egretta (diminutive of heron) caerulea (blue)
Friday, September 18, 1981 — 2:10 pm
Mayflower, Arkansas — Lake Conway
I birded Bell Slough Wildlife Area in Mayflower. The area was crawling with hunters and fishermen, so I didn’t wander around much. I stood on the dam and looked out over the lake for a few minutes. While I was doing that, an Osprey flew over.
Near the Mayflower exit off Interstate 40, the road cuts across a corner of Lake Conway on a causeway. To one side was a large bay full of standing tree stumps. On the other side was a long, narrow bay covered with lily pads from shore to shore. I pulled off to the side of the road and scanned the area. I spotted the Little Blue Heron standing near the shore about 80 yards away. It was standing still when I first saw it. After about 30 seconds, it flew to another spot and stood still again. It kept repeating this behavior, standing still for a while, then flying or wading to another spot and standing again.