OH Nooo.....

In the immortal words of Mr. Bill, Ohh Nooo!!!! Why? Turns out we made a slight miscalculation. Edward (young scribe, Mr. Zoology) is also a member of the Pearl River Community College Marching Wildcats, i.e., the marching band. Ed has two important dates that are coming up; July 30th, the first band meeting of the year, and August 5th, check-in day at College. That's why we're dashing to Arkansas, spending 3 intense days, then dashing back.

The problem? Turns out the first band meeting is not July 30th, but July 31st, the day we're supposed to be traveling to Arkansas. As if that's not enough, the band meeting is from 6pm to 8:30pm. Darnit! This means cutting out an entire day of birdwatching, and when you only have three days, that's 1/3 of the birdwatching time.

I'm left with few choices, but I've come up with what I think is the best; get some sleep during the day on Thursday and leave when Ed comes back. Drive straight to Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge instead of going to Lake Dardanelle first. Spend the whole day there then go to Lake Dardanelle State Park that evening.

It won't be hard. I've done it before, I can do it now. Ed can get some sleep during the night. I've also rethought out my plans; instead of spending half a day at Lake Dardanelle I might go back to Holla Bend instead. The write up on Holla Bend is impressive and I think Ed and I will do our best raptor watching there. Anyway, we'll see.

So sometime Thursday night son Edward and I will be on the road, and be up blind and early to spy on birds of prey in the hills of Arkansas. Unless something else happens. :)

T minus 3

This weekend I spent time working on my list of needed equipment plus provisions for the trip. Most of this is basic; no one would go birdwatching without field glasses! However there are a few other things I want to have in place that although obvious may be out of line of sight; a first aid kit, sunglasses, broad brimmed hats, comfortable walking shoes with LOTS of socks, sun tan lotion, and the like.

Because the trip will only be 3 days we're going to have to squeeze in as much as we can. July 31st is the drive to Lake Dardanelle. August 1st is the whole day at the Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, about 20 miles away. August 2nd will be half the day at Lake Dardanelle, then travel to Bull Shoals State park, around 85 miles away. August 3rd will be all day at Bull Shoals. August 4th will be the trip home. August 5th, Ed is back at school, getting books and his room.

REALLY not much time. We're going to have to squeeze in as much watching as possible, plus a little fun and (hopefully) blog updating if I can find Internet access.

Despite my basic sloppiness I'm a neat freak dying to get out. When planning on the trip I didn't want to have a bunch of loose papers and directions spread out everywhere. One of the my all-time best gifts was a Star Trek notebook. It's handsized, ruled horizontally and vertically, and perfect for notes and other things. I pulled the maps off Yahoo for the route and taped them in the book, making it easier to carry and reference.

Yes, I know, it looks anal, but it works for me.

Besides, planning is half the fun!

Thursday we will be on our way to Ar-Kan-Sas. Boids and raptors here we come!

The Magic of Raptor Watching

There is nothing so enjoyable as bird watching. Bird watching is done the world over, and groups follow migration paths to watch all form of birds as they fly, fight, love, die, give birth, and live.

A unique group in the bird world are those that stand at the top of the food chain, the raptors. These birds are known as Birds of Prey, the controllers of populations.

The services that raptors provide are multifaceted. They help to cull the population of their prey. When predators are removed from the prey what usually follows is an overpopulation. Weak and diseased animals spread disease and ultimately damage the herd. Predators help to remove these animals and actually straighten the species.

Raptors are the one of the great garbage collectors. Vultures are usually thought of in this vein, but all birds of prey will usually accept a dead carcass when a live one can't be found. By removing the dead they keep breeders of disease clear from the general animal population.

Raptors are a valuable measuring stick to the health of an ecosystem. Where predators are not found the ecosystem is unstable. Without a controller of the population there is no natural balance to nature.

Finally raptors are beautiful. Their esoteric beauty is balanced by their efficiency. They represent nature at it's most selective in form and function. It's no wonder since man gazed and admired them they have used them as personal symbols; represent strength and suppleness, in one hand the sublime and in the other the proud.

Raptor Watching

How do you go watch raptors? Pretty much like birds. However raptor watching takes a little extra work. As predators raptors are animals that prefer to stay unobserved while they stalk their prey. To find them, you need to be either of two places; where their prey is, and where they live.

Road Trip!

My son are I are going on a raptor watching trip to northwest Arkansas, to look for falcons, hawks, ospreys, kites, owls, and yes, the occasional vulture. Eagles nest in northwest Arkansas but have long gone. They will be migrating back in the winter; if we get a chance we will be going back to spy some of these magnificent animals.

Why Arkansas? My son, Edward, is a raptor enthusiast. He is a biology major, is a junior in college and plans to make avian biology his life, more importantly, birds of prey. The National Peregrine Foundation in Idaho has a captive breeding program where they breed the birds and relocate them across the country. One such place is in New Mexico. If Ed gets the job he'll spend 10 weeks during the summer living in the hills watching and observing, taking care of the hatchings until they are old enough to fly away. We camped a little when he was younger but for this he wants to experience raptor watching in as close an environment as he will experience in New Mexico.

On July 31st, Edward and I (my name is David, btw) will be traveling to the Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge in Dardanelle, Arkansas. We'll start there and then go to Bull Shoals in northern Arkansas. We'll spend three days tromping through the Arkansas brush seeking out raptors (but watching for other birds as well), then come home. This blog will (or try to be) updated every day. That plus pictures! If you have done your own birdwatching, contribute! We would love to hear of your experiences. Will be updating this site on my plans, etc. Until then, happy birdwatching! (or raptorwatching!)