Cutoff Lake a Celebrated Place for Birds Along Missouri River

A dynamic and shifting landscape of always changing settings was characteristic of the historic Missouri River in decades long past, with any conditions slightly remembered in tidbits by observers of those eras long ago. The twists and shifts in channels were consistent and constantly dynamic, guided only by persistent forces of water across a resistant floodplain ready for change.

One particular riverine place was wrought by forces more than 130 years ago, back in 1877. The great forces of the river's waters dramatically caused a change in direction that left behind an oxbow significant in a multitude of ways since its origins.

The locality was known at one time as Horseshoe Lake, then Cutoff Lake and finally as Carter Lake, a long and narrow lake split by the boundary for Nebraska and Iowa, somewhere in the middle of the thing.

Birds did not care about any political boundaries but utilized habitats that were a vital haven for breeding or a fine spot to settle in during a seasonal migration. In the decades subsequent to its origin the variety of habitats at this unique riverplace present some distinctive history of ornithology for a particular place along the lower Missouri River.

Cutoff Lake in 1890

A reporter, probably Sandy Griswold with the Omaha Bee newspaper, lamented the decline of the lake environs - its "State of Innocuous Desuetude" - in the summer of 1890, mentioning its loss of a reliable source of water from the hills to the west because of the railroad tracks that were changing the setting, the costly option of pumping water to supplement the lake which was not carried out due to its cost, and the nefarious activities at saloons and joints south of the lake and on the island, which would have been Carter Lake, Iowa. Local residents wanted the place restored to what they considered to be its former greatness.

A prose picture of the lake was given with the article:

"The lake is not attractive to look upon from a distance and the tramp across dusty roads and over the railroad rights of way that separate the city from the water is not exhilarating, but once fairly out on the lake and all such annoyances are forgotten. Over to the north and on the Iowa shore is a beautiful shore. The bluffs rise up out of the evening mists, while broad shafts of sunshine from low rifted clouds blazon summit and slope and glen with bands of life and leave belts of sombre shade between. To the northwest is seen a mass of green farms and meadows, reaching almost to the water's edge, with glimpses here and there of white cottages surrounded by groves and trees. To the south and west is the city, enveloped in smoke and dust, the twinkle of the electric lights marking the principal buildings and locations, but the eye finds no pleasure in this view. The attraction is in the direction of those other avenues, the wide grass-carpeted thoroughfares that branch hither and thither in every direction and wander to seemingly interminable distances. The scenery is not striking or picturesque. There are no scarred and wrinkled precipices, nor grove-plumed promontories, nor orange groves, nor gondolas lying idle upon the water, nor rugged cone-shaped crags with ruinous castles perched way up toward the drifting clouds. It is simply a pleasing, inviting spot, leaving which one wonders that corporations and commissioners will go to such great expense to fashion unfavorable locations after nature and fail to improve the work that nature has so well begun." - by Anonymous

Oology

In the mid-1890s - a decade long gone and yet not forgotten - some bird watchers realized that the Missouri River oxbow was a fine place to look for birds. It was an era where bird identification often relied on having a specimen held in one's hands. Starting in 1894, collecting egg sets was the result.

During the wonderful pinnacle for breeding, Cutoff Lake drew enthusiasts interested in birds, which at this time in ornitological history meant they collected bird eggs. At the river oxbow, G.W. Sabine and B.E. Griffiths took away precious things which are now part of a museum's collection of zoological items because the eggs - devoid of any contents - were important enough to be kept in a collector's collection.

This interest of the era - obviously enhanced by a ready availability - occurred also in June 1895, July 1987, May and June 1898 and June 1899 as well. Eggs of the following species - stark reminders of a former time - are part of the expansive collection at the University of Nebraska State Museum:

Cutoff Lake setting as shown on map issued in 1893 by the Missouri River Commission.

• Brown-headed Cowbird
  
• Yellow-breasted Chat
  
• Bell's Vireo
  
• Wilson's Phalarope
  
• Brown Thrasher
  
• Least Bittern
  
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
  
• Red-winged Blackbird
  
• Common Moorhen
  
• Pied-billed Grebe
  
• Yellow Warbler

The egg sets convey what was present at the lake during those long gone times of the first bird history for an oxbow along the wandering Missouri River.

