Sunday, September 7, 2014

Kessler Mountain bird blitz report by Joe Neal


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KESSLER MOUNTAIN BIOBLITZ BIRDS‏

 
 
4:17 PM
 
 
To: ARBIRD-L@LISTSERV.uark.edu
Cc: Robert N. Wiedenmann
Below is a list from the bioblitz held in the Kessler Mountain Preserve park at Fayetteville, from 3 PM September  6 to 3 PM September 7, 2014. We birders were invited to participate by Robert Wiedenmann in UA Entomology and Terri Lane of Northwest Arkansas Land Trust. Another sponsor was Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, who kept the food coming. They made it possible to just go birding.

Our own Mitchell Pruitt from Arkansas Audubon Society collected bird data both days and linked up with folks from JD Willson Lab (herps) and the entomologists, who set up an ID lab with necessary microscopes right on site at Frank Sharp’s place. This morning (September 7) we had three birding groups on the mountain.

Doug James and Elizabeth Adam took care of the roadside birding on the lower slopes. Mitchell and I divided a group of 15 or so and tramped two miles of trails through forest across the top of the mountain. Lovely elm-leaf goldenrod the whole way.

The bold-faced birds are transients that are always good finds here, including obvious fly-overs (4 Franklin’s Gulls) and a kettle of Mississippi Kites (8) Mitchell saw this morning; maybe they night roosted nearby.  Mitchell’s Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was in the shale barren in the center of the preserve. We found Scarlet Tanagers in several places (they nest on the mountain), all eye-catching lime green with black wings. 

Kessler’s forest includes an abundance of snags, just heaven for woodpeckers, and especially Hairy Woodpeckers, one of my personal favorites. And lots and lots of fungi, which I imagine they are still identifying in the lab, along with tiny insects. Thanks guys and may god who cares about all creatures great and small bless and restore your eyes.

Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture
Mississippi Kite
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Franklin's Gull
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Previous messageNext messageBack to messages

KESSLER MOUNTAIN BIOBLITZ BIRDS‏

 
 
4:17 PM
 
 
To: ARBIRD-L@LISTSERV.uark.edu
Cc: Robert N. Wiedenmann
Below is a list from the bioblitz held in the Kessler Mountain Preserve park at Fayetteville, from 3 PM September  6 to 3 PM September 7, 2014. We birders were invited to participate by Robert Wiedenmann in UA Entomology and Terri Lane of Northwest Arkansas Land Trust. Another sponsor was Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, who kept the food coming. They made it possible to just go birding.

Our own Mitchell Pruitt from Arkansas Audubon Society collected bird data both days and linked up with folks from JD Willson Lab (herps) and the entomologists, who set up an ID lab with necessary microscopes right on site at Frank Sharp’s place. This morning (September 7) we had three birding groups on the mountain.

Doug James and Elizabeth Adam took care of the roadside birding on the lower slopes. Mitchell and I divided a group of 15 or so and tramped two miles of trails through forest across the top of the mountain. Lovely elm-leaf goldenrod the whole way.

The bold-faced birds are transients that are always good finds here, including obvious fly-overs (4 Franklin’s Gulls) and a kettle of Mississippi Kites (8) Mitchell saw this morning; maybe they night roosted nearby.  Mitchell’s Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was in the shale barren in the center of the preserve. We found Scarlet Tanagers in several places (they nest on the mountain), all eye-catching lime green with black wings. 

Kessler’s forest includes an abundance of snags, just heaven for woodpeckers, and especially Hairy Woodpeckers, one of my personal favorites. And lots and lots of fungi, which I imagine they are still identifying in the lab, along with tiny insects. Thanks guys and may god who cares about all creatures great and small bless and restore your eyes.

Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture
Mississippi Kite
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Franklin's Gull
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Canada Warbler
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Field Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
American Goldfinch
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Canada Warbler
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Field Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
American Goldfinch

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Trails should be built outside the riparian zone of streams

Trail only 18 inches higher than flow of Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River under S. School Avenue. Whose idea was this? Rain had slacked off but more could come. Video at 8:23 a.m. Tuesday, September 2, 2014. Ever drive South College when was was flowing over the bridge and bridge was temporarily closed? Now there is less room for water under the bridge.
http://youtu.be/I-8w_HpVdKU?list=UUwcZunxqSV3zcgvRJqBn-Qw