Arkansas Elderhostel 08

Arkansas Elderhostel 08
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1

Karen, Margaret, Gloria, J Pat, Kathy

Karen on Eagle Creek Rd

Arkansas 08_27
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1

This was just after we had seen her long desired Bald Eagles.

Buffalo Road Dinner

Buffalo Road Dinner
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1

Unforgettable, mellow, great company.

Buffalo Road-RCW trail

Buffalo Road-RCW trail
Originally uploaded by Jettpakk1

Joe explained a lot about the RCW management protocol, as well as the environment in the raea. We had a lot of good plant sightings to go with the birds.

Elderhostel 08 - Devil's Den to Queen Wilhelmina

May 11, 08, Sunday

I got to Devil's Den about 2:30 pm, checked into my cabin, a CCC construction remodeled to modern standards. Lots of hot water, and full kitchen. Took a shower and went out birding, found Gloria, the trip leader, unloaded some supplies, and then continued around the cabin area and along the creek. Thirty-five species by sundown, including a Cerulean Warbler at Gloria's cabin. We had dinner, lasagna, and introductions and orientation. Food was distributed for three breakfasts, and back to my cabin about dark. Left the window cracked to hear owls, but no luck.

May 12, 08, Monday

Started the morning birding around the visitor center, waiting for folks to show up for a hike on the Devil's Den trail. Harry Harnish, park interpretor, leads. We did the loop backwards so we could bird along the creek early, but eventually climbed the bluffs up to the main crevice caves. Great waterfalls. Some good birds, Green Heron, Kingfisher, great looks at Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at the VC. Best thing for me was finally seeing the red cap on an Eastern Kingbird, something I'd yearned for since seeing it on a stuffed specimen at Yellowstone at least ten years ago. Harry explained some of the geology of the Den, and finally confessed that it might be the only thing like it in the world. After that we drove into Winslow for the only cuisine in town, and it was good even if a very funky down-home setting.

Then headed south down scenic Highway 71 just into Crawford County and Cartwright Mountain. Some great birds, starting with a molting Summer Tanager, in the flame stage. Then a male and female Scarlet Tanager. Then a good look at an Eastern Wood-Pewee, followed by an Olive-sided Flycatcher, which I first thought was a Brown-headed Cowbird, since the angle of the full sun made the head look bronze, but when it moved around we were able to get a different opinion that fit better. All at one stop topped off by a Philadelphia Vireo. Nothing quite matched that run as we circled the mountain, but there were other good birds, including a clear but brief look at a Worm-eating Warbler. Stopped at the Artist's Point gift shop on the way back to the park for a break with many hummers, Indigo Buntings (with clear views of several females) and a mother ground-hog with four adorable babies who seemed to be on their first foray from the den. Charming.

Back to the park for a break while Gloria and I checked out a cedar glade as a possible birding spot, short break at the cabin for record keeping, about 65 species since arrival, some not seen by everyone since I had my personal list mixed in with the group's. Dinner at Gloria's cabin, AQ chicken and fixins, barely moderated the urge to truly pig out. Finale was the bat program by the unstoppable Harry Harnish again. Great show, first a lot of Q&A backgrounding, then listening to while watching Big Brown Bats, and Eastern Pipistrels using a frequency translating device so we could hear the clicks and feeding buzzes while watching maneuvers. That made long active day.

May 13, 08, Tuesday

Up really early, first light, stagger about and then wait for the group to assemble. Taped in a great view of a Yellow-throated Warbler. Tried for 7 o'clock departure, got off at 7:30. Drive to Fayetteville airport, XNA really, in Benton County, switch out too small minivan for the real thing, 12 seater. Got a House Sparrow while waiting on the tarmac. Then up to Centerton Hatchery, with big high pool drained and one of the lower ones. Didn't seem too promising. A Spotted Sandpiper, Mallards, two more sandpipers, then Coots. Went to the upper pool. Blue-winged Teals, Wilson's Phalaropes, other shorebirds, the two Caspian Terns which made my day, followed by another fifteen or so, which made my moon-shot. Egret and Great Blue. Headed into Decatur for lunch, then up towards Maysville for grasslands. Good looks at Dicksissels, Scissortails, and Meadowlarks, no sparrows. Things kind of slow but for a flock of Yellow Warblers in the distance as we stood on a bridge.