After the Century

Further intimate and celebrated details given about the lake were expressed in April, 1901, when that master of outdoor prose, Sandy Griswold, was the descriptor.

The gist of the article: "There is more real outdoor sport out at Cut-Off lake to the square foot than is to be found about any similar body of water in the world... ." This is glowing account of pleasures of outdoor recreation which could be enjoyed differently at Carter Lake. The details are best appreciated by reading about "Cut-Off lake's unique citizenship" as they were originally described.

Cut-off Lake Marshes

"A marshy tract near a river cutoff north of Omaha is so thickly grown up with cattails and reeds that a boat cannot be used to advantage; the water is too deep for boots. Wading up to your waist in water with mud and reeds, cattails, tules, pondweed and duckweed in strenuous and exhausting but very interesting with birds numerous and nesting. Wading much of the time was in water about 2 meters high (about shoulder height) and not infrequently deeper holes. The region is simply alive with birds," wrote the celebrated naturalist and photographer, Frank Shoemaker in his special reminiscences from the early 1900s.

Summer birds were observed at Cut-off Lake by Shoemaker during the early years of the 20th century, comprised 21 species for what must have been a arduous summer outing on July 4, 1902.

American Coot, American Goldfinch, Bank Swallow, Bell's Vireo, Brown Thrasher, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Gray Catbird, House Wren, Indigo Bunting, Marsh Wren, Orchard Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Warbling Vireo, Willow Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Yellow-headed Blackbird.

August 23 1902

"I went to Cut-off Lake this evening after evening hours, to ascertain whether there were any of the young of the long-billed marsh wren in picturable condition. I found to my regret that I was about two days late; I examined four nests from which the young had just flown. I had a fine chance to study the parent birds, for they were very worked up, their young, no doubt, concealed in the rushes nearby. I believe that I saw one young wren; but the rushes were thick, and I could not follow up.

"Neuroptera present in great number and variety; I am definitely impressed with the beauty of these insects which I have never studied.

"Bird notes are almost nil. I saw in all four Least Bitterns, more than on any trip this year; three pairs of goldfinches; a Black-billed Cuckoo with a large insect in its bill; a solitary kingfisher, flying a hundred feet up, going at its best speed and screeching fit to kill; a Pied-billed Grebe, sporting in the water where Trostler and I have seen them so often, and have searched so diligently and fruitlessly for a nest. Sky overcast; weather cool and windy. I had waded most of the time in water to my waist; the water was cold, and I was chilled through; but that never bothers me."

These are the six species noted in the naturalist's notes: American Goldfinch, Belted Kingfisher, Black-billed Cuckoo, Least Bittern, Marsh Wren, and Pied-billed Grebe.

These are images taken by Frank Shoemaker at Cutoff Lake, and are part of the Shoemaker Collection at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Click on the thumbnail image to see a larger version of the picture in a separate browser window.
Nest of long-billed marsh wren.	Sora rail nest with eggs.	View of one of the marshes adjoining Cutoff Lake.	Cut-off Lake.	Nest of King Rail.	Three young Least Bitterns in a nest.

1909 in the Water

June 19

"Spent 3 to 5 p.m. today at Cut-off Lake, all in the little marshy tract north of the streetcar line just before reaching the site of Carter White Lead works. A clear, hot, windy day; so windy that my bird list was cut down to those I saw, instead of including as usual those to which my attention was attracted by hearing their notes- 14 species.

"Six nests of red-wings; no young yet.

"Three Least Bitterns; eggs: 4,3,2. Found several nests in process of building.

"A nest of King Rail; of rushes, just above water level among cattails and tules, the water being more than knee deep. There were five eggs, and four young just hatched, but active enough to pile out and swim about bravely. Took two photographs of the nest, under difficulties. The young birds were coal black, like young coots, for which I at first mistook them."

