Extent of Bird Use at Squaw Creek NWR

This is a summary of details on the number of birds known to occur at Squaw Creek NWR, near Mound City, Missouri. Records evaluated include those gathered by visiting birds as well as counts made by refuge staff. The value given is a summary of the number of birds counted during any of the surveys evaluated during the particular year. A zero value indicates that the species was denoted during a survey, but no information on the number present was indicated. Records evaluated here include those available through the end of April, 2014.

It's obvious that this refuge is an important place for a vast multitude of birds. The extent of use can change and evolve as it has so prominently for the Trumpeter Swan in recent years. This summary listing also provides a "rough index" on the status of the different species of wildbirds.

Common Name	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2011	2012	2013	2014
Greater White-fronted Goose	871	58032	972	900	18545	37954	35234	41165	19038
Snow Goose	761,324	65970	250,000	36002	398,330	1,337,970	4,908,623	2,515,077	2,610,251
Ross's Goose	4	109	0	24	53	25	10	96	754
Cackling Goose	- -	0	0	0	7	16	1	14	- -
Canada Goose	4045	19992	5799	5467	14726	5133	4830	13726	4389
Trumpeter Swan	3	11	- -	104	72	1117	2169	5060	1496
Tundra Swan	1	- -	- -	11	0	11	24	51	4
Wood Duck	817	1569	3	2312	532	590	421	149	272
Gadwall	25568	109,346	140	47690	57093	9085	42833	71193	13975
American Wigeon	798	5357	4	1525	16154	331	249	261	611
American Black Duck	4	0	- -	4	5	1	- -	4	1
Mallard	422,992	369,095	13653	177,126	123,029	429,411	266,271	641,664	99553
Blue-winged Teal	17316	7148	0	8455	6214	1401	73626	7555	15210
Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -
Cinnamon Teal	- -	2	- -	5	- -	- -	4	0	6
Northern Shoveler	8471	23929	0	20731	32739	6617	21955	25854	26450
Northern Pintail	29001	122,608	9238	122,835	104391	103368	46179	84724	44358
Green-winged Teal	51415	99130	0	33414	29480	34341	42090	56248	31158
Canvasback	14	151	120	168	220	31	50	122	37
Redhead	302	18	0	364	2218	284	482	148	261
Ring-necked Duck	5998	16561	459	8335	33578	19485	24412	19299	24716
Greater Scaup	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	3
Lesser Scaup	80	219	- -	11	30	127	4298	1019	18
Bufflehead	81	676	46	461	1021	212	613	469	506
Common Goldeneye	52	383	107	352	93	97	1016	1133	81
Hooded Merganser	42	113	32	95	92	369	220	970	171
Common Merganser	15	155	142	154	187	68	1651	600	259
Red-breasted Merganser	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	9	3	- -
Ruddy Duck	1726	942	- -	750	1725	874	1449	2776	2769
Ring-necked Pheasant	9	20	25	1	0	1	- -	2	2
Wild Turkey	15	20	0	8	19	12	5	0	- -
Northern Bobwhite	0	- -	10	0	0	- -	12	- -	0
Pied-billed Grebe	1	26	0	15	50	49	212	305	35
Horned Grebe	- -	0	- -	1	9	- -	2	2	- -
Eared Grebe	6	- -	- -	3	3	- -	- -	1	- -
American White Pelican	601	361	0	90	1400	1016	2702	3071	750
Neotropic Cormorant	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -
Double-crested Cormorant	0	98	- -	11	1880	3	188	44	70
American Bittern	4	7	- -	2	4	- -	- -	1	0
Least Bittern	19	3	- -	5	- -	- -	- -	1	- -
Great Blue Heron	54	0	0	10	15	18	76	40	90
Great Egret	115	144	- -	62	16	0	81	13	12
Snowy Egret	5	4	- -	6	5	- -	- -	- -	0
Little Blue Heron	6	16	- -	6	1	- -	- -	1	2
Cattle Egret	4	22	- -	1	- -	12	0	3	0
Green Heron	1	0	- -	1	2	- -	- -	2	- -
Black-crowned Night-Heron	0	23	1	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	1	0	- -	2	0	- -	- -	- -	1
Glossy Ibis	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
White-faced Ibis	- -	70	- -	211	10	19	33	16	12
Turkey Vulture	60	2	10	2	0	6	10	35	5
Osprey	1	1	- -	- -	1	1	- -	0	- -
Bald Eagle	2019	546	8	259	230	414	782	893	247
Northern Harrier	3	5	0	9	5	7	9	2	1
Sharp-shinned Hawk	2	1	- -	0	0	- -	- -	- -	0
Cooper's Hawk	6	4	- -	1	0	- -	1	1	- -
Red-shouldered Hawk	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -
Broad-winged Hawk	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	0
Swainson's Hawk	- -	- -	- -	1	1	- -	- -	38	- -
Red-tailed Hawk	0	16	1	54	3	23	24	9	5
Rough-legged Hawk	2	8	- -	0	- -	2	2	- -	- -
Golden Eagle	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	0	- -	- -
American Kestrel	- -	1	0	2	3	2	- -	1	1
Merlin	3	0	0	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Peregrine Falcon	1	2	- -	2	1	2	0	0	- -
Prairie Falcon	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
King Rail	1	6	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Virginia Rail	1	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Sora	1	3	- -	6	0	0	0	1	- -
Common Moorhen	- -	15	- -	1	1	- -	1	- -	- -
American Coot	9068	30868	5	46465	68394	12896	37642	120,274	46296
Sandhill Crane	2	16	- -	9	9	2	2	18	5
Black-bellied Plover	3	0	- -	11	0	54	0	- -	2
American Golden-Plover	7	27	- -	5	166	78	33	6	0
Snowy Plover	- -	1	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -
Semipalmated Plover	5	58	- -	15	54	0	51	0	3
Piping Plover	0	5	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Killdeer	0	24	0	61	179	2438	253	140	32
Black-necked Stilt	- -	- -	- -	7	1	1	- -	- -	1
American Avocet	2	1	- -	2	20	15	34	28	26
Spotted Sandpiper	6	6	- -	8	7	44	4	2	0
Solitary Sandpiper	11	1	- -	7	2	- -	4	1	1
Greater Yellowlegs	12	96	0	19	144	140	301	50	150
Willet	5	4	- -	2	3	3	19	0	- -
Lesser Yellowlegs	55	406	- -	476	1843	462	3035	120	485
Upland Sandpiper	2	2	- -	1	- -	- -	0	- -	- -
Hudsonian Godwit	17	212	- -	11	27	- -	21	0	58
Marbled Godwit	- -	7	- -	- -	22	0	3	17	45
Ruddy Turnstone	- -	1	- -	1	- -	- -	0	- -	- -
Sanderling	- -	2	- -	0	1	- -	0	- -	- -
Semipalmated Sandpiper	6	28	- -	1	32	28	290	0	0
Western Sandpiper	- -	0	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Least Sandpiper	79	214	- -	237	90	129	509	0	5
White-rumped Sandpiper	- -	370	- -	0	1	9	505	- -	- -
Baird's Sandpiper	3	129	- -	8	135	2	47	8	28
Pectoral Sandpiper	119	1404	- -	9	1829	28	3759	60	668
Dunlin	3	69	- -	1	15	14	31	0	4
Stilt Sandpiper	0	103	- -	13	32	343	1	0	0
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	1	- -	- -	13	2	- -	- -	- -	- -
Short-billed Dowitcher	4	36	- -	- -	0	- -	0	- -	- -
Long-billed Dowitcher	8	435	- -	110	54	762	323	4	35
Wilson's Snipe	69	477	2	61	188	3	13	8	15
American Woodcock	- -	- -	- -	3	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Wilson's Phalarope	0	80	- -	19	10	5	163	0	35
Red-necked Phalarope	- -	6	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	52	- -
Red Phalarope	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Franklin's Gull	- -	283	- -	25	11	2	0	0	23
Bonaparte's Gull	- -	10	- -	- -	43	- -	1	0	18
Ring-billed Gull	- -	24	- -	4	56	20	65	0	1
Herring Gull	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	- -	- -
Caspian Tern	- -	2	- -	- -	4	2	- -	- -	- -
Black Tern	140	96	- -	0	150	- -	- -	- -	- -
Common Tern	- -	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Forster's Tern	- -	16	- -	17	1	- -	- -	2	0
Rock Pigeon	- -	- -	5	50	0	8	0	3	- -
Mourning Dove	- -	- -	0	28	0	2	5	11	2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	- -	0	10	0	0	- -	- -	2	- -
Great Horned Owl	4	4	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Snowy Owl	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -
Barred Owl	2	- -	- -	0	1	- -	2	1	- -
Short-eared Owl	- -	6	- -	- -	0	- -	2	- -	- -
Chimney Swift	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	0	0	- -
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -
Belted Kingfisher	- -	1	12	4	0	0	3	3	1
Red-headed Woodpecker	- -	- -	5	0	0	- -	7	11	- -
Red-bellied Woodpecker	- -	0	5	12	0	4	6	6	2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	1	0	- -	- -
Downy Woodpecker	- -	0	1	10	0	5	6	5	3
Hairy Woodpecker	- -	3	2	2	0	2	3	1	2
Northern Flicker	- -	0	3	13	2	3	8	6	5
Pileated Woodpecker	- -	- -	- -	1	3	0	1	1	1
Olive-sided Flycatcher	0	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -
Eastern Wood-Pewee	- -	0	1	- -	0	- -	2	6	- -
