SP
20th Wens:
NORTH FORK of the ILLINOIS BAYOU (near Hector); Charity Woolsey; charity.e.woolsey "at" usda.gov; Sponsored by US Forest Service.
21st Thurs:
SYLAMORE RANGER DISTRICT; (near Mountain View); Idun Guenther; idun.guenther "at" usda.gov Sponsored by US Forest Service.
23rd Sat:
BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER EAST (near Buffalo Point on Hwy 14); Megan Foll auntm13 "at" gmail.com Sponsored by Buffalo National River Partners.
CROOKED CREEK (near Harrison); Alan Gregory; quattro "at" windstream.net
26th Tues:
PINE BLUFF; Devin Moon; moondevg "at" gmail.com Sponsored by Three Rivers Audubon Society
MISSISSIPPI RIVER SP (near Marianna); Idun Guenther; idun.guenther "at" usda.gov Sponsored by US Forest Service & Mississippi River SP..
29th Fri:
LAKE OUACHITA SP; Emily Stubblefield emily.stubblefield "at" arkansas.gov Sponsored by Lake Ouachita SP
30th Sat:
WAPANOCCA NWR/MEEMAN-SHELBY FOREST SP; Dick Preston; 901-837-3360 dickpreston48 "at" gmail.com Co-compiler of TN side Van Harris shelbyforester1223 "at" gmail.com Sponsored by TN Ornithological Society
31st Sun:
POND CREEK NWR; Devin Moon; moondevg "at" gmail.com and Matt Gideon; paulmatthewgideon "at" gmail.com
Jan 1st Mon:
LAKE DARDANELLE; Kenny Nichols; kingbird101 "at" gmail.com
2nd Tues:
HOLLA BEND NWR; Leif Anderson; Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov Sponsored by Holla Bend NWR & the Friends of Holla Bend NWR.
3rd Wens:
BIG LAKE NWR; Leif Anderson; Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov
5th Fri:
LAKE GEORGIA PACIFIC/ FELSENTHAL NWR; Leif Anderson; Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov Sponsored by Felsenthal NWR and the Friends of Felsenthal NWR.
WHITE RIVER NWR; (Near St. Charles) Than Boves; tboves "at" astate.edu
Count with date not set yet.
MAGNOLIA/ LAKE COLUMBIA; Drew Harvey harveydrew.wildlife "at" gmail.com
TEXARKANA (northern Miller co); Jean Bratton mjbrat67 "at" gmail.com Meeting 7am at Rondo Methodist Church at jct of Hwy 237 & E 19th st.
VILLAGE CREEK SP; Sponsored by Village Creek SP.
Hope you can join the counts, Leif at Hector
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Date: 11/20/23 8:41 am From: Joseph Neal <joeneal...> Subject: The Okie Joe Special
Northwest Arkansas Audubon Societys field trip leader Taylor Long picked about as perfect a day for a big lake loon trip as could be imagined. Saturday November 18 was warm but not hot. So calm you could see two miles across the lake, with only ripples caused by passage of boats. You could SEE and HEAR loons.
First stop, at Standing Rock, was all Common Loons in flocks barking. It was all close up American White Pelicans splashing as they tried to keep up with the loons and gulp down shad. It was all you could ask for on a field trip.
Lady Luck smacked us right between the binoculars at Snake Creek Marina. A Pacific Loon popped up not so far out in the calm, just past a boat that made easy pointing out its location. Taylor got a memorable photo of the Pacific, with nearby Commons in front and behind perfect comparison.
But we werent done yet. Part of our group of eight cars was heading out of Snake Creek when Joan Reynolds spotted a small gray bird in the rocks that didnt fit anything expected. ROCK WREN. Actually two Rock Wrens. Close by. Occasionally singing! Life bird for some on the trip. Posing atop rocks for photos!
Joan also spotted a very late dragonfly at the dam site park. This proved to be a female Variegated Meadowhawk.
But our day wasnt quite over. On the way back home we stopped in Stillwell for supper. At Okie Joes BBQ. A nice place and a good meal. Of course I got the Okie Joe Special.
(In terms of loons, Im about half Okie, anyway. My Cherokee ancestry is about as much (1/256th) as that of Senator Elizabeth Warren, an Okie who made good as they say.)
I was filled with celebration after our loon trip. Our culture includes stuff that makes us feel alone, poor, inadequate, and under-achieved. Our field trip made me feel just about full tank. Lots of friends. Lots of birds. Big fascinating planet just waiting discovery.
Date: 11/20/23 7:23 am From: Joseph Neal <joeneal...> Subject: Continent of hawks
Passage of more than four decades has not diminished my fascination for hawk-watching on former Tallgrass Prairies in northwestern Benton County. To quote something more contemporary, What a long strange trip its been.
Yesterday it was former Wet Prairie area, with two friends, and full of all manner and color (light to dark) of hawks.
Of course there are hawks all year, but winter brings hawks from across western North America and from the Great Plains way north from Alaska and northern Canada. My four decades are relatively recent in such interest.
A century ago, when chickens were routinely raised in outdoor flocks, farmers routinely shot wintering hawks. Specimens of these shootings eventually found their way into major university collections and then into major ornithological publications. A ground-breaking publication on Harlans Hawk was based entirely on birds killed in Benton County.
So yesterday, as we were slow-driving north on Wet Prairie Road, I was thrilled to see an outstanding, mostly black, Harlans Red-tailed Hawk, perched out in the blue sky, on a snag. It allowed us fairly close looks. And that was just a start. Colorful American Kestrels. Regular Red-tailed Hawks. Almost all white Kriders Red-tailed Hawks. Bald Eagles, adult and immature, soaring overhead.
And along the way: singing of Eastern and Western Meadowlarks. Rich green of Christmas Ferns in a forested hollow. A dead cedar where 8 Harriss Sparrows perch. Northern Harriers coming up the road right towards us, then sudden appearance of a gray ghost adult male Harrier. White-crowned Sparrows in seed-rich Giant Rageweed along roads. White-crowned Sparrow choruses. Mixed-species flock of blackbirds, spread across the road, maybe where a feed truck has spilled some poultry feed. Late-blooming white asters.
Use of digital zoom cameras with zoom capability has added a lot to my experience. Sometimes hawk identity is obvious, even in the field, but often its more difficult. I get what pictures I can, take them home, spread out ID books. About half the time I get identity figured out. The other half doesnt bother as Ive gotten older.
Date: 11/19/23 5:01 pm From: Karen Holliday <ladyhawke1...> Subject: ASCA November Field Trip Report
Saturday, November 18 was the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas's (ASCA) field trip to Lake DeGray State Park. We had wonderful weather, warm, sunny, with very little wind. On the way to the park, we made a quick stop in Arkadelphia to get gas and find Great-tailed Grackles. A few GTGR were eating junk food in the parking lot and were a state bird for a couple of our birders. I had arranged with the Park’s Supervisor to do an Eagle Watch boat tour of the lake for our group. We decided to open it to include park visitors. We had nine non-birdrders on the pontoon boat. Binoculars were handed out and off we went. First seen was a large group of 20 Pied-bill Grebes, both adults and juveniles, plus several Horned Grebes. Further down the lake, were adult and juvenile Bald Eagles. The ranger showed us an eagle nest that's only used for sleeping, not breeding. We also saw several Common Loons, a Spotted Sandpiper, and several of our "lucky trip bird" Great Blue Herons. By the end of the boat tour, I think we may have converted several over to the "dark side" of becoming a birder. They were impressed with how we could spot and identify birds and how knowledgeable our group was about the birds we were seeing. Before heading to the Lodge for lunch, we enjoyed several squeaky Brown-headed Nuthatches in the pine trees at the marina. After lunch at the Lodge, we headed to the Caddo Bend peninsula where we found more lake birds. Even with scopes it was difficult to identify the ducks and loons because of distance and the bright sun on the water. Seen were a Kingfisher, Lesser Scaup, Gadwalls, a large raft of Coots, a couple of Ring-billed Gulls, and more loons. On careful scanning of the loons, we were able to confirm one Pacific Loon, a nice find for several in the group. A great ending to a lovely, warm day of birding in November. There is no field trip in December because we will be doing Christmas Bird Counts all over the state. We encourage birders of any level to participate in a CBC. It's always fun, plus a great learning experience and an opportunity to bird new areas.Karen Holliday ASCA field trip coordinator
Date: 11/17/23 3:21 pm From: Ian MacGregor <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...> Subject: Maysville Area
Took a all in the Maysville west on Austin from the north intersection of Austin and Wet Prairie,
south on OK 20, east on AR 43, east on Wet Prairie which swings north, a short detour east on Austin at the southern Austin/Wet Prairie intersection, then north on Wet Prairie to the start.
Highlights, I heard Bobwhite for the first time. I’d seen them but they were not calling. Lots of Savannah Sparrows, but no Songs. There were plenty of White-crowns, but no White-throated. A flock of Snow Geese seen several times. Lots of Meadowlarks most seen from OK 20. All looked Eastern to me, but they were someway off. However when I took m short diversion east on Austin, I knew I was seeing Western by their back color. One did call and another sang half-heartedly
Lots of Red-tails. When I got back to where I started I saw a bird I think in the same tree Joe had seen both the Harlan’s and the Krider’s. It had quite a bit of white on the back, before studying it a larger bird appeared. It was quite striking. I had never seen a Red-tail like it. I thought it was a Krider’s, but I did not even know that light phase Harlan’s exist. The two birds flew together to another tree, I am not sure what race or color phase of Red-tail they were, but they were definitely associating with each other.
Date: 11/17/23 1:13 pm From: Jodi Morris <mjodimorris...> Subject: Re: Where are the winter birds?
I am in Pulaski County like Aster and also have white throated sparrows,
dark-eyed juncos and golden crowned kinglets steady in my yard now. I have
had 2 yellow-bellied sapsucker sightings also. Lots of robins. We have
Mallards and Canada Geese now stopping over at Broadmoor Lake. My feeders
are just starting to attract interest as my yard habitat and the adjacent 3
acre community lake offer plenty of food sources.
On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 12:09 PM Aster Droste <eviedroste...> wrote:
> I'm in Pulaski County and have seen a few red-breasted nuthatches visiting
> my feeder. They are an irruptive species, so maybe some populations that
> have migrated to your area in the past have better food supplies up north
> this year. Just a guess though.
> I've also been getting some juncos at my feeder and hearing white throated
> sparrows while I'm out and about (though the sparrows aren't at my feeder).
> I've seen a few kinglets around my backyard and school too, and some
> morning I can see and hear big winter foraging flocks of robins in the
> woods nearby. There's yellow rumped warblers for days at Cook's Landing
> park along the AR river, along with some song and field sparrows in the
> tall grassy areas. Lots of brown creepers have been taunting me from the
> forest by my backyard with how easy they are to hear but impossible to get
> eyes on.
> But I have yet to see/hear any yellow bellied sapsuckers or cedar waxwings
> yet, which has been a bit surprising. I'm sure I'll find them soon though.
>
>
> On Fri, Nov 17, 2023, 11:38 AM Tammy <msiinc...> wrote:
>
>> My winter birds have been trickling in. I do have a few Juncos and White
>> Throated Sparrows. What worries me are the Red Breasted Nuthatches. They
>> are usually here by mid-October. This week tons of Robins and Waxwings
>> here and there in my area.
>>
>>
>>
>> Tammy
>>
>>
>>
>> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
>> Windows
>>
>>
>>
>> *From: *Dedra Gerard <000002df2472bba2-dmarc-request...>
>> *Sent: *Friday, November 17, 2023 11:16 AM
>> *To: *<ARBIRD-L...>
>> *Subject: *Re: Where are the winter birds?