June 20

"Found one of the parent birds near the King Rail's nest, but could not locate even one of the young birds, of which there are six in the region, there remaining in the nest three eggs.

"Found three more nests of the Least Bittern, and several of the Red-winged Blackbird.

"Got nearly exhausted in the swamp; wading to the waist in water with mud and reeds, cattails, tules, pondweed and duckweed, on a hot day, is strenuous, but very interesting with birds numerous and nesting.

"Failed to have noted having picked up in Cut-off, on the 19th, a mature Least Bittern; it was three feet to the side of my course, and was trying to pass itself off as a stick! I have read of this habit, but never before have I had it demonstrated. It took a bit of doing to take two photographs of the bird while I held it in my hand, but I managed; after which it flew away."

July 10, 1909 - 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.

"Cut-off Lake; crossed East Omaha bridge; followed river on Iowa side to Douglas Street Bridge.

"Surprised to find water about two feet deeper in marshes than it was when I photographed nest of King Rail June 19. Nests of Least Bitterns all destroyed, but probably after the young had hatched. Several nests of Least Bittern with eggs found on higher points; some of these possibly replacing destroyed nests? Have never seen any indication of second nesting after a brood was raised.

"No long-billed Marsh Wrens seen.

"Waded some of the time in water to my armpits; part of this experience on the Iowa side."

Waters of the lake were consistently an attraction to birds, but any notes of their occurrence was intermittent. There are some few observations in the mid-1920s, but only a few species are among the annals of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union.

Waterbird Census - Again and Again

In the spring of 1928, a focused effort started that continued for a few years and which indicates the variety of migrant and breeding species at what must have been a period distinct in the ornithological history of the oxbow.

Mr. L.O. Horsky conducted a census on March 10 for the U.S. Biological Survey. Another count detailed in the NOU Letters of Informations was carried out by Robert Overing. His efforts were responsible for defining the lake's avifauna for the period, as others also visited the lake, probably because of what could be seen and appreciated by the birders.

On April 18, A.H. Jones, from Hastings, noted what species were about. The following day, Dr. C.A. Mitchell compiled his list of species.

Another issue of the Letter of Information in July 1928, profoundly indicated the value of the lake for a bunch of birds. On page 5 of the typed pages, the list of species and numbers noted on a particular date were given for May 9 and six other census dates through mid-June. The water bird censuses were done by Robert Overing and other members of the Omaha Nature Study Club.

This survey effort continued, with a profound number of counts. Other participants noted as contributors with the published notes about species for particular dates, were Misses Mary and Emma Ellsworth, Fred Eastman, L.O. Horsky, C.A. Mitchell, Dr. J.B. Bostick, Mrs. Florence Steuneberg, Mrs. Jessie Dettman, W.W. Scott and Florence Taylor. Each person provided their individual assistance for this ongoing study of birdlife at a particular locality.

Counts were continued into the summer and fall, and beyond. During 1928, eleven surveys were done from June 30 to October 19. Once the bunch got started, they contributed into 1929 and into 1932, a huge amount of time that was a dedicated effort to continue their endeavor to denote what species were at the lake scene. This is a unique and especially valuable contribution to Nebraska ornithology, especially by Mr. and Mrs. Overing, whom did the majority of the counts.

The following table lists the 82 species noted, and the number of times they were counted during the surveys.

