Category: Arkansas

Birding at Bell Slough WMA

July 4, 2020

Kentucky Warbler1 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Kentucky Warbler

A few weeks back – okay April, I’m just now getting to these photos – I visited Bell Slough Wildlife Management Area near Mayflower. It was my first time there, and I took the Kenny Vernon Nature Trail. It’s a 2.25 mile trail, and includes a variety of habitats such as flood fields, an area with a shale surface, and woods as well as elevation changes.

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There is a boardwalk at the start of the trail, which was actually flooded so I went back to town and bought rain boots to go through the water in. But, it was worth it – the day was beautiful and there were tons of birds singing. Prothonotary Warblers were actually all over this section of the trail.

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My most exciting find was a Kentucky Warbler (a first for me!!) that allowed me to get a really good look. Below are a few of my other finds:

Black-and-white Warbler 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Black-and-white Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler3 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Prothonotary Warbler

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher2 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Northern Parula 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Northern Parula

Ruby-throated Hummingbird2 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Hairy Woodpecker1 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Hairy Woodpecker

Summer Tanager1 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Summer Tanager

Swainson's Thrush 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Swainson’s Thrush

Just a warbler or two

June 30, 2020
Yellow Warbler2 05172020 836a Bufflehead Bay
Yellow Warbler

A few weeks ago I visited Bufflehead Bay on Lake Maumelle, and it was warbler haven. While I saw favorites like the Pine Warbler and Summer Tanager, I also saw firsts for me: the Worm-eating Warbler and Yellow Warbler.

Summer Tanager
Pine Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Yellow Warbler

A trip between rain showers

April 23, 2020

Swainson Thrush2 PMSP 04192020.JPG
Swainson’s Thrush

There were few birds found recently on Pinnacle Mountain State Park’s Arboretum Trail (and only 1 other person – we stayed far away from each other), but the ones I definitely made the trip taken between rain showers count. I found a Carolina Wren feeding its babies, a Carolina Chickadee (not pictured) gathering food and a Swanson’s Thrush. A native Red Columbine flower also grew near the trail – a perfect celebration of this being Native Plant Week.

Carolina Wren PMSP 04192020.JPG
Carolina Wren

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Red Columbine

Front-row seat

April 18, 2020

Eastern Bluebird2 BKNWR 04182020.JPG

Two Eastern Bluebirds have been feeding their young right outside of my front window for the past few days. Tonight, they sat in a feeder filled with mealworms and fed the youngster.

Eastern Bluebird1 BKNWR 04182020.JPG