I visited Charleston City Lake in Charleston, Arkansas on December 31, 2025 to observe birds. The temperature was 28 degrees Fahrenheit when I arrived, and the light was still low. I stayed in the truck and waited for conditions to improve.
On the far side of the earthen dam, a Great Blue Heron stood in shallow water. I recorded video as it fed on what appeared to be a fairly large shad. The light was good enough for video but not yet for still photos. The heron took its time before swallowing the fish.
Not long after, I recorded another video of the same heron. It appeared to catch a crappie and turned toward the bank. The heron placed the fish at the edge of the water, but the fish swam off, and the heron lost it.
As the morning progressed, I saw at least three Bald Eagles flying over the lake. The light was still too low for photographs at that point.
A group of Double-crested Cormorants landed on the lake away from where I was parked. Soon after, a Bald Eagle landed in a tree directly in front of my truck. Another vehicle pulled into the parking lot shortly afterward, and the eagle flew off before I could get a photo.
As the light improved, I photographed several Double-crested Cormorants flying low over the lake. I continued photographing cormorants as they passed over the water.
I later got out of the truck and walked along the dam, where I photographed the Great Blue Heron before returning to the truck. I didn’t keep any of those photos.
An immature Bald Eagle flew over Charleston City Lake, giving me a chance to photograph it. I documented a similar encounter during a previous visit in this post: Immature Bald Eagle flying over Charleston City Lake.
Later, the same Great Blue Heron flew low from the dam to another area of the lake where a group of Double-crested Cormorants were actively catching fish. A vehicle approached shortly afterward and flushed the heron back toward the dam.
Toward the end of the visit, a person arrived and let a dog out without a leash. The dog chased the same Great Blue Heron after it returned to the dam. With the dog continuing to run loose around the lake, I decided to leave.
Photography Notes
I photographed this visit using a Canon R5 Mark II with an RF 200–800mm lens. I shot from my truck using a beanbag draped over the door for support.
Low light early in the morning limited me to video rather than still photos. As conditions improved, I was able to photograph birds in flight, including Double-crested Cormorants, a Great Blue Heron, and an immature Bald Eagle.
Vehicle movement near the dam and the off-leash dog eventually disrupted the area enough that I ended the visit.
Great videos & pics.