March Wildbirds at Valentine During 2018

It has been an exciting month to watch wildbirds at Valentine, Nebraska, and its immediate vicinity, which is basically within city boundaries. There were several days when it seemed there would be no need to keep records of sightings, but then some unexpected species was seen that had to be denoted, so some ancillary observations were added to my Sand Hill database, which by the way, now has nearly 158,500 records with the earliest record from May 1886 for a Wilson’s Snipe seen near Chambers, at time when the report referred to “screeching” jack snipe in area meadows.

Records were kept for 16 particular dates and 281 observational records. This is beyond the norm, but regular, significant sightings of different species required additional record keeping. The overall number of species denoted is reflected in the details, with 56 species observed during the month at nine different, specific localities in the immediate territory of the city. It should be noted that a database records was kept for every species on every day, and this applies to regular and common birds such as the American Robin.

This tally has a different taxonomy as during the month, species names, taxonomic sequence and other particulars were updated to conform with the most recently available checklist developed by the International Ornithological Congress, which is representative of world-wide scientific understanding, rather than being country-centric.

These are some of the highlights for the month:

• There were a greater number of wintering Canada Goose because of particular attention to their presence. Many of them roost on the Niobrara River southeast of town, but they were readily seen moving northward on many mornings, along with a few Cackling Goose (as previously reported). Transitory duck species added to the monthly tally, mostly at the Valentine Mill Pond this year were American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck at Mistake Lake, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye. Wood Duck and Mallard are residents and will have an ongoing presence.
  
• Wild Turkey: two toms seen later in the month and then the next day two toms along with their group of 11 hens were outside the window. No turkeys had been seen for many weeks in the immediate vicinity.
  
• Turkey Vulture arrived at Valentine on the same day as they had in 2017, initially roosting within a tree in the city. They then moved to the relic tree snags at Government Pond. The weather was not conducive to their presence as cold, wind and snow flurries would not be suitable for soaring flight and foraging in their search for something eatible. A first vulture was seen going westerly along their typical summer season travel route on the afternoon of the 31^st.
  
• Red-tailed Hawk: a pair which has taken up residence in the North Lake Shore Hills do not appreciate any other hawks in their territory. This includes any Rough-legged Buzzard and a visiting Harlan’s Hawk (dark and streaky on the 31^st) — arriving and perching upon the branch of a hills’ pine for a short time — and that might diminish the prey base upon which the local pair are dependent.
  
• Franklin’s Gull: it was quite surprising to see one of these gulls foraging along the curb of Main Street on the west side of Mathis Equipment. Its plumage features were very obvious as readily seen in the morning, notably the black head and rosy, spring coloration. And then another bird of this species was seen the next morning as well, flying in the same vicinity. These two sightings are the earliest known for Cherry county, based upon records going back decades.
  
• Doves: the common Rock Dove are most regularly seen at the livestock market, and westerly from their along the highway; among the few visiting Eurasian Collared Dove, there has been a nearly white melanistic bird; a pair of Mourning Dove found the seed buffet and became regular visitors at the end of the month.
  
• Eastern Phoebe: by the end of the month, a territorial male was heard as it was an early breeding season arrival at the abandoned hydro-power structure at the east end of the Valentine Mill Pond.
  
• Cedar Waxwing: most typically seen in town, and they were notable eating berries of the trees that are part of the landscaping at the Wells Fargo bank at First and Main streets.
  
• Pine Siskin: probably the easiest sighting of the month as the two were suddenly present outside the window feeding on some remnant seeds of some weeds.
  
• Dark-eyed Junco: appreciated daily visitors to the seed buffet.
  
• American Tree Sparrow: present every day, with occasional counts made of the number that were visiting and feeding on the seed being provided; this meant observations could be based upon the birds coming to a particular locale rather having to search them out. In previous years the last date when they were observed was March 29, yet this year, they were observed until the 31^st. Numbers decreased dramatically as the months’ observation period ended. It was so much easier to count them as they came to the seed buffet, rather than going in search of them.
  
• Note the increase in Red-winged Blackbird, which at this time of year were still congregating, and thus providing a means to count overall numbers.
  

