October in the immediate vicinity of Valentine was a month with multiple events of occurrence for migratory species. The change in the season was obvious.
Most notable were flights of the American Crow and Sandhill Crane.
On October 21st, at least 900 crows were prominent in their flight southward. Observational notes were made throughout the day: from 12:15 to 1 p.m. - 157 observed; then 409 during the 1:10 to 1:15 minutes; 80 at 2:30 p.m.; another 80 at 3:30; and finally 175 at 5:15 p.m. Some of these birds were seen as they would "kettle" over the city environs. Winds of the day were westerly then later, going northwesterly. A couple of days later, twice, there were many crows observed during their local flight. These passage crows are different from the few local residents, which number 3 to 4.
Also on the 21st, Sandhill Crane were flying southward. Counts at various times were at 1:10, with 45 seen in a loose flock; at 5 p.m., another 150; also 225 at 5:15; then 135 at 5:20, 435 at 5:30 and towards the end of the day, a final bunch of 125 at 5:50. The overall tally 1400 flying cranes, with their presence obvious because of their appreciated vocalizations being helpful in finding the birds in the sky. Flights continued two days later. There were various groups going southward: 39 at 9:35 with calm winds; 375 at 9:40; 42 at 10:15; 288 at 10:25 with some kettling in the sky; then 16 at 10:55; another 85 at 4:25 as vocal in their presence; finally 220 at 4:50 p.m. when there were still calm winds.
A highlight of these weeks was seeing a solitary Townsend's Solitaire atop a pine tree, a short distance northward of the bluebird shack. Another new addition to the local avifauna was a single Prairie Falcon flying above the North Lake Shore Hills. Also apprecited were the Audubon's Warbler (a.k.a. yellow-rumped warbler) prominent a few times during their search for sustenance amidst the horse pens. Many Red-winged Blackbird lingered, spending time amidst the cattail habitat at the west end of the mill pond. Some Harris's Sparrow were vivid because of their larger size and feathery facets. Also about were some White-throated Sparrow.
As the month ended, numerous American Robin were present, apparently foraging on the seeds of cedar trees. Canada Goose numbers increased at the Valentine Mill Pond. There were also some few hundred of Common Grackle present as the month waned, being boisterous and obvious among treetops north of the pond.
During the month, 47 different species were observed with 200 records kept in the BirdRecords table of my Database of the Great American Sandhills. Many permanent residents can be appreciated nearly each day. It is always nice to hear the Red-breasted Nuthatch, and then moments later hear the White-breasted Nuthatch in the same vicinity. There were bluebirds hither and yon to enjoy. The resident Great Horned Owl are rarely seen though continually present. At least the pair of Red-tailed Hawk can be more readily seen. On one rainy day, one of the two sat for hours atop a hill-top pine as it waited for the precipitation to dissipate.
The monthly tally in October 2015 was 40 species. The variance is indicative of behavior by the birds and how keeping records for multiple years is necessary to try to derive some sort of limited understanding of occurrence details.
It should be noted that this listing conforms with the standards of the International Ornithological Congress, so names and taxonomic sequence may differ from what is used on a state or national level.
| Species Proper Name | 276 | 277 | 279 | 281 | 282 | 283 | 285 | 286 | 288 | 292 | 293 | 294 | 295 | 297 | 299 | 303 |
| Canada Goose | - - | 4 | 10 | 9 | - - | 7 | - - | 29 | - - | 30 | 225 | 30 | - - | 55 | 40 | - - |
| Wood Duck | - - | 6 | - - | 7 | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 17 | - - | - - |
| Mallard | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Blue-winged Teal | - - | - - | - - | 7 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wild Turkey | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | 1 | 6 | - - | - - | 6 | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | 6 |
| Pied-billed Grebe | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Great Blue Heron | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Turkey Vulture | - - | - - | 2 | 21 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Western Osprey | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Cooper's Hawk | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Bald Eagle | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 2 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 2 | 2 | - - | 1 |
| Sandhill Crane | - - | - - | - - | - - | 35 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 175 | 1400 | 1065 | - - | - - |
| Rock Dove | - - | 35 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 5 | 33 | - - |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 7 | - - | 8 | 8 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 4 | 7 | 5 | - - | - - | 4 | 9 | 6 |
| Mourning Dove | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Great Horned Owl | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - |
| Downy Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Hairy Woodpecker | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 |
| Northern Flicker | 3 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Phoebe | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Blue Jay | 1 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| American Crow | - - | 39 | 2 | - - | 160 | - - | - - | 140 | 30 | - - | - - | - - | 900 | 142 | 195 | - - |
| Cedar Waxwing | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 5 | 1 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | - - | 3 | 2 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 3 | - - | 2 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Brown Thrasher | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Starling | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 36 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 9 | 1 |
| Eastern Bluebird | - - | 2 | 4 | - - | 3 | - - | 5 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 2 | 2 | 3 | - - | - - |
| Townsend's Solitaire | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Robin | 40 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 5 | - - | 20 | - - | 50 | - - | - - | - - | 25 | 10 | 310 |
| House Sparrow | - - | 30 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 15 | 6 | 1 |
| House Finch | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 5 |
| American Goldfinch | - - | - - | 5 | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 2 | - - | 2 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Audubon's Warbler | - - | - - | 4 | - - | 4 | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Red-winged Blackbird | - - | - - | - - | 5 | - - | - - | - - | 60 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 235 | 30 | - - | 15 |
| Common Grackle | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 500 | - - |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Harris's Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 2 |
| White-throated Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 3 | - - | 6 | 4 | 2 | - - | - - | 5 | - - | 8 | - - | 30 |
| American Tree Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 25 |
| Spotted Towhee | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 2 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
The month ended with relatively balmy conditions. A day with northerly winds brought an influx of Dark-eyed Junco and American Tree Sparrow. These two species were prevalent on the north side of town. A few Harris's Sparrow added to the wildbirds diversity.
It was an exciting month since there were regular surprises to appreciate and denote. At least during the month, there were opportunities to venture to other wildlife areas that meant an opportunity to denote further findings of wildbirds at Cherry county lands.
This month's records might contribute to some sort of understanding for the occurrence and distribution of birds in Nebraska. Kept records are essential.