Holla Bend

When is a good time to go to Holla Bend to shoot the migratory birds?

Mike,

Your best bet for ducks, snow geese and eagles is late November through mid January. The snow geese migration has been a bit erratic over the past couple of years. Year before last they were almost non-existent at the reserve, but the eagles were above normal. Last year the geese were improved but still below normal. I'm hoping this year we'll see things back to normal levels although I've noticed that the reserve has been sadly lacking in upkeep and maintenance. Probably due to budget cuts, however the food crops that are planted by the contract farmers do seem to be better than normal this year so I'm hoping that will bring in the geese and ducks, followed by the eagles as well.

Also this year we're hoping for a return of the Trumpeter Swans that were released in the reserve last year. Since this is the first year for them to return to this area there is no way to know for sure when they will be there, but if they follow the schedule of the group at Magness Lake by Heber Springs they also should be back sometime in mid to late November.

Hope that helps.

Dave Hatfield

Hey Dave, I know the swans returned to the refuge this summer - very strange - just like they did in Boxley Valley - did they leave again? The swans at Boxley are still there and never left once they came back this summer. And they are getting whiter too. We're hoping the wild population returns to Boxley in December as they have been doing for the past several years.

Tim, I hadn't heard anything about the swans returning this summer. I've been down since July recovering from surgery for lung cancer. (Yeah, go figure! A Baptist preacher that never held a cigaratte in his hands and was never raised around it gets lung cancer! Long story but it was discovered very early which made it very treatable) I'm in the middle of chemo right now and will be for another 11 weeks so I haven't been to the refuge since this ordeal started. I'm on the best end of this and am expected to make full recovery but it's kept me out of the field and out of the loop a bit as you can imagine. My only exposure to photography for the past 3 months has been what I've enjoyed here on the board.

I'm like you. I can't imagine why they would have returned during the summer and since I haven't been able to get over to the Bend I have no idea whether they left or are still in the area. Maybe the unsual schedule has something to do with the artificial transplant they're part of. You've got my curiosity up so I'm going to have to make a special effort to get over if at all possible. What little shooting I can do right now is whatever I can do from my car window, but that might be adequate to at least discover whether the swans are back. Thanks for the info!

Dave Hatfield

Yes, almost all of them did return to Holla Bend (on the very same day that the one in Boxley returned), and I think I remember them saying they never actually left Arkansas in the first place, which was very odd. Since the ones in Boxley are still there I bet these are there as well - kind of weird seeing them in the winter though, and actually I think it will take some of the shine off of them, especially in Boxley - the wild ones had become somewhat of a tourist attraction in the winter, and many folks would make the trip over just to see them. Now with them being here all the time it is no big deal.

I think you need to get out and get some fresh air and give us all a report - and hope the recovery continues to go well!

Thanks, Tim! That's just the incentive I need to make a little special effort to get out. Right after I got out of the hospital my church celebrated my 20th anniversary with them as their pastor. In honor of the event they presented me with a new Nikkor 200-400 VR lens (Zowee!!!) but I've only been able to use it a couple of times on short outings close to home here in Conway. This will be the perfect reason to get that bad-boy out and see if I can put it to some good use. I have my chemo on Wednesdays and usually Thursday is my best day of the week. If weather permits I might shoot for next Thursday to make the trip over and check out the situation. If so, I'll try to give an update in a new thread.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Dave

Wow, Dave. That was a great present from your congregation. Sounds like they know you well. Better than a silver chafing dish.

Keep up the fight.

Definately, Mike! It's been a great time here in Conway and you're right, my church is VERY supportive of both me and my hobby! I'm able to use many of my shots in multi-media presentations during my sermons so they see the produce of my time in the field.

You've got some great shots on your websites so I know you'll love visiting the Bend. I concentrated on winter migratory birds in my first response but springtime is also a great time to visit for the songbirds. Late April through the summer brings in flocks of Indigo buntings, blue buntings, Summer tanagers, Bob-O-Links, painted buntings, and more. It's a great time to shoot since the song birds are readily accessible all through the day rather than just morning and evenings like the snow geese. If you're in to birds then the Bend is a great place to spend a great deal of time all through the year because there is almost always something to shoot.

Along with the birds is the added attraction of a healthy wildlife population including white tailed dear, bobcat, coyote, fox and numerous other species.

My wife and I grew up in Oklahoma City and pastored churches across the state including Stroud, Ok. While in Stroud, Tulsa became our "getaway" shopping city so we know how hard it is to find places like the Bend where you can find an abundance of wildlife that is fairly accessible and conducive to photography. If you plan to come, drop me a line and if possible I'll try to meet you there and give you a "If you want to see this, this is where you need to be" tour of the reserve. Before gas became a major investment I hit the bend three to four times a month for several years so I've become fairly familiar with the place and what you can see where and when.

Have a great day and hope to see you at the Bend once my chemo is finished.

Dave Hatfield

Thanks for the post. I also grew up in OKC. Graduated from Harding back when it was a High School. I spent most of my adult life racing cars and didn't have time to enjoy nature. Besides, Oklahoma City is pretty much in a hole as far as pretty landscapes are concerned. I'm making up for lost time. It's only about 3 hours to Jasper and a little longer to Holla Bend, Petit Jean, Mt Nebo, etc. Much more do-able. I will contact you when I get ready.
Thanks.
Mike Spivey