Common Name	1928	1929	1930	1931	1932
Snow Goose	-	2	2	-	1
Canada Goose	-	1	3	1	1
Gadwall	5	3	3	-	-
American Wigeon	6	7	7	1	-
American Black Duck	-	1	-	-	-
Mallard	6	5	2	-	-
Blue-winged Teal	11	11	12	1	-
Northern Shoveler	11	9	11	-	-
Northern Pintail	8	5	4	1	-
Green-winged Teal	1	-	-	-	-
Canvasback	2	2	-	-	-
Redhead	5	5	2	-	1
Ring-necked Duck	-	2	-	-	-
Lesser Scaup	14	11	13	1	1
Long-tailed Duck	1	-	-	-	-
Bufflehead	4	-	-	-	-
Common Goldeneye	-	1	1	-	2
Common Merganser	2	6	-	-	-
Ruddy Duck	3	2	2	-	-
Red-throated Loon	-	2	1	-	1
Common Loon	1	-	-	-	-
Pied-billed Grebe	13	14	13	1	2
Eared Grebe	5	2	1	-	-
Western Grebe	2	1	-	-	1
American White Pelican	2	2	-	-	-
American Bittern	6	4	4	-	-
Least Bittern	7	5	3	-	-
Great Blue Heron	8	1	6	-	-
Green Heron	6	1	3	-	-
Black-crowned Night-Heron	-	1	1	-	-
Northern Harrier	-	1	-	1	-
King Rail	-	1	1	-	-
Virginia Rail	2	-	-	-	-
Sora	1	4	3	-	-
Common Moorhen	5	7	9	-	-
American Coot	24	21	20	1	1
Black-bellied Plover	1	-	-	-	-
Semipalmated Plover	3	-	-	-	-
Killdeer	5	-	13	1	1
Black-necked Stilt	1	-	-	-	-
Spotted Sandpiper	-	3	3	-	-
Solitary Sandpiper	5	2	-	-	-
Greater Yellowlegs	4	-	-	-	-
Lesser Yellowlegs	7	-	5	-	-
Marbled Godwit	1	-	-	-	-
Semipalmated Sandpiper	4	-	-	-	-
Least Sandpiper	4	-	2	-	-
White-rumped Sandpiper	5	-	2	-	-
Pectoral Sandpiper	6	-	2	-	-
Long-billed Dowitcher	-	2	-	-	-
Wilson's Snipe	3	1	3	-	-
Wilson's Phalarope	1	-	-	-	-
Franklin's Gull	-	1	-	-	-
Herring Gull	2	3	10	-	2
Least Tern	5	5	9	-	1
Black Tern	7	4	10	-	1
Forster's Tern	2	1	1	-	-
Belted Kingfisher	1	-	4	-	-
Downy Woodpecker	-	-	-	1	-
Hairy Woodpecker	-	-	-	1	-
Northern Flicker	-	-	-	1	-
Eastern Phoebe	1	-	-	-	-
White-eyed Vireo	1	-	-	-	-
American Crow	-	-	-	1	-
Barn Swallow	3	-	-	-	-
Black-capped Chickadee	-	-	-	1	-
White-breasted Nuthatch	-	-	-	1	-
Marsh Wren	1	-	1	-	-
Cedar Waxwing	-	-	1	-	-
Yellow Warbler	-	-	2	-	-
Yellow-rumped Warbler	1	-	-	-	-
Prothonotary Warbler	1	-	-	-	-
Louisiana Waterthrush	1	-	-	-	-
American Tree Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-
Song Sparrow	1	-	-	-	-
Dark-eyed Junco	-	-	-	1	-
Dickcissel	-	-	1	-	-
Red-winged Blackbird	3	2	1	1	-
Eastern Meadowlark	-	1	-	-	-
Western Meadowlark	-	-	1	1	-
Yellow-headed Blackbird	3	-	-	-	-
Common Grackle	2	1	-	-	-

Notes of Summer Surveys in 1930

The following notes for the June 28, 1930 census were included with the survey results in the Letter of Information, provided in a letter submitted to Myron H. Swenk, the Secretary-Treasurer of the NOU, and editor of the letter.

"This census was marked by an interesting experience. I watched from the road the four King Rails, the two American Bitterns, and the Black-crowned Night Heron feeding together in a nearly dry slough near Carter Lake. To secure a closer view I slipped through reeds and mud till I came to the open space where the birds were. The Rails had gone; the Night Heron immediately saw me and flew to another marshy spot across the road; the two Bitterns eyed me with outstretched necks and heads, and then flew away separately. I sat down on a convenient muskrat house to await developments. The Night Heron was the first to return. It circled overhead, evidently saw me, flew away, and did not come back. Next two of the King Rails came out into the open and preened their feathers. One of the Bitterns also returned before I began to search the slough for nests. I found a partially constructed nest of dry reeds, and as long as I was near it a King Rail scolded me so continuously that I judged the nest belong to that species.

