I recently visited the Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d’ Arc Wildlife Management Area outside of Hope in Hempstead County. Established as a WMA in the 1950s, my goal was to find a Purple Gallinule.
Similar to the Common Gallinule, this marsh bird is chicken sized. I’ve seen the common Gallinule plenty before, but not the Purple Gallinule. This visit had me seeing plenty as they walked across vegetation on the water. They are typically found in pockets of Arkansas during breeding season.
The visit was enjoyable, and I was happy to get a better photo and look of an Anhinga.
Here’s some other photos of what I saw:
Memos for Me 