About Pond Creek NWR:
(From the US Fish&Wildlife Website):
Geographically positioned in a area where the Central and Mississippi flyways overlap, Pond Creek Refuge provides outstanding habitat for waterfowl. The forested wetlands of the refuge are used by migrating and wintering waterfowl during the fall, winter and spring. Mallards, gadwall, American wigeon and wood ducks are among the over 15 species of waterfowl that traditionally use the seasonally flooded wetland habitats of the refuge. Other species seen less often include northern shoveler; blue and green-winged teal.
The hardwood dominated forested wetlands of Pond Creek Refuge provide outstanding habitat for an abundance of birdlife, particularly neotropical migratory songbirds. Neotropical birds use the refuge as a rest stop during fall and spring migration to replenish energy reserves for the long journey to and from wintering areas in Central and South America. This habitat is also used for breeding and nesting during the spring and summer for many of these species. Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, Carolina wren. Prothonotary warbler; northern cardinal, swainsons warbler; summer tanager; Kentucky warbler; and white-throated sparrow are among the over 20 species of migrants that nest here.
April 17th Excursion
I arrived at Pond Creek NWR at around 1:00pm, after first getting a larger map from the Refuge Office. My first plan was to drive through the NWR and find the most appealing campsite, then look for birds in the area. The rain I encountered while leaving Red Slough had lessened but it was still sprinkling at Pond Creek. I decided to drive over to the campgrounds found at Yellow Banks, along the Little River.
While driving to Yellow Banks I spotted several Great Egrets, a couple of Great Blue Heron, and a Red-Shouldered Hawk all searching for food in the marshy puddles along the road.
At Yellow Banks I gathered my equipment and walked to a small path running along the Little River. I watched a group of swallows as they swooped along the water's surface for food, periodically landing on a large snag to perch and call to one another. I identified the swallows as Northern rough-winged Swallows, the first time I have seen the species. Overhead my position a particularly loud male Northern Cardinal was belting out his cheer song. The familiar calls of several Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice were also present.
I scanned the far banks of the river (The yellow banks, in fact) for anything of note and noticed a small bird walking along the large snag. The bird was within inches of the water, probing about the collected limbs and debris, tail bobbing all the while. I consulted my guide, knowing the culprit to be a waterthrush, and determined it to be a Louisiana Waterthrush. From the dense forest I could hear the familiar, ascending call of the Prothonotory Warbler. By this time I was being eaten alive by a swarm of mosquitoes (even using insect repellent), so I figured that Pond Creek might be the most ideal location to camp.
I took photos of some of the other campsites (Gillihad Shoals, Red Lake, Stag Lake) and plotted a course to the Cossatot River State Park, some 60 miles north of Pond Creek.
Bird Count:
Location: Pond Creek NWR - Yellow Banks/ Gillihad Shoals - Horatio, ARObservation date: 4/17/09 Number of species: 13
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa 2
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 3
Great Egret - Ardea alba 3
Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus 1
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx serripennis 5
Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 2
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 1
Prothonotary Warbler - Protonotaria citrea 1
Louisiana Waterthrush - Seiurus motacilla 1
Field Sparrow - Spizella pusilla 1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 2
Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 2
New Addition's to SPQ's Lifelist:
153) Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Photos: (Numbered from top to bottom)
1) A small pond intended for fishing along Central Road in the northern section of Pond Creek NWR.
2) A small slough that formed along Tram Road in the NWR.
3) A view of the Little River from the Yellow Banks campground.
4) Another view of the Little River, this time from the Gillihad Shoals campground.
5) A view of the towering pine trees along Nobels Mound Road.
6) A photo of the serene water of a slough attached to Spring Lake.
-SPQ 4/22/2009
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