"The nest of the Western Meadowlark found near Carter Lake on the N.O.U. field trip, on June 3 contained three downy young. On the 14th I feared the nest might have been damaged by a mowing-machine, but the three young were unharmed and nearly feathered. On the 21st of June I found they had left the nest. On June 14 I found a Dickcissel's nest containing 3 Dickcissel eggs and two Cowbird eggs. I removed the latter. On June 21 the nest was abandoned and contained but one Dickcissel egg, which was still there on June 28. I took another Cowbird's egg from a Yellow Warbler's nest on May 25. The Cowbird laid two eggs in the Warbler's nest before the Warbler laid any. After I removed the Cowbird eggs the Warblers reconditioned their nest and laid four eggs in it by June 8. I do not know whether they raised young or not, as the nest was empty on my next visit, June 18. I found 21 Long-billed Marsh Wrens' nests during June, but none contained either eggs or young while under my observation."

The notes are short but they convey a true sense of the effort taken to observe the birds and their breeding activities.

Contributed details from July 23, included a sighting of a pair of Florida Gallinules with six young.

This season was the basic end of the waterbird census's done by Mr. Overing. There are additional records of species at the lake environs, but none are similar to what had been reported during the three-year focus on the natural history of the resident birdlife. Further dates of occurrence were based on migration lists by the Omaha Nature Study Club, with a few reports by Mr. Overing.

Bird species documented during this five-year period comprise a distinctive list that conveys how the lake waters attracted variety during different times of the year. Additional analysis would provide further insight into the chronology of the birds' occurrence, numbers counted, conditions of habitat at the time, and other aspects of the site's avifauna.

Shooting Birds Illegal "Birds make tempting targets for young men and boys, armed with the popular small caliber rifles, but the law forbids shooting them. "And the lawyer who raises the point that the shot that wounded a schoolboy on Sunday was fired across a state boundary line is not helping his case. "The law also provides for such contingencies, and it is a crime to shoot birds in Iowa as well as in Nebraska. "Furthermore, Carter Lake and Carter Lake park constitute a bird sanctuary, named for Omaha's great bird lover, 'Sandy' Griswold, a true sportsman, and birds of any sort are supposed to be safe from shooters there at all times. "It might not be out of the way for the authorities to take full notice of all the elements in this case." — Omaha Morning Bee-News, May 1936.

Bird Sanctuary in the 1930s

The prevalence of birds at the lake brought it a unique designation during this period of time. The place was dubbed a bird sanctuary in recognition of the lifetime achievements of Sandy Griswold's writing about birds in the local newspapers during a career that spanned four decades.

Some Omaha sportsmen afterwards had a lasting memorial to a preeminent sporting comrade of the outdoors. A bird sanctuary at Carter Lake was first recognized by an Omaha city ordinance. Prominent men of the city, George Brandeis and Thomas Kimball, were on a committee of 50 folk that raised funds to place a memorial monument or marker in the city park now at the former Missouri River oxbow.

Dramatic Changes Wrought by Park Development

In the summer of 1937, a group of people envisioned Carter Lake as a site for development of recreation. Apparently it providing a haven for birds did not suit their idea of something valuable.

The Carter Lake Development Society had a five year plan ... and the efforts were under the supervision of the "national park department," according to Omaha World-Herald newspaper accounts. Labor for the "improvements" was supplied by the Carter Lake CCC, with about 170 men at work.

"The CCC men have built roads, drives, cut down rough banks of the lake, planted trees and shrubs by the thousands. They have set up picnic stoves, built rustic benches, erected bathing houses, developed the famous one thousand foot beach."

The work apparently started two-and-a-half years prior to August, 1937.

"A place of beauty, where the CCC boys have spent much labor, is the lagoon, once a waste place."

This beauty was being subsidized by an agreement between the utilities district and the city of Omaha were 200 million gallons of water were pumped in the lake, each year, at the cost of $2000.

