Arkansas!
Eureka Springs, AR
Wednesday 12 June 2024
84 °F
SUNDAY, MAY 26:
Since May 22 (and until July 20!), I am living near Eureka Springs, Arkansas to sing two major operatic roles at a small young artist company here called Opera in the Ozarks. The good news on the birding front: it is nestled in the beautiful, forested Ozark Mountains and birds absolutely abound here! So, let’s cut to the case — May 26 was the first day I got out birding.
A quick jaunt along Blue Springs Rd right before lunch landed me a few birds like WHITE-EYED VIREO, a staple of the southeast:
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW:
And, to my delight, a late migrant OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER! I was worried I had arrived too late to get any obvious migrants around here but I was super stoked to pick up this Olive-sided, a year bird for me.
Later in the day in the much cooler hours of the evening, I headed back down Blue Springs Rd and singing male INDIGO BUNTINGS proliferated. Here are two different birds and you can see how much their plumage changes depending on lighting — the blue after all is caused by iridescence, rather than typical pigmentation. 
I also got absolutely BEAUTIFUL views of this male SUMMER TANAGER that would just not stop singing from his bare perch:
A few friends and I made it to this beautiful overlook 1.5 miles down the road:
Complete with a BALD EAGLE:
And a sunning TURKEY VULTURE:
And my lifer Prairie Ring-necked Snake I flipped!
On the way back, I also enjoyed beautiful looks at my F.O.Y. PRAIRIE WARBLER:
EASTERN BLUEBIRD:
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER:
And a beautiful evening snapshot of this male YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER that continually sings (to this day!) above the men’s dorm here!
Bird-of-the-day to the Olive-sided Flycatcher with runner-up to the Prairie Warbler.
More fun southern birds to come!
Happy birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1303 Species
Thanks for the pics! Last time I birded near Eureka was, oh, 30 years ago-hahaha. I love the sounds of the Pileated woodpecker as well as the barred owl. What a treat to have the warbler near your dorm! Enjoy but beware of ticks!!!
by Mary McCutchan