With the mention of a May 5th date, there is a possibility this article was originally issued previously. There was no Eli Robbins listed in the 1860 census for Fillmore county. According to historic sources, though the county was established in 1856, the first homesteaders didn't arrive until 1866.
A birdly moniker is the new name for a wetland area in the Rainwater Basin following the announcement of the winner of a contest.
Spoonbill Flats Waterfowl Production Area, submitted by Andrew Nelson, a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was selected by staff of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the area management agency.
Nelson had previously hunted at the wetland area, said Ronnie Sanchez, project leader of the Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District.
Spoonbill is a "slang" name used to refer to the Northern Shoveler, a common duck in the area.
 Rainwater Basin "challenge coin" |
Nelson received a commemorative challenge coin and a card for his name being selected.
"We had 143 name suggestions that were contributed to this office for the contest," Sanchez said. They varied in age. We had some very young individuals that mailed in a name suggestion. The youngest was four years old, with several that would have been in grade school (K-5). The entire Wilcox-Hildreth middle school -- about five miles from the location -- also participated. I would think it was roughly 50/50 kids versus adults.
"Name suggestions came in from across the state ... from Scottsbluff in the west to Omaha in the East and many points in between," he said.
"It was really tough to narrow down the names as there were some really good suggestions. Some folks even sent in a justification as to the meaning behind the name suggestion. Some were meant to be funny, others reflected a name of plant or a wildlife species found in Nebraska, a few had ties to early Native Americans such as the Pawnee who first inhabited this region. Many were trying to pay tribute to fellow Nebraskans that have worked to help conserve and promote our natural resources. One tribute was for a young boy who loved the outdoors, but ultimately his time was cut short due to a brain tumor. Even though his name was not selected I personally every time I drive by our walk on the WPA will always refer to it as McConnell's Marsh."
To learn more about the importance of all Rainwater Basin Wetlands visit the district web site. A map and associated details for the Spoonbill Flats WPA is expected to be available in early May, Sanchez said.
Spoonbill Flats is a 162-acre WPA southwest of Hildreth in Franklin County, Nebraska. The FWS purchased the land in 2012 from Ducks Unlimited, using Land and Water Conservation funds, along with funds from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and DU.
Starting in late March, when shorebirds arrive at the Rainwater Basin, they may be subjects of a new research effort. Some birds will get captured in a net, be humanly handled to have their physiological traits evaluated and then be released, with a newly attached band.
The purpose is to determine the condition and fueling rate of shorebirds using agricultural field habitats in the area, according to Dr. Joseph Fontaine, Assistant Unit Leader of the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and faculty advisor for the project. Research findings will further an understanding of shorebirds as they choose a wetland that meets their resource needs during migration.
The focal species for this study are in the genus Calidris, small artic nesting shorebirds, generally referred to as "peeps."
Previous research is South Dakota has indicated that peeps show a preference for moist-soil habitats associated with agricultural fields, rather than wetlands in grasslands, Fontaine said.
Field studies will be conducted by Caitlyn Gillespie, a student working on a Master's degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Research findings may be useful in evaluating management options concerning migratory birds in the region.
If shorebirds benefit from foraging in flooded agricultural fields, this could be an option that habitat managers in the region can consider, Fontaine said.
The Rainwater Basin is a well-known, and internationally recognized region, and was selected as a study site because of its importance to a wide variety of migratory bird species including many species of Artic nesting shorebirds.
This research is being funded by the U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center and the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture.
Results of previous studies on this topic, carried out by Dr. Fontaine and student Ryan Stutzman, were presented February 6th, at the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, 18th annual informational seminar held at Hastings, Nebraska.
A expansion of the wetland and grassland habitats for migrating birds managed in the Rainwater Basin in southern Nebraska is being considered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Courtesy map. |
The federal agency proposes to increase its acquisition goal to 38,177 acres from the current target of 24,000 acres. Additional areas would be acquired through purchase from willing sellers (9000 acres) or protection using perpetual conservation easements (5000).
The district currently encompasses 26,528 acres, which includes 4,505 acres "donated by or obtained from other agencies, primarily the Farmers Home Administration."
Three factors will influence the acquisition of property, according to a fact sheet:
Two public meetings are to be held on the proposal:
Public comments can be submitted until January 31, 2011. The comments received will be used to prepare a "draft environmental assessment and land protection plan for the proposed expansion."