Dredging was an important part of the development effort. The development society was asking the Omaha city council that operations with an Omaha Parks dredge, halted due to a lack of funds, be resumed. The Parks commissioner Hummel, said costs for operating the dredge was about $275 or $300 a month, and a crew of five men was required, according to the news article.

The situation was in such a flux, that the Omaha World-Herald weighed in with an editorial:

"There should be no difficulty about the city council releasing funds to insure the continuance of the development of Carter lake. This project, on which the federal government is spending large sums of money, and which ahs kept hudreds of men busy for months, is Omaha's best bet for a beautiful playground. The city contribution is absurdly small."

According to the writer, the park, including Nebraska and Iowa areas, would cover 1600 acres of "lake shore land." Once again its features are best conveyed by the words of the time:

"Its bathing beaches will accomodate 10 thousand persons. It will have picnicking facilities in blue grass meadows under the trees for thousands of persons. There will be good fishing. There will also be many playfields for the recreation of young and old."

The development work was apparently about half done, "so that the whole grand scheme is apparent, the project looms as one of the finest within the city's grasp." An a latter page in the same issue of the newspaper, there were three pictures given about the project, including one of the bath-house and the dredge. Included in the caption, was a mention that an expected $1 million was expected to be spent on the project.

"When this development of the Carter lake area is completed, we will have one of the finest parks between Chicago and the Pacific coast." — L.W. Trester, president of the development society

Terns and Plovers in 1940

When Least Terns and Piping Plovers were nesting in 1940, their were noted by R. Allyn Moser and F.W. Haecker on June 10th. The nesting site was "a dredged sand fill with an irregular contour," according to an article in the Nebraska Bird Review. "Growing there are a few young willows, cottonwoods, and tumbleweeds. On the ground can be found many small pieces of driftwood, broken clam shells, and variously sized pebbles." It was originally surrounded by water on only two sides, but then became completely surrounded.

A Piping Plover nest was first located, then later two additional plover nests and six of the tern. Observations on the number of eggs present, and the fate of the breeding birds were also made on July 3 and 8th, with daily visits then made.

There were ten plovers known to be present. Only three tern nests were located.

Forgotten Bird Haven

For several decades after the bird census effort circa 1930, the oxbow lake was a place rarely visited by birders. During the period from 1950 to 2000, there are only 48 known species. There are only three known records for the Red-shouldered Hawk from 1958, then a few species in 1979 through 1985, and this is the case despite a focused effort to integrate any available observations into a database so they might become part of the ornithological record.

Any recognition of the place as a designated bird sanctuary was forgotten, and there was nothing to indicate its former status.

Current Birdlife

There was an increase in the information to consider during the 1990s, when 42 species were known to occur, mostly waterfowl which obviously would be attracted to the waters of a still lake on the river's floodplain.

Although any effort to indicate the species known to occur at Kiwanis Park or Carter Lake or Levi Carter Park or Iowa West Ranch has fluctuated greatly - depending on the efforts of local bird-watchers - there is still a known variety of birds present, attracted to the lake and surrounding environs, which are now mostly mown grass and cottonwood trees and a lake devoid of any vegetation which once attracted so many waterbirds. On a summer's day, the obvious sighting might be a ski boat rather than a rail or bittern.

There have, however, been 97 species noted during the last ten years, as shown in the following table of species, given in an archaic taxonomic sequence. The value given is the number of records which provide a rough indicator of relative occurrence.

