The Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society will host a morning field trip to Lake Sequoyah on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 8:00 AM. This city park southeast of Fayetteville is one of our region’s most productive birding hotspots; we’ll admire everything it has to offer, but our goal will be to identify Prothonotary Warblers that have just returned from wintering grounds in Central and South America to nest in Northwest Arkansas.
Often called a “swamp warbler” in the southeast, these warblers forage above standing or slow-moving water, and breed in wooded areas near streams, lakes, flooded bottomland, and swamps. Prothonotary Warblers are one of the only warblers to build their nests in holes in standing dead trees. Lake Sequoyah is one of the best places in Washington County to see these spectacular warblers.
The field trip will be led by local birder Todd Ballinger, an English teacher at Fayetteville High School, who has extensive experience birding at this location.
Meet at the main marina paved parking lot promptly at 8:00 AM (GPS: 36.0556621, -94.0647094). Prothonotary Warblers, and many other bird species, are usually viewable/audible near where we park. Depending upon bird activity and interest, we may continue to other areas of the park. We will finish by 10:00 AM. As on all NWAAS field trips, please feel free to come and go as suits you. More info about birding at Lake Sequoyah can be found on the NWAAS website Places to Bird page. This is an easy guided bird walk open to everyone.
From Fayetteville, head east on HWY 16 (E. Huntsville Road), then north on South Lake Sequoyah Drive until you cross the bridge leading over Lake Sequoyah. Our meeting place is the main paved parking lot located at the marina and bait shop on the east side of the bridge.
When the weather is bad for humans, it’s usually bad for birds too. We’ll cancel the trip at least 12 hours in advance if the weather is forecasted to be dangerous or unsuitable for birding. Field trip cancellations will be emailed to the NWAAS field trip list (email [email protected] to be added to this list). We’ll also try to post wherever else we can in a timely manner (Facebook, etc.)
Contact info for questions about the trip.
All Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society field trips are free and open to the public. We always welcome new members, but membership in NWAAS is not required for participation. We try to make our field trips accessible to everyone, all ages, abilities, interests. Beginning birders are always welcome. We have field trips on Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate different schedules. We try to arrange carpools where possible.
If you plan on attending a field trip, please RSVP to [email protected]. This helps us plan for attendance, communicate to participants last-minute, and manage attendance for trips with limited capacity.
For maps and more information about these places, check the Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society web site http://www.nwarkaudubon.org/ and the section “Places to bird in northwest Arkansas” (under Menu on upper left side of the home page).
If you are interested in being added to the NWAAS email list for updates on field trips and other society events, please send a message to: [email protected]. Some of the information on the trips below can change, so additional details & updates about trips are sent via the email prior to the announced date -- check the NWAAS Facebook page for the latest.
SAFETY FIRST, ALWAYS! Our field trips are open to everyone. We try to warn about any special dangers that might be encountered, but neither NWAAS nor individual field trip leaders assume responsibility for personal safety. If you have special needs, or special concerns, please ask the field trip leader before the trip starts. We do not knowingly place anyone in danger on any field trip. We count on those who attend to keep trips safe for everyone.