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you.
>>
>> Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
>> <http://Sent%20from%20the%20all%20new%20AOL%20app%20for%20iOS> >>
>>
>>
>> On Friday, November 17, 2023, 9:29 AM, Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...>
>> wrote:
>>
>> The weather’s so nice they are just quietly going about finding food and
>> doing their thing. They’re quite active really early in the day and then
>> are quiet the rest of the day. I’ve seen all the species you mentioned plus
>> more. Had a Brown Creeper in the yard yesterday. It’s interesting that when
>> I birdwatch early in the morning I see way more birds than I do in the
>> afternoon, at the same location. They’re hungrier in the morning after not
>> eating all night.
>>
>> “The crappier the day, the better the birds.
>>
>> The nicer the day, the fewer the birds.”
>>
>> They don’t have to use as much energy searching for food on nice days.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sandy B
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 9:10 AM Dorothy Cooney <songbird51488...>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I'm in Polk county,western AR, and to date the only winter bird I've seen
>> or heard is a Northern Flicker. Usually, by now I have White-throated
>> sparrows, Butter butts, Purple finches, etc. All the usual suspects are
>> here (cardinals, chickadees, etc.). Anyone else experiencing this lack of
>> birds?
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Dorothy Cooney
>>
>> Wickes, AR
>>
>>
>>
>> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
>> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >>
>>
>>
>> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
>> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >>
>>
>>
>> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
>> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
>> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
Date: 11/17/23 10:34 am From: Patty McLean <plm108...> Subject: Pine Siskins Return
We just had 5 Pine Siskins at Brewer Lake/Cypress Creek Reservoir in Conway County. This was at the North End Boat Ramp on Reservoir Rd, off Hwy 92. Also 4 Common Loons on the lake, more easily viewed from the South End Boat Ramp. This is a WMA managed by AG&F. Patty McLean and Michael Linz The Roadrunners
Date: 11/17/23 10:09 am From: Aster Droste <eviedroste...> Subject: Re: Where are the winter birds?
I'm in Pulaski County and have seen a few red-breasted nuthatches visiting
my feeder. They are an irruptive species, so maybe some populations that
have migrated to your area in the past have better food supplies up north
this year. Just a guess though.
I've also been getting some juncos at my feeder and hearing white throated
sparrows while I'm out and about (though the sparrows aren't at my feeder).
I've seen a few kinglets around my backyard and school too, and some
morning I can see and hear big winter foraging flocks of robins in the
woods nearby. There's yellow rumped warblers for days at Cook's Landing
park along the AR river, along with some song and field sparrows in the
tall grassy areas. Lots of brown creepers have been taunting me from the
forest by my backyard with how easy they are to hear but impossible to get
eyes on.
But I have yet to see/hear any yellow bellied sapsuckers or cedar waxwings
yet, which has been a bit surprising. I'm sure I'll find them soon though.
On Fri, Nov 17, 2023, 11:38 AM Tammy <msiinc...> wrote:
> My winter birds have been trickling in. I do have a few Juncos and White
> Throated Sparrows. What worries me are the Red Breasted Nuthatches. They
> are usually here by mid-October. This week tons of Robins and Waxwings
> here and there in my area.
>
>
>
> Tammy
>
>
>
> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
> Windows
>
>
>
> *From: *Dedra Gerard <000002df2472bba2-dmarc-request...>
> *Sent: *Friday, November 17, 2023 11:16 AM
> *To: *<ARBIRD-L...>
> *Subject: *Re: Where are the winter birds?
>
>
>
> Thank you.
>
> Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
> <http://Sent%20from%20the%20all%20new%20AOL%20app%20for%20iOS> >
>
>
> On Friday, November 17, 2023, 9:29 AM, Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...>
> wrote:
>
> The weather’s so nice they are just quietly going about finding food and
> doing their thing. They’re quite active really early in the day and then
> are quiet the rest of the day. I’ve seen all the species you mentioned plus
> more. Had a Brown Creeper in the yard yesterday. It’s interesting that when
> I birdwatch early in the morning I see way more birds than I do in the
> afternoon, at the same location. They’re hungrier in the morning after not
> eating all night.
>
> “The crappier the day, the better the birds.
>
> The nicer the day, the fewer the birds.”
>
> They don’t have to use as much energy searching for food on nice days.
>
>
>
> Sandy B
>
>
>
> On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 9:10 AM Dorothy Cooney <songbird51488...>
> wrote:
>
> I'm in Polk county,western AR, and to date the only winter bird I've seen
> or heard is a Northern Flicker. Usually, by now I have White-throated
> sparrows, Butter butts, Purple finches, etc. All the usual suspects are
> here (cardinals, chickadees, etc.). Anyone else experiencing this lack of
> birds?
>
>
>
> --
>
> Dorothy Cooney
>
> Wickes, AR
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
>
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
>
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
Date: 11/17/23 9:46 am From: Jeremy Cohen <jeremy3cohen...> Subject: Re: Where are the winter birds?
Some winter birds, such as juncos, white-throated sparrows, brown creepers,
and yellow-bellied sapsuckers can be expected to be found in similar
numbers here every winter. Others, including purple finch, red-breasted
nuthatch, pine siskins, and red crossbills are 'irruptive', meaning that
their numbers in Arkansas year-to-year fluctuate greatly based on the
amount of food available up north. If there's more food up north, there's
less reason to make the trip south. This was predicted (based on monitoring
of food availability in Canada) to be a good (ie, high abundance) year for
pine siskins and crossbills in Arkansas, but a poor year for red-breasted
nuthatch and purple finch, and those predictions have borne out thus far.
In my Fayetteville yard, red-breasted nuthatches haven't made an appearance
this fall but were constantly at my feeders September-April the past 2
winters.
On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 11:38 AM Tammy <msiinc...> wrote:
> My winter birds have been trickling in. I do have a few Juncos and White
> Throated Sparrows. What worries me are the Red Breasted Nuthatches. They
> are usually here by mid-October. This week tons of Robins and Waxwings
> here and there in my area.
>
>
>
> Tammy
>
>
>
> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
> Windows
>
>
>
> *From: *Dedra Gerard <000002df2472bba2-dmarc-request...>
> *Sent: *Friday, November 17, 2023 11:16 AM
> *To: *<ARBIRD-L...>
> *Subject: *Re: Where are the winter birds?
>
>
>
> Thank you.
>
> Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
> <http://Sent%20from%20the%20all%20new%20AOL%20app%20for%20iOS> >
>
>
> On Friday, November 17, 2023, 9:29 AM, Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...>
> wrote:
>
> The weather’s so nice they are just quietly going about finding food and
> doing their thing. They’re quite active really early in the day and then
> are quiet the rest of the day. I’ve seen all the species you mentioned plus
> more. Had a Brown Creeper in the yard yesterday. It’s interesting that when
> I birdwatch early in the morning I see way more birds than I do in the
> afternoon, at the same location. They’re hungrier in the morning after not
> eating all night.
>
> “The crappier the day, the better the birds.
>
> The nicer the day, the fewer the birds.”
>
> They don’t have to use as much energy searching for food on nice days.
>
>
>
> Sandy B
>
>
>
> On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 9:10 AM Dorothy Cooney <songbird51488...>
> wrote:
>
> I'm in Polk county,western AR, and to date the only winter bird I've seen
> or heard is a Northern Flicker. Usually, by now I have White-throated
> sparrows, Butter butts, Purple finches, etc. All the usual suspects are
> here (cardinals, chickadees, etc.). Anyone else experiencing this lack of
> birds?
>
>
>
> --
>
> Dorothy Cooney
>
> Wickes, AR
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
>
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
>
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
Date: 11/17/23 9:38 am From: Tammy <msiinc...> Subject: Re: Where are the winter birds?
My winter birds have been trickling in. I do have a few Juncos and White Throated Sparrows. What worries me are the Red Breasted Nuthatches. They are usually here by mid-October. This week tons of Robins and Waxwings here and there in my area.
Tammy
Sent from Mail for Windows
From: Dedra Gerard
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2023 11:16 AM
To: <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Re: Where are the winter birds?
Thank you.
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
On Friday, November 17, 2023, 9:29 AM, Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> wrote:
The weather’s so nice they are just quietly going about finding food and doing their thing. They’re quite active really early in the day and then are quiet the rest of the day. I’ve seen all the species you mentioned plus more. Had a Brown Creeper in the yard yesterday. It’s interesting that when I birdwatch early in the morning I see way more birds than I do in the afternoon, at the same location. They’re hungrier in the morning after not eating all night.
“The crappier the day, the better the birds.
The nicer the day, the fewer the birds.”
They don’t have to use as much energy searching for food on nice days.
Sandy B
On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 9:10 AM Dorothy Cooney <songbird51488...> wrote:
I'm in Polk county,western AR, and to date the only winter bird I've seen or heard is a Northern Flicker. Usually, by now I have White-throated sparrows, Butter butts, Purple finches, etc. All the usual suspects are here (cardinals, chickadees, etc.). Anyone else experiencing this lack of birds?
Date: 11/17/23 9:16 am From: Dedra Gerard <000002df2472bba2-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Where are the winter birds?
Thank you.
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
On Friday, November 17, 2023, 9:29 AM, Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> wrote:
The weather’s so nice they are just quietly going about finding food and doing their thing. They’re quite active really early in the day and then are quiet the rest of the day. I’ve seen all the species you mentioned plus more. Had a Brown Creeper in the yard yesterday. It’s interesting that when I birdwatch early in the morning I see way more birds than I do in the afternoon, at the same location. They’re hungrier in the morning after not eating all night. “The crappier the day, the better the birds.The nicer the day, the fewer the birds.”They don’t have to use as much energy searching for food on nice days.
Sandy B
On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 9:10 AM Dorothy Cooney <songbird51488...> wrote:
I'm in Polk county,western AR, and to date the only winter bird I've seen or heard is a Northern Flicker. Usually, by now I have White-throated sparrows, Butter butts, Purple finches, etc. All the usual suspects are here (cardinals, chickadees, etc.). Anyone else experiencing this lack of birds?
Date: 11/17/23 8:35 am From: Jerry Davis <jwdavis...> Subject: Re: Where are the winter birds?
Fitting into the fewer birds equation is the fact that birds have declined significantly by 3 billion birds and if you keep records each year you will notice this decline from past years and fewer birds in your yard. Even those that are not birders notice that there are difference now. Some of our winter residents are tied to the lack of food in the north country and they come to our yards in winter to find food.
You also need to remember that 29 MILLION ACRES OF HABITAT IN CANADA HAS BURNED AND 101 MILLION ACRES OF CANADA’S BOREAL FOREST HABITAT HAS BEEN CUT. There are fewer birds to come down in winter because fewer birds are being produced due to less breeding and feeding habitat.
Jerry Wayne Davis
Hot Springs, AR
From: Dorothy Cooney
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2023 9:10 AM
To: <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Where are the winter birds?
I'm in Polk county,western AR, and to date the only winter bird I've seen or heard is a Northern Flicker. Usually, by now I have White-throated sparrows, Butter butts, Purple finches, etc. All the usual suspects are here (cardinals, chickadees, etc.). Anyone else experiencing this lack of birds?
On Friday, November 17, 2023 at 09:29:20 AM CST, Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> wrote:
The weather’s so nice they are just quietly going about finding food and doing their thing. They’re quite active really early in the day and then are quiet the rest of the day. I’ve seen all the species you mentioned plus more. Had a Brown Creeper in the yard yesterday. It’s interesting that when I birdwatch early in the morning I see way more birds than I do in the afternoon, at the same location. They’re hungrier in the morning after not eating all night. “The crappier the day, the better the birds.The nicer the day, the fewer the birds.”They don’t have to use as much energy searching for food on nice days.
