Arkansas birds – Page 3

Golden-winged Warbler

September 18, 2023

While the above photograph is of poor quality, it did give me the photograph proof I wanted to say I definitely saw my first Golden-winged Warbler on Sunday.

Golden-winged Warblers are small songbirds that are silvery gray with a slash of gold on the head and wings. They also have two white facial stripes. This one was hopping among the branches of a shrubby habitat at the north access of the Bell Slough Wildlife Management Area near Mayflower.

The world’s population of Golden-winged Warblers have declined sharply. According to AllAboutbirds.org, they now have one of the smallest populations of any bird not on the endangered species list. They are currently on the birds watch list – which lists bird species that are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered with conservation action.

Arkansas has Golden-wined Warblers during the migration seasons. They breed in the shrubby, young forest habitats of the Upper Midwest and Applalachians, and winter in the open woodlands and shade-coffee plantations of Central and South America.

Caspian Tern

August 27, 2023

The Caspian Tern is the largest tern in the world, yet I almost missed the one pictured above that was standing in the middle of a field yesterday at the Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge. Caspian Terns migrate through Arkansas yet sighting don’t happen every day. eBird reports they are “widespread but typically uncommon.” According to AllAboutBirds.org, the species is listed as endangered, threatened or special concern in several U.S. states. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 530,000 and rates the species a 10 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, indicating a species of low conservation concern. In Arkansas, eBird has 710 reports of Caspian Tern sightings over the years.

Photos: Birding in Southeast Arkansas

August 20, 2023

On Saturday, I joined friends to visit a fellow birder’s private land in Southeast Arkansas for a fun birding trip. I hoped to add to my life list and the trip didn’t disappoint. I finally got a great look at several Neotropic Cormorants.

Neotropic Cormorants look similar to the Double-crested Cormorant, but is smaller and longer-tailed. It’s often found in southern United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. After getting confirmation of the bird, I actually think I’ve seen it before but misidentified it.

We spent just over an hour looking out over a marsh filled with Lilly pads and birds. Here’s a few other species we saw:

It was a fun but, it was hot and with few new birds spotted, we decided to move on. We drove along the levee by the Mississippi River to the McCallie Access in Desha County. We spotted 27 bird species including a Least Tern diving for food. We also got better looks of White Ibis flying overhead. That’s always a welcome sight.

We ended the day at Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA Deer Research Area East Unit. It was here we finally heard then saw two Alder Flycatchers calling to each other – a first for me. Alder Flycatchers are heard to distinguish from other flycatchers. You need to hear their call as well to make the identification, which also throws me off. They migrate through Arkansas, and thrive in open settings such as bogs and beaver ponds, according to All About Birds.

We also saw plenty of Mississippi Kites, which never gets old.

To top off the day, we passed an immature Yellow-crowned Night-Heron as we headed home.

Red-necked Phalarope

August 18, 2023

I photographed my first Red-necked Phalarope on Thursday at Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge. This one was a non breeding adult/immature, which have a white body with a gray/black back. There is a black streak by the eye, and they have a black bill.

This small shorebird is typically found along the coast. According to AllAboutBirds.org, it’s at home on the open ocean and breeds on the Arctic tundra.

There are three types of phalaropes that show up in Arkansas. A more experienced birder explained to me that the Wilson’s Phalarope is the most common – it’s the one I’ve seen multiple times over the years. The Red Phalarope is the most unusual. The third type is the Red-necked Phalarope.

Mottled Duck

July 15, 2023

Mottled Ducks have been spotted at Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge, and this is the best view I’ve gotten so far – with the exception of a few looks through a scope.

Mottled Ducks are frustrating for me. They are a dark brown, medium-sized duck with a bright yellow bill and a black spot at the gape (the spot where the bill meets feathers/head). They also closely resemble a female Mallard duck – and when they are far from view, it’s hard to tell which is which.

Mottled Ducks are on the watch list. They are commonly along the Gulf of Mexico coast and favor open marshy country, wet prairies and rice fields.

At the refuge, they’ve been spotted in a flooded field that refuge staff maintain for migrating shorebirds. I was lucky to arrive when more experienced birders were already set up. They were able to quickly point them out to me, and even let me peek through their scopes to get a better view.

Willets

July 2, 2023

Willets, a large, stocky shorebird with a black-and-white wing pattern, are not common in Arkansas, but have been spotted frequently this summer. I saw my first three Willets this weekend at Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge. They were making their way through a flooded rice field.

