A great variety wild birds were noted in the vicinity of Valentine during the month of April. There were several sightings that were new additions to the area birdlist. There were also some occurences many days prior to a date previously indicated.
Notable during the spring days were:
- Waterfowl: eight species represented with a flock of Green-winged Teal a special treat
- Wild Turkey were less prevalent than a year ago. Usually only a single female would occur and any larger numbers were earlier in the month
- the gathering of Turkey Vulture above the hills north of Valentine and a bit more north of Minnechaduza creek was at a locality designated as Water Tanks Tract, the moniker being obvious to anyone that might visit the publicly-owned landspace. The Heart City area is also a significant place for autumnal gatherings of this species. Currently, these seasonal residents have been noted to roost overnight atop a wireless tower on the east side of downtown Main street. The count is one of the largest for the number of birds recorded. What they eat is beyond my comprehension! Valentine City Park is the locality where in September, 2001 there were 100 of these birds reported, and which is the largest number that have ever been reported for the Sandhills and Niobrara Valley regions. Significant is that there are places for birds to roost because snag trees are prevalent due to past-times wildfires. Also, the hills along the Minnechaduza Creek valley provide ground conditions conducive to aerial soaring.
- a Western Osprey spent some time feeding on fish in Minnechaduza Creek and at the Valentine Mill Pond
- the Franklin's Gull were a single, transitory group in flight
- Shorebird: the sighting of a Greater Yellowlegs was a new addition to the species list for the area
- the local pair of Great Horned Owl were especially vocal during the month; the adults have not yet directly responded to call imitations artificially issued in the night hours
- Songbirds: two new additions to the area birdlist were the Say's Phoebe and Blue-grey Gnatcatcher. A male Common Yellowthroat was also a significant sighting, as it occurred many days prior to the initial sighting in 2016. A surprising brief sighting was the flock of Red Crossbill that landed for moments on a powerline outside the shack window, but lingered long enough to be able to get them into view with a spotting scope and make an identification, with the crossed bills a prominent feature quickly seen. They were likely moving from one copse of pines to another. The ongoing presence of White-throated Sparrow was especially appreciated. When it comes to towhees, they are more often heard than seen, however, whenever they are directly observed they have been the Spotted Towhee, either skulking amidst a shrub or perched atop a bit of woody vegetation. Following an initial occurrence of Chipping Sparrow, they then occurred in numbers so obviously heard singing among the coniferous trees. As to Cedar Waxwing, they seem to be a permanent resident, though not regularly seen. They are obvious when seen, but not obviously seen. Their habits would be worthy of detailed consideration.
Breeding activity was especially notable by Eastern Bluebird and American Robin carrying nesting material. Obviously Eurasian Collared Dove and Common Grackle were active in getting a nest site established. House Wren appreciate the many nest boxes along Lake Shore Drive, and once again one of these little wrens is taking advantage of a hole in a shed pipe to once again nest.
This is the tally of the 63 species noted on the ten days for which observations were recorded; with 221 individual records from 2017 and 152 from 2016. Often, more records are kept because of a significant sighting.
Weather conditions during the April days were very variable with warm-day interludes and then windy days with cold temperatures. The extent of snow was minimal, with no really significant snow falls.
| Proper Name Julian date > | 96 | 97 | 99 | 100 | 109 | 112 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 |
| Canada Goose | 16 | - - | 7 | 19 | 11 | 30 | - - | - - | - - | 8 |
| Wood Duck | 2 | - - | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - - | - - | - - |
| Gadwall | - - | - - | 8 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Wigeon | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Mallard | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Blue-winged Teal | - - | - - | 4 | 6 | - - | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Shoveler | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Green-winged Teal | 6 | - - | - - | 9 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wild Turkey | - - | 6 | - - | 2 | 6 | 1 | - - | 1 | 2 | - - |
| Great Blue Heron | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 3 | 1 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | - - | - - | 24 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Turkey Vulture | 12 | 80 | 3 | - - | 12 | - - | 9 | - - | - - | - - |
| Western Osprey | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Bald Eagle | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-tailed Hawk | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Killdeer | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| Greater Yellowlegs | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Franklin's Gull | - - | - - | - - | - - | 79 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Rock Dove | 7 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 11 | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| Mourning Dove | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | - - | 3 | - - |
| Great Horned Owl | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Hairy Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Flicker | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | 2 | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | 1 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 1 | - - | 2 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Say's Phoebe | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Blue Jay | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | 2 | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | 2 |
| American Crow | 2 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | 1 |
| Cedar Waxwing | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 26 | - - | - - | - - |
| Black-capped Chickadee | - - | 3 | 2 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 2 | - - | - - |
| Tree Swallow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - |
| House Wren | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Blue-grey Gnatcatcher | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 4 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Brown Thrasher | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Common Starling | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | 6 | - - | - - |
| Eastern Bluebird | 3 | - - | 2 | - - | 2 | 2 | - - | - - | 4 | 1 |
| American Robin | 40 | - - | 45 | - - | 20 | 5 | - - | - - | 30 | - - |
| House Sparrow | 15 | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 15 | - - | 10 |
| House Finch | 16 | - - | 12 | - - | 4 | 6 | - - | - - | - - | 4 |
| Red Crossbill | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 12 |
| American Goldfinch | 23 | - - | 30 | - - | 4 | 4 | - - | - - | - - | 10 |
| Common Yellowthroat | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Audubon's Warbler | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Western Meadowlark | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 25 | - - | 25 | - - | 10 | 20 | - - | 25 | - - | - - |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Common Grackle | 37 | 42 | 54 | - - | 25 | 20 | - - | - - | - - | 65 |
| Song Sparrow | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | 1 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 2 | - - |
| White-crowned Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 15 | 18 | 24 | 21 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 6 | 7 | 10 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Chipping Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 3 | - - | - - | 18 | - - |
| Field Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Lark Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - |
| Spotted Towhee | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | 2 | - - | 1 | - - |
| Northern Cardinal | - - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
There were 53 species denoted for eleven survey dates in April 2016. One notable difference is that there were 221 records kept for April 2017 and 152 during this month in 2016. It often occurs that records are kept for multiple species when a significantly different species occurs. Overall, there have been 70 species noted during April of 2016 and 2017. My personal tally for birds in the area is 132. Since the year 2000, there the record list for this area includes 155 species. Without any date restriction, the total is 168 species, each which has been appreciated enough to become a legacy record of wild bird occurrence.
At least two window-strikes occurred this year. One was a Dark-eyed Junco that took a few hours to eventually fly away and another was a female Red-winged Blackbird that was able to depart in less than an hour. There were also a few glancing strikes where the bird hit but continued its flight.
More flycatchers will be welcomed in May. Attention will need to be given to get records for migratory warblers seen in past years at local places that are havens for wildbirds.
