Friends of Lake Chicot State Park

05/05/2026

Global Big Day 2026 is almost here! 🌍

Last year, birders documented 7,931 species in just 24 hours. This year, we're going for a new record: 8,000 species in a single day. Join the world-wide celebration on 9 May and help make history, one checklist at a time 🐦
Tap the link below to learn how you can participate:
https://ebird.org/news/global-big-day-2026

What species are you hoping to find? Drop them in the comments and use for a chance to be featured in eBird's annual event recap.

Image Credit: Brown Boobook, Ninox scutulata © Rejaul Karim / Macaulay Library

05/05/2026

Are you ready for Global Big Day and the May eBirder of the Month Challenge, sponsored by ZEISS Birding ?
THE CHALLENGE: Submit 5+ eligible checklists on Global Big Day (9 May, 2026) for your chance to win a brand new ZEISS SFL 8×40 binocular and become May's eBirder of the Month! 🔥

THE STAKES: This year we might break 8,000 species in a single calendar day for the FIRST. TIME. EVER. Your checklists could help the birding community reach this historic threshold! 🤯

THE IMPACT: Every checklist you submit, whether its your yard, local patch, or favorite birding hotspot, provides data for conservation and research. 📊

HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR DAY:
✅ Team up with fellow birders (birding is better with friends!)
✅ Use Merlin Bird ID to help with those tricky IDs
✅ Use Hotspot About pages and Hotspot Groups to plan your Big Day adventures

May 9th is your chance to be part of birding history and qualify for the eBirder of the Month Challenge! Tap the link below to learn how you can participate:
https://ebird.org/news/may-ebirder-of-the-month-challenge-2026

05/05/2026

Migration Alert! 🚨 More than 373 MILLION birds are forecast to fly across the East Coast and eastern Midwest tonight. Help keep them safe and on track by turning off nonessential lights from 11 PM to 6 AM. Make windows safer with bird-friendly treatments to prevent collisions. More than a billion birds die in glass collisions every year. Learn more about migration, window safety, and sign up to get alerts: https://birdcast.org/migration-tools/

04/27/2026

🌿🌊 May at Lake Chicot — Where the Wild Things Are
As the cypress trees wake up and the lake comes alive, Lake Chicot State Park is bursting with programs to connect you with the incredible natural world right in our backyard. Watch herons glide over still water on a Wings Over the Water tour. Listen for owls on a moonlit trail. Marvel at bats swooping through the dusk. Lock eyes (from a safe distance!) with an American alligator on an evening prowl.
May is one of the most spectacular months to be out on the water and in the woods — come experience it with us. 🌙🦅🐊
📅 Full schedule in the flyers below — some events require registration, so don’t wait!
📞 (870) 265-5480 | 📧[email protected]

04/09/2026

04/09/2026

03/30/2026

3-part virtual celebration of spring migration! Learn about bird calls and songs, spring bird migration FAQs, & how to be a steward for springtime birds.

03/27/2026

Ready to dip your paddle into the water of kayaking? In two weeks, the state park will host a Kayak Test Drive program on the Marina Lawn. Getting out onto the water is one of best ways to immerse yourself in the beauty of Lake Chicot 🌊☀️

03/24/2026

BIRD QUIZ: Here is a bird photographed in Arkansas in mid-March. Do you know what species it is? Leave your answer in Comments and we'll post ours at the end of the day. Thanks to Michael Linz for sharing this photo with eBird and the Macaulay Library archive.