Sandy B
On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 9:10 AM Dorothy Cooney <songbird51488...> wrote:
I'm in Polk county,western AR, and to date the only winter bird I've seen or heard is a Northern Flicker. Usually, by now I have White-throated sparrows, Butter butts, Purple finches, etc. All the usual suspects are here (cardinals, chickadees, etc.). Anyone else experiencing this lack of birds?
Date: 11/17/23 7:29 am From: Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> Subject: Re: Where are the winter birds?
The weather’s so nice they are just quietly going about finding food and
doing their thing. They’re quite active really early in the day and then
are quiet the rest of the day. I’ve seen all the species you mentioned plus
more. Had a Brown Creeper in the yard yesterday. It’s interesting that when
I birdwatch early in the morning I see way more birds than I do in the
afternoon, at the same location. They’re hungrier in the morning after not
eating all night.
“The crappier the day, the better the birds.
The nicer the day, the fewer the birds.”
They don’t have to use as much energy searching for food on nice days.
Sandy B
On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 9:10 AM Dorothy Cooney <songbird51488...>
wrote:
> I'm in Polk county,western AR, and to date the only winter bird I've seen
> or heard is a Northern Flicker. Usually, by now I have White-throated
> sparrows, Butter butts, Purple finches, etc. All the usual suspects are
> here (cardinals, chickadees, etc.). Anyone else experiencing this lack of
> birds?
>
>
> --
> Dorothy Cooney
> Wickes, AR
>
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Date: 11/17/23 7:10 am From: Dorothy Cooney <songbird51488...> Subject: Where are the winter birds?
I'm in Polk county,western AR, and to date the only winter bird I've seen or heard is a Northern Flicker. Usually, by now I have White-throated sparrows, Butter butts, Purple finches, etc. All the usual suspects are here (cardinals, chickadees, etc.). Anyone else experiencing this lack of birds?
Date: 11/16/23 3:18 pm From: Jacque Brown <bluebird2...> Subject: Re: Western Meadowlarks in NW Benton County, Arkansas
What I really love about the Maysville area of NW AR are the chats with the farmers or farmworkers is they are always friendly. Are you having car problems? No, I’m out looking at your birds. Bald Eagles? Not necessarily. I’m enjoying the Meadowlarks and looking for Longspurs. Such as the conversations go. I personally have Cousins in the area but I’ve never had to ask anyone if they know my family.
This is nothing like the aggressive confrontations in some other areas of our state.
We have had confrontations in and around Centerton city limits. On Holloway Rd specifically, and another dirt road in one of the Bella Vista/Bentonville CBC count areas.
Why are you looking at my property with binoculars? Why are you taking pictures of my cows? You have no business driving on OUR road. (actually public roads) ETC. Jacque Brown, Centerton
> On Nov 16, 2023, at 1:09 PM, Joseph Neal <joeneal...> wrote:
>
> Quality, treeless, expansive, plowed fields, including fields with recently planted winter wheat, are worth their weight in birder’s gold at this time of year. I’m talking American Pipits, Horned larks, Lapland Longspurs, and whatever goes with – including in my neck of the birder’s woods, Western Meadowlarks.
>
> When I just can no longer resist the urge, relief from most all that ails me requires but an hour – that includes a drive through stop at Grumpy’s Coffee in Gravette. Then it’s not so far to the agricultural district that was once Wet Prairie and fresh hot coffee to enjoy. Here are the results from my trip yesterday: https://ebird.org/checklist/S154566860 <https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Fchecklist%2FS154566860&data=05%7C01%<7Carbird-l...>%7Ce2861360461848c598da08dbe6d79a35%7C79c742c4e61c4fa5be89a3cb566a80d1%7C0%7C0%7C638357585898305149%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=QxsV6oiTrbNEsO3Ws38UCkhATQPlhYh%2F%2F2g6anF5y2c%3D&reserved=0> > I drive west on highway 72 towards Maysville. This cuts right through former Beaty Prairie. Big Sawtooth Sunflowers reminds, ecologically-speaking, where we are. But before Maysville, I turn north off the pavement and onto graded Benton County Schoolhouse Road (on the right-of-way, last summer’s Blazing Stars gone to seed), then west on Austin Road.
>
> Pretty soon it’s chicken house country, a large dairy, lots of expansive fields recently plowed. It’s pretty dusty when cars go by, but this isn’t College Avenue in Fayetteville. There aren’t many cars.
>
> Ornithologically-speaking, first up: White-crowned Sparrows singing in choruses. I turn off the car, roll down the window. In all that sparrow song, I take an emotionally-cleansing bath. Before I get too relaxed, here comes low rolling notes of a Western Meadowlark. Then another. Then loud CHERTs – the distinctive Western call note.
>
> Some brand spanking new chicken houses have been built along the road, but the field opposite is open, recently plowed, and there’s a good spot to pull off in order to survey. Out there at distance: Horned Larks. This is scope work. I get my stool and begin: two Horned Larks, then a few more, then a flush of 25 flying low. And as they fly, I’m hearing more CHERTs.
>
> Past the Horned Larks is a weedy field, maybe 20-acres; full of meadowlarks. So far I haven’t heard singing of a single Eastern Meadowlark. This field doesn’t change things. There’s a jumble of meadowlark singing. All sounds W.
>
> I get distracted by a whitish Red-tailed Hawk atop a utility pole. I’m thinking Krider’s, but it doesn’t look just right. (Later, at home with photos, I’ve decided it is a light morph Harlan’s hawk).
>
> The local mail carrier comes by and wants to talk birds. Pretty soon another man stops, in a farm work truck. This turns out to be the owner of the dairy and many fields full of interesting birds. This is brief friendly stuff.
>
> Pretty soon I’m back to meadowlarks. Several have flow up into a big old post oak. I just park and wait. Pretty soon, CHERTs.
>
>
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Date: 11/16/23 11:09 am From: Joseph Neal <joeneal...> Subject: Western Meadowlarks in NW Benton County, Arkansas
Quality, treeless, expansive, plowed fields, including fields with recently planted winter wheat, are worth their weight in birders gold at this time of year. Im talking American Pipits, Horned larks, Lapland Longspurs, and whatever goes with including in my neck of the birders woods, Western Meadowlarks.
I drive west on highway 72 towards Maysville. This cuts right through former Beaty Prairie. Big Sawtooth Sunflowers reminds, ecologically-speaking, where we are. But before Maysville, I turn north off the pavement and onto graded Benton County Schoolhouse Road (on the right-of-way, last summers Blazing Stars gone to seed), then west on Austin Road.
Pretty soon its chicken house country, a large dairy, lots of expansive fields recently plowed. Its pretty dusty when cars go by, but this isnt College Avenue in Fayetteville. There arent many cars.
Ornithologically-speaking, first up: White-crowned Sparrows singing in choruses. I turn off the car, roll down the window. In all that sparrow song, I take an emotionally-cleansing bath. Before I get too relaxed, here comes low rolling notes of a Western Meadowlark. Then another. Then loud CHERTs the distinctive Western call note.
Some brand spanking new chicken houses have been built along the road, but the field opposite is open, recently plowed, and theres a good spot to pull off in order to survey. Out there at distance: Horned Larks. This is scope work. I get my stool and begin: two Horned Larks, then a few more, then a flush of 25 flying low. And as they fly, Im hearing more CHERTs.
Past the Horned Larks is a weedy field, maybe 20-acres; full of meadowlarks. So far I havent heard singing of a single Eastern Meadowlark. This field doesnt change things. Theres a jumble of meadowlark singing. All sounds W.
I get distracted by a whitish Red-tailed Hawk atop a utility pole. Im thinking Kriders, but it doesnt look just right. (Later, at home with photos, Ive decided it is a light morph Harlans hawk).
The local mail carrier comes by and wants to talk birds. Pretty soon another man stops, in a farm work truck. This turns out to be the owner of the dairy and many fields full of interesting birds. This is brief friendly stuff.
Pretty soon Im back to meadowlarks. Several have flow up into a big old post oak. I just park and wait. Pretty soon, CHERTs.
Date: 11/15/23 9:34 am From: Jodi Morris <mjodimorris...> Subject: Bald Eagle in Little Rock
Had a mature bald eagle in Historic Broadmoor Neighborhood in midtown area near UA Little Rock yesterday. I moved into neighborhood 18 months ago and this is first sighting. Seen in treetops on hill overlooking POA Broadmoor Lake.
Date: 11/15/23 5:08 am From: CK Franklin <meshoppen...> Subject: Galloway, Pulaski County
After delivering White Oak acorns to the Baucum nursery run by the Forestry Division of the UA Dept. Of Agriculture, I spent the rest of the afternoon around the Galloway area.
3PM- nary a Great-tailed Grackle in sight.
I crossed I40 to Eanes Rd. I spent some time on Harris Rd observing large flocks of Morning Doves & Red-winged Blackbirds working a field of sunflowers. One end of Harris Lake abuts Eanes. There are ducks but they are hard to see due to the vegetation. Also saw multiple American Coots. The Cypress trees out there are gorgeous right now.
5PM-arrived back in "downtown" Galloway. Tractor trailers everywhere. And the grackles were back in town. I estimated flock size at 150-200 individuals by eye. Last night examining multiple photos, I counted 191 Great-tailed Grackles on the ground, on the wires and signs, and on the buildings.
Date: 11/14/23 8:31 pm From: David Arbour <arbour...> Subject: Red Slough Bird Survey - Nov. 14
It was partly cloudy and cool turning clear, warm, and windy on the bird survey today. 68 species were found. Still have some lingering summer birds. Maybe they will hang around for the Christmas Bird Count. Here is my list for today:
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - 30
Wood Duck - 9
Gadwall - 79
American Wigeon - 1
Mallard - 30
Blue-winged Teal - 16
Northern Shoveler - 57
Northern Pintail - 357
Green-winged Teal - 62
Ring-necked Duck - 1,860
Ruddy Duck - 13
Pied-billed Grebe - 25
Anhinga - 1 (imm. male)
Great-blue Heron - 8
Great Egret - 6
Little-blue Heron - 2 (adult & juv.; new late date for RS.)
Greetings all,
It's getting close to the coolest (figuratively & literally) birding of the year.
The Christmas Bird Counts are held around the Americas from 12/14 through 1/5. Counts have been done for 124 years - the oldest citizen science bird database in the hemisphere.
If you've seen any Audubon bird or climate reports like "Survival by Degrees" then you know that the CBC supplied much of the data that made the reports possible. Here is your chance to help the science, building toward future research!
Any birding skill level is fine.
Any length of time is welcome.
Just contact a compiler for details & area assignments to join in the fun.
It's FREE for all, though donations to Audubon are always appreciated. If you can do more than 1 count, that would be very helpful.
If you know of counts in adjoining states, that have an AR connection, I'd love to advertise them here.
You're welcome to contact me for general information - Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov If you're looking for life birds, contact me and I can tell you which counts would give you the best chance of seeing them.
"at" = @ in the list below.
Dec 14th Thurs:
RED SLOUGH, OK; David Arbour arbour "at" Windstream.net
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK; Chace Holzheuser chace_holzheuser "at" nps.gov Sponsored by Hot Springs NP
LONOKE; Kevin Krajcir; kjkrajcir "at" gmail.com Sponsored by the Audubon Society of Central AR
18th Mon:
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE; Chris Cash; c52cash "at" sbcglobal.net Sponsored by Hot Springs Village Audubon
MOUNT MAGAZINE; Jeremy Everitts jeremy.everitts "at" usda.gov Sponsored by US Forest Service & Mount Magazine SP
20th Wens:
NORTH FORK of the ILLINOIS BAYOU (near Hector); Charity Woolsey; charity.e.woolsey "at" usda.gov; Sponsored by US Forest Service.
