Four Days of Bird Surveys During Thanksgiving Weekend

With moderate weather of acceptable temperatures and mostly slight winds, and since time was available, a big number of bird surveys were done during this years Thanksgiving Holiday and subsequent weekend. Nearly all of the outings were at Omaha parks.

The outings began early on the holiday morning, before the festivities.

Many hours were were involved in an effort to determine the species present at during these days of this year. The details might also provide a comparison to past times?

• Starting a bit after sunrise, despite a brisk wind and its associated chills, a walk-about was done through Memorial Park and Elmwood Park, with at least five miles of walking.
• Friday morning, the northern extent of Hummel Park and eastern extent of N.P. Dodge Park were hiked on two jaunts representing at least four miles of walking.
• Saturday meant an outing to Mandan Park and the river flats to the east, and to Spring Lake Park; at least four miles of walking.

View of the Missouri River along the east edge of Mandan Flats.

Ring-billed Gull along the sandy shoreline of the Missouri River. There is plenty of shore due to the low water level.

Tires below the Big Spring at Spring Lake Park.

• Sunday started with chilly conditions for birding via bicycle at Levi Carter Park and Carter Lake. The ride just after sunrise was done among a temperature about 23o and along a route of at least six miles to arrive at the start of the regular survey route; add in a couple miles pedaled along the way. Then the return route is a back-ways of six miles, though along a different path. Just when the sun was starting to provide was appreciated warmth, clouds moved in and a slight breeze added to less than optimal conditions. The day improved nicely later, so the CBSR Pond and the Fontenelle Park were visited to get a count of the gathered geese. After a bit of lunch, the bicycle riding continued to some other neighborhood parks in the midtown area. During the morning bird survey effort, a bunch of aluminum cans were picked up from where they had been trash, especially along the neighborhood streets. The afternoon bicycle effort was similar but shorter in extent and duration. The route was still nearly five miles of pedaling the bicycle along, or walking, with another bunch of trash cans gathered for preferable disposal, rather than their otherwise fate of ending up as waste in a local landfill.
  

Bird Variety

More than fifty species were recorded for 33 distinct localities, which includes multiple places within a larger expanse in order to convey occurrence at particular habitat features and to also indicate an extent of distribution. Places with the largest number of species were:

1). Mandan Flats - which is the floodplain along the Missouri River, east of Mandan Park: 18

2). Carter Lake: 17, and a site distinctive for the adjacent Levi Carter Park, where separate records were kept

3). N.P. Dodge Park: 17

4). North Hills - Hummel Park: 16.

The park place with the lowest number of species was Bemis Park, where only one American Robin was seen. though some of the other nearby parks had a better diversity.

Bird Highlights

There were some particulars of these four days which are worth particular mention, as listed an appreciative manner, which also happens to be sequentially presented.

A single Barred Owl at the Elmwood Park Ravine.

More than 35 Mallards were actively eating, and quacking about the pondweed at Shadow Lake, Elmwood Park.

A surprising number of Red-headed Woodpeckers at Hummel Park which included adults and youngsters with their black heads with the number of this species a new record for this park. During this outing a plastic bag was filled with aluminum cans strewn about the park, especially in association with the disc-golf course. When a disc-golf guy was asked about the trash, he responded in a manner so typical and as heard before: someone else did it. This is the obvious situation here, where the disc-golf proponents take credit for positive results, but blame others for other things, as has been conveyed more than once.

A Pileated Woodpecker was the first bird seen upon getting out of the car at N.P. Dodge Park. Later in the morning, while walking back from the river, it took ten minutes to observe a single Fox Sparrow among the undergrowth.

While at Mandan Park and Mandan Flats, there was a lot of bird activity at certain places. The sites appreciated were not the "bum camp" in the park with its lingering trash, nor the "bum camp-fire site" near the river where pieces of bark had been carefully placed to obscure the light of the flames upon this city of Omaha property. It was tough walking among the flats, but the results were positive, and some additional species were added to the tally for this place. In the park, a new addition was a Great Horned Owl. Adjacent and along the river, new additions were the a few Mallards, a Merlin, a Ring-billed Gull foraging along the river bank) and a nice bunch of Eastern Bluebird. These bluebirds were associated with the spring-water flows along the railroad tracks.

There was nothing new at Spring Lake Park. The place continues to be a haven for discarded tires, with more than thirty noted, along with other trashy things. A new place name was used for this survey, to indicate the vibrant bird activity in a spring-hollow along the north side of F Street, newly designated as Leafy Spring Hollow. Two Carolina Wrens with their distinctively, yet surprising vocals, were a highlight here along with a number of other species.