Common Name	Carter Lake	Iowa West Ranch	Levi Carter Park
Greater White-fronted Goose	2	-	1
Snow Goose	3	-	-
Ross's Goose	1	-	-
Cackling Goose	3	-	2
Canada Goose	34	-	7
Trumpeter Swan	4	-	-
Tundra Swan	1	-	-
Wood Duck	16	-	7
Gadwall	6	-	-
American Wigeon	2	-	-
Mallard	42	1	10
Blue-winged Teal	3	-	-
Northern Shoveler	9	-	4
Northern Pintail	1	-	-
Green-winged Teal	2	-	-
Canvasback	2	-	-
Redhead	2	-	-
Ring-necked Duck	8	-	1
Lesser Scaup	11	-	2
Bufflehead	1	-	-
Common Goldeneye	11	-	2
Hooded Merganser	12	-	1
Common Merganser	6	-	4
Ruddy Duck	9	-	-
Wild Turkey	-	3	-
Common Loon	2	-	-
Pied-billed Grebe	9	-	1
Horned Grebe	4	-	-
Western Grebe	1	-	-
American White Pelican	4	-	-
Double-crested Cormorant	14	-	1
Great Blue Heron	12	-	1
Great Egret	1	-	-
Turkey Vulture	-	2	1
Osprey	1	-	-
Bald Eagle	17	-	4
Red-tailed Hawk	1	-	12
Rough-legged Hawk	1	2	1
American Kestrel	2	1	8
Merlin	1	-	-
Peregrine Falcon	2	-	-
American Coot	13	-	-
Killdeer	5	-	2
Spotted Sandpiper	2	-	1
Greater Yellowlegs	1	-	-
Franklin's Gull	3	-	-
Bonaparte's Gull	2	-	-
Ring-billed Gull	18	-	5
Herring Gull	3	-	-
Glaucous Gull	2	-	-
Forster's Tern	1	-	-
Rock Pigeon	3	-	5
Mourning Dove	2	2	9
Great Horned Owl	-	-	1
Common Nighthawk	3	-	-
Chimney Swift	3	1	-
Belted Kingfisher	2	-	3
Red-headed Woodpecker	1	2	-
Red-bellied Woodpecker	-	1	1
Downy Woodpecker	1	1	10
Hairy Woodpecker	-	2	-
Northern Flicker	1	3	12
Willow Flycatcher	-	1	-
Least Flycatcher	-	1	-
Western Kingbird	1	-	1
Eastern Kingbird	1	-	1
Blue Jay	1	2	3
American Crow	1	3	12
Purple Martin	6	-	-
Tree Swallow	1	-	-
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	-	-	1
Bank Swallow	1	-	-
Barn Swallow	4	1	3
Black-capped Chickadee	-	5	5
White-breasted Nuthatch	-	2	2
Brown Creeper	-	-	1
House Wren	-	3	1
Golden-crowned Kinglet	-	1	1
American Robin	3	2	11
Gray Catbird	-	1	-
European Starling	3	3	15
Cedar Waxwing	-	-	1
American Redstart	-	1	-
Ovenbird	-	1	-
Common Yellowthroat	-	3	1
Chipping Sparrow	1	-	1
Song Sparrow	-	1	-
Dark-eyed Junco	-	1	6
Northern Cardinal	1	3	9
Indigo Bunting	-	1	-
Red-winged Blackbird	3	1	7
Common Grackle	2	2	8
Brown-headed Cowbird	1	-	1
Baltimore Oriole	-	2	1
House Finch	-	-	1
American Goldfinch	2	4	3
House Sparrow	2	1	4

The records list indicate there has been a dramatic decline in breeding species, as Least Terns or Piping Plovers would obviously not now find any haven for nesting. Other waterbirds would never occur during the breeding season.

The lake is still an interesting place to watch birds. The wetland habitats essential for a greater variety of birds may be gone as there are no breeding Least Bitterns of Marsh Wren - but some appreciation of Missouri Valley avifauna is still provided. It is still a fine spot to see some Bald Eagles, watch some winter mergansers and enjoy the antics of a flock of Canada geese, or the lazy flights of gulls.

The future for this lake, obviously once a natural riverine oxbow, but now basically a lake along the river will depend on the desires of local stakeholders. There is a friends group working to maintain the waters, but as far as birds are concerned, there is little attention apparently being given to managing lake levels for their benefit. Birds will occur but the diversity or variety will be severely constricted by decisions made which do not consider avian requirements during the breeding season or spring and autumn migration periods.

It is best to visit the place to get your own understanding of the local bird life. More than one visit would be a most suitable means to convey any perspective. Further birdly highlights will certainly occur.