21st Thurs:
SYLAMORE RANGER DISTRICT; (near Mountain View); Idun Guenther; idun.guenther "at" usda.gov Sponsored by US Forest Service.
23rd Sat:
BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER EAST (near Buffalo Point on Hwy 14); Megan Foll auntm13 "at" gmail.com Sponsored by Buffalo National River Partners.
CROOKED CREEK (near Harrison); Alan Gregory; quattro "at" windstream.net
26th Tues:
PINE BLUFF; Devin Moon; moondevg "at" gmail.com Sponsored by Three Rivers Audubon Society
MISSISSIPPI RIVER SP (near Marianna); Idun Guenther; idun.guenther "at" usda.gov Sponsored by US Forest Service & Mississippi River SP..
29th Fri:
LAKE OUACHITA SP; Emily Stubblefield emily.stubblefield "at" arkansas.gov Sponsored by Lake Ouachita SP
30th Sat:
WAPANOCCA NWR/MEEMAN-SHELBY FOREST SP; Dick Preston; 901-837-3360 dickpreston48 "at" gmail.com Co-compiler of TN side Van Harris shelbyforester1223 "at" gmail.com Sponsored by TN Ornithological Society
31st Sun:
POND CREEK NWR; Devin Moon; moondevg "at" gmail.com and Matt Gideon; paulmatthewgideon "at" gmail.com
Jan 2nd Tues:
HOLLA BEND NWR; Leif Anderson; Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov Sponsored by Holla Bend NWR & the Friends of Holla Bend NWR.
3rd Wens:
BIG LAKE NWR; Leif Anderson; Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov
5th Fri:
LAKE GEORGIA PACIFIC/ FELSENTHAL NWR; Leif Anderson; Leif.anderson "at" usda.gov Sponsored by Felsenthal NWR and the Friends of Felsenthal NWR.
WHITE RIVER NWR; (Near St. Charles) Than Boves; tboves "at" astate.edu
Count with date not set yet.
ARKADELPHIA; Evelyn & Glenn Good; theoldcrow "at" sbcglobal.net
LAKE DARDANELLE; Kenny Nichols; kingbird "at" ymail.com
MAGNOLIA/ LAKE COLUMBIA; Drew Harvey harveydrew.wildlife "at" gmail.com
TEXARKANA (northern Miller co); Jean Bratton mjbrat67 "at" gmail.com Meeting 7am at Rondo Methodist Church at jct of Hwy 237 & E 19th st.
VILLAGE CREEK SP; Catherine Combs; catherine.combs "at" arkansas.gov 870-238-9406 Sponsored by Village Creek SP.
Hope you can join the counts, Leif at Hector
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Date: 11/14/23 2:02 pm From: Joseph Neal <joeneal...> Subject: Give me sparrows in the grass (Chesney)
What a wonder: a few hours in warm sunshine with both meadowlark species singing in open fields around Chesney Prairie Natural Area in Siloam Springs. What a refreshment it is. Its the Garden of Eden all over again, just our local version.
But of course the World continues its ghastly troubles. Inhumanity unabated. Then for a time, from horizon to horizon: blue sky. Belongs to me and Eastern Bluebirds flying overhead.
Sometimes I feel guilty about all of this. I keep thinking we can stop being irrational about religion, race, sexual preference, and all the other in that long list of what makes us distrust and hate one another.
Phone rings just as I am about to give up. Joe Woolbright, who manages Chesney Prairie Natural Area, reminds me part of Chesney had a recent prescribed burn. This is of special interest: how birds use newly exposed bare soil, plus abundance of exposed grass seeds and other kinds of food normally harder to find.
Other things are made visible in the black. I like seeing Osage Burrowing Crawfish chimneys, otherwise well hidden under Big Bluestem grass. I like the freshly excavated soil middens created by Bairds Pocket Gophers. I appreciate them.
(I do not appreciate what you will get if you Google Bairds a long list of gopher poisons just the world I dont want to be part of all available from Amazon. Poisoning the natural world and right at your fingertips, too. What a deal. Free shipping too, if you buy a big bag.)
Now after all this, I am uplifted, albeit briefly, from the bloody muck we have made of our World. Eastern Bluebirds sing as they fly over. For this I am thankful.
Give me sparrows in the grass, including those that get away without me knowing their names.
Date: 11/14/23 12:59 pm From: Karen Holliday <ladyhawke1...> Subject: ASCA November field trip
Reminder, the ASCA November field trip is this Saturday November 18. Details are below. Anyone interested in birds is welcome to join us. You don't have to be a member of ASCA. Birders of all levels of expertise can participate. For the November trip, we have an extra bonus! The park has started their winter Eagle Watch boat cruises. The park has reserved 20 seats on the boat for our group. The boat holds up to 30 people and will take us around the lake looking for birds for a couple of hours. It starts at 10:00 a.m. from the marina. Cost is $14 for adults and $8 for children. We'll first meet at the Lodge around 9:00 a.m. for a bathroom break, and for those going on the boat trip, to buy their tickets. We'll then bird around the Lodge before going to the marina for the boat tour. Remember, even though the weather looks really nice for Saturday, it can be chilly out on the lake, so bundle up! Karen HollidayAudubon Society of Central Arkansas (ASCA) Field Trip Coordinator
November 18
DeGray Lake Resort State Park—Arkadelphia
Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the commuter lot at I-430/I-630 off Shackleford
Road in Little Rock. We’ll arrive around 9:00 a.m. at the park’s Lodge for anyone who would like to meet us there. Our target birds will be eagles, loons,
ducks, mergansers, grebes, and gulls. Dress
warm, the lake can be windy and cold. Hats
and gloves are recommended. Bring scope,
water, and snacks. You can bring lunch
or eat in the Lodge’s restaurant.
Address
is: 2027 State Park Entrance Road - Bismarck, Arkansas 71929. GPS coordinates are 34.24562,
-93.14840. Go to www.degray.com for more information
about the park.
Date: 11/13/23 11:01 pm From: John Walko <walko...> Subject: Lake Tenkiller-Cherokee Ok, Loons & Avocets, Mon Nov 13, 2023
Since I’m unable to attend this weekends NWAAS trip, I decided to take the wife for a drive today to the lake.
We only hit four areas due to starting late.
We started at Cherokee Landing SP at the North End of the lake. This was by far the best of the four areas visited, with lots of birds and calm water.
American Avocets were the big surprise of the day. Pictures in each of the check lists.
Standing Rock & Carlisle Cove areas were big disappointments.
Chicken Creek area provided some birds especially the Juv. Bald Eagle flying just above the water.
Overall a very satisfying trip on a beautiful fall afternoon.
Cherokee Landing SP, Cherokee, Oklahoma, US
Nov 13, 2023 1:10 PM - 2:15 PM
Checklist Comments: Sunny day 70* slight wind at start.
18 species
Best Birds Today
American Avocet 10 Avocets were at the shallows at the end of the peninsula hanging out with a good number of Various Gulls.
Common Loon 25
American White Pelican 101
View this complete checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S154422039 <https://ebird.org/checklist/S154422039>
Lake Tenkiller--Standing Rock Landing Public Use Area, Cherokee, Oklahoma, US
Nov 13, 2023 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Checklist Comments: Not many birds seen here that were more visible from Cherokee Landing.
4 species
View this Complete checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S154422713 <https://ebird.org/checklist/S154422713>
Lake Tenkiller--Carlisle Cove Public Use Area, Cherokee, Oklahoma, US
Nov 13, 2023 2:50 PM - 2:55 PM
Checklist Comments: Nothing to see here in the water, wind is up some, very disappointing.
1 species
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S154422805 <https://ebird.org/checklist/S154422805>
Lake Tenkiller--Chicken Creek Pt. Public Use Area, Cherokee, Oklahoma, US
Nov 13, 2023 3:15 PM - 3:40 PM
Checklist Comments: Sunny wind starting to pick up.
11 species
Best Bird today
Bald Eagle 1 Juv flying low over the water with a fish in its talons.
View this complete checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S154422882 <https://ebird.org/checklist/S154422882>
John "Jay" Walko
Lowell, Arkansas
www.pbase.com/jwalko
Date: 11/13/23 3:07 pm From: Lynn Foster <lfoster5211...> Subject: Re: More and more habitat loss. Breaks my heart.
Another thing that can be done is to encourage landowners to create
conservation easements. They can last forever. Easement holders can be
entities like The Nature Conservancy or government agencies or land trusts.
They confer tax benefits on landowners.
On Mon, Nov 13, 2023 at 4:57 PM Carol Joan Patterson <
<0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> So much land is being developed. I wish I were a millionaire - I know how
> I'd spend my money. Since I'm not, and a suspect none of us are, I do have
> a hope that we could band together to purchase some lands - this is harder
> than ever to do now - since Covid. But maybe doable? Hearty thanks to all
> who attend meetings! Another approach. Letters to editors, petitions,
> education....I am hopeful we might be able to have some positive effect.
>
> On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 02:04:24 PM CST, Christy C <
> <christysuecox...> wrote:
>
>
> Honestly, it gives me heart to know that other people care about habitat
> loss. I used to think that no one else did. I hope one day we will figure
> out how to speak up and push back. I was at the town hall meeting in
> Jasper recently where 1200 people showed up on short notice to push back
> against development around the Buffalo River. It was one of the top
> experiences of my life and gave me hope for the future. <3
>
> On Thu, Oct 19, 2023 at 10:46 AM Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> wrote:
>
> This should be done by the end of the decade. So for many years the Kibler
> bottoms will be tore up. Don’t know what will become of the sod farms and
> other areas we love to bird.
> On a better note I have dozens of robins in my yard, and the
> neighbor’s yard, eating Hackberry berries. They all come to my birdbaths
> for drinks. FOS White-throated Sparrows showed too.
> Sandy B
> Fort Smith
>
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Date: 11/13/23 2:57 pm From: Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: More and more habitat loss. Breaks my heart.
So much land is being developed. I wish I were a millionaire - I know how I'd spend my money. Since I'm not, and a suspect none of us are, I do have a hope that we could band together to purchase some lands - this is harder than ever to do now - since Covid. But maybe doable? Hearty thanks to all who attend meetings! Another approach. Letters to editors, petitions, education....I am hopeful we might be able to have some positive effect.
On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 02:04:24 PM CST, Christy C <christysuecox...> wrote:
Honestly, it gives me heart to know that other people care about habitat loss. I used to think that no one else did. I hope one day we will figure out how to speak up and push back. I was at the town hall meeting in Jasper recently where 1200 people showed up on short notice to push back against development around the Buffalo River. It was one of the top experiences of my life and gave me hope for the future. <3
On Thu, Oct 19, 2023 at 10:46 AM Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> wrote:
This should be done by the end of the decade. So for many years the Kibler bottoms will be tore up. Don’t know what will become of the sod farms and other areas we love to bird. On a better note I have dozens of robins in my yard, and the neighbor’s yard, eating Hackberry berries. They all come to my birdbaths for drinks. FOS White-throated Sparrows showed too. Sandy BFort Smith
Date: 11/13/23 12:04 pm From: Christy C <christysuecox...> Subject: Re: More and more habitat loss. Breaks my heart.
