As the spring season arrived at Valentine, there has been a drastic variety of weather. Some days were wonderfully warm. A few days had inclement weather, some notably cold with winds of a disgusting extent. There was also some snow on multiple inches that influenced bird activities.
During the month, in addition to the immediate vicinity of the heart city, a visit was made to the wonderful habitats of the Vanderploeg Ranch, along the Niobrara river to the south of the city. There is a big marsh in the river valley which waterfowl appreciate, especially the big Trumpeter Swans. Nearby a pair of Bald Eagles have an established nest and one of them were resident during the visit. An eagle is also occasionally seen at the Mill Pond.
There were two especially prominent observations, and they occurred on the same day. First, there were the 21 Turkey Vultures roosting in a tree on north Cherry street. They were first obvious as black things prominent in the skyscape while bicycling into town. My travel route diverged to get a look and take some pictures. Later in the day while at the livestock market, a distinctive sound was vibrant, and more expressive than the penned livestock. As the sound continued, more attention was given to its source, and soon a single Great-tailed Grackle was seen. It then was noted to be expressive from different places of prominence. The sighting was the first for this species at Valentine, though it has been previously seen at the nearby Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge.
The many local Eurasian Collared Dove pairs were pervasive and prominent during the month, north of the Mill Pond as well as in the city environs. The many Cedar Waxwing appreciated the berry trees located along Main street.
With variable weather, the birds adapted. Territorial robins that were establishing territories and excluding others were less discriminatory on cold days as many of them gathered in close proximity as they foraged among the horse pens with their west-facing slope and vegetation which has been cropped closely to the ground by either horses or the many white-tailed deer present on a daily basis.
An Eastern Phoebe was expressive below the dam at the Mill Pond, just before the end of the month. During the same time, an American Kestrel grasping a power line, struggled to maintain its place, but within moments departed due to the over-powering windy gusts.
Bluebirds are generally about. Turkeys are sparse, only heard one evening, up on the nearby hill. The flock of quail were not even seen nor heard.
This is the summary of the bird records as seen on the various Julian dates during the month, as listed in taxonomic sequence. The values are the total number seen at the various localities.
Valentine Vicinity Bird Records Summary | |||||||||||||||
Common Name | 62 | 66 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 81 | 82 | 84 | 88 | 90 |
Canada Goose | - - | 20 | - - | 12 | 18 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 8 | - - |
Trumpeter Swan | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Wood Duck | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 20 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 6 | - - | - - | - - |
Gadwall | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 25 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
American Wigeon | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 15 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Mallard | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | 15 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Northern Pintail | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 10 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Ring-necked Duck | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Common Pheasant | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Great Blue Heron | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 2 | - - |
Turkey Vulture | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 21 | 13 |
Sharp-shinned Hawk | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
Bald Eagle | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Red-tailed Hawk | - - | - - | 2 | 1 | - - | 3 | 2 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 |
Killdeer | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 1 |
American Herring Gull | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
Rock Dove | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 26 | 14 | - - |
Eurasian Collared Dove | 5 | - - | 5 | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 10 | - - | - - | - - | 14 | 7 |
Belted Kingfisher | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Red-headed Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Red-bellied Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
Downy Woodpecker | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 1 | - - |
Hairy Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 2 |
Northern Flicker | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 |
American Kestrel | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
Eastern Phoebe | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
Blue Jay | 2 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 2 |
American Crow | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 2 | 1 |
Cedar Waxwing | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 30 | 30 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 9 |
Black-capped Chickadee | 2 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 2 | - - | 2 | - - |
Horned Lark | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Red-breasted Nuthatch | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
White-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | 3 | - - | 4 | 4 |
Common Starling | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 14 | - - | 6 | - - |
Eastern Bluebird | - - | - - | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - - | - - | 2 | 1 | 2 | - - | 2 | - - |
American Robin | - - | - - | 18 | - - | 5 | 1 | - - | 4 | 20 | 71 | 8 | 3 | - - | 38 | 19 |
House Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
House Finch | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | 7 | 25 |
American Goldfinch | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | 8 | - - | 3 | - - | - - | 4 |
Red-winged Blackbird | 9 | - - | 11 | - - | - - | 35 | - - | - - | - - | 10 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 8 |
Common Grackle | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 1 |
Great-tailed Grackle | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
Dark-eyed Junco | - - | - - | 4 | - - | 6 | - - | - - | 6 | - - | 4 | 15 | - - | - - | 17 | 2 |
Northern Cardinal | 2 | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 2 | 1 |
As the month ended, it is obvious that there are many places worth visiting to see and appreciate the local birdlife. Public lands about Valentine are pervasive and provide a great variety of places appropriate for a day's hike and to go bird watching.
