Field Trips
Home Up Bird Identification Field Trips Bird Counts Birding Hotspots Feeding Birds Birding Links Photos Rare Bird Reports Citizen Science Ark. Birding Groups Winter Checklist

 

Dress appropriately for the trips. Bring your own binoculars and scopes. You may need to bring a sack lunch unless a specific  announcement indicates otherwise. In the summer bring plenty of water,  sunscreen and bug repellant.

ASCA sponsors numerous field trips throughout the year.  The trips are open to all and carpooling is available for trips outside of Little Rock.  This is a great  opportunity for novice birders to meet and learn more about birds
from experienced birders, or perhaps a chance to see a lifebird for those more dedicated.  For more information contact Karen Holliday, ASCA Field Trip Coordinator at karenh@arkleg.state.ar.us or (501) 920-3246.  If you join a trip late, call Karen to learn the current location of the group.
 

     Kestrel by Sharen Carter       

kestrelartbg.jpg (30959 bytes)

 

          

                Winter 2010 Field Trips

 

 

February 13, 2010

Two Rivers Park and Lake Maumelle

In conjunction with the Great Backyard Bird Count. We will meet at Two Rivers Park at 8:00 a.m. The Park has a diverse population of sparrows which provides a great opportunity to work on identifying those "little brown birds." Due to sandburs, knee-high rubber boots are highly recommended for walking in the fields. When finished at the park, we will continue on to Lake Maumelle. Loons, mergansers, ducks, and grebes are easily found on the lake this time of the year. Bring your scope.

Directions to Two Rivers Park: Traveling west on Hwy. 10 to the stoplight at Pinnacle Valley Road, just past the Kroger Store. (Look for the brown sign for Maumelle Park). Turn right and follow the road approximately 4 miles. Note: Pinnacle Valley Rd. will become County Farm Road. Do not turn at the second Maumelle Park sign, but continue straight on County Farm Road. Bear right through the gates into Two Rivers Park. Go approximately ¾ of a mile to the first parking lot on your right that has a Porta-Potty.

For more information contact Karen Holliday, ASCA Field Trip Coordinator at karenh@arkleg.state.ar.us or (501) 920-3246.  If you join a trip late, call Karen to learn the current location of the group.

Field Trip Reports

Heber Springs Area Trip

January 9, 2010

 

On Saturday, January 9, fourteen very hardy birders ventured out in 20° weather to participate in ASCA’s field trip.  Four were under the age of 16.  Despite ice-covered ponds and fields, lots of birds were present.  We met at the Mayflower exit, just east of Conway, and decided to make a quick check of the Lake Conway dam site before heading to Heber Springs.  A 20 minute scan of the lake and parking area netted us 15 species, including three Bald Eagles

 

Our next stop was the Heber Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant.  We were treated to the colorful sight of 15 Northern Shovelers, 48 Ring-necked Ducks, 51 Hooded Mergansers, 17 Common Goldeneye, 25 Buffleheads, 20 Gadwall, 12 Lesser Scaup, 45 Ring-billed Gulls, and 25 Bonaparte’s Gulls, all clustered in the first pond, the only pond not frozen!  One lone American Pipit was foraging along the water’s edge.  Numerous Song and Swamp Sparrows were in the nearby grass and cattails.

 

We then caravanned to Sandy Beach on Greer’s Ferry Lake.  A Common Loon and a Horned Grebe were life birds for some of our new participants.  Our final stop was Magness Lake to see the swans.  200 Trumpeter Swans dotted the lake, honking and fussing.  300 noisy Canada Geese added to the din.  Included were four Snow Geese, with one a blue morph, three Ross’s Geese, one Cackling Goose, one Mute Swan, one American Wigeon, and one Wood Duck; along with the usual winter ducks and birds for a total of 21 species.  We finished the day with a fun group dinner in Conway, giving us a chance to relax and thaw out.

