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Pinnacle winging it with weekend birding adventures

With National Bird Day activities and Eagle Lake Cruises, this weekend at Pinnacle Mountain State Park is all about the birds.
With National Bird Day activities and Eagle Lake Cruises, this weekend at Pinnacle Mountain State Park is all about the birds.

This weekend is for the birds. Literally. Those winged, feathered creatures that come in a seemingly infinite number of sizes, colors and shapes deserve a day of their own and they have one: Jan. 5.

According to the National Day Calendar, Friday is National Bird Day, celebrated by avian fans with bird-watching, bird education and other bird-related activities.

National Bird Day

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday

Pinnacle Mountain State Park, 11901 Pinnacle Valley Road, Little Rock

Admission: Free admission

Eagle Lake Cruises

11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday

Admission: $15, children 6-12 $8

(501) 868-5806

Jolly Rogers Marina, 11800 Maumelle Harbor Lane, Roland

arkansasstateparks.…

For the first time, Pinnacle Mountain State Park in Little Rock is joining the flock to salute Arkansas' feathered friends.

Park interpreter Kellie Nichols explains that when planning their activities for the year, they often consult the National Day Calendar.

"Primarily we use this as an opportunity to locate these fun little days. It gives us an opportunity to link up with what's on their national calendar and do these kind of educational programs as well."

So, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, the visitor center will be a hub of avian activities.

Nichols says the day will be very informal, a drop-in day where children can participate in crafts like making and decorating binoculars or coloring pictures of birds. Interpreters will also be on hand to direct people to the center's observation window, where visitors can try to spot dark-eyed juncos and sparrows. Perhaps the cedar waxwings will have arrived by then. The cardinal's red feathers stand out against the stark winter landscape but some other birds aren't so easy to find.

A post beside the window identifies some of the main species found in the area.

Bird Day also serves as an opportunity to get visitors interested in other bird-related programs. For instance, they'll hand out packets for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Wings Over Arkansas program, in which citizens help collect data on different species.

Then, in February, the park will host a Great Backyard Bird Count, part of a nationwide citizen science data collection event through Cornell University.

After Bird Day is over, there are still opportunities for bird watching. Saturdays in January, the park presents Eagle Lake Cruises on Lake Maumelle. Participants meet outside park grounds at the Jolly Rogers Marina to board pontoon boats and take an interpreter-led tour of the lake and its feathered winter residents.

Nichols says that in the past year, a pair of bald eagles built a nest and raised a pair of young eagles.

"The great thing about the winter cruises is, without the foliage, that nesting area is really easier to spot," she says.

However, she cautions, "We can't guarantee you'll see anything. We're going to focus on trying to find our bald eagle friends, but there's going to be other shore birds."

There will also be historical information and wildlife to learn about.

"We interpret things as they come across our path," she says. "The tour changes every time you take it, pretty much."

It's cooler out on the water, so everyone should dress accordingly and reservations and advanced payment are required.

Whether indoors or outdoors, there should be plenty of chances to spot birds out and about in their natural habitat.

"Come in and we'll visit with you," Nichols says. "We'd love to tell you all about it."

photo

Bald eagles make the shores of Lake Maumelle home and Pinnacle Mountain State Park’s Eagle Lake Cruises give enthusiasts a chance to spot them in their natural habitat.

Weekend on 01/04/2018

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