Honestly, it gives me heart to know that other people care about habitat
loss. I used to think that no one else did. I hope one day we will figure
out how to speak up and push back. I was at the town hall meeting in
Jasper recently where 1200 people showed up on short notice to push back
against development around the Buffalo River. It was one of the top
experiences of my life and gave me hope for the future. <3
On Thu, Oct 19, 2023 at 10:46 AM Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> wrote:
> This should be done by the end of the decade. So for many years the Kibler
> bottoms will be tore up. Don’t know what will become of the sod farms and
> other areas we love to bird.
> On a better note I have dozens of robins in my yard, and the
> neighbor’s yard, eating Hackberry berries. They all come to my birdbaths
> for drinks. FOS White-throated Sparrows showed too.
> Sandy B
> Fort Smith
>
> ------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
Date: 11/13/23 8:25 am From: Taylor Long <00000455b6b08e87-dmarc-request...> Subject: NWAAS pop-up field trip: Winter Loons at Tenkiller, THIS Saturday, Nov 18
Greetings birders!
Due to a boat maintenance issue, our typical NWAAS Beaver Lake Loon Boat
Tours couldn't happen this year. Since we just couldn't let November go
by without feeding our loon fever, we decided to add a pop-up trip to
one of the best lakes around for wintering loons: Tenkiller Ferry Lake
in Oklahoma. We chose this Saturday, November 18th, because the weather
should be ideal for loon viewing (warm-ish with low wind). Others have
confirmed that there are plenty of loons on the lake right now.
If you can't make it this Saturday, feel free to use this trip
description to guide your own personal excursion to Tenkiller! Recent
reports suggest that Standing Rock Landing Public Use Area
<https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1434028> (GPS: 35.751405, -94.920133
<https://maps.app.goo.gl/sSHKB5wYhrEM51N98>) may be the most "loony" if
you don't have time to explore the whole lake. See full field trip
details below.
-Taylor Long
NWAAS Field Trip Coordinator
479-530-9084
Saturday, November 18, 2023 - Winter Loons at Tenkiller
Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society will host a “pop up” loon-watching
trip to Tenkiller Ferry Lake in eastern Oklahoma on Saturday, November
18th starting 10:00 AM. Tenkiller is one of the best lakes for high
numbers of wintering loons – by mid-November we expect to see 100+
Common Loons. We have seen both Pacific Loon and Red-throated Loon here,
but these cannot be guaranteed. We expect to see American White
Pelicans, several gull species, Forster’s Terns, numerous Horned Grebes,
Double-crested Cormorants, a few Bald Eagles, etc. This trip consists of
driving to a series of stops at points along the lake where we can scan
lots of water with very little walking. You will be able to see a lot
with binoculars, but bring a scope if you have one. We will share scope
views as needed. We will meet at Oklahoma Station (GPS: 35.762774, -
94.906018 <https://maps.app.goo.gl/dcp9fojQCVH1LFgPA>) at 10:00 AM, then
work our way South along the East side of the lake. The whole trip will
last into the mid-late afternoon but you can leave whenever you’ve had
your fill of loons. The trip is free and open to the public. You do not
have to be a member of NWAAS to attend.
Comfort & Safety
We have attempted to pick a relatively warm and low wind day, but we
still encourage dressing for winter birding (hat, gloves, layers) since
we’ll be doing a lot of standing still at the end of a large body of
water. There will be minimal walking at each stop, but sometimes we may
walk along a shoreline, so sturdy shoes are still recommended. There are
no restrooms at the meeting location, but there will be a couple
restrooms we can stop at as we work our way up the lake. Gas stations
offer some basic food options, but packing a lunch, snacks, and drinks
might be a better choice. There will be an option to carpool from the
meeting location for those willing to shuttle back there at the end of
the day.
Directions
We will meet in on the north side of Tenkiller Ferry Lake at Oklahoma
Station (GPS: 35.762774, -94.906018
<https://maps.app.goo.gl/dcp9fojQCVH1LFgPA>). It’s about a 1 to 1.5 hour
drive from NWA depending on where you’re leaving from. We recommend
looking up driving directions ahead to time for a timely arrival. If
you’re a little late and miss the caravan, you should be able to catch
up to us at Standing Rock Landing Public Use Area (GPS: 35.751405, -
94.920133 <https://maps.app.goo.gl/sSHKB5wYhrEM51N98>). Call or text
Taylor Long any time before or during the trip at 479-530-9084.
Inclement weather plan
When the weather is bad for humans, it’s usually bad for birds too.
We’ll cancel the trip at least 12 hours in advance if the weather is
forecasted to be dangerous or unsuitable for birding. Field trip
cancellations will be emailed to the NWAAS field trip list (email
<trips...> <mailto:<trips...> to be added to
this list). We’ll also try to post wherever else we can in a timely
manner (Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/Northwest-Arkansas-Audubon- Society-172133076185122>, etc.)
Contact
Contact info for questions about the trip.
* NWAAS Field Trip Coordinator: Taylor Long
* Email: <trips...> <mailto:<trips...> * Cell number (for day-of questions): 479-530-9084
Date: 11/12/23 7:02 pm From: Daniel Mason <millipede1977...> Subject: tenkiller
I think I'm an expert on feeling like an idiot.
Ran into another birder today and I mentioned seeing Ross's gulls. He
hadn't heard of them.
I wonder why....... I even explained how to look for them out there.
Now that I'm at home looking at pictures... WHAT ON EARTH... where did
Ross's come from?
If you're on this list, I meant Bonaparte's. I don't know how it took
til just now to figure out what I said. Loons on the brain? I even wrote
ROGU instead of BOGU on my list. ACK.....
I was stressed out there today. I made some mistakes. Mistake #1 is not
going on the trip with someone with experience with pacific loons. Maybe
they would have picked one up easier than I'd be able to. Mistake #2 was
taking my time and not starting til about 9:43 AM... Mistake #3 was
trusting the weather. It showed 2mph winds for the whole day. Winds
weren't too bad but were definitely higher than 2mph for a while.
I'm worn out. LONG day. 6 checklists... visited a few spots that I
didn't even make lists for because nothing was happening. I saw several
birds where the bill looked a lot thinner in the field... got myself
excited... but, now I have to study the pictures and see if I got one or
not. Leaning towards not... we'll see.
Standing rock was my second stop. I did Cherokee Landing first. Awesome
spot.
I hit standing rock again on the way back home but the sun was too
low... BEAUTIFUL sky though...
I wonder where birds are at certain times of day. There were at least 30
loons at Cherokee Landing... Some other places had almost nothing going
on... I didn't have many lucks at Cherokee Landing... but viewing from
standing rock as the sun was going down, there were HUNDREDS of ducks
way across, just west of Cherokee Landing. I'd guess most were gadwall
but, it was quite a distance to judge them with and the light was
growing dim.
If I don't find a pacific loon in my pictures, I will indeed be a bit
disappointed. I hate driving that far just to miss something that is
there. And, who knows when I'll ever get out that way again...(although,
I'm tempted to go camp at Cherokee Landing one day...)
But...
Even if I do end up disappointed about the loons... it was still a very
good day. I even heard a horned grebe calling. Took me a while to figure
out where the noise was coming from.
Lists aren't on eBird yet... I'll update here if I find a pacific loon
pic...
Date: 11/11/23 3:15 pm From: Dedra Gerard <000002df2472bba2-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: No name bird club
Love it! Thank you!
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
On Saturday, November 11, 2023, 12:39 PM, Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> wrote:
Some weeks ago I started a new Facebook page called Birding in and around Fort Smith. I noticed FS area birders were posting on the Arkansas birders page and thought, we need to get something going in this area again. We need to bring birders together.
So new birder Matt Matlock, who some of you met at the state meeting, took it on himself to organize our first field trip. I’m so happy to say that eleven of us met at Sunnymede Park this morning. It took us three hours to walk a mile but we ended with around 44 species. And it was fun. Good conversation and good birds. Lots of raptors. Ever see a Yellow-rumped Warbler evade a Cooper’s Hawk in mid-air? Amazing. The warbler got away.
We plan on monthly field trips. The CBC will be the December one. That will be December 16. And we will come up with a name.
Sandy BFort Smith
Date: 11/11/23 1:48 pm From: Jerry Davis <jwdavis...> Subject: Re: Carnivorous squirrel
Squirrels are omnivorous and their diet is varied. They eat about anything including insects, nuts, fruits, bird eggs and birds to survive. Many failed bird nesting attempts is because the squirrels, jays, or crows ate the eggs. I saw and have pictures of a chipmunk that killed a White-throated Sparrow in my back yard. The birds were eating seeds on the ground and the chipmunk caught a sparrow by the neck and pulled it a crevice in the rocks. Squirrels are very prolific and can make an impact on bird nesting success. They were less of a problem when people ate more squirrels.
Jerry Wayne Davis
Hot Springs, AR
From: Anita Schnee
Sent: Saturday, November 11, 2023 3:21 PM
To: <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Carnivorous squirrel
Friends, I'll spare you pictures of the adult starling corpse, PM me if anybody wants to see, but despite initial disbelief, I was actually seeing the squirrel in the act of eating the bird's head. I did not see the take-down, so I have no idea how the squirrel got it.
The body looked perfectly well as far as I could see, nice luminous feathers including some surprising blue ones on the side toward the breast. But even so, I buried the bird in case it was sick.
Not sure I'm loving this Nature in every respect . . . . --Anita
Friends, I'll spare you pictures of the adult starling corpse, PM me if anybody wants to see, but despite initial disbelief, I was actually seeing the squirrel in the act of eating the bird's head. I did not see the take-down, so I have no idea how the squirrel got it.
The body looked perfectly well as far as I could see, nice luminous feathers including some surprising blue ones on the side toward the breast. But even so, I buried the bird in case it was sick.
Not sure I'm loving this Nature in every respect . . . . --Anita
Date: 11/11/23 10:39 am From: Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> Subject: No name bird club
Some weeks ago I started a new Facebook page called Birding in and around
Fort Smith. I noticed FS area birders were posting on the Arkansas birders
page and thought, we need to get something going in this area again. We
need to bring birders together.
So new birder Matt Matlock, who some of you met at the state meeting, took
it on himself to organize our first field trip. I’m so happy to say that
eleven of us met at Sunnymede Park this morning. It took us three hours to
walk a mile but we ended with around 44 species. And it was fun. Good
conversation and good birds. Lots of raptors. Ever see a Yellow-rumped
Warbler evade a Cooper’s Hawk in mid-air? Amazing. The warbler got away.
We plan on monthly field trips. The CBC will be the December one. That will
be December 16. And we will come up with a name.
It’s almost Christmas Bird Count season again! This year, Fayetteville’s CBC will be held Sunday, December 17th, 2023. There's always room for additional birders and all skill levels are welcome!
If you would like to participate and are already loyal to a party within the count circle, please get with your party leader to coordinate day-of bird counting. If you would like to participate, but don’t know where to go, please don’t hesitate to reach out and I can put you in contact with party leaders. As of right now, I think my party at Woolsey Wet Prairie and another at Lake Fayetteville will need some extra assistance.
Last year was an excellent count and Joe Neal’s final season as count coordinator. I’ll be coordinating starting this year and am really looking forward to what we turn up!
As usual, there will be a tally rally social beginning at sunset on count day—details forthcoming.
Date: 11/11/23 6:37 am From: Joseph Neal <joeneal...> Subject: Tenkiller -- Loonss
TENKILLER LOONS
Any of you who read post by Taylor Long last night concerning Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society sponsored trip to Tenkiller Lake in eastern Oklahoma (about 1.5 hours from Fayetteville), may also be interested in the following:
Yesterday (Friday), Todd Ballinger and I went to Tenkiller specifically to see loons. We covered the same stops that Taylor lists in his ARBIRD post. During these stops, we counted 115 Common Loons, 3 Pacific Loons, 179 American White Pelicans, and hundreds of Franklins Gulls. The best stop for the day was the first stop that Taylor listed, at Standing Rock.
