Category: Arkansas County

Photo essay: Gigi & I

July 1, 2013
Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds
Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds

My grandmother, Gigi, and I share a love of birds. So, a hummingbird banding workshop was the perfecting outing for us to spend some time together. Luckily, the Saturday workshop was from 1-4 p.m. at the Potlatch Conservation Education Center in Casscoe, which gave me plenty of time to pick her up in Jonesboro and stop at Jack Ryan’s Convenience store to pick up some of their oh-so-good sandwiches for lunch.

I’ve been going to the workshop for three years now and I don’t think I’ll ever get bored with it. There were no little kids this time so Gigi and I were both able to release a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird after they were banded. It was a pretty neat experience since the hummingbirds sat for a moment before flying off. Later, we drove down to the dock to see how high the White River was.

Here’s pictures:

Banding the first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.
Banding the first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.
Gigi releasing the first hummingbird.
Gigi releasing the first hummingbird, a male.
I got to release the last.
I got to release the last, a female who was also the rowdiest.
Close up of mine.
Close up of mine.
Cooks Lake-hummingbird3 6-15
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Cooks Lake-hummingbird1 6-15
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
This one was already banded.
This one was already banded.
Already banded.
Another look at the already-banded hummingbird.
Eastern Bluebird that posed as we headed down to the dock.
Eastern Bluebird that posed as we headed down to the dock.
The White River water level is pretty high right now.
The White River water level is pretty high right now.
The dock at the White River. We were still able to access the floating ramp.
The dock at the White River. We were still able to access the floating ramp.
We found this lady bug on the floating ramp along with ...
We found this lady bug on the floating ramp along with …
This Broad-headed Skink (lizard) and ...
This Broad-headed Skink (lizard) and …
This frog who jumped off the ramp as I approached.
This frog who jumped off the ramp as I approached.
We spent our trip back to Jonesboro look for any wildlife. We saw very few.
We spent our trip back to Jonesboro look for any wildlife. We saw very few.

It was a day well spent.

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Photo: Its just a baby

June 25, 2013
Stuttgart-Baby Killdeer 6:23
Killdeer

I live just off of a busy highway so, when I walk, I typically head toward a nearby cemetery that neighbors a dirt road. The detour gets me away from the heavy traffic and is typically a peaceful route to walk. However, it has lately reminded me of a scene from The Birds with Killdeer replacing the blackbirds. I’ve noticed more Killdeer in this location this year than ever before and they definitely don’t like my presence.

I guess it’s a good thing I’ve been too lazy to walk lately. Last night, I ended up on the dirt road during my drive home and I passed the above baby Killdeer. His mother was just above the ditch and the baby just couldn’t find a way up. It was rejoined by a sibling just after I drove away.

 

Bursts of color

June 6, 2013

Stuttgart Tulip 6:5

Daylilies are finally blooming in my backyard. It’s the closest to gardening that I can get, although technically my only involvement is watching them bloom. The largest batch is centered just between my bird-watching window and my bird feeders. It’s where I snapped the above picture.

 

Drumroll … New bird visitor at my home

June 4, 2013

I’ve lived in Stuttgart for three years this August. During this time, my main feathered visitors have been house sparrows, cardinals, doves, American robins and blackbirds. And, of course, the occasional cedar waxwing.

Now, I love having these constant birds. Don’t get me wrong, but I decided late last summer I wanted for more variety. And I finally took action after months of just thinking about it. I actually kept my feeders full, switching to a more fruitier blend to attract another variety of birds (which my usual crowd still likes) and put up my first hummingbird feeder.

The results were slow. I received my first hummingbird late last summer. This spring, I woke up to a rose-breasted grosbeak singing at my feeder. And I recently discovered the below American goldfinch. Today, I finally had what I believe was a House finch.

I see most of the birds first thing in the morning, around 7 to 7:30. And honestly, the finds are a great energy boost for my day. So, hopefully the birds will keep on visiting.

IMG_3266

IMG_3268

 

New visitors

May 6, 2013
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

A strange chirping woke me up this morning. It was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak — a first at my house. However, he wasn’t alone. It was joined by another first, three White-crowned Sparrows, and eventually a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. The sparrows and hummingbird returned throughout the day. Not a bad start to the week.

White-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
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A Subway stalking

May 2, 2013

I hate cooking. I’ll just let that be known from the start.

With that in mind, it wasn’t really that hard for me to decide to eat out last night and to choose my favorite fast-food place: Subway. It turned out to be a great decision.

Not only did I have a great meal, but I also found a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. It was sitting on a pole just as I got back in my car. Naturally, I had to get closer. I ended up feeling like a stalker as I drove around the parking lot of Subway and a next-door gas station to get a better picture.

Still, I got my picture. All’s well that ends well (at least in this case).

Scissortail Flycatcher1

 

Bayou Meto springtime

May 1, 2013
Barn Swallows
Barn Swallows

I typically visit the Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area in the fall and winter — never spring and summer. I broke tradition this year by taking a late afternoon drive through the area with Izzie. Boy, was I glad I did. There were Barn Swallows, Dickcissels and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds at the Halowell Reservoir while Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks lined the roads leading to and from the reservoir. Overall, it was a pretty drive with a gorgeous sunset (see the last pictures).

Barn Swallow2
Barn Swallow
Blue Grosbeak, Female1
female Blue Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak, male
male Blue Grosbeak
Dickcissel, pair
A pair of Dickcissel

flowers1

Goose, Snow and Greater White-fronted
Geese — a snow and a greater white-fronted — that each had a drooping wing.

flowers2

Indigo Bunting
Indigo Bunting
RT Hummingbird1
female Ruby-throated Hummingbird
RT Hummingbird2
male Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Sandpiper, Spotted1
Spotted Sandpiper

sunset

sunset2