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	- -
Acadian Flycatcher	5	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Alder Flycatcher	- -	2	- -	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Willow Flycatcher	0	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Least Flycatcher	5	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	0	- -
Eastern Phoebe	- -	2	- -	0	0	1	4	0	5
Great Crested Flycatcher	- -	- -	1	0	0	- -	1	1	- -
Western Kingbird	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -
Eastern Kingbird	42	- -	5	0	1	1	6	7	0
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Loggerhead Shrike	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Bell's Vireo	17	2	- -	- -	0	- -	1	- -	- -
Yellow-throated Vireo	- -	0	- -	0	0	- -	0	1	- -
Blue-headed Vireo	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	- -
Warbling Vireo	0	0	- -	0	0	0	0	1	0
Philadelphia Vireo	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-eyed Vireo	13	0	- -	- -	0	- -	0	- -	- -
Blue Jay	- -	0	3	4	0	16	8	12	1
American Crow	- -	- -	5	15	0	21	3	50	1
Horned Lark	- -	3	- -	1		- -	- -	- -	- -
Purple Martin	0	0	- -	- -	0	- -	8	0	2
Tree Swallow	0	312	5	7000	202	0	27	52	7
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	0	32	5	0	0	0	10	0	0
Bank Swallow	- -	1200	150	0	0	0	50	- -	- -
Cliff Swallow	0	275	20	0	0	0	0	5	0
Barn Swallow	0	206	0	0	0	6	50	5	0
Black-capped Chickadee	- -	8	0	13	0	9	7	6	1
Tufted Titmouse	- -	4	- -	10	0	7	4	5	2
Red-breasted Nuthatch	- -	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	0	- -
White-breasted Nuthatch	- -	7	2	9	4	6	11	2	5
Brown Creeper	0	1	- -	8	0	1	0	- -	- -
Carolina Wren	- -	1	- -	4	0	1	2	1	0
House Wren	- -	0	5	0	0	0	2	29	0
Winter Wren	- -	0	- -	2	0	- -	2	- -	- -
Sedge Wren	20	18	- -	0	0	- -	0	1	- -
Marsh Wren	3	2	- -	0	0	0	0	1	- -
Golden-crowned Kinglet	0	1	- -	6	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	- -	11	- -	1	0	0	0	0	1
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	0	0	0	0
Eastern Bluebird	- -	2	1	29	0	8	4	4	4
Gray-cheeked Thrush	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Swainson's Thrush	- -	15	- -	0	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Hermit Thrush	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Wood Thrush	- -	0	- -	0	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Robin	- -	0	10	11	0	10	36	25	12
Gray Catbird	- -	- -	4	0	0	- -	1	2	- -
Northern Mockingbird	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	1	1	- -	- -
Brown Thrasher	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	1	0
European Starling	- -	0	200	38	0	62	121	57	10
American Pipit	3	0	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	3	- -
Cedar Waxwing	- -	0	0	50	0	- -	0	9	0
Tennessee Warbler	- -	3	- -	0	0	- -	- -	0	- -
Orange-crowned Warbler	- -	2	- -	0	0	- -	0	0	- -
Nashville Warbler	0	3	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Northern Parula	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	0	0	0	- -
Yellow Warbler	3	73	1	- -	0	0	0	3	- -
Chestnut-sided Warbler	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -
Magnolia Warbler	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Yellow-rumped Warbler	- -	0	- -	0	10	0	0	0	0
Black-throated Green Warbler	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	0	0	- -
Blackburnian Warbler	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Palm Warbler	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	0	0	0	0
Blackpoll Warbler	- -	0	- -	4	0	- -	- -	0	- -
Black-and-white Warbler	4	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	1	0	- -
American Redstart	8	3	3	0	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Prothonotary Warbler	- -	1	- -	0	1	0	- -	- -	- -
Worm-eating Warbler	- -	0	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ovenbird	0	2	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Northern Waterthrush	1	5	- -	6	0	0	0	0	- -
