Birdwatching – Page 11

Christmas Eve Owl

December 25, 2020

I finally found my first Eastern Screech Owl!

I recently participated in the annual Christmas Bird Count in Jonesboro where another birder informed the group she had found an Eastern Screech Owl roosting in a tree just past the entrance of Lake Frierson State Park. Well, I had already left Jonesboro when I saw her email informing us of her find and the other birds she spotted so I couldn’t go take a look that day.

When I arrived back in town for Christmas Eve, I couldn’t resist heading to the state park to see if I could spot the owl. I didn’t think I would and I was actually leaving the park when I just happened to see the owl – right before I arrived back at the park’s entrance. Yay! The owl was very cooperative and in a tree just off the road.

It definitely helped kick off a great Christmas Eve.

Sharp-Shinned Hawk

December 17, 2020

I stumbled across this Sharp-shinned Hawk (the smallest hawk in the United States) earlier today. Did you know songbirds make up about 90 percent of this hawk’s diet, according to AllAboutBirds.org?

PHOTOS: A Fork-tailed Flycatcher

November 27, 2020

A Fork-tailed Flycatcher – only the second of its kind documented in Arkansas – has been spotted in Desha County. Fork-tailed Flycatchers are typically found along the Atlantic Coast and migrate from southern South America. They can be found in savanna’s, grasslands and other open country with scattered bushes and trees, according to eBird. The one in Arkansas has been hanging out around a bridge over Boggy Bayou. It is an agricultural area with a paper manufacturing plant nearby. While I was there, the bird was easy to spot and, even when it flew away, it returned to the same trees. Others said it perched on a power line although it never did while I was there. Here’s some more photos (plus some of other birds I love):

Adding a little color to the day

September 19, 2020

Photos: Swallowtail Kite

September 7, 2020

A Swallowtail Kite has been spotted flying above Interstate 440 North just outside of Little Rock. I was headed out of town when I heard the news. So, naturally, I had to swing by. I got lucky. Two others had arrived just before me so we all searched together. I was about to leave about 20 minutes later when it finally flew over the road ahead.

I see Mississippi Kites each year – a pair lives in my neighborhood. But this was the first Swallowtail Kite I have ever seen. They are usually found in the southeast along the coastal states, and while they are spotted in Arkansas, it is not as frequent. According to All About Birds, the Swallowtail Kite is called the “coolest bird on the planet.” (I disagree – I would reserve that title for hummingbirds 😁) These birds have a deeply forked tail along with a black and white plumage. They are usually found above swamps where they chase dragonflies, frogs, lizards, snakes and nestling birds. They migrate to South America for the winter.

White Ibis

August 23, 2020

At Two Rivers Park in West Little Rock, there is a swampy section that I enjoy visiting just to see what I will find. In this visit, it was a juvenile White Ibis. White Ibises typically gather in groups in shallow wetlands in southeastern United States. They are not common in Arkansas, although they make a random appearance each year.

Birdwatching fun

May 13, 2020

Baltimore Oriole HOME 04262020 — Baltimore Oriole

It’s been a fun several weeks watching birds. We’ve had both Baltimore Orioles and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at our feeders – and each time one appears we fangirl over them like it’s the first time they’ve appeared. I was excited to find a few others out in the area, such as the below Red-eyed Vireo.

Red-eyed Vireo1 PMSP-Arborteum 04262020 — Red-eyed Vireo

Swainson's Thrush PMSP-Arborteum 04262020 — Swainson’s Thrush

Rose-breasted Grosbeak PMSP-Arborteum 04262020 — Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Photo: Orchard Oriole

April 23, 2020

Photos: Birds of Bald Knob’s refuge

April 19, 2020

Bald Eagles1 BKNWR 04182020.JPG — Juvenile Bald Eagles

This weekend, I visited Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge and, OH MY GOSH, it was a FANTASTIC weekend. I recorded a record number of birds in eBird that included some firsts for me. Here are my highlights:

Common Gallinule BKNWR 04182020_edited-1 — Common Gallinule

Yellow-headed Blackbird BKNWR 04182020_edited-1 — Yellow-headed Blackbird

Black-necked Stilt BKNWR 04182020 — Black-necked Stilt

Red-shouldered Hawk2 BKNWR 04182020_edited-1 — Red-shouldered Hawk

Common Yellowthroat BKNWR 04182020 — Common Yellowthroat

Bald Eagles2 BKNWR 04182020_edited-1 — Bald Eagles

Photos: Birds of the Past

January 20, 2020

Saw-Whet Owl Banding 01 at Ozark Natural Science Center 110815.JPG — Saw-Whet Owl

I was off work today (yay!), although my family still kept me busy most of the day. In my downtime, I continued going through photos on my computer to cut down the numbers. Here’s a few gems that I found and realized were not marked off my bird list as found.

Just FYI, the above one of a Saw-Whet Owl is my favorite. In 2015, I went to a banding workshop where a University of Arkansas student put out nets to catch and band Saw-Whet Owls. I was lucky – he caught and banded one the first night I went. I went to another banding workshop a few years later, although unfortunately no birds were caught that night. His work is pretty incredible. Saw whet owls are one of the smallest owl species in North America, and are one of the most common (and seldom seen) owls in forests across northern U.S. Arkansas is in the Saw-Whet Owl’s non-breeding range (although sightings are scarce). In Arkansas, only a dozen sightings were reported between 1959 and 2010 before the UA student and his professor captured and documented one in 2015.

Here’s some more finds from over the past few years: