The occurrence of a large variety of birds during the first ten days of May in the Valentine vicinity are indicative why it is bird month in Nebraska.
With a nice variety of habitats within Valentine
and especially north at the mill pond and city park vicinity, as well
as the fish hatchery and government canyon, there is always lively bird activity to observe. It's certainly a fine time to do some listening and watching in the outdoors.
There have been 61 species observed at these various places through May 10th.
Waterfowl
prevail at the mill pond, with a few broods of the Canada Goose that
are getting bigger since their hatching several days ago. Also present
are the resident Wood Duck and visitors such as the Blue-winged Teal and
Northern Shoveler. Also present include the numerous Red-winged
Blackbird claiming a bit of cattail habitat, with just a few
Yellow-headed Blackbird heard. At various times, the Turkey Vulture (at
least 12 now residing) and Northern Rough-winged Swallow can be seen
floating or foraging in the airspace. A Western Osprey was an inerrant
visitor. Among the trees and shrubs are the House Wren and Northern
Cardinal, with the Brown Thrasher and Grey Catbird arriving a few days
into the month. Killdeer continue their presence.
Eastern Phoebe
occur along Minnechaduza creek, as does the Belted Kingfisher that eats
fish. The Spotted Towhee can be heard at the pond and along the north
ridge where there is shrubby habitat.
Ubiquitous within the city
and northward, are numerous Eurasian Collared Dove. Mourning Dove occur
to a much lesser extent. House Finch have a wide-spread occurrence and
are quite vociferous.
A pair of the Red-tailed Hawk and another
of the American Crow are nesting in the north hills. Also present here
is a flock of about 15 Wild Turkey, though only 1-3 are usually seen.
Chimney Swift were first seen on the 4th, and daily flit above Main Street and near other places with chimneys.
The
types of woodpeckers that generally occur are the Red-bellied
Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker and Northern Flicker.
Common Grackle are certainly very common and prefer coniferous trees for
nesting.
Both sorts of kingbirds were first seen on the 7th. A
nice flock of Cedar Waxwing was seen feeding on tree buds along Cherry
street, the same day.
Three species that are permanent residents
include the Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee and White-breasted
Nuthatch. Robins have been common for weeks, and are certainly nesting.
American Goldfinch are a bright bit of color each day at the right
place.
Eastern Bluebird have been seen and heard, and seem to have a preference for the Water Tower Ridge.
Notably present at Valentine City Park on tree planting day was a Swainson’s Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and White-throated Sparrow.
Swallows
present have been the Northern Rough-winged Swallow, American Cliff Swallow and Tree Swallow. Probably present somewhere is
the Barn Swallow.
By the end of the first week of the month,
colorful warblers that had arrived were the resident American Yellow
Warbler and migratory Audubon's Warbler. The Baltimore Oriole arrived on
the 7th.
The parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird is seen to be common as it forages at places that other blackbirds prefer.
Meadowlarks sing away the day where there is suitable grassland, especially to the south.
Resident
species present include the Song Sparrow, wide-spread Chipping Sparrow
at coniferous trees (several migrant flocks occurred on the 9th that
meant more than 100 of these birds being present), the Field Sparrow at the Water Tower Ridge, and Lark Sparrow.
Remaining
migrants include the uncommon Lincoln’s Sparrow, a single late-season
Harris’s on the 9th, regular numbers of the White-crowned Sparrow daily
and a few Clay-colored Sparrow. There is a lot of behavioral antics to
appreciate as these species forage for seeds, or appreciatively bath in a
rain-water puddle.
A couple of species that are always about are the House Sparrow and Rock Dove.
Different sorts of shorebirds and notable waterbirds have been seen at Merritt Reservoir.
A typical number of species for any previous month this year, would be just a few more than forty.
(This article first appeared in the Valentine Midland News.)
History and Legacy of Wild Birds Including Historic Ornithology and Other Topics of Interest
Showing posts with label bird sightings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bird sightings. Show all posts
23 May 2016
04 January 2016
December Birds of the Valentine Vicinity
Winter reigns as a fine variety of bird species continue to occur in the vicinity of Valentine, Nebraska. Prominent conditions during December have been variable, with notable changes by the end of 2015. Some moderate weather brought numerous robins mid-month. Following an approximate 4-inch snowfall about near the end of the third week of the month, cold weather prevailed with lows in the 0o range or less, and daily high temperatures in the lower to mid 20s. The average daily high is the mid-30s. Wind chills many degrees less make being outdoors even more chilly, and this chill index seems to be a regular occurrence. Snow cover continued to prevail as there was no melting. The mill pond is mostly entirely ice-covered, so there has been little use by Canada Goose.