Drove south to the University Museum, not open to the public, some bizarre and stupid funding shortage. There's a colection, but no display. We got into the inner sanctum where Gloria used to work. Very special treat. Huge climate controlled room with endless shelves and cabinets of pottery and skeletons and skins and eggs and jars of pickled critters. We saw two stuffed Passenger Pigeons, an Elephant Bird egg, the size of a basketball, seriously, biggest egg ever laid, bigger than any dinosaur. Ostrich eggs are more like a softball for comparison. Beautiful specimens, drawers full of bats and mice and muskrats. A Gorilla skeleton. A simply stupendous fossilized crocodillian from the same quarry that yielded Archaeopterix. Around twelve feet of perfection including larynx cartilage and lunch. Incredible detail and finish.

Almost as a let-down and as a time killer until dinner, we crossed the street to a little tree filled park and found three more species: Yellow-rump, House Finch, and a Kestrel. After dinner in town a a brew-pub there were Common Nighthawks calling overhead, and finally a Barred Owl on a sign as we got back to Devil's Den. Twenty-five new species for the day, making 89 for the trip so far.

May 14, 08, Wednesday

Got the truck jumped and called up a Yellow-throated Vireo. Packed and out by about 8. Drive down to Ft Smith, Gloria driving mostly. Stopped at Spring Hill Park (Redstart, Waxwings, a whole bridge full of Cliff Swallows) just over the river, then Janet Huckabee Nature Center in Fort Chafee. It's a brand new facility, the building is quite nice, there's a good trail map, and the trails are routed through some good habitat. The parts we managed to get to as the rain was starting were heavily grown up, brushy thickets or honeysuckle jungles, good for the birds but hard to see into. Several good birds at the center, including a Pair of Painted Buntings on the feeders (pressure is off that one), a really late White-crowned Sparrow, Bell's Vireo, and an empid that was not clearly identifiable. Probably Least by eye-ring and shape, probably Willow by call, there might have even been two. Duh. Into Barling for a good lunch after being driven inside by increasing rain. On south to Waldron, Wally world stop, then the fishing lake there where we called up a Pine Warbler.

Arrive Queen Wilhelmina around 4:30, settle in rooms, then a brief jaunt down the north side trail. Not much bird action, but lots of great flowers blooming late from the nature of the spring weather. The beginning of the fattening for slaughter in their dining room, death by desert. Another edition of the Brad Holleman toilet paper geology talk. This should be on videotape. He's so cool. Right now catching up records and journals. 100 species made by two Cooper's Hawks driving up to the park, us driving, them flying that is.

Eldehostel 08 - Queen Wilhelmina and surrounding area

May 15, 08, Thursday

Really foggy morning, I mean really. Nobody came for the seven o'clock hike, which would have been pointless. After breakfast the stalwarts headed for the north side trail that goes to Lover's Leap. Why is it never accountant's leap or lawyer' leap. Anyway in dripping fog and drizzling trees we got the king of Kentucky Warblers. It came for its own call. It came for all the others. It followed us, and at one point seemed about to attack my shoe; that close. More looks at several other woodland birds that we'd already seen. We wandered around in the fog up on the hilltop, but finally gave up. By the time we saw anything we were so close that they either flushed, or couldn't see any color or detail. So we ate and slept until it was time to drive below the fog to Boles and meet Joe Neal (who birded down the county road with us for about thirty minutes) and then Brad and Allison the interpreter trainee and Daniel the new Ranger. Then we drove down Buffalo Creek road making several stops.

The first was a dip on the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, hereafter RCWs, but some good birds, Chat, some warblers, and then a flock of Red Crossbills. I thought Joe was going to dance a jig. It's a really rare bird in Arkansas, new for my state list for sure. We chased up the hill trying to get the right angles for viewing (they were way in the tops of the cone filled trees), and finally were pretty sure we had a flock of sixteen. Also a great look at a Red-headed Woodpecker. At the next stop we called in a pair of RCWs, a life bird for almost everyone. Same for the Brown-headed Nuthatch that we got back at the road. We got a Prairie Warbler to call back clearly, but it wouldn't come out for a look. We made a couple more stops trying to get a Bachman's Sparrow to come to the tape, without luck. Drove back to Y city for a bathroom break, then back to the woods for dinner. This was big tables and chairs set up out of the back of the park truck and good thick sandwiches and fixins. Great conversation, laughter and stories while waiting for dusk. Around eight we packed up, the park folks headed back, and the Elderhostlers went to our Whipchucking corner. When it was about totally dark we got the two nightjars, but earlier we also had Common Nighthawks. Three nightjar night and enough to let us get back to the lodge. Added eleven species for the trip.

