Little Blue Heron – Memos for Me

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.

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:

Photos: Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d’Arc WMA

August 4, 2022

I recently visited the Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d’ Arc Wildlife Management Area outside of Hope in Hempstead County. Established as a WMA in the 1950s, my goal was to find a Purple Gallinule.

Similar to the Common Gallinule, this marsh bird is chicken sized. I’ve seen the common Gallinule plenty before, but not the Purple Gallinule. This visit had me seeing plenty as they walked across vegetation on the water. They are typically found in pockets of Arkansas during breeding season.