Date: 11/10/23 3:55 pm From: tamalyn wortham <tamalynwortham58...> Subject: Re: Bald Knob NWR -- The Latest
Thanks Patty!
On Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 2:01 PM Patty McLean <plm108...> wrote:
> Three reminders: > > 1. The entire refuge will be CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC this weekend, Nov 11-12 > for a quota deer hunt. > > 2. Most sections of the refuge will be seasonally closed for waterfowl, > Nov 15-Feb 28, 1p-4a. Foot and ATV traffic is permitted during certain > times but duck hunters may be present during these times, so caution is > warranted. > > 3. Avian Influenza continues in bird populations. If you see a dead or > dying bird, do not touch it. The disease is highly pathogenic and easily > transmissable. > > From the blustery fields at Bald Knob NWR, > > Patty McLean and Michael Linz > The Roadrunners > > > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link: > http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
Date: 11/10/23 12:01 pm From: Patty McLean <plm108...> Subject: Bald Knob NWR -- The Latest
Three reminders:1. The entire refuge will be CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC this weekend, Nov 11-12 for a quota deer hunt.2. Most sections of the refuge will be seasonally closed for waterfowl, Nov 15-Feb 28, 1p-4a. Foot and ATV traffic is permitted during certain times but duck hunters may be present during these times, so caution is warranted.3. Avian Influenza continues in bird populations. If you see a dead or dying bird, do not touch it. The disease is highly pathogenic and easily transmissable. From the blustery fields at Bald Knob NWR,Patty McLean and Michael Linz The Roadrunners
This is Audubon Society of Central Arkansas's monthly meeting. This month's speaker is Dr. Than Boves of Arkansas State University. He will talk about a research project his entire lab has helped out with, a now 8-year study on the super-charismatic, but sadly disappearing, Loggerhead Shrike. This includes studies of diet, time and energy budget, movements, pesticides, non-breeding, and breeding ecology.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Dr. Than Boves received a B.S. in Biology from the University of Illinois, an M.S in Raptor Biology from Boise State University, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Tennessee. He has now been studying birds as a professional ornithologist for about 18 years (and much longer as an amateur). He has spent the last 10 years mostly studying birds as a professor at Arkansas State University, where he has examined everything from feather mites to forest management. He has trained 13 Master's students, and currently has 3 Ph.D. students and 5 Master's students in his lab, along with numerous undergraduates. From this work, he and his students have co-authored >50 scientific articles.
Uta Meyer (she/her) Center Manager w: 501.244.2229 c: 870.404.0711 Audubon Delta/Little Rock Audubon Center 4500 Springer Blvd. Little Rock, AR 72206 ar.audubon.org
Date: 11/7/23 6:17 pm From: David Arbour <arbour...> Subject: Red Slough Bird Survey - Nov. 7
Cynthia Woodsong (NC) and I surveyed birds today at Red Slough and found 66 species. Temperature was warm (80's) and the sky varied from clear to overcast. Wind varied from calm to moderate. All six of the highlighted species are lingering spring/summer breeders. Duck numbers have sky rocketed. I was unable to relocate a Common Ground-Dove that I had found yesterday. Here is our list for today:
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - 8 adults
Canada Goose - 21
Wood Duck - 8
Gadwall - 867
American Wigeon - 6
Mallard - 96
Blue-winged Teal - 7
Northern Shoveler - 239
Northern Pintail - ~1,000
Green-winged Teal - 206
Ring-necked Duck - 2,279
Ruddy Duck - 7
Pied-billed Grebe - 24
Neotropic Cormorant - 4
Anhinga - 1 (imm. male)
Great-blue Heron - 9
Great Egret - 12
Snowy Egret - 1
Little-blue Heron - 3 adults
Cattle Egret - 10
White Ibis - 72
Black Vulture - 50
Turkey Vulture - 115
Bald Eagle - 3 (2 adults & 1 imm.)
Cooper's Hawk - 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 2
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
American Kestrel - 3
King Rail - 1
Common Gallinule - 12
American Coot - 641
Killdeer - 6
Greater Yellowlegs - 3
Wilson's Snipe - 13
Forster's Tern - 1
Mourning Dove - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 2
Northern Flicker - 10
Eastern Phoebe - 12
Blue Jay - 1
American Crow - 174
Fish Crow - 1
Carolina Wren - 3
Brown Creeper - 1
Carolina Wren - 3
House Wren - 2
Winter Wren - 1
Sedge Wren - 3
Marsh Wren - 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2
Orange-crowned Warbler - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 3
Pine Warbler - 2
Common Yellowthroat - 1
Savannah Sparrow - 2
Fox Sparrow - 1
Song Sparrow - 16
Lincoln's Sparrow - 4
Swamp Sparrow - 9
White-throated Sparrow - 3
White-crowned Sparrow - 1
Northern Cardinal - 10
Red-winged Blackbird - 188
Odonates:
Familiar Bluet
Fragile Forktail
Common Green Darner
Eastern Pondhawk
Variegated Meadowhawk
Herps:
American Alligator
Red-eared Slider
Western Cottonmouth
Broad-banded Water Snake
Graham's Crayfish Snake
Blanchard's Cricket Frog
Other notable sightings: Monarch & Queen butterflies
Date: 11/7/23 10:50 am From: Ragupathy Kannan <0000013b0ad14faf-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Grant County yesterday
Thanks, Cindy. I was curious to know more about this B-17 crash site and found this: The B-17 Memorial Park near Sheridan | Arkansas.comI urged my aviation fanatic son (in UAMS) to go check it out.
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The B-17 Memorial Park near Sheridan | Arkansas.com
While visiting Sheridan, Arkansas stop by the Grant County Veterans Memorial Park to learn about a piece of Worl...
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On Tuesday, 7 November, 2023 at 06:23:18 am GMT-6, CK Franklin <meshoppen...> wrote:
Doris & Dottie B & I spent part of the day in Grant County yesterday. It was a nice day for a ride and the leaves were pretty. We stopped by the B17 bomber crash site on Grant County 51 a few miles north anda little west of Sheridan. It is a nice, peaceful memorial to the men who died that day as well as other Grant County veterans who served in the military over the years. If you happen to be out that way, stop by and pay your respects. The local American Legion regularly maintains the site.
Other than Turkey Vultures and American Crows, we saw and heard few other birds. Perhaps it was the warm temperatures or the gusty winds. We headed back on Hwy 46 out of Sheridan. Doris called out some Mallards on a pond but quickly corrected the sighting as decoys. Fresh decoys though.
Our last birds of the day in Grant County remain a mystery. Headed east on 46 just past the turnoff to Jackson Cemetery, County Rd 4608, a group of birds, estimated count 6-8 individuals, flushed out of the grass along the roadside and flew across the road in front of us. We had to go down the road to turn around and we were unable to relocate this flock.
Our impressions of these birds from our brief look at 60 mph:The birds were quail-like in size and shape.They all had pale bellies.Their backs were lightly colored.None of us saw the distinctive face pattern of a Bobwhite Quail, but it was a flash look at speed.The surrounding landscape was covered with tall pines.
The evidence, such as it is, left us wondering if these birds could be exotic escapees.
Any thoughts as to possible identities of these birds?
Cindy FPulaski County
Date: 11/7/23 4:23 am From: CK Franklin <meshoppen...> Subject: Grant County yesterday
Doris & Dottie B & I spent part of the day in Grant County yesterday. It was a nice day for a ride and the leaves were pretty. We stopped by the B17 bomber crash site on Grant County 51 a few miles north anda little west of Sheridan. It is a nice, peaceful memorial to the men who died that day as well as other Grant County veterans who served in the military over the years. If you happen to be out that way, stop by and pay your respects. The local American Legion regularly maintains the site.
Other than Turkey Vultures and American Crows, we saw and heard few other birds. Perhaps it was the warm temperatures or the gusty winds. We headed back on Hwy 46 out of Sheridan. Doris called out some Mallards on a pond but quickly corrected the sighting as decoys. Fresh decoys though.
Our last birds of the day in Grant County remain a mystery. Headed east on 46 just past the turnoff to Jackson Cemetery, County Rd 4608, a group of birds, estimated count 6-8 individuals, flushed out of the grass along the roadside and flew across the road in front of us. We had to go down the road to turn around and we were unable to relocate this flock.
Our impressions of these birds from our brief look at 60 mph:
The birds were quail-like in size and shape.
They all had pale bellies.
Their backs were lightly colored.
None of us saw the distinctive face pattern of a Bobwhite Quail, but it was a flash look at speed.
The surrounding landscape was covered with tall pines.
The evidence, such as it is, left us wondering if these birds could be exotic escapees.
Any thoughts as to possible identities of these birds?
Date: 11/6/23 4:51 pm From: Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Arkansas Birding Summary & Memories
Agreed! You will be greatly missed, but wherever you are, things will be better for birds and nature.
On Monday, November 6, 2023 at 09:29:12 AM CST, Lynn Foster <lfoster5211...> wrote:
Hear, hear! We will miss you, Dan and Samantha.
On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 9:21 AM Ragupathy Kannan <0000013b0ad14faf-dmarc-request...> wrote:
Joe Neal said it best on behalf of all of us: The Dan Scheimans of the world just come along every once in a great while. So glad, in so many different ways, you and Samantha made a home among us for these years.
On Saturday, 4 November, 2023 at 10:08:07 pm GMT-5, Daniel Scheiman <birddan...> wrote:
Though my birding experience in AR can’t be described in terms of numbers alone, I wanted to share my state stats before I sign off the listserv.
Over 18.5 years I’ve seen 371 species. The last one was Egyptian Goose on Oct. 15. Twenty were life birds including regularly occurring birds such as Brown-headed Nuthatch, Swainson's Warbler, and King Rail, as well as rare birds like Brown Booby, Brambling, and Mexican Violetear. I have 129 species on my yard list after 13 years living in my Hillcrest home. I’ve submitted 7,374 eBird checklists from 71 counties. I’ve also uploaded to eBird over 87,000 records from various databases and publications in order to fill in historical gaps and help ensure that eBird’s bar chart is an accurate depiction of the abundance and seasonality of AR’s birds.
Memorable birding moments
4/10/05 – My first rare bird chase; a Scott’s Oriole in Mt. Ida, which I had read about before moving to AR and was hoping would still be around when I arrived.
6/3/07 – Leaving Little Rock at 4:30 AM with Dennis Braddy so we could be at Baker Prairie Natural Area in Harrison by sunrise in order to see Willow Flycatchers. The trip was especially memorable because Dennis had to swerve off the road to avoid being hit by an oncoming car that came into our lane on a blind curve! We were definitely awake after that.
8/12/07 – ASCA trip to Bald Knob NWR on which I first met Samantha.
12/9/11 – Conducting a bird survey at Stuttgart Airport with Bill Shepherd when all of a sudden he said “there’s a Vermilion Flycatcher.” State bird and first county record. He beat me to spotting that bird by like two seconds. We found what was probably the same bird while doing our survey on 12/8/12.
12/17/13 – Taking all my coworkers to see the Snowy Owl at the Port of Little Rock, just a few miles from the Little Rock Audubon Center. You don’t have to be a birder to appreciate that bird and the rarity of its presence.
1/22/16 – While at Wild Birds Unlimited to buy seed, John Sommer showed me a photo a customer took of an unknown bird. I was floored to see a Brambling! In hindsight I should have better prepared the homeowner for flood of birders that showed up for this first state record.
11/5/16 – Watching Mitchell Pruitt band Northern Saw-whet Owls.
5/14/22 – BirdAR Birdathon with Samantha, Jeremy Chamberlain and Heather Laferte. We traversed the Delta from north end to south end in hopes of beating the big day record. The timing was not right for that, but we worked hard and had a heck of a good time together over 18.5 hours and 440 miles.
5/22/22 – Kayaking with Todd Ballinger and Salvador Barraza to see the Limpkin on Lake Sequoyah, then gasping in amazement as a second bird unexpectedly walked into view – double-state bird! Sitting at eye-level, a couple dozen feet from two Limpkins was a euphoric feeling.
I have many more fond birding memories from across the state with so many of you. THANK YOU!!!
Date: 11/6/23 3:53 pm From: Ian MacGregor <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...> Subject: A Rush of Robins
As I was walking back to my car at Charlie Craig I noticed a few robins along the fence. I then looked up and saw a flock of about 30, then another flock, then another and another, some flocks had over 150 birds. All were headed southeast. I reported 930 on my eBird checklist.
But after I was finished and started driving away, I noticed more, so really over 1000
There were also more starlings robins, the flocks for the most part kept separate, though the starlings were also mainly headed southeast.
Did any one else see a good movement of robins this evening.
I had a Great Egret at Osage Park this morning I was surprised that there wasn’t a red dot on EBird as I had not seen one listed on any Benton county checklist for a couple of weeks
On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 9:21 AM Ragupathy Kannan <
<0000013b0ad14faf-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> Joe Neal said it best on behalf of all of us: *The Dan Scheimans of the
> world just come along every once in a great while. So glad, in so many
> different ways, you and Samantha made a home among us for these years.*
>
> On Saturday, 4 November, 2023 at 10:08:07 pm GMT-5, Daniel Scheiman <
> <birddan...> wrote:
>
>
> Though my birding experience in AR can’t be described in terms of numbers
> alone, I wanted to share my state stats before I sign off the listserv.
>
>
>
> Over 18.5 years I’ve seen 371 species. The last one was Egyptian Goose on
> Oct. 15. Twenty were life birds including regularly occurring birds such as
> Brown-headed Nuthatch, Swainson's Warbler, and King Rail, as well as rare
> birds like Brown Booby, Brambling, and Mexican Violetear. I have 129
> species on my yard list after 13 years living in my Hillcrest home. I’ve
> submitted 7,374 eBird checklists from 71 counties. I’ve also uploaded to
> eBird over 87,000 records from various databases and publications in order
> to fill in historical gaps and help ensure that eBird’s bar chart is an
> accurate depiction of the abundance and seasonality of AR’s birds.
>
>
>
> Memorable birding moments
>
>
>
> 4/10/05 – My first rare bird chase; a Scott’s Oriole in Mt. Ida, which I
> had read about before moving to AR and was hoping would still be around
> when I arrived.
>
>
>
> 6/3/07 – Leaving Little Rock at 4:30 AM with Dennis Braddy so we could be
> at Baker Prairie Natural Area in Harrison by sunrise in order to see Willow
> Flycatchers. The trip was especially memorable because Dennis had to swerve
> off the road to avoid being hit by an oncoming car that came into our lane
> on a blind curve! We were definitely awake after that.
>
>
>
> 8/12/07 – ASCA trip to Bald Knob NWR on which I first met Samantha.
>
>
>
> 12/9/11 – Conducting a bird survey at Stuttgart Airport with Bill Shepherd
> when all of a sudden he said “there’s a Vermilion Flycatcher.” State bird
> and first county record. He beat me to spotting that bird by like two
> seconds. We found what was probably the same bird while doing our survey on
> 12/8/12.
>
>
>
> 12/17/13 – Taking all my coworkers to see the Snowy Owl at the Port of
> Little Rock, just a few miles from the Little Rock Audubon Center. You
> don’t have to be a birder to appreciate that bird and the rarity of its
> presence.
>
>
>
> 1/22/16 – While at Wild Birds Unlimited to buy seed, John Sommer showed me
> a photo a customer took of an unknown bird. I was floored to see a
> Brambling! In hindsight I should have better prepared the homeowner for
> flood of birders that showed up for this first state record.
>
>
>
> 11/5/16 – Watching Mitchell Pruitt band Northern Saw-whet Owls.
>
>
>
> 5/14/22 – BirdAR Birdathon with Samantha, Jeremy Chamberlain and Heather
> Laferte. We traversed the Delta from north end to south end in hopes of
> beating the big day record. The timing was not right for that, but we
> worked hard and had a heck of a good time together over 18.5 hours and 440
> miles.
>
>
>
> 5/22/22 – Kayaking with Todd Ballinger and Salvador Barraza to see the
> Limpkin on Lake Sequoyah, then gasping in amazement as a second bird
> unexpectedly walked into view – double-state bird! Sitting at eye-level, a
> couple dozen feet from two Limpkins was a euphoric feeling.
>
>
>
> I have many more fond birding memories from across the state with so many
> of you. THANK YOU!!!
>
>
>
> Dan Scheiman
>
> Little Rock, AR
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
> ------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1 >
Joe Neal said it best on behalf of all of us: The Dan Scheimans of the world just come along every once in a great while. So glad, in so many different ways, you and Samantha made a home among us for these years.
On Saturday, 4 November, 2023 at 10:08:07 pm GMT-5, Daniel Scheiman <birddan...> wrote:
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Though my birding experience in AR can’t be described in terms of numbers alone, I wanted to share my state stats before I sign off the listserv.
Over 18.5 years I’ve seen 371 species. The last one was Egyptian Goose on Oct. 15. Twenty were life birds including regularly occurring birds such as Brown-headed Nuthatch, Swainson's Warbler, and King Rail, as well as rare birds like Brown Booby, Brambling, and Mexican Violetear. I have 129 species on my yard list after 13 years living in my Hillcrest home. I’ve submitted 7,374 eBird checklists from 71 counties. I’ve also uploaded to eBird over 87,000 records from various databases and publications in order to fill in historical gaps and help ensure that eBird’s bar chart is an accurate depiction of the abundance and seasonality of AR’s birds.
Memorable birding moments
4/10/05 – My first rare bird chase; a Scott’s Oriole in Mt. Ida, which I had read about before moving to AR and was hoping would still be around when I arrived.
6/3/07 – Leaving Little Rock at 4:30 AM with Dennis Braddy so we could be at Baker Prairie Natural Area in Harrison by sunrise in order to see Willow Flycatchers. The trip was especially memorable because Dennis had to swerve off the road to avoid being hit by an oncoming car that came into our lane on a blind curve! We were definitely awake after that.
8/12/07 – ASCA trip to Bald Knob NWR on which I first met Samantha.
12/9/11 – Conducting a bird survey at Stuttgart Airport with Bill Shepherd when all of a sudden he said “there’s a Vermilion Flycatcher.” State bird and first county record. He beat me to spotting that bird by like two seconds. We found what was probably the same bird while doing our survey on 12/8/12.
12/17/13 – Taking all my coworkers to see the Snowy Owl at the Port of Little Rock, just a few miles from the Little Rock Audubon Center. You don’t have to be a birder to appreciate that bird and the rarity of its presence.
1/22/16 – While at Wild Birds Unlimited to buy seed, John Sommer showed me a photo a customer took of an unknown bird. I was floored to see a Brambling! In hindsight I should have better prepared the homeowner for flood of birders that showed up for this first state record.
11/5/16 – Watching Mitchell Pruitt band Northern Saw-whet Owls.
5/14/22 – BirdAR Birdathon with Samantha, Jeremy Chamberlain and Heather Laferte. We traversed the Delta from north end to south end in hopes of beating the big day record. The timing was not right for that, but we worked hard and had a heck of a good time together over 18.5 hours and 440 miles.
5/22/22 – Kayaking with Todd Ballinger and Salvador Barraza to see the Limpkin on Lake Sequoyah, then gasping in amazement as a second bird unexpectedly walked into view – double-state bird! Sitting at eye-level, a couple dozen feet from two Limpkins was a euphoric feeling.
I have many more fond birding memories from across the state with so many of you. THANK YOU!!!
Though my birding experience in AR can’t be described in terms of numbers alone, I wanted to share my state stats before I sign off the listserv.
Over 18.5 years I’ve seen 371 species. The last one was Egyptian Goose on Oct. 15. Twenty were life birds including regularly occurring birds such as Brown-headed Nuthatch, Swainson's Warbler, and King Rail, as well as rare birds like Brown Booby, Brambling, and Mexican Violetear. I have 129 species on my yard list after 13 years living in my Hillcrest home. I’ve submitted 7,374 eBird checklists from 71 counties. I’ve also uploaded to eBird over 87,000 records from various databases and publications in order to fill in historical gaps and help ensure that eBird’s bar chart is an accurate depiction of the abundance and seasonality of AR’s birds.
Memorable birding moments
4/10/05 – My first rare bird chase; a Scott’s Oriole in Mt. Ida, which I had read about before moving to AR and was hoping would still be around when I arrived.
6/3/07 – Leaving Little Rock at 4:30 AM with Dennis Braddy so we could be at Baker Prairie Natural Area in Harrison by sunrise in order to see Willow Flycatchers. The trip was especially memorable because Dennis had to swerve off the road to avoid being hit by an oncoming car that came into our lane on a blind curve! We were definitely awake after that.
8/12/07 – ASCA trip to Bald Knob NWR on which I first met Samantha.
12/9/11 – Conducting a bird survey at Stuttgart Airport with Bill Shepherd when all of a sudden he said “there’s a Vermilion Flycatcher.” State bird and first county record. He beat me to spotting that bird by like two seconds. We found what was probably the same bird while doing our survey on 12/8/12.
12/17/13 – Taking all my coworkers to see the Snowy Owl at the Port of Little Rock, just a few miles from the Little Rock Audubon Center. You don’t have to be a birder to appreciate that bird and the rarity of its presence.
1/22/16 – While at Wild Birds Unlimited to buy seed, John Sommer showed me a photo a customer took of an unknown bird. I was floored to see a Brambling! In hindsight I should have better prepared the homeowner for flood of birders that showed up for this first state record.
11/5/16 – Watching Mitchell Pruitt band Northern Saw-whet Owls.
5/14/22 – BirdAR Birdathon with Samantha, Jeremy Chamberlain and Heather Laferte. We traversed the Delta from north end to south end in hopes of beating the big day record. The timing was not right for that, but we worked hard and had a heck of a good time together over 18.5 hours and 440 miles.
5/22/22 – Kayaking with Todd Ballinger and Salvador Barraza to see the Limpkin on Lake Sequoyah, then gasping in amazement as a second bird unexpectedly walked into view – double-state bird! Sitting at eye-level, a couple dozen feet from two Limpkins was a euphoric feeling.
I have many more fond birding memories from across the state with so many of you. THANK YOU!!!
Date: 11/3/23 3:01 pm From: Daniel Mason <millipede1977...> Subject: scope - phone mount recommendation?
I am looking to buy a new scope and while I'm looking, I was thinking, why not get one of those mounts so you can use your phone to get photos on the scope? Looking at amazon, so far, all I see are really expensive ones or, more affordable ones(for poor guys like myself) that have less than stellar reviews.
