Home schoolers at Lake Leatherwood

On Wednesday and Thursday, 5/21 and 22, I took a group of Home Schoolers around the City Park at Lake Leatherwood. On wed, we focused mainly on the area around the cabins and bath-house, down to the bird blind and then back to the CCC pavillion for a short talk on migration. I gave all the folks copies of the official Arkansas Audubon Society Checklist and explained how to interpret the various codes.

We had good looks at several birds, Indigo Bunting, Northern Parula, Pileated Woodpecker, and such. About 26 species were seen or heard, but not all by all the folks.

On Thursday, a slightly larger group walked mostly around the big and small meadows, including the Hyde Hollow Spring, with a short foray into the bottomland hardwoods along the Leatherwood Trail. We had great luck at the spring, with looks at Yellow-throated Warbler, American Redstart, and Blue-winged Warbler. Best bird was the first Yellow-billed Cuckoo seen by the parents while the kids raced ahead to the blind where I repeated the talk of the previous day. There was a calling Willow Flycatcher there, and a female Orchard Oriole sang for us at the end. They said they had a good time, and the parents said they'd learned something. We saw or heard 30+ species.

We hope to do it again in the late fall when there will be quite a few different species, especially ducks and sparrows.

SPECIES SEEN by homescholars from Eureka Springs area
From 5/21/2008 to 5/22/2008 ~ in Lake Leatherwood ~ 40 seen

HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS
Great Blue Heron - both days
Green Heron - both days
DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS
Canada Goose - both days
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Turkey Vulture - Thurs only
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Red-shouldered Hawk - heard Thurs only
SANDPIPERS
Spotted Sandpiper - seen from blind, Thurs only
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Mourning Dove - both days
CUCKOOS
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - seen by parents, Thurs only
SWIFTS
Chimney Swift - both days, many more Wednesday
HUMMINGBIRDS
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Wed only
WOODPECKERS
Red-bellied Woodpecker - heard both days, seen badly Wed
Pileated Woodpecker - seen both days
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Eastern Wood-Pewee - heard several, Thurs
Willow Flycatcher - heard at blind, Thurs
Least Flycatcher - seen at blind, Wed
Eastern Phoebe - seen both days
Eastern Kingbird - seen barely, Thurs
SWALLOWS
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 2 seen Wed
Barn Swallow - both days
WRENS
Carolina Wren - heard both days
THRUSHES
Eastern Bluebird - seen well both days
GNATCATCHERS
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - heard Wed
CHICKADEES AND TITS
Carolina Chickadee - Thurs only
Tufted Titmouse - heard both days, brief sightings
CROWS AND JAYS
American Crow - both days
Fish Crow - heard Thurs
VIREOS AND ALLIES
White-eyed Vireo - heard at spring and blind, Thurs
Red-eyed Vireo - heard both days, seen Wed
FINCHES, SISKINS, CROSSBILLS
American Goldfinch - brief views both days
WOOD WARBLERS
Blue-winged Warbler - at spring, Thurs
Northern Parula - seen really well both days
Yellow Warbler - seen briefly (maybe just JP) Wed
Yellow-throated Warbler - at spring, Thurs
American Redstart - at spring, Thurs
SPARROWS, TOWHEES, JUNCOS
Chipping Sparrow - Wed only
SALTATORS, CARDINALS AND ALLIES
Northern Cardinal - both days
Indigo Bunting - seen and heard well both days
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, GRACKLES, ETC.
Red-winged Blackbird - many male and female both days
Common Grackle = many both days
Orchard Oriole - both days, male Wed only

-------- STATISTICS --------
Species seen - 40