- » Canada Goose: more prevalent early in the month, with lesser numbers noticed in flight nearly daily during the month. Apparently they are roosting on the Niobrara River southeast of Valentine, as indicated by other observers. They fly northward to forage on corn fields.
- » Mallard: a few arrived at the end of the month, with 5-6 noticed on the unfrozen Minnecaduza Creek, below the dam at the Valentine Mill Pond; these fowl have been readily seen swimming about as noticed from the nearby north end of the main street.
- » Northern Bobwhite: the covey continues to be present amidst the pine-clad bluffs north of the Valentine Mill Pond. These are an especially appreciated species. They are looking for places without snow cover so they can forage. This includes bare ground beneath pine trees.
- » Wild Turkey: the local flock has not wandered near my vicinity with only a single bird arriving a couple of times to see if there was any horse feed left behind that it could eat
- » Bald Eagle: the best sighting of the month was an adult slowly flying at a low level over the livestock market.
- » Eurasian Collared Dove: continue to be prevalent near the livestock market, and are most readily seen just to its south, near the power substation. Across the street to the west is a corn storage facility, with kernels on the ground near an end of an auger, after trucking loading/unloading operations. This may be a source of food for these doves, though they have not been seen there, perhaps due not being present at an appropriate time. Rock Doves may also feed there, as they are also common about the market. Two to four ECDs are regularly among the housing and pines north of the mill pond.
- » Red-breasted Nuthatch: probably more prevalent than indicated, but recorded to a lesser extent due to fewer visits into the pine lands.
- » House Sparrow: continue their occurrence in gathered flocks; the largest number is present in shrubbery along north Main Street, at the southeast corner of the Mill Pond area; another bunch is known to occur near the livestock market.
- » American Goldfinch: only occasionally seen, with the greatest number seen once within Valentine, associated with a bird feeder.
- » Dark-eyed Junco: regular loose flocks of 10-20, with birds at two-three known localities, with high counts a combination of numbers counted on the same date at different localities; south-facing slopes with a lesser extent of snow cover, are important foraging areas.
- » Mallard: a few arrived at the end of the month, with 5-6 noticed on the unfrozen Minnecaduza Creek, below the dam at the Valentine Mill Pond; these fowl have been readily seen swimming about as noticed from the nearby north end of the main street.
Most of the species seen are regular winter residents. There is a definite dearth of sparrows. Some flighty birds were seen but could not be identified since the spotting scope was not available.
Some bird feeders are being regularly used by the song birds. There is one located on the north edge of the city, just west of Main Street which is enjoyed by the Red-bellied Woodpecker, and White-breasted Nuthatch, especially. There are also two on the north side of the Valentine Mill Pond. Chickadess and the irregular cardinal are appreciative of these food sources.
The 28 species indicated are listed in the taxonomic order as designated by the International Ornithological Congress, 2015. The top row of numbers is the julian date corresponding to the date of the month. Not all species present on each day are listed as the intent is to get representative counts, and to especially denote notable occurrences.
| Proper Name | 343 | 344 | 346 | 347 | 348 | 351 | 352 | 353 | 355 | 362 | 363 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Goose | 1300 | 1300 | 15 | -- | 30 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 125 | 165 |
| Cackling Goose | 10 | 10 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Mallard | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 7 | 6 |
| Northern Bobwhite | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 12 |
| Wild Turkey | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Red-tailed Hawk | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | 1 |
| Rock Dove | -- | -- | -- | -- | 31 | -- | -- | -- | 40 | -- | -- |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 2 | 30 | 8 | -- |
| Great Horned Owl | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Downy Woodpecker | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Hairy Woodpecker | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | 2 | -- | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Northern Flicker | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- | 1 |
| Blue Jay | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | 2 |
| American Crow | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 2 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- | 6 | 3 | -- |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | -- |
| American Robin | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 35 | -- | -- |
| House Sparrow | -- | -- | 20 | -- | 30 | -- | -- | -- | 25 | 20 | -- |
| House Finch | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Goldfinch | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 12 |
| Harris's Sparrow | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Dark-eyed Junco | -- | -- | 12 | -- | 16 | -- | 30 | -- | 5 | 12 | 29 |
| American Tree Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 1 |
| Northern Cardinal | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 |
There have been 62 species recorded for this bit of a north-central Nebraska vicinity from late August through the end of December. There were 462 records kept for 54 distinct days here, with fewer than ten records the typical daily tally. The most number of records being 30 on October 1st and 28 on November 28th. All records are derived from the specifics kept in a relational database with 147,649 bird records for the Great American Sandhills™ and central Niobrara River valley.
There would be additional species recorded if visits were made to relatively nearby Borman Bridge WMA and the fish hatchery and adjacent Government Canyon WMA, but were not done due to weather conditions and a lack of suitable transportation. A species that would be especially enjoyed would be a Winter Wren. Also an expectant is the Townsend's Solitaire, or maybe a Rough-legged Hawk or Golden Eagle or Prairie Falcon.
Consideration is being given to watching some particular birds at the feeders on the north side of the city.
If a vehicle was available, the bird-watching range would increase to include outings to regional, riverine spring-flows to look for the feathered mite, as well as wintering Marsh Wren and Virginia Rail. It is just too dang cold to walk or bicycle the distance needed to get to the localities to replicate visits made years ago. There are key birds present, but their occurrence is not known by any ornithologists.
Labels:
bird sightings,
seasonal occurrence,
Valentine
05 August 2012
Commentary on Erroneous Bird Observation Reporting
The fall field report for the period of August to November 2011 was recently issued in the Nebraska Bird Review. This article is filled with facts about the species of birds and, often, the number that occurred at a particular time and place. It is a regular feature of this publication.
It is also wrought with errors, in particular those reports issued about personally contributed observations. None of the records provided were published correctly, though a detailed tabular format rendition of observations was submitted to the person preparing the report.
The first notable item was an omission. A peak count of 48 Wood Duck was indicated for the Jack Sinn WMA, on August 4th. Not considered was a similar number, 48 at Carter Lake on September 5th. There were also larger numbers seen within the area of focus, with 143 noted at Desoto NWR on November 2nd, as well as 112 on October 19th and 67 on November 9th at the same place.
Each of these counts are significant, yet not reported. Desoto NWR is a part of Nebraska, so the results of the seasonal bird surveys conducted, should be considered.
Considering a peak number for American Coots, the published report conveyed a peak of 5700 at Carter Lake on October 28th.
Upon reviewing my database records, this value is nowhere near the largest number of coots at this lake. Also, a waterbird survey was not even done on this date, so any attribution of a record is dubious, if not an outright figment of reality.
Details for this locale during the period of interest convey these actual details for the number of American Coots:
- October 24: 5800
- October 27: 6200
- October 29: 7800
- November 1: 8200
- November 4: 8100
- November 7: 8285
- November 11: 8200
- November 14: 6462
- November 17: 5050
There were additional counts made on subsequent dates. The particular point is that the number reported — 5700 — is fictitious.
Other errors are associated with a wrong designation for a locale. On October 28th, a visit was made to the Horseshoe Lake Flats, where some grand views occurred. This place is east of Fort Calhoun, Washington County, and not in any way within Douglas County.
Notations given in the Nebraska Bird Review, attribute the observations to Douglas County. This is the case with details regarding the American Golden-Plover, large number of Killdeer and the exquisite view of two Snow Buntings, as documented by a photograph.
The locale was the Horseshoe Lake Flats, which has always been denoted to Washington County.
Another item to consider is the peak number given for the Purple Martin gathering at the Nebraska Medical Center campus in Midtown.
The reporter, apparently taking what detail were available on the NEBirds online forum, indicated the greatest number of 50-55,000 on 27 August.
There were more martins present, on other dates, based upon counts made with another observer at the roost:
- August 31: 60,000
- September 1: 65,000
- September 2: 60,000
- September 3: 40,000
These numbers were not reported online, but than again, no effort was made to inquire about count details. After these days, there were lesser numbers as the birds moved onward during their seasonal migration to the south.
The value of the NBR report is lessened by indicating erroneous details. If details from one observer are all incorrect, it raises a red flag for other information being presented. This regular report provides essential details for the history of ornithology in Nebraska, so it is an imperative requirement that every detail be accurate.
The preparer's task is onerous, and done on a volunteer basis, so thanks to the preparer, but if a completely accurate account cannot be presented, the value of the details is obviously questionable.
Based upon the particulars relative to personal observations, the information is basically useless because the details are wrong.
Labels:
bird sightings,
Nebraska