WISN surveys near Chatfield, AR

Today we did 9 snipe surveys in a township near Chatfield, Arkansas.  We thought the habitat in this township would be more wet, since it was so close to the Mississippi River, but the opposite was true.  We barely had any water in the fields we surveyed, which means we had barely any suitable snipe habitat. 

The day started off really cold, with a frost on the ground.  At a distance, horned larks almost looked like snipe, with all of their feathers puffed out to keep warm.  It seemed like every bird was twice its normal size, including a loggerhead shrike.

horned lark in frost

loggerhead shrike

As the day progressed, the sun warmed things up, and birds started to move (except for snipe).  On one stretch of a survey, in a hedgerow, we picked up a few species of note, including yellow-rumped warbler, eastern towhee, red-bellied woodpecker, and another ruby crowned kinglet.  The kinglet was fluttering about, checking out old woodpecker holes for bugs.

American robin

ruby-crowned kinglet (notice "fluttering" action of wings-distinctive behavior to kinglets)

ruby-crowned kinglet investigating woodpecker holes

And while the recently tilled and relatively dry fields weren't ideal for snipe, horned larks and American pipits found the habitat to be quite suitable, and showed up at a few of our transects.

American pipit

Other species of note throughout the day were at least 5 juvenile bald eagles (due to proximity of Mississippi River), and flocks of snow/blue geese.  We ended the day with a shrike, who was actively hunting small bugs from this perch.  Tomorrow we begin surveys in one of three townships in the northern area of Mississippi, and will then head back into Arkansas.

snow/blue geese

loggerhead shrike hunting