Spring migration focus of Audubon trips

Spring migration for birds is well underway, and the Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society has scheduled field trips to see the show.

Anyone interested in birds is welcome. Audubon membership is not required.

• A field trip at Wattle Hollow Retreat Center near Fayetteville is from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday. Birds to be seen may include a variety of warblers. The trip is a 1.25 mile walk ending at the retreat center.

Those wishing to stay for lunch should bring their own food. After lunch, a more challenging walk on a steep trail to Wattle Creek is available. Louisiana water thrush may be seen on this walk.

The trip is free but limited to 25 so registration is required. Email trips@nwarkkaudubon.org to sign up. • Ninestone Land Trust in Carroll County is the destination for a field trip April 28. Ninestone protects 412 acres of unique habitat, as well as a creek and waterfall. Birds, plus wildflowers and insects, will be the focus.

Taylor Long with Audubon and property steward Judy Griffith will lead the trip. Expect to cover about 1.5 miles of soft surface trail on the trip. Go to trips@nwarkaudubon. org to register.

• Birders’ Weekend at Devil’s Den State Park is set for May 4-5. The park will host a number of bird-themed activities. Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society will co-host some bird outings.

• A field trip to Betty Hinshaw Bird Sanctuary in Springdale is set for 9 a.m. June 8. The trip is along 25 acres beside Wildcat Creek. The trip will be about 1 mile of hiking around a former farm pasture with flat but uneven ground. The trip is planned for two hours, but birders may come and go as they please.

Field trips for the summer will be announced in June.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff) Wildflowers and insects, as well as birds, are highlights of field trips hosted by the Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society. Trips are free, but registration is requested for most outings.