Waterfowl on Sunday morning were once again appreciated. Most of Carter Lake was ice-covered. The congregation was among water where they could swim and forage. A nice variety was seen, and there may have been other sorts, but personally being nearly thoroughly chilled at this time, it was difficult to keep the spotting scope steady and in focus, so the results are a best-effort survey. Levi Carter Pond was barren of bird-life, especially since there was no understory vegetation along its eastern and northern banks, where birds had formerly been seen during this season in past years.

There were several Northern Flicker at the Northwest Pond Natural Wildlife Area. At one time, there were four in two adjacent trees.

In comparison to this appreciated view, nearby there were two trashy problems that could not be ignored: 1). the tire which Omaha Public Works staff were specifically asked to remove on the most recent visit here, still remains; and, 2) there is now a plastic garbage can in the middle of the pond, which somehow was thrown into the water and is now encased by ice. There is other trash present, and more work is needed to remove unwanted, invasive cedar trees. The perceived improvement done on a November day a couple of weeks in the past, seems to now be insignificant since there is still further attention needed! The task will require more effort than might be done by a bird-guy riding a bicycle. Having necessary tools would be at the top of the list of requirements. Improvements occur in increments which succeeds only through regular and ongoing attention to the details.

The lack of effective results is obvious at the site designated as the CBSR Pond, a few blocks west of the Levi Carter Park area. Birds here don't care about trash, thankfully. Later on Sunday morning there was an especially nice variety of species, with flowing water an attractant. Among the west-side bluff, there were exciting woodpeckers among the excessive trash of many sorts.

This is a place which is also managed by the Department of Public Works of the City of Omaha. Trash here has been present for many recent months, so obviously there has been no apparent, recent effort to remove the unwanted trashy debris of so many different sorts. This site is a bit of a treasure for birds, but it is impossible to ignore particulars of the place. During my walk and ride here, a bunch of aluminum cans were removed for proper disposal, though it was a slight effort.

This table indicates a tally of the primary results.

Common Name	Hummel District	Dodge Park District	Miller Park District	Carter Lake District	Carter Boul. District	Fontenelle Park District	Gifford Park District	Bemis Park District	Memorial Park District	Elmwood Park District	Spring Lake Park District	Mandan District
Snow Goose	- -	- -	- -	6	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Cackling Goose	- -	- -	- -	22	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Canada Goose	- -	110	190	2400	- -	400	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Gadwall	- -	- -	- -	30	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Wigeon	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Mallard	- -	- -	- -	650	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	37	- -	6
Northern Shoveler	- -	- -	- -	165	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Green-winged Teal	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Canvasback	- -	- -	- -	75	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Redhead	- -	- -	- -	85	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ring-necked Duck	- -	- -	- -	250	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Lesser Scaup	- -	- -	- -	15	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Common Goldeneye	- -	- -	- -	40	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2
Hooded Merganser	- -	- -	- -	25	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ruddy Duck	- -	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Wild Turkey	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	8	- -
Bald Eagle	- -	2	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Cooper's Hawk	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -
Red-tailed Hawk	1	1	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	1	1
Merlin	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
American Coot	- -	- -	- -	165	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ring-billed Gull	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Rock Pigeon	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -
Mourning Dove	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -
Great Horned Owl	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Barred Owl	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -
Red-headed Woodpecker	11	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2
Red-bellied Woodpecker	6	2	- -	- -	1	- -	1	1	1	3	1	4
Downy Woodpecker	1	1	- -	4	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	3
Hairy Woodpecker	1	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	1	- -	1	2	1
Northern Flicker	2	1	- -	7	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -
Pileated Woodpecker	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Blue Jay	2	1	- -	2	1	- -	- -	4	- -	6	3	4
American Crow	2	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	1	2
Black-capped Chickadee	6	4	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	9	9	4
Tufted Titmouse	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
White-breasted Nuthatch	8	3	- -	1	1	- -	1	2	1	6	3	4
Brown Creeper	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -
Carolina Wren	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	2
Winter Wren	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	2
Eastern Bluebird	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	8
American Robin	- -	- -	- -	7	8	- -	11	31	- -	38	16	- -
European Starling	- -	20	- -	75	- -	- -	25	23	- -	12	86	- -
American Tree Sparrow	- -	65	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Fox Sparrow	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Song Sparrow	- -	1	- -	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2
White-throated Sparrow	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	4
Harris's Sparrow	- -	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3
Dark-eyed Junco	22	18	- -	45	7	24	1	27	8	39	8	22
Northern Cardinal	6	- -	- -	3	1	- -	- -	2	- -	4	3	13
Red-winged Blackbird	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
House Finch	- -	- -	- -	4	- -	- -	5	4	- -	3	2	2
American Goldfinch	- -	6	- -	7	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	7	3	8
House Sparrow	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	14	- -	- -	7	- -	- -

A special thanks to Ducey family members which provided a car for transportation which made possible the far-to-the-north, and far-to-the-south bird surveys. It would have been too much to do these via bicycle!