Willets are typically found along the U.S. coastline. One fun fact: like Killdeers, Willets pretend to be disabled by a broken wing to draw attention to themselves and way from their eggs or chicks.

Unfortunately, Willets are listed on bird watch lists as one of the bird species at risk of becoming threatened or endangered without conservation action.

Taking A Break

July 1, 2023

I took a few days off because I needed a break. One of the first things I did was head to south Arkansas to visit the Overflowed National Wildlife Refuge (specifically the North Sanctuary section) in Ashley County.

My goal was to spot, and photograph, Least Bitterns. It was a success, although I really did not expect to be successful on my first attempt. Least Bitterns are very small herons found in wetland areas, although they can be difficult to find. They are found in Arkansas during breeding season. I actually found five with the most active Least Bittern being the one feeding its young.

It was a great trip with plenty of findings – including my first look at a Broad-winged Hawk. Here’s some of what I found at the refuge and in the nearby area:

The Struggles to Identify

June 5, 2023

In mid-May, I joined a birding field trip to the David D. Terry Lock and Dam. It was really enjoyable – both in company and birds found. However, I’ve spent the days since trying to figure out the identity of two warblers photographed. I finally broke down and emailed another birder who’s been willing to help me with my identification with needed. While I was correct in identifying the above Bay-breasted Warbler, I learned my other mystery warbler was in fact a Blackpoll. I’m pretty excited to have seen both – especially since it appears I was the only one of the group to have seen them. I snapped the photos while we were looking at some other warblers.

Both warbler species have been migrating through Arkansas for the past few weeks. The Bay-breasted Warbler winters in South America and breeds in northern Canada. According to All About Birds, the Blackpoll Warbler has the longest overwater journey of any songbird – nearly 1,800 miles nonstop over the Atlantic Ocean. It winters in South America and breeds in the boreal forests of Canada.

While common, the Blackpoll’s population is in a steep decline with reports indicating it has lost about 88% of its population in the last 40 years. The Bay-breasted Warbler is of low concern, conservation wise.

Photos: Inca Doves

June 5, 2023

I’ve seen Inca Doves in Costa Rica, but not in Arkansas. I chased reports of this rare dove in the state for years with no success to the point I stopped trying when I saw random reports of one being spotted.

However … I’ve been seeing reports of an Inca Dove being spotted at Lake Atkins in Pope County for over a week. I was piddling around the house Saturday when I saw a report of one being spotted at Lake Atkins roughly an hour before I saw the report. I couldn’t resist – and, well, I wanted out of the house.

At Lake Atkins, I slowly drove down the streets in the reported area for close to 30 minutes with no success (at least with an Inca Dove spotting). I was on my final loop and prepared to leave when two doves landed in the driveway I was passing. It was two Inca Doves.

Inca Doves are pretty common from the southwestern United States to far western Panama. There are reports of sightings within Arkansas each year. Inca Doves are ground doves with red eyes, a long tail and scaly-looking feathers. They blend in well with the gravel roads and lots I’ve always seen them walking on. One interesting tidbit: their call sounds like they are cooing “no hope.”

While searching for the Inca Doves, I also found:

Photos: Lorance Creek Natural Area

June 4, 2023

I’ve been on the hunt to spot and photograph a Louisiana Waterthrush, a member of the warbler family that stays close to moving water and is among the earliest migrating warblers.

I finally spotted my first Louisiana Waterthrush today at the Lorance Creek Natural Area. It was also my first trip to the this natural area, which has a .5 mile roundtrip trail that starts in an upland pine-oak forest and ends with a boardwalk through an open water tupelo-bald cypress forest. Added in 1990, Arkansas Heritage describes the natural area as primarily a shallow, groundwater-fed swamp that spreads out along both sides of Lorance Creek. It is situated at the transition zone between the sandy uplands of the Coastal Plain and the flat lowlands of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain.

I got there at 7:51 a.m. and spent the next almost two hours searching for birds. I found 31 species and was actually greeted in the parking lot by a Black-and-White Warbler and a Brown-headed Nuthatch.

I’m looking forward to coming back later when migration picks back up to see What other warblers I can find. Until then, I’m happy with my sightings so far, which include an Acadian Flycatcher, Indigo Buntings and Prothonotary Warblers.