I visited my grandmother recently in Jonesboro and her front yard was a hot spot for birds! I saw my first female and male House Finch as well as tons of Cardinals — one of my favorite birds! I later passed a European Starling while out walking my dog.
My goal this winter was to photograph a Blue-Winged Teal duck. I finally got lucky in this quest during a trip to Bayou Meto’s Halowell Reservoir. I was pretty excited to see the ducks as well as a pair of Gadwells. The trip was bird-filled with a few favorites. Here’s some of what I saw:
I finally found a Savannah Sparrow and an Eastern Phoebe in Arkansas County as well as a few other well-known additions.
The Yankees outnumbered the Confederates seven to one in the Battle of Arkansas. The outcome was obvious, although the Yankee casualty was still higher — by thousands. The facts of the Arkansas County battle were revisited this past weekend during a commemoration of the battle’s 150th anniversary.
I traveled down to Gillett to watch a small re-enactment (many of the expected reenactors cancelled due to the flu or bad weather) and attend a ceremony to honor those who fought in the battle. Of course, I also had to attend the Union and Confederate camps. I couldn’t believe the reenactors spent the night on site and were still so cheerful and talkative throughout the weekend.
(To learn more about the battle, visit here) Here’s some more pictures from the weekend:
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:
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!
I ended 2012 with an owl search on my grandparents’ farm. The search was a failure, but at least I found these birds on the second to last day of the year.
Rediscovering Arkansas with a few detours.
We preserve, conserve, and study the native plants of Arkansas
Our Nicaraguan Journey
Rediscovering Arkansas with a few detours.
Think left & think right & think low & think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" -Dr. Seuss
I previously worked as a news and sports photographer. Recently I have been enjoying wildlife photography. My approach toward bird photos is similar to sports photography. I attempt to capture mostly action and hopefully a unique perspective.
Urbanites in the woods, doing all our own stunts.
WILD IN FLORIDA: Exploring and Photographing Florida's Threatened Ecosystems, Wildlife, and More
by Jo Woolf
Rediscovering Arkansas with a few detours.
Rediscovering Arkansas with a few detours.
Memos for Me 