A number of surveys during January, 2014 indicate that Carter Lake is a haven for waterfowl. Numbers and species may have changed but the birds are an essential and ongoing presence despite numerous days with sub-zero temperatures and even lower degrees due to wind chills. It has been a harsh winter in the Missouri River valley.
There were 34 species noted at the lake and in Levi Carter Park during January. Surveys were done primarily by local birder Justin Rink and myself via motor-vehicle. There was a greater focus on denoting waterfowl, but a couple of surveys within the park space helped to indicate the presence of songbirds. It has been too darn cold to bicycle about, except for one sort of balmy day when a thorough survey was done to include nooks of the park where songbirds were present.
The open water area in 2014 has been just south of the boat ramp area in the eastern extent of the lake. In 2013, the open water area was in the western portion of the lake near the pier point immediately northeast of the pavilion and care-taker residence.
These are the birding results for the month.
| Common Name | 1/1/2014 | 1/3 | 1/5 | 1/9 | 1/11 | 1/13 | 1/19 | 1/20 | 1/23 | 1/28 | 1/29 |
| Greater White-fronted Goose | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Snow Goose |
3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - - | - - |
| Ross's/Snow Goose | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
Cackling Goose |
- - | - - | - - | - - | 40 | - - | - - | 3 | 2 | - - | - - |
| Canada Goose | 350 | 0 | 400 | - - | 2500 | 0 | 750 | 1100 | 650 | 1100 | 550 |
| Trumpeter Swan | 18 | 19 | 16 | 22 | 11 | 16 | 28 | 15 | 30 | 26 | 23 |
| Tundra Swan | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Gadwall | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Wigeon | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - |
| American Black Duck | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Mallard | 45 | 0 | 10 | 250 | 100 | 0 | 150 | 450 | 250 | 350 | 250 |
| Northern Shoveler | 14 | - - | - - | 15 | 15 | 6 | - - | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
| Green-winged Teal | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Ring-necked Duck | 12 | - - | 2 | 20 | 35 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 5 |
| Lesser Scaup | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Goldeneye | 15 | - - | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 90 | 25 | 30 |
| Hooded Merganser | - - | - - | - - | - - | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Common Merganser | 2 | - - | 1 | 35 | 45 | 7 | - - | 6 | 20 | 40 | 6 |
| Bald Eagle | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 1 |
| American Coot | 7 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Rock Pigeon | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Downy Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Northern Flicker | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Blue Jay | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Crow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - |
| Black-capped Chickadee | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| European Starling | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 1 | - - | 73 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Song Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Harris's Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Dark-eyed Junco | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 35 | - - | 12 | - - | - - |
| Northern Cardinal | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| House Finch | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Goldfinch | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Prominent in these details is the ongoing presence of many Trumpeter Swans. Numbers have varied but a basic bunch was present all month. A flux in numbers seems to convey that swans may come, and swans may go elsewhere. Notably, the swan with a tag on its wing wonderfully conveyed its travels from Minesota to Nebraska.
Wildbirds of January
Further details indicate 52 species have occurred in this area, based upon a summary of available counts, extending back to 2003.
The number of surveys done each year have been: 2014 (11); 2013 (9); 2012 (9); 2011 (one which was only a partial survey as only four species noted); 2006 (one and also a partial survey); 2004 (one survey with a limited list of species); and, 2003 (two dates). Only during the past three January's when multiple surveys have been done, there are the details available to compare specifics of bird occurrence. Surveys in the earlier years were not as extensive, but do indicate an interest in the occurrence of waterfowl significant to an extent that some details were recorded in the chronicles of Nebraska ornithology.
During the most recent years, there has been an increase in attention and focus on birdly details at Carter Lake. There have been multiple surveys each month which provide the details of bird occurrence.
The numbers given in the following table are a summation of the birds counted during surveys.
| Common Name | Jan 2003 | Jan 2004 | Jan 2006 | Jan 2011 | Jan 2012 | Jan 2013 | Jan 2014 |
| Greater White-fronted Goose | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| Snow Goose | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 6 |
| Ross's/Snow Goose | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Ross's Goose | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Cackling Goose | - - | - - | - - | 40 | 31 | 37 | 45 |
| Canada Goose | 1450 | 1500 | 500 | 500 | 3714 | 21325 | 7400 |
| Trumpeter Swan | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 15 | 224 |
| Tundra Swan | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 8 |
| Gadwall | - - | - - | - - | - - | 260 | - - | 2 |
| American Wigeon | - - | - - | - - | - - | 25 | - - | 3 |
| American Black Duck | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Mallard | 47 | 100 | 50 | 200 | 3135 | 1317 | 1855 |
| Northern Shoveler | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1365 | 1756 | 101 |
| Green-winged Teal | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 |
| Canvasback | - - | - - | - - | - - | 203 | 208 | - - |
| Redhead | - - | - - | - - | - - | 324 | 126 | - - |
| Ring-necked Duck | - - | - - | - - | - - | 340 | 163 | 116 |
| Greater Scaup | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - |
| Lesser Scaup | - - | - - | - - | - - | 62 | 29 | 1 |
| Common Goldeneye | 7 | 3 | - - | - - | 361 | 63 | 187 |
| Hooded Merganser | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 24 | 32 |
| Common Merganser | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 162 |
| Red-breasted Merganser | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Ruddy Duck | - - | - - | - - | 22 | 55 | 30 | - - |
| Pied-billed Grebe | - - | - - | - - | - - | 16 | 13 | - - |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 3 | 18 | - - | 3 | 11 | 5 |
| Cooper's Hawk | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 6 | 7 | - - |
| Rough-legged Hawk | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Kestrel | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - |
| American Coot | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2500 | 375 | 59 |
| Ring-billed Gull | - - | 2 | 6 | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Rock Pigeon | - - | - - | - - | - - | 11 | - - | 2 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - |
| Belted Kingfisher | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 3 | - - |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Northern Flicker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 4 |
| Blue Jay | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| American Crow | 2 | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | - - | - - | - - | - - | 8 | 16 | 3 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| American Robin | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 11 | - - |
| European Starling | 35 | - - | - - | - - | 51 | 67 | 76 |
| Song Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Harris's Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | 7 | 21 | 4 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | - - | - - | - - | - - | 33 | 79 | 47 |
| Northern Cardinal | - - | - - | - - | - - | 9 | 3 | 2 |
| House Finch | - - | - - | - - | - - | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| American Goldfinch | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| House Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
There were no Redhead or Canvasbacks present in 2014. These two species were regularly seen in 2012 and 2013, but not one was present during January of 2014. These divers are omnivorous, as is the Ring-necked Duck. Also not present this year — though noted in past years — were the Ruddy Duck and Pied-billed Grebe.
No Common Mergansers were noted in previous years, but in 2014 they have been numerous, reported by nearly every survey. Both this species and the Hooded Merganser are piscivores, eating fish.
This transition may indicate a change in the lakes feature, perhaps from the extensive vegetation present following the lake renovation, to an increase in the extent of fish.
A Bird Refuge
The ongoing extent of fowl at Carter Lake indicate it is obviously an essential site for waterfowl in the Missouri River valley. There have often been more species present here than at regional wildlife refuges.
With an increasing extent of carp within the lake, there will be changes in the habitat which will be reflected in the presence of wild birds. This seems to already be occuring?
It is appropriate, based on the bird counts in the last two to three years, that appropriate recognition be given to the historic Sandy Griswold Bird Sanctuary designation of decades ago. This heritage needs to be recognized and pysically designated by a marker to convey the original recognition in the 1920s.
The birds do not care but their are legacy and attention aspects to consider...