Category: White River National Wildlife Refuge

Photo essay: 1st CBC

January 6, 2013
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Golden-Crowned Kinglet

I participated in my very first Christmas Bird Count (CBC) Saturday. It was pretty fun, especially since it allowed me to tour the restricted areas of the White River National Wildlife Refuge.

My group did not discover any rare or unusual birds, however, I was able to view two firsts for me: The Golden-Crowned Kinglet and Wild Turkeys. We also viewed thousands of Mallards, Northern Shovelers, Ruddy ducks, and geese in the refuge’s sanctuary.

Here’s some more pictures from the day:

Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey
1-5 (3) Bamboo
Bamboo, an invasive species that is spreading on the refuge.
1-5 (4) Mallards, Ross, Snow and Speckled Bellies Geese2
There were plenty of Mallards as well as Ross, Snow and Speckled Bellied Geese.
1-5 (5) Mallards, Ross, Snow and Speckled Bellies Geese1
There were plenty of Mallards as well as Ross, Snow and Speckled Bellied Geese.
White-Throated Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow — I saw plenty at the refuge, however, this particular one was at the Stuttgart airport late Saturday afternoon.

The grey-headed woodpecker

January 2, 2013
A woodpecker with a gray head!?! What?
A woodpecker with a gray head!?! What?

I was thrown off recently when I spotted this gray-headed woodpecker. I couldn’t figure out what the heck was going on, although I knew it looked like a Red-Headed Woodpecker. I also took the picture where I’ve previously seen several other Red-Headed Woodpeckers.

Puzzled, I pulled out my bird book to learn that it’s a juvenile Red-Headed Woodpecker. Pretty neat!

 

Day dreaming

November 19, 2012

Today has been one of those days where I’ve stayed cranky despite the day turning out to be pretty decent (even if it’s a Monday). I spent the weekend and today sick and wishing for warmer weather. I finally decided to go through pictures to help cheer myself back up. It worked because who wouldn’t smile when looking at a fawn, wildflowers or other wildlife. 🙂

 

Strolling the boardwalk

October 23, 2012
Red-Headed Woodpecker

I had a stalker on Saturday. The above Red-Headed Woodpecker kept landing on trees near me as I traveled down the boardwalk near the White River National Wildlife Refuge. It was a gorgeous day full of birds and fall leaves.

Revisiting WRNWR2

September 21, 2012

It’s been months since I last visited the White River National Wildlife Refuge. I finally decided to rectify this problem now that the weather has cooled off. Apparently, I was not the only one to decide to visit. There was plenty of wildlife there as well.

Water under the WRNWR Boardwalk

January 17, 2012

There’s been water underneath White River National Wildlife Refuge boardwalk within the past month. Recent rainfall had the White River above its 26-foot flood stage and flowing into the refuge. It’s back down now at 23.7 feet this morning. Here’s some pictures from my trip to see how flooded it was.

My dog Izzie.

A leucistic Red-Headed Woodpecker (I had to email the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for help on this one)
A House Sparrow lounges on a bird feeder outside of the visitor's center.

St. Charles

November 10, 2011

St. Charles is a charming small Arkansas County community. It’s also home to  the White River National Wildlife Refuge, one of my favorite places to go to. The town is like taking a walk into the past with its interesting buildings and rich history, which you can get a taste of at its museum in the St. Charles City Hall. Here’s a quick glance:

The unforgettable Civil War memorial in the middle of the road near the St. Charles City Hall.

Continue reading “St. Charles”

Ducks galore

October 28, 2011
a female wood duck.

It’s time for my newspaper annual Duck Edition, which publishes in late November. In honor of the event (which I’m presently working on), here are some pictures of wood ducks that I took during banding season at the White River National Wildlife Refuge on July 29.