Finally, a bird report

Well, I've been busy on the blind, (which is completely done, the path has been gravelled and a few carpentry final touches) and hung up in other ways, but Sunday I finally ran my regular survey route. Nothing special to report. There were a lot of Wood Ducks, many immatures, and moms with ducklings. Several other species feeding young, best being an immature Cuckoo hanging in a tree-top and begging. Lots of Titmouse families. Two Louisiana Waterthrushes in the entryway of the bath-house; I have no idea what they were doing there. And etc. I confess I find this part of the year the least interestin. I've been sitting at home planning a trip in Eastern Kansas for the fall, but may do something shorter and closer since I'm itching to drive around and see new territory.

On the thank-you front: Contributions to the bird blind were received from The Ninestone Land Trust, and from Kamal Singh. Larry Harrison made a pledge as well. My thanks to all of them.

Apologies

I'm not doing too well on birds sightings and all that. Started to Leatherwood for the weekly count on Sunday, and the road was blocked by heavy equipment, something to do with the bridge construction. I did get out there today and make the cement pour for the whelchair pad. Ended up the inevitable one bag short. That should be the name of a rock band.

The finished lower ramp

The finished lower ramp
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1.

Lon Dell and Randall Thompson came out, and we finished the lower ramp and all the forms and prep for the wheelchair landing pad and the short connector section of gravel pathway. A nice morning, and all the wood stuff is done (I hope).

Ramp framing 3

Ramp framing 3
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1.

On Tuesday we got the framing in for the rest of the ramp. Work party on Thursday morning to pour the landing pad. More thanks to Lon Dell.

Unidentified flower

P6070103
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1.

Does anyone know what this flower is. I found it near the birdblind, doesn't seem to be a coneflower.

Upper sections of ramp from above

Upper sections of ramp from above
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1.

LonDell came out and we got the upper portion of the ramp pretty much finished. I ran a little short of fencing boards, but got them up this morning. The fence along the ramp slopes upward from under five feet at the rest/passing platform to tthe full height at the viewing platform.

Our Breeding birds

Sorry about the slow posting of bird sightings. What we're seeing now is pretty much the summer residents and breeders. The following list is for two days the past week. The Yellow-billed Cuckoos finally showed up, and in good numbers. Also heartening is the three singing Prairie Warblers, two in an area where they haven't been before, but where the habitat seems perfect, along a glade ledge with old field cedars.

Northwest Arkansas Audubon, one of the supporters of the Bird Blind project, had a field trip at Lake Leatherwood on Sat June 3. We had about a dozen people, with me and Joe Neal leading. Worked my regular route, walked the dry creek a ways, circled up the far side of the lake as far as the first inlet, birding and botanizing care of Joe Woolbright, manager of several Nature Conservancy Prairie restorations.

He thinks there are restorable Ozark glade habitats at the park, but it doesn't seem likely that the Parks commission would be ready to undertake such a project, even though they have the Forestry equipment on site already. It would include extensive preparation that looks a lot like logging, and then controlled burning to open the glades and reduce fuels.

SPECIES SEEN
From 5/30/2006 to 6/4/2006 ~ in Lake Leatherwood ~ 52 seen

Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Eastern Bluebird
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Crow
Fish Crow
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue-winged Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Chipping Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
American Goldfinch

I speculate that the following species are also present and breeding

Black Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-wing Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Blue Jay
Northern Flicker possible
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Three species of Owls
Whip-poor-will, maybe Chuck's and Nighthawks too
Bewick's Wren possible
Northern Mockingbird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Pine Warbler
Cerulean Warbler below the Dam
Worm-eating Warbler
Swainson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Dicksissel
Eastern Meadowlark
Field Sparrow
Painted Bunting
House Finch

That would make about 80 breeding species at Lake Leatherwood, and by inference in the area of Eureka Springs. I'd like to hear if anyone can add a species to this list, for instance Red-tailed Hawks, Red-headed Woodpeckers, or Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. There are of course the imports, House Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, and Starling. We should be able to confirm some of the possibles as the season progeses.

Ramp framing

Ramp framing
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1.

This is the beginning of the ramp construction. The wide spot is a rest/passing area.