May 16, 08, Friday.

Birded the campground again on a clear chilly windy morning. Mostly hoping for Orchard Oriole, but dipped. Breakfast and then down the mountain into Mena, and check out the train station museum. It was OK, and had a Lum & Abner room which fit in with going to the Lum & Abner store next. Good thing too since we found a Blue Grosbeak there, the only one of the trip. Those two stops and a drive to Waldren and getting gas used up enough of the morning to call for lunch, good cheap Mexican. Huevos Rancheros, yummm. That set us up for more birding.

We went to an area near the forest service District Office, that we call the ranches. The luck got good, with Karen, a Hostler finding another Painted Bunting, and then to fulfill her wish and repay her luck, I found two Bald Eagles, her main target for the trip, flying fairly high but low enough for good details. Down the road we got shorebirds, a Common Merganser, and a Savannah Sparrow. The good finds were adding up. Then we decided to go to Heavener, OK to see the Runestone. Quandary: whether to go back to Waldron and get another highway, or stay on the one we were on and catch the other farther west after county dirt road bushwhacking. I opted for bushwhacking. It worked pretty well, the dirt road got smaller and narrower, became a forest road, we were checking map and compass, when a farmer came by and I begged directions. Good thing too sine there were intersections and turns not on the map, and signs were unheard of out there in remote Scott County. WE ended exactly where we wanted, and went on to the Runestone Park. Got a Roadrunner there. The stone is about twelve feet tall and wide, pretty immense, and the runes are a foot tall and, well, runic. I had the sense they were authentic, and threw a new angle into my prehistory ideas.

Back to the lodge by the west end of Talamena Drive, a short break, another too much supper with dessert, final list tallies, good cheer, prizes and what-not. Now I'm writing this journal, and I'm tired. Good-night.

May 17, 08, Saturday

We were out of Queen Wilhelmina by 7:45, and had delivered Margaret and Patty to the Ft Smth Airport by 9:45. Would have been sooner but for air show traffic. Into Devil's Den for more good-byes, and shifting stuff into my truck to go to Gloria's. She and I had lunch in West Fork, then delivered the van back to Avis at the mall. I dropped her and her stuff at her house and went on home. Not a great pile of mail, house OK, took a big nap.

Sightings for Elderhostel birding in Northwestern Arkansas, May 2008

Species seen from 5/11/2008 to 5/16/2008

Great Blue Heron - several
Great Egret - Centerton
Green Heron - Devil's Den

Canada Goose - several groups
Mallard - Centerton
Blue-winged Teal - Centerton
Common Merganser - Waldron Ranch pond

Black Vulture - several
Turkey Vulture - everywhere

Bald Eagle - 2 flying at Waldron Ranches
Cooper's Hawk - 3 sightings from moving vehicle
Red-shouldered Hawk - 2 sightings, ditto
Red-tailed Hawk - several, ditto

American Kestrel - Ag Center Park, flying, found by Gloria

American Coot - Centerton

Killdeer - several places

Short-billed Dowitcher - Centerton
Long-billed Dowitcher - Waldron Ranch ponds
Greater Yellowlegs - Waldron Ranch ponds
Lesser Yellowlegs - Centerton, may have been Greater
Spotted Sandpiper - Centerton and Ranch ponds
Semipalmated Sandpiper - Centerton
White-rumped Sandpiper - Centerton, found by Margaret
Wilson's Phalarope - Centerton

Ring-billed Gull - AR river, seen by Kathy

Caspian Tern - about twenty at Centerton

Rock Pigeon - Ag Center and other places
Eurasian Collared-Dove - several seen from vehicle
Mourning Dove - many in lots of places