Date: 11/3/23 11:39 am From: plm108 <plm108...> Subject: Re: Looking for ducks and geese
And don't forget Lake Dardanelle and the dam. Interesting gulls can be found there.PattySent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: plm108 <plm108...> Date: 11/3/23 1:37 PM (GMT-06:00) To: Gmail <butchchq8...>, <ARBIRD-L...> Subject: RE: Looking for ducks and geese Beaverfork Lake in Conway (Faulkner County)...but it fluctuates day to day. Best viewing in late afternoon (due to sunlight) but mornings ok if cloudy.Brewer Lake and Overcup Lake in Conway County might be good but we haven't been there in a while. PattySent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone-------- Original message --------From: Gmail <butchchq8...> Date: 11/3/23 1:14 PM (GMT-06:00) To: <ARBIRD-L...> Subject: Looking for ducks and geese I plan to be in the area of eastern to central AR next Monday and would like to do some birding for waterfowl. I'm hearing Bald Knob is pretty dry right now. Does anyone have any suggestions where to go?Butch TetzlaffBentonville, AR############################To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list:write to: mailto:<ARBIRD-L-SIGNOFF-REQUEST...> click the following link:http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1
Date: 11/3/23 11:37 am From: plm108 <plm108...> Subject: Re: Looking for ducks and geese
Beaverfork Lake in Conway (Faulkner County)...but it fluctuates day to day. Best viewing in late afternoon (due to sunlight) but mornings ok if cloudy.Brewer Lake and Overcup Lake in Conway County might be good but we haven't been there in a while. PattySent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: Gmail <butchchq8...> Date: 11/3/23 1:14 PM (GMT-06:00) To: <ARBIRD-L...> Subject: Looking for ducks and geese I plan to be in the area of eastern to central AR next Monday and would like to do some birding for waterfowl. I'm hearing Bald Knob is pretty dry right now. Does anyone have any suggestions where to go?Butch TetzlaffBentonville, AR############################To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list:write to: mailto:<ARBIRD-L-SIGNOFF-REQUEST...> click the following link:http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD-L&A=1
Date: 11/3/23 11:14 am From: Gmail <butchchq8...> Subject: Looking for ducks and geese
I plan to be in the area of eastern to central AR next Monday and would like to do some birding for waterfowl. I'm hearing Bald Knob is pretty dry right now. Does anyone have any suggestions where to go?
Butch Tetzlaff
Bentonville, AR
############################
Date: 11/2/23 3:44 pm From: DUNN, JANE <DUNNJ...> Subject: Re: Bald Knob NWR Hunting Alerts
Holla Bend WMA is closed this weekend for youth hunting.
Jane
Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> ________________________________
From: The Birds of Arkansas Discussion List <ARBIRD-L...> on behalf of plm108 <plm108...>
Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2023 10:17:45 AM
To: <ARBIRD-L...> <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Bald Knob NWR Hunting Alerts
Deer season is here. We talked to Paul, the refuge manager, this morning.
1. This weekend, Nov 4-5, there will be a youth deer hunt. The refuge will remain open to the public but orange and caution are warranted.
2. Next weekend, Nov 11-12, the entire refuge will be CLOSED to the public for a quota deer hunt.
A recent visitor told us the cells were bone dry when he was there yesterday.
Date: 11/2/23 8:18 am From: plm108 <plm108...> Subject: Bald Knob NWR Hunting Alerts
Deer season is here. We talked to Paul, the refuge manager, this morning.1. This weekend, Nov 4-5, there will be a youth deer hunt. The refuge will remain open to the public but orange and caution are warranted.2. Next weekend, Nov 11-12, the entire refuge will be CLOSED to the public for a quota deer hunt. A recent visitor told us the cells were bone dry when he was there yesterday. Stay safe during these times.Patty McLean and Michael Linz The Roadrunners
Yellow-rumped Warblers were flying into a couple of Eastern Red Cedars with a thick crop of berries. Then flying back to a place where a spring had formed a pool alongside Leonard Ranch Road.
A few Horned Larks and a single Lapland Longspur flew out of a freshly plowed field, low, and right over me. Big surprise, especially the longspur, though it is about on time in terms of migration.
A few moments later, two buteos perched in a big snag out in an open field. One was black. One was white.
While I was trying to get over my surprise, a friendly helpful person stopped beside me (the mailman) to help the old fellow obviously in distress. Obviously, since he was all twisted up in the car and hanging about halfway out the window. But the only distress was that upon seeing the two buteos in their striking black-and-white, gulls started flying over the old guy.
He was trying to see which gulls they were. He was trying not to flush the buteos because sorting them out would require photographs. He was trying to thank the mailman for offer of help. He was trying to get twisted around, with bins in one hand, camera in the other.
Then the phone rang. It was the lawyer, about making a will.
I had seen almost no meadowlarks for the day. Then I heard the distinctive song of a Western Meadowlark. Then another. Then 5 meadowlark species flew over the road in front of me, into a pasture. Suddenly it was all Western Meadowlarks churts and parts of Western songs. It was like there was a party. They were in the grass and out-of-my-sight.
This part of the charm of birding in a foreign country. Almost Oklahoma. Almost Missouri. Close enough to Kansas. Its part of the former Beaty Prairie and former Wet Prairie. Its such a mix of things I always wonder whats around the next corner.
I have been doing this 40 years. There are still all these surprises.
Last bird: a male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Not the latest one weve ever had in Northwest Arkansas City, but still late.
Black buteo: Harlans Red-tailed Hawk. Photos with the eBird checklist.
White buteo: Kriders Red-tailed Hawk. Photos with the eBird checklist.
Date: 11/1/23 7:08 pm From: Ed Laster <elaster523...> Subject: Ducks
I found several species of ducks in the pond just west of Hwy 300 and across from Joe T. Robinson today (Sturgis Pond). Water is very low in Lake Maumelle and only Pied-billed Grebe found there. Looks like they are still struggling with the invasive weeds and will take water levels very low again to kill the invasive plants. Not good for ducks in the West Bay View area.
Ed Laster
Little Rock
############################
The Arkansas Saw-whet Owl Project is off to a good start in it’s 9th full season! After a stint of warm and/or rainy weather prevented banding, I finally opened nets in earnest this week.
Just two nights in, 3 Northern Saw-whet Owls have been captured!
The owl forecast to our north has been pretty good this year, so I look forward to seeing how things end up. Additionally, weather looks good for banding into next week. This is the longest stretch of “good” banding weather I’ve had in several years.
Date: 11/1/23 8:01 am From: Boyce Wofford <bfwoff...> Subject: Re: It was nuts
Thanks for the re-cap Sandy. It was mind blowing.
Short video of the Tree Swallows at Frog Bayou Monday. Some of the thousands in the area. And Tuesday morning after our first frost, not a swallow or Killdeer to be seen.
Sent from my iPhone
> On Nov 1, 2023, at 9:42 AM, Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> wrote:
>
> Incredible numbers of birds on Sunday and Monday in the western AR river valley. I spent hours between Frog Bayou, Sharp Chapel road, Orrick road and the Kibler Bottoms. Migration, a strong cold front, and lots of rain make for great birding.
> Cheryl Childers found six Common Loons at Frog Bayou on the river. I’ve never seen loons on the river. Numerous people saw 14 ibis on Farm road. I had 43 avocets on a flooded field at highway 59 and Hollis lake road. And there were more avocets at other location. There were thousands of ducks that went unidentified because of the dark lighting on Sunday. I had four Sanderlings at the new wet units on Sharp Chapel. Huge numbers of Pied-billed Grebes at Frog. Bald Eagles following the ducks. 8 were at the Alma wtp on Monday. Ruddy ducks and Hooded Mergansers were on the ponds. 12 Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Least Sandpiper in Kibler Bottoms.
> If there was a winner for numbers of individuals the gold medal would go to killdeer. There were thousands at numerous locations. In 35 years of birding I’ve never seen so many. It was nuts.
>
> Sandy
> Fort Smith
>
> To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
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Date: 11/1/23 7:42 am From: Sandy Berger <sndbrgr...> Subject: It was nuts
Incredible numbers of birds on Sunday and Monday in the western AR river
valley. I spent hours between Frog Bayou, Sharp Chapel road, Orrick road
and the Kibler Bottoms. Migration, a strong cold front, and lots of rain
make for great birding.
Cheryl Childers found six Common Loons at Frog Bayou on the river. I’ve
never seen loons on the river. Numerous people saw 14 ibis on Farm road. I
had 43 avocets on a flooded field at highway 59 and Hollis lake road. And
there were more avocets at other location. There were thousands of ducks
that went unidentified because of the dark lighting on Sunday. I had four
Sanderlings at the new wet units on Sharp Chapel. Huge numbers of
Pied-billed Grebes at Frog. Bald Eagles following the ducks. 8 were at the
Alma wtp on Monday. Ruddy ducks and Hooded Mergansers were on the ponds. 12
Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Least Sandpiper in Kibler Bottoms.
If there was a winner for numbers of individuals the gold medal would go to
killdeer. There were thousands at numerous locations. In 35 years of
birding I’ve never seen so many. It was nuts.
Date: 11/1/23 6:07 am From: Taylor Long <00000455b6b08e87-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Surf Scoters continue at Lake Sequoyah in Fayetteville
Todd Ballinger (who first found them) couldn’t find the scoters again on
Monday morning. I went Monday midday and also couldn’t relocate. Tuesday
there were no ducks on the north side and the southern ducks didn’t have
any scoters among them. So I think they’ve moved on. Plenty of ducks out
there though, so it’s always worth looking to see what else turns up!
-Taylor Long
On November 1, 2023, Nancy Felker <felker.nancy...> wrote:
> Has anyone been back to Lake Sequoyah to see if the raft of ducks
> reported is still there?
> Nancy
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Oct 30, 2023, at 2:24 PM, Ragupathy Kannan <0000013b0ad14faf-
> > <dmarc-request...> wrote:
> >
> > Here is Todd's video of the raft of ducks, including the scoters.
> > Surf Scoters in Raft at Lake Sequoyah <https://youtu.be/P1dOjhxQYPQ> > >
> > Surf Scoters in Raft at Lake Sequoyah <https://youtu.be/P1dOjhxQYPQ> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sunday, 29 October, 2023 at 04:17:26 pm GMT-5, Joseph Neal
> > <joeneal...> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Todd Ballinger photographed 3 SURF SCOTERS at Lake Sequoyah in
> > Fayetteville yesterday. We saw the scoters this afternoon. They were
> > associated with a raft of ducks, including diving ducks (scaup,
> > Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked, etc) on the lake’s north end. We
> > observed this raft from the old bridge – the raft was between bridge
> > and spillway.
> >
> >
> > To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> > <http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD- > > L&A=1>
> >
> >
> >
> > To unsubscribe from the ARBIRD-L list, click the following link:
> > <http://listserv.uark.edu/scripts/wa-UARKEDU.exe?SUBED1=ARBIRD- > > L&A=1>
>
>
>
>
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P.S. Our wood ducks which had been daily visitors all summer long with as many as a dozen individuals showing up on our small pond are no longer being seen since early October. Seventy-five days with a miserly total of 1.40” of rain and much higher than normal temps turned our small pond into essentially an algae covered mud hole. The 4.72” of rain we received in recent days has helped the pond recover though it is not yet full. Maybe now the woodies will favor us once again.
############################
Date: 10/31/23 11:41 am From: CK Franklin <meshoppen...> Subject: Yard birds in Pulaski County
Had one Winter Wren & one Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the yard this morning. The hummingbird looked in pretty good shape. With luck it should be able to criss the Gulf.
Cindy F
Little Rock
Date: 10/31/23 7:53 am From: Allan Mueller <akcmueller...> Subject: Ariana and Uta
Check out the fall 2023 issue of Audubon Magazine, page 51, for recognition of two local conservation heroes, Ariana Remmel and Uta Meyer. Well deserved.
-- Allan Mueller 20 Moseley Lane, Conway, AR Home of the Arkansas State Champion Winged Elm 501-339-8071 *BLOG* birdsnonsense.blogspot.com OK, so what's the speed of dark.
