FIELD TRIP OPTIONS FOR THE 2000 RRF ANNUAL MEETING
Take advantage of Arkansas’ moderate winter climate and register for one or two of the following field trips offered to see "The Natural State".
DELTA RAPTORS
Thursday and Friday (9 November and 10 November) departure time at 3:00 PM. Tour the
Arkansas State University Delta Raptor Research Area located approximately 25 miles South
of Jonesboro, Arkansas. See southern farming practices, their impacts on land cover types,
and the reason Northeastern Arkansas has one of the highest wintering raptor populations
in North America. Stops along the trip include the research area farm land, Claypool
Reservoir (a large bottomland hardwood reservoir holding up to a million waterfowl and
lots of raptors), and a "Green Tree Reservoir" where congregations of Bald
Eagles often spend their winter months. Spectacular dusk flight of thousands of ducks and
geese, every morph of Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawks, Bald Eagles, Northern
Harriers, American Kestrels, Short-eared Owls, Barred Owls, Cooper’s and
Sharp-shinned Hawks, and Loggerhead Shrikes are likely to be seen in a short period of
time. Sign up list for Thursday or Friday will be available at the registration desk upon
check-in.
SUNDAY FIELD TRIPS, 12 November 2000
Two full day, post-meeting trips are offered with lunches provided. Departure time is 7:30 am; Return approximately 5:30 pm.
1. Blanchard Springs Caverns State Park and Ozark National Forest Trip. See the flip-side of Arkansas with rolling forested mountains, crystal-clear streams, and one of the prettiest caverns in North America. Abundant wildlife are sure to be observed including deer, turkey, songbirds, and a few migrant raptors.
2. Magazine Mountain Trip. See Arkansas from it’s highest peak, Mt. Magazine. This is a road trip displaying three of Arkansas’ four physiogeographic regions. Enjoy the Arkansas Delta, the Ozark Plateau, and the Northern Ouachita Mountains, as well as view late migrating raptors along the Arkansas River Valley. This mountain is the best site in Arkansas for observing migrating Buteos, Accipiters, and Falcons on their journey south.
Two half day field trips are offered as well. Departure time is 7:00 am; Return about 12:00 pm
3. Lake Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge. Visit one of N.E. Arkansas Wildlife Refuges with extensive bottomland hardwood forests, dense waterfowl population, and abundant wintering raptor population. This promises to be another great Delta ecology experience.
4. Claypool Reservoir. A morning visit to the world-famous Claypool Reservoir, noted for holding up to ¼ of all wintering ducks (up to 1 million) in Northeastern Arkansas. This spectacular, limited access property supports a healthy bottomland hardwood ecosystem sheltering furbearers, deer, songbirds, many raptor species including Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks, Barred Owls, the occasional Peregrine Falcon, and others.