MARCH 20

Cook’s Landing, North Little Rock/Maumelle

Meet at Cook’s Landing at 8:30 a.m. We’ll explore the Isabella Jo Trail and the Pfeiffer Loop Trail, both are easy walking. The trails at Cook’s Landing offer a diverse habitat, which includes the riparian area of the Arkansas River, and should provide us with a variety of birds. We will finish with a short climb to the top of the Big Dam Bridge. This will be half day trip. Bring water and light snacks.

Directions: From Little Rock take I-430 North across the river bridge. Take Exit 12 Maumelle/Crystal Hill Road. Turn right (east) onto Crystal Hill Road (Hwy. 100) At the stoplight, turn right onto Northshore Drive. Take the first right onto Cook’s Landing Road and follow it to the first parking lot on your right at the North Little Rock Police guard shack.

APRIL 10

Frog Bayou WMA, Dyer, AR (Crawford Co.)

Meet at 6:30 a.m. at the Mayflower commuter lot located at Exit 135 off I-40 West. Frog Bayou WMA is one of Arkansas’ newest wildlife management areas, established in 2005 by the AGFC in partnership with Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service. This former farm is a wetland restoration area, with migratory waterfowl as its main user. Secretive marsh birds like King Rail, Sora, Virginia Rail, and Least Bittern will be our target birds. A variety of wading birds such as herons and egrets also visit the area. Walking will be on unpaved, level paths. If time allows, we may check the Alma Sewer Treatment ponds for Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Bring water, snacks, and a sack lunch. We will return to Little Rock by late afternoon.

For those in western Arkansas who would like to join us, meet our group at 8:45 a.m. at the Kountry Xpress Truck Stop south of I-40 West at Exit 20 at Dyer. FYI-a breakfast buffet is available at the truck stop.

April 30-May 2

Arkansas Audubon Society’s Spring Convention

ASCA encourages birders to participate in the 2010 Spring Convention of the Arkansas Audubon Society. The conference is being held Friday, April 30 through Sunday, May 2 in Hope, Arkansas. Information and registration form can be found at www.arbirds.org.

MAY 8

Pinnacle Mountain State Park, West Little Rock

Help celebrate International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 8. Join ASCA in participating in citizen science by counting birds in the Pulaski County area. Meet at the parking lot of the Arkansas (Arboretum) Trail at 7:00 a.m. The trail is a ¾ mile loop, so late arrivals can easily catch up to the group. Spring migrants will be our goal. If time allows, we may walk the Kingfisher Trail, or hike the Rocky Valley Trail to the East Quarry Trail, which has dramatic vistas of Pinnacle Mountain and the Arkansas River Valley. The Arkansas (Arboretum) Trail and Kingfisher Trail are paved with slight inclines. The Rocky Valley Trail is unpaved and has very uneven terrain. Bring water and light snacks. This is a half day trip.

Directions to Arkansas (Arboretum) Trail: Take Hwy. Chenal Parkway (Hwy. 10) west to the Hwy. 300 intersection. Turn north on Hwy. 300. Go approximately three miles, turn right onto Pinnacle Valley Road. Follow it until you see the Arkansas Arboretum sign and parking lot on your right.

FIELD TRIP REPORTS

TWO RIVERS AND LAKE MAUMELLE

FEB. 13, 2010

Saturday, Feb. 13, we started our field trip at Two Rivers Park.  17 people participated, including three new ASCA members.  Boots on, we fanned out across the open field trying to flush sparrows.  Quite of bit of crunchy snow was still on the ground making it challenging to sneak up on the birds.  Within two hours we had flushed eight species of sparrows.  We were thrilled to find six LeCONTE’S Sparrows!  We also got good looks at Vesper, Fox, Lincoln, Field, Song, and Savannah Sparrows, plus one possible Henslow’s Sparrow.  On the way out, we adding Chipping Sparrow.  We had a total of 36 species.

We moved to Lake Maumelle where we met up with Kenny and LaDonna Nichols.  Loons were our goal.  At the marina, we saw our first Common Loons.  At Loon Point, we had more Common Loons, plus Common Goldeneyes, Greater and Lesser Scaup. Buffleheads and one Bald Eagle.  Several Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets were so tame, the photographers in our group were able to get photos of the normally hyperactive birds.  We then moved to the Hundley Road Causeway.  Doris and Dottie Bolyes were already there and had spotted the RED-THROATED and PACIFIC Loons.  The loons stayed in the same place giving everyone great looks.  The loons were life and state birds for many.  We also had three BALD EAGLES and two AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS.  At Vista Point, we saw a second RED-THROATED LOON, another Bald Eagle, and an additional pelican.  At Vista, we had 23 species in less than an hour. 

At this point in the trip, eight birders decided to continue on, not even stopping for lunch.  We headed for a little used trail on the north side of the lake that is accessed from Hwy. 113.  The trail took us out to the point that has the rock chimney. We were able look back across the lake towards Hundley Causeway and Vista Point, plus into a couple of the bays not visible from the south side of the lake.  We hoped to find the Yellow-billed Loon.  We did not find the loon, but did see the Pacific Loon that we had seen from Hundley, plus more White Pelicans.  Two Barred Owls were calling back and forth.  We saw 22 species.

Karen Holliday

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