FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Adult Red-throated Loon - Horseshoe Lake, AR

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

March 3-4, 2007
Horseshoe Lake
Wapanocca NWR
Crittenden Co. AR
 
Sunday, March 4th,  I photographed an adult winter plumaged  Red-throated 
Loon at Horseshoe Lake. We don't get too many Red-throated Loons  here along 
the 
river. The bird was in the southeast corner of the lake, east of  Bruins 
Plantation. Also present were flotillas of Lesser Scaup, Canvasback,  Redhead 
and 
Ruddy Ducks. A few White Pelicans flew out of the area heading west  while DC 
Cormorants fished, accompanied by Ring-billed and Bonaparte's Gulls.  Purple 
Martins, Tree Swallows and a single Rough-winged Swallows were found at  all 
points over the lake.
 
On Saturday, I located hundreds of Killdeer, 84 Least Sandpipers, 1  Lesser 
Yellowlegs and 34 Pectoral Sandpipers at the old location of Benwood  Lake off 
highway 50. This lake has pretty much been destroyed by farming  practices but 
produces enough wet lands each spring for good shorebird numbers.  These 
historical shorebird sites still beckon the Wind Birds year after year.  
Wilson's 
Snipe were found in wet holes at 5 locations over the 2 days.  Sunday, I 
stopped to look at an Appaloosa and a young Clydesdale in a  pasture and found 
3 
American Golden-Plovers, early arrivals but Aaron Gwin had  one the day before.
 
I ran back by Benwood on Sunday and found 2 Short-eared Owls up flying  
around at 8:30. They were not hunting but acted like something had disturbed  
them. 
The water had frozen over and most of the shorebirds had moved out. A  large 
flock (3800+) of Snow Geese harbored 21 Ross's and 34 Greater  White-fronted. 
A small group made up of 6 female and 8 male Brewers  Blackbirds were 
strutting the mud flat along with a few Pipits. On Bob White  Road, I located 
84 
Lapland Longspurs Saturday but no Western Meadowlarks. The  Westerns were found 
off 
of the old Marion Road west of Alligator Bayou (2)and in  a field south of 
Bruins (5). Vesper Sparrows were seen at Wapanocca NWR at two  places along the 
roadsides. 
 
A Red-tailed Hawk sat on a nest near the Maintenance Buildings at  Wapanocca 
while having food brought in by a mate, seems a little early but then  I found 
another Red-tail in Memphis on a nest. I picked these up while checking  for 
Great Horned nests, I located my 16th active Great Horned for the season off  
the levee below Horseshoe Lake.
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135
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