Migratory Bird Day Hike at Lake Leatherwood

All the participants had a great time, and we tallied 57 species. I went back on Sunday and got 59, but many of them were new from Saturday, so the total species for the two days was 72. Warblers were good with an up-close Prothonotary, and two Yellows near the small meadow. Five species of Vireos, including Warbling and Philadelphia.

The really good finds were a Palm Warbler, a first for the park, and a Gray-cheeked Thrush, a first for my state list, and for the park too.

Here's the complete list for the two days


SPECIES SEEN

From 4/28/2007 to 4/29/2007 ~ in Lake Leatherwood ~ 72 seen

GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe

HERONS, EGRETS AND
BITTERNS
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron

DUCKS, GEESE AND
SWANS
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler

NEW WORLD VULTURES
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture

HAWKS, EAGLES AND
KITES
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk

TURKEYS
Wild Turkey

RAILS, GALLINULES AND
COOTS
American Coot

SANDPIPERS
Spotted Sandpiper

PIGEONS AND DOVES
Mourning Dove

SWIFTS
Chimney Swift

HUMMINGBIRDS
Ruby-throated Hummingbird

WOODPECKERS
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird

SWALLOWS
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow

KINGLETS
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

WAXWINGS
Cedar Waxwing

WRENS
Carolina Wren
House Wren

THRUSHES
Eastern Bluebird
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin

GNATCATCHERS
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

CHICKADEES AND
TITS
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse

NUTHATCHES
White-breasted Nuthatch

CROWS AND JAYS
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow

VIREOS AND ALLIES
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo

WOOD WARBLERS
Blue-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler

SPARROWS, TOWHEES,
JUNCOS
Chipping Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow

SALTATORS, CARDINALS
AND ALLIES
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES,
GRACKLES, ETC.
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole

FINCHES, SISKINS,
CROSSBILLS
American Goldfinch
--------- STATISTICS ---------
Species seen - 72

List of sightings from Birding Site Tour

I made some notes on a few, to give a sense of the spread. My house is just feeder birds and things heard in the yard before and after trips. Nine miles south of Eureka, and easily within our local circle. The Red-breasted Mergansers were quite unexpected. Shore birds were just starting, probably slowed down a little by the relentless cold weather and north winds.

I had 49 species at Lake Leatherwood in just over three hours.

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon - Centerton
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck - Centerton
Lesser Scaup - Beaver Lake
Red-breasted Merganser - Beaver Lake
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret - Lake Leatherwood
Green Heron - Lake Leatherwood
Turkey Vulture
Osprey - Centerton
Red-tailed Hawk
Wild Turkey - My house
American Coot
Killdeer - Centerton
Spotted Sandpiper - Lake Leatherwood
Solitary Sandpiper - Centerton
Pectoral Sandpiper - Centerton
Rock Pigeon - Eureka Springs
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl - My house
Red-headed Woodpecker - Eureka Springs
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Lake Leatherwood
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker - Lake Leaherwood
Northern Flicker - Lake Leatherwood
Pileated Woodpecker - Lake Leatherwood
Eastern Phoebe
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing - My house
Northern Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler - Black Bass Lake
Pine Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Chipping Sparrow
Lark Sparrow - Leatherwood Ball Fields
Savannah Sparrow - Beaver Lake
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Number of Species: 77

Migration update, insects too

Just spent an hour at Lake Leatherwood. Lots of swallows, mostly Northern Rough-wing, but did find first of year Barn Swallows and Chimney Swifts. Two new Butterfly species for me were Pearl Crescent and Red-banded Hairstreak. A new dragonfly was a Springtime Darner. All bugs were on the Beacham Trail from the small meadow down to the woods edge.

Saw a couple of publications with local birding info. Ruth Hager handed me a tear-off map with some activities for April, including the two bird hikes, and also a slick tri-fold calender thing with the hikes marked on a calender and the descriptions in the side-bar. ALERT: some of the dates are wrong on the calenders. The survey of local sites is the 14th and 15th, Sat and Sun. The Migratory Bird Day hike is the 28th, Saturday.

Two birding events in April

Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15

An exploration and tour of local birding areas near Eureka Springs.

In order to help folks plan for birding around Eureka during spring migration and throughout the year, we'll drive around to several local areas that have proven productive in the past. Most of these are highlighted in the article on local birding opportunities, but it's not possible to see them all in a day and a half. We'll meet at 8:00 AM at the Little Bread Company on Hiway 62/23 and decide how to organize transport. I'm hoping we can get several folks in a few cars to make traveling in a group easier. If anybody has FRS radios they can really help. We'll also try to plan out a reasonable sweep of places folks want to see. Three or four hours at Lake Leatherwood City Park will be reserved for Sunday morning at 8:00 am, so Saturday will be a little farther ranging, up to thirty plus miles from Eureka. Likely spots are places near Beaver Dam, Roaring River State Park in Missouri, Withrow Springs State Park south on Hiway 23, the Ozark Natural Science Center, and the prairies north of Grandview.

This is a rain-or-shine event, since we'll mostly be touring. If the weather is inclement, bring rain gear and we'll do our best. No white or bright clothes, wear good walking shoes, bring water and binoculars. This is the beginning of spring migration, but the trend has been for the birds to begin moving earlier than was historically the case, so we could find some notable species. Children under twelve should be accompanied by an adult. No pets. There is no charge and the public is welcome. For more information, please call (479) 981 0901 during reasonable hours.

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Saturday, April 28

Eleventh Annual International Migratory Bird Day Hike at Lake Leatherwood

This is not the usual nationwide date for this event. I've made it earlier since the migrants are coming earlier, and the trees have been so well leafed-out in May thet observing is much better if we go earlier.

We'll meet at the bathhouse at Lake Leatherwood City Park at 8:30 am. Some folks will probably be there earlier so come as early as possible to catch the dawn chorus and early activity and birdsong. Dress in duller colors, no whites or brights. Wear decent walking shoes, but this isn't strenuous hiking. Maybe bring some water since we usually go about three hours. Definitely bring binoculars. Some, a few, loaners will be available, but don't count on them. Children less than twelve should be accompanied by an adult. No pets.

We usually see between 50 and 60 species of migratory and resident birds, as well as the spring wildflowers and some butterflies and dragonflies, and general natural whatnot. Over the years we've seen 102 species on these hikes, so some pretty unusual things are possible. This is the early part of the peak of northbound migration, and the trees don't have a thick covering of leaves, so the birds are easier to find. We usually get lots of warblers, flycatchers, vireos, orioles, and tanagers making for a very colorful selection of critters.

There is no charge, the public is welcome, and in case of rain we'll try the same time on Sunday April 29. For more information please call (479) 981 0901 during reasonable hours.

Jacob's Ladder and Sunday update

Jacob's Ladder1
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1.

Some migrant birds are setting up territories, mostly Norhern Parulas, Louisiana Waterthrushes, Chipping Sparrows, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. The Paw-paws are blooming, I'll get a photo soon, and I had the first Dragonfly today. At my house in the country, I heard the first Whip-poor-will last night, and one closer this morning before sunrise. No real surprises, big flocks of Goldfinches, lots of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, There were small flocks of Coots, Blue-wing Teal, and Northern Shovelers. No seasonal waders yet, nor Spotted Sandpipers, the teeter bird. Wild Ginger is up, and some buds were there, but I didn't find any opened. Other wildflowers were lots of Phlox, and a few Buttercups. Sorry this is not much organized.