City link below offers wide range of information to help cope with ice-storm problems

Fayetteville city Web site offers information on ice-storm related concerns, debris pickup, shelters, other services

Please name the bird not part of the flock on World Peace Wetland Prairie

Please click on images to identify birds on World Peace Wetland Prairie from sundown to dusk on January 29, 2009.




Joe Neal identified the odd bird among the doves as a sapsucker!

Woodpeckers can have a great year in Fayetteville if people will keep the damaged trees that die later from the ice storm

Please click on images to ENLARGE view of woodpecker on World Peace Wetland Prairie at about sunset on January 29, 2009.

Sparrows and other species search for scattered corn on ice on January 29, 2009

Please click on images for mix of birds enjoying scattering of chopped corn on icy ground in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on January 29, 2009.

Mallards enjoy south Fayetteville ice on January 29, 2009

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of mallards on ice in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on January 29, 2009.

Red-shouldered hawk hunts from willow tree on Pinnacle Foods wet prairie adjacent to WPWP on January 21, 2009

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of red-shouldered hawk on Pinnacle Prairie, adjacent to World Peace Wetland Prairie in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The hawk is perched in a willow tree on alert for small birds and mammals on the prairie.

David Oakley shares photos made in January 2009

Please click on image to ENLARGE.




I have attached a photo of a Pileated Woodpecker that I was able to capture at Lake Fayetteville a week or so ago. It is perhaps the best shot I have been able to get of that particular bird. I have also included two photos of Bald Eagles that I shot at the Gentry Eagle Watch Nature Trail yesterday.
G. David Oakley
Springdale, AR

Bonaparte's gulls crossing Beaver Lake's dam catch Joe Neal's attention on January 14, 2009

Yesterday morning, from about 7:30 AM to 9:20 AM, I watched as
Bonaparte's Gulls streamed into Beaver Lake in flocks of 10-30. By
9:30 I had tallied a minimum of 342 birds. They came in from the NE,
crossing the north end of the dam. After crossing into the dam site,
they continued up the lake and out of sight. Perhaps they had flown
from a night roost on Table Rock Lake, like Beaver an impoundment of
the former White River that begins just downstream from the Beaver dam
site. I know that 342 Bonaparte's Gulls are just chump change compared
to counts further south, but this is a very high count for NW
Arkansas. I'm not sure I'm a gullophile myself, but it was a
fascinating few hours, and I may have seen a fair percentage of the
Bonaparte's spread out on Beaver. Later in the day, the biggest flock
I saw was at Lost Bridge North Park, where approx. 45 Bonaparte's --
including a dozen Ring-billed -- worked a flock of 50 goldeneyes. It
was a windy day, but I did see the Western Grebe again from Slate Gap
Road.

JOSEPH C. NEAL in Fayetteville, Arkansas. "Nature is already as good
as it possibly can be. He who seeks to improve it will spoil it. He
who tries to direct it will mislead it and become lost himself." --
Chinese philosopher about 2,500 years ago

Short-eared owl photos from Chesney Prairie taken by David Oakley

Please click on images to ENLARGE photos of short-eared owl taken by David Oakley at Chesney Prairie on January 10, 2009.

Joe Neal reports that 25 people walked through Chesney Prairie Natural Area on Saturday and were rewarded by spotting many birds

Amazingly, in real cold & in a sharp, northwest wind, 25 people turned
out for a walk through Chesney Prairie NA sponsored by Northwest
Arkansas Audubon Society. It wasn't easy to see little birds in these
conditions -- fingers don't work binoculars so well. BUT, the prize was a
Short-eared Owl that flushed from a prairie mound in the tall grass.
It flew & circled, perched on a post, got photographed, flew some
more. This is at least the third mid-winter in a row that we have
found Short-eared Owls on this place.

Also: January is eagle month for NWA -- Bald Eagles seem now just
"everywhere." Bill Thurman & I counted 12 on our drive between between
Springdale & Siloam on 412. Art Evans from Gravette called me to say
he had 75 in one place--folks welcomed to visit. Joe Woolbright had 12
perched in one tree.

JOSEPH C. NEAL in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Dark-eyed Juncos common around World Peace Wetland Prairie in early January 2009

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of dark-eyed Junco 50 feet from World Peace Wetland Prairie on January 6, 2009.

Warren Fields offers a couple of extra treats for Saturday morning birders visiting Chesney Prairie

Warren Fields lives near Chesney Prairie Natural Area at Siloam
Springs. He has invited anyone interested to come by his place -- that
sometimes has interesting birds -- anytime after 8AM on Saturday --
the field trip starts at 10 AM Saturday, Jan. 10. Besides birds, he
has offered something further ... read on...his place is just a couple
of minutes from the field trip, too...

"Joe, I live near the Chesney and would like to extend an invitation
to everyone to come by for coffee and muffins before going birding.
Also the birding in my back yard is sometimes very interesting. For
those intersted, anytime after 8:00 AM would be fine.

If coming from Fayetteville on highway 412, turn north on highway 59,
go through the stop light at Cheri Whitlock and it is the first house
on the left.

Coming from Gentry on highway 59, go past Bill Young Road, and it is
the first house on the right past the two greenhouses. About a quarter
mile past Bill Young Road.

It is a red brick house set back a ways from the road. Thanks,
Warren Fields

Nest likely that of a field sparrow, according to Dr. Doug James

Please click on images to ENLARGE view of bird's nest 18 inches or so above the ground in the fork of a small sapling on World Peace Wetland Prairie on January 5, 2009.


Please click on "comments" below to give information about the likely creator of this nest, which was revealed by Lauren Hawkins while cutting back tall grass and other plants that had hidden the nest during the growing season. Dr. Doug James and Joe Neal said that this appeared to a field sparrow's nest.

Woodpecker and cardinal share free lunch

Please click image to ENLARGE view of woodpecker and female cardinal sharing hen scratch at World Peace Wetland Prairie edge on January 1, 2009.