Karen Holliday

ASCA Field Trip Coordinator

Little Rock, AR

 

Nov. 21, 2009

Lake Dardanelle and Holla Bend

ASCA’s November field trip was Saturday, Nov. 21. Fourteen birders participated. Our first stop was Delaware Point on Lake Dardanelle. We were treated to close fly-overs by juvenile and adult Bald Eagles. The lake was dotted with White Pelicans. Several Canvasbacks were diving amongst a large raft of American Coots. We then moved to Riverview Park, located below the dam at Dardanelle. A large "Venue" of Black Vultures were huddled around a shallow pool feasting on several large, dead carp. Included in the Venue were two juveniles with heads still fully feathered. A Greater Roadrunner was spotted on the road above the Park. After lunch, we moved to Lake Point Conference Center located on the north side of the lake near London, AR. The management has given permission for birders to come on the property. Birders are asked to first check in at the reservation desk to alert staff they are on the property. Since there is limited public access to this area of the lake, being able to gain entry is much appreciated! Gulls tend to congregate in the evenings in this part of the lake. Next, with the goal of finding the Golden Eagle reported at Holla Bend NWR on Thursday, the group headed to the refuge and drove the loop. The only eagle spotted was a juvenile Bald Eagle. A Palm Warbler was sighted mixed in with Yellow-rumped Warblers. Several Northern Harriers were seen investigating the fields. We ended the day with a total of 49 species.

Submitted by Karen Holliday

 

Millwood Lake

October 24, 2009

Saturday, October 24, nine birders gathered at the Beard’s Bluff observation deck at Millwood Lake. It was a gorgeous, cloud-free day with temperatures in the high 60’s, a wonderful change from our endless days of rain. Multiple rafts of mixed ducks and coots were scattered around the lake, along with a couple of Horned Grebes. Small pockets of White Pelicans were mixed in. A couple dozen American Avocets were briefly spotted. A juvenile, then an adult Bald Eagle did a fly-by right in front of the deck, almost close enough to touch. A large raft of well over 100 Forster’s Terns were sitting on the water, with many more circling in the air. This caught our attention as it’s uncommon for terns to sit on the water. We then moved to the state park to the area below the dam to hunt for the Rock Wren. After walking and searching all the way to the spillway, the bird finally popped up and started high-tailing it back the way we had just come, giving us a merry chase. He finally settled in one spot and commenced his signature bobbing, giving everyone great looks.

While eating lunch at the lakeside picnic tables at the marina, we watched several Snowy Egrets continuously skimming close to the surface of the lagoon while dragging their bright yellow feet through the water. They were trying to attract and spear a fish for their own lunch. We headed back to the observation deck for another search of the lake. More ducks were visible in the afternoon light. American Wigeons, Ruddy Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, Redheads, and Lesser Scaup were all spotted, giving us a total of 59 species for the trip.

Submitted by Karen Holliday

Bona Dea Trails

Sept. 19, 2009

Ten birders met at Bona Dea Trails in Russellville on Saturday, September 19th. Luckily, the rain held off for the entire trip. We were please to welcome several newcomers-- two people from the Little Red River Audubon Society, a lady from Drasco, and a gentleman and his fifteen year old son from Hot Springs. The Hot Springs men are photographers interested in learning to identify and photograph birds. Many of the 36 species we saw sat still long enough for them to get good photos. The always showy male Wood Ducks wowed them. We flushed a Barred Owl who flew a short distance, landed, then allowed us long looks at him while he gave us long looks back. The foraging flocks of warblers had everyone scrambling to identify them before they moved out of range. Our next field trip will be October 24 to Millwood Lake. Check our ASCA website at www.ascabird.org for more information.

Karen Holliday

ASCA Field Trip Coordinator

Little Rock, AR

Here is species list from the trip:

Wood Duck, Double-crested Cormorant,  Green Heron, Red-shouldered Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, European Starling, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Summer Tanager, Prothonotary Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Pine Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Northern Cardinal