There were many other special sightings that were considered and given attention. Many niceties occurred and then became specific database records. It was really nice to see a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at the northeast corner of the Valentine Mill Pond, and at the same locality where an Eastern Phoebe was heard on the same morning.

These are the results for another month of birding at the Heart City, which is a territory with multiple spaces to observe nature, and which is actually quite a fine place for birding, especially if other wildbird habitats within the territory are considered. The numbers at the top of the columns are the julian date, upon which the temporal occurrence of species for different years is totally dependent.

March Bird Tally for Valentine, Nebraska in 2018

Proper Name	61	65	69	72	73	76	78	79	81	82	83	86	87	88	89	90
Canada Goose	749	1111	825	- -	852	- -	- -	60	55	55	- -	80	- -	- -	10	17
Cackling Goose	2	7	4	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Snow Goose	- -	86	- -	250	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Wood Duck	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	2	- -	- -
Gadwall	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Wigeon	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Mallard	- -	- -	2	- -	7	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -
Northern Pintail	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Green-winged Teal	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3
Ring-necked Duck	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -
Lesser Scaup	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	6	- -	- -	- -
Bufflehead	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Common Goldeneye	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Common Merganser	- -	- -	6	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Wild Turkey	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	13	2	- -	12	- -
Great Blue Heron	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Turkey Vulture	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	16	- -	- -	- -	12
Bald Eagle	- -	2	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	1	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-tailed Hawk	1	3	2	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	2	2	- -	- -	- -	2
Rough-legged Buzzard	1	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Killdeer	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -
Franklin's Gull	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Herring Gull	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	16	- -	1	3	- -	1	1	- -
Rock Dove	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	12	- -	- -	12	- -	- -	- -	- -
Eurasian Collared Dove	2	1	4	- -	13	2	- -	- -	6	- -	3	10	- -	3	- -	3
Mourning Dove	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	2	2
Great Horned Owl	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Belted Kingfisher	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -
Red-bellied Woodpecker	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Downy Woodpecker	- -	1	1	- -	5	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	1	- -	1	1	- -
Hairy Woodpecker	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -
Northern Flicker	1	- -	1	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	1	- -
Eastern Phoebe	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -
Blue Jay	- -	- -	2	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Crow	1	2	5	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	3	- -
Cedar Waxwing	- -	22	- -	6	- -	- -	- -	- -	6	- -	- -	- -	40	5	- -	- -
Black-capped Chickadee	3	3	6	- -	5	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -
White-breasted Nuthatch	3	2	1	- -	7	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -
Common Starling	- -	- -	65	- -	20	1	- -	- -	4	- -	- -	1	- -	4	- -	- -
Eastern Bluebird	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	4	- -	2	4	- -	1	- -	- -
American Robin	12	5	12	- -	66	- -	- -	- -	60	30	- -	42	- -	- -	- -	- -
House Sparrow	20	- -	22	- -	30	2	- -	- -	26	- -	- -	22	- -	- -	- -	- -
House Finch	5	- -	4	- -	9	4	- -	- -	12	3	- -	13	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red Crossbill	- -	- -	12	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Goldfinch	3	- -	- -	- -	7	- -	- -	- -	4	- -	- -	4	- -	- -	- -	- -
Pine Siskin	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Western Meadowlark	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-winged Blackbird	5	115	50	- -	38	105	- -	- -	15	50	60	40	- -	135	- -	125
Common Grackle	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	5	1	1	2	- -	5	- -
Song Sparrow	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -
Dark-eyed Junco	8	16	15	- -	7	10	- -	- -	13	30	40	20	15	16	18	16
Savannah Sparrow	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
American Tree Sparrow	- -	18	20	- -	12	35	85	- -	26	15	35	25	6	16	7	4
Northern Cardinal	2	- -	- -	- -	2	1	- -	- -	2	- -	1	4	- -	1	1	1

In comparison, there was a tally of 36 species in 2016 (149 records) and 48 species in 2017 (245 records). Obviously the number of kept records makes a difference in the number of wildbirds known to occur. Nonetheless, the territory associated with Valentine has a great variety of places and spaces where there can be an exciting sighting nearly any day, especially during seasonal changes. Overall for the three years combined, there have been 66 species observed during the month of March at this locality.