The district was recognized as a "Landscape of Hemispheric Importance" for shorebirds in April 2009 by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.
The Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District was established in 1963.
Newspaper article on the public meeting in Clay County.
As migratory waterfowl of various sorts are winging their way into Nebraska, they are finding habitat at some state wildlife areas that has been improved by water being pumped to enhance water conditions. through .
"Having water is important for wildlife and hunters," according to Ted LaGrange, wetland program manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
"We add supplemental water when there is a deficit" in precipitation, LaGrange said. In portions of the Rainwater Basin, there has been a deficit for the year, though some recent rains have helped reduce the extent of pumping required.
"There are good baseline conditions which mean less pumping needs to occur," he said.
Pumping efforts have been underway this season at a number of state wildlife areas, according to La Grange, and include:
Pumping started about October 7th, in the five-county region of the Rainwater Basin, managed by Brad Seitz, a wildlife biologist with the NGPC. In his district of the basin, pumping is being done at six of the nine wetland areas with a pumping capacity.
These sites have been acquired in recent years by the NGPC, and pumping capacity - new wells, electrical connections and other improvements were only recently developed.
Two additional areas are Clear Creek WMA in Keith County, and Wilkinson WMA in Platte County.
"Pumping is driven by hunter dollars," LaGrange said, with the "primary funding source is from our Habitat fund, which includes funds from the sale of habitat stamps and state duck stamps. Ducks Unlimited and the Nebraska Environmental Trust have helped to pay for wells, pumps, and pipelines."
"We have recently added to the pumping capacity on our WMAs and are expending all our funds" on the state wildlife areas, LaGrange said.
Well installed at Sandpiper WMA. Photographs courtesy of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Wildlife officials met in September to discuss the condition of water and to determine if they could make a difference in improving conditions by pumping water, LaGrange said.
Pumping water and providing good habitat conditions is beneficial for different types of waterbirds - including shorebirds - in addition to ducks and geese, LaGrange said. "Birds survive better when we provide habitat that may otherwise not be available. In dry years with limited habitat, pumping especially provides suitable habitat."
"We prefer not to pump," Seitz said, referring to 2008, when there were optimal water conditions and "waterfowl were everywhere across the landscape."
"We set the table," Seitz explained. Aquatic food plants that grew during the summer and early fall draw lots of waterfowl once it is flooded. "This is a condition preferable than having permanent water that can result in a dense growth of cattails and other vegetation that can reduce the value of a wetland for fowl.
"Once waterfowl start migrating they will flock to these pumped areas naturally because of the available water and than they stay on these areas longer if there is a flooded food source (barnyardgrass, annual smartweed, burreed, sprankletop, etc). Sandpiper WMA had a tremendous growth of barnyardgrass this year so I kept cattle off of that part of the wetland and then after we had pumped the area for a few days we had a weather event on October 15th and there was 500 ducks using the area the next day!"
Straightwater WMA after pumping.
Creating suitable habitat for a variety of water birds provides opportunities for bird watchers and hunters, Seitz said.
"I want to pump if we can afford it," he said, adding that "if we can provide habitat, I want to do it," Seitz noted. "People really appreciate" when we pump water to create habitat for migrating waterfowl.
A vast number of wild birds certainly also appreciate the habitat being provided in the different areas that help them to meet their habitat and food requirements as they migrate through Nebraska.
The Rainwater Basin area in southern Nebraska. Image courtesy of the Fish and Wildlife Service. |
A new management plan for the Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District in southern Nebraska has been prepared for public review.
The “Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment” was prepared by the Hastings office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Several goals given for the management of the wetland district, address these topics:
The FWS would also like to increase the extent of protected habitats to 46,000 acres from the current 24,210 acres.
The CCP is needed, according to the agency document, to:
“The Rainwater Basin, is a complex of wetlands scattered throughout a 17-county area. The wetlands are shallow basins that provide resting and feeding areas for millions on birds during spring and fall migration,” according to the website for the basin.
Within the region, there are about 60 waterfowl production areas managed by the FWS. The draft plan has maps showing the location of these areas in the different counties.
There are also a number of wildlife management areas in the region which are managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Public comments may be provided on the plan until August 18. An open house for discussion of the draft plan will be held at the Quality Hotel in Hastings on July 31st.