Greater Roadrunner - Runestone Park, OK

Barred Owl - driving into DD, seen from front seats

Common Nighthawk - Buffalo Road
Chuck-will's-widow - Buffalo Road
Whip-poor-will - Buffalo Road

Chimney Swift - many in several places

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Feeders at DD, others also

Belted Kingfisher - DD, near Maysville at river bridge

Red-headed Woodpecker - RCW area on Buffalo Road
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Several places
Downy Woodpecker - Gloria's cabin, Spring Hill Park, others
Red-cockaded Woodpecker - RCW recovery area, Ouachita Nat Forest
Northern Flicker - Ag Park, somewher else (?)
Pileated Woodpecker - several heard, seen flying at Boles

Olive-sided Flycatcher - Cartwright Mountain
Eastern Wood-Pewee - several, Cartwright
Empid sp - Huckabee Nature Center
Acadian Flycatcher - A few, scattered sites
Eastern Phoebe - Many heard, some seen
Great Crested Flycatcher - Several, best sighting at Waldron fishing lake
Eastern Kingbird - Many, red crown seen at DD
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - along roads everywhere

Purple Martin - Best at Lum and Abner's Store
Tree Swallow - a few individuals
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - At Mikey's in Winslow, DD
Cliff Swallow - large nesting flock at Spring Hill Park
Barn Swallow - All over open country

Cedar Waxwing - Spring Hill, L&A

Carolina Wren - Many calling, some seen

Gray Catbird - Spring Hill
Northern Mockingbird - Gadzooks
Brown Thrasher - Boles

Eastern Bluebird - Quite a few on rural wires and such
Swainson's Thrush - DD, Cartwright
Wood Thrush - DD, Cartwright
American Robin - All over

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Several, best on Buffalo Road, Huckabee

Carolina Chickadee - Here and there
Tufted Titmouse - More heres and theres

Brown-headed Nuthatch - RCW area
White-breasted Nuthatch - Many in many places

Blue Jay - Everywhere
American Crow - Everywhere
Fish Crow - heard and seen at DD, Ranch ponds

European Starling - Everywhere, mostly

House Sparrow - The usual places

White-eyed Vireo - Calling at Huckabee
Bell's Vireo - Calling at Huckabee
Yellow-throated Vireo - Best from Gloria's porch in DD
Philadelphia Vireo - Cartwright
Red-eyed Vireo - All woodland stops

House Finch - L&A
Red Crossbill - RCW area
American Goldfinch - best at DD feeders

Tennessee Warbler - Several in woods
Nashville Warbler - DD
Northern Parula - Many calling, seen well at Sprinh Hill
Yellow Warbler - Several stops, best seen at Ag Cntr park
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Ag Cntr park
Yellow-throated Warbler - Gloria's porch, others calling
Pine Warbler - Good at Aldron fishing lake, RCW area
Prairie Warbler - Calling at RCW
Black-and-white Warbler - Many heard and seen in woodlands
American Redstart - Best seen at Sprinh Hill
Worm-eating Warbler - Good but brief at Cartwright
Ovenbird - Best on north slope at Queen Wilhelmina
Louisiana Waterthrush- Several heard calling, no good quality visuals
Kentucky Warbler - QW north slope, very aggressive
Common Yellowthroat - heard severla palces, brief sightings
Hooded Warbler - Seen well at QW north slope
Yellow-breasted Chat - RCW raea

Scarlet Tanager - Best on Cartwright
Summer Tanager - Many seen and heard, one flame color molting male

Eastern Towhee - Pat and Gloria heard at DD cedar glade
Chipping Sparrow - Here and there
Lark Sparrow - In fog at QW parking lot
Savannah Sparrow - Waldron Ranches
White-crowned Sparrow - Huckabee feeder

Northern Cardinal - Everywhere
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - DD feeders, Mon morning
Blue Grosbeak - L&A, molting 1st year male
Indigo Bunting - Everywhere
Painted Bunting - Huckabee, Waldron ranch road, found by Karen
Dickcissel - Best seen near Maysville
.
Red-winged Blackbird - Many, females studied
Eastern Meadowlark - All grasslands
Common Grackle - Everywhere
Brown-headed Cowbird - Several places
Baltimore Oriole - Best at Spring Hill, some in DD
Orchard Oriole - Waldron Ranch rooad

Species seen - 119, but not all seen by all participants