Kentucky Warbler	- -	0	- -	0	0	- -	0	- -	- -
Common Yellowthroat	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	25	- -
Wilson's Warbler	0	0	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Canada Warbler	1	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Yellow-breasted Chat	- -	0	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Summer Tanager	- -	- -	- -	0	0	- -	0	- -	- -
Scarlet Tanager	- -	- -	- -	0	0	- -	- -	- -	- -
Spotted Towhee	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Eastern Towhee	0	- -	1	0	0	- -	1	- -	0
American Tree Sparrow	- -	531	0	83	25	69	38	13	- -
Chipping Sparrow	0	0	3	0	0	0	6	3	2
Clay-colored Sparrow	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	0	- -	0	- -
Field Sparrow	0	0	- -	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	0
Vesper Sparrow	0	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Lark Sparrow	0	- -	3	4	0	- -	- -	0	5
Savannah Sparrow	0	6	- -	- -	0	- -	0	2	0
Le Conte's Sparrow	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Fox Sparrow	- -	10	- -	1	5	- -	0	- -	14
Song Sparrow	0	16	0	14	0	3	2	15	9
Lincoln's Sparrow	- -	1	- -	- -	0	- -	0	0	3
Swamp Sparrow	0	0	- -	2	0	5	0	0	- -
White-throated Sparrow	- -	0	- -	1	1	- -	0	0	0
Harris's Sparrow	0	12	- -	0	12	0	0	1	1
White-crowned Sparrow	- -	1	- -	0	- -	2	- -	0	- -
Dark-eyed Junco	- -	161	0	128	22	29	10	21	4
Northern Cardinal	- -	0	15	10	0	13	28	13	15
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	- -	0	5	1	0	0	- -	0	- -
Blue Grosbeak	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	0	- -
Indigo Bunting	- -	- -	10	- -	0	- -	6	3	- -
Dickcissel	- -	- -	5	- -	0	- -	17	15	- -
Bobolink	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	1	- -
Red-winged Blackbird	20000	0	0	1	0	480	5883	205	750
Eastern Meadowlark	- -	1	- -	- -	0	10	0	1	4
Yellow-headed Blackbird	- -	28	- -	0	0	- -	0	0	1
Rusty Blackbird	0	51	- -	71	0	0	1	- -	- -
Brewer's Blackbird	- -	- -	- -	5	- -	0	- -	- -	0
Common Grackle	- -	0	0	0	0	58	11715	149	10
Great-tailed Grackle	1	185	- -	0	19	26	255	35	103
Brown-headed Cowbird	- -	- -	10	0	0	0	14	95	8
Orchard Oriole	- -	- -	0	- -	0	0	- -	15	- -
Baltimore Oriole	- -	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	- -
Purple Finch	- -	10	- -	- -	0	2	- -	- -	- -
House Finch	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	7	0	- -	0
Pine Siskin	- -	2	- -	0	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Goldfinch	- -	0	5	8	0	30	16	9	1
House Sparrow	- -	- -	0	0	0	16	0	1	2

This is not a complete tally of the numerous reports made as a result of bird observations at the refuge, but only those available in a personal database. There are, however, additional reports that provide sporadic details from 2002 and prior years.

Further information for birdly occurrence could be evaluated — especially details associated with the day of occurrence as compared throughout the year — for the 6842 available database records.

Fifteen Bird-strikes on Two May Days at Omaha

There were fifteen bird-window strikes documented on May 7-8 in eastern Omaha, especially downtown.

Ten of these occurred just on Wednesday. This is the earliest instance of this extent of strike occurrences ever recorded during the past few years of this personal effort.

Ruth Sokolof Theater

¶ disabled male Common Yellowthroat on the west side, near the ticket window (certainly it was not in line to buy a ticket to a movie!)

CenturyLink Center Omaha

¶ disabled Clay-colored Sparrow about ten feet north of the northmost entry

¶ a dead Red-winged Blackbird about 35 feet south of the northmost entry

¶ a disabled Common Yellowthroat about ten feet north of the second from north entry

¶ a dead Northern Waterthrush about three feet north of the southmost convention center entry

¶ a dead Clay-colored Sparrow about 35 feet south of the northmost entry; this was at the same spot as the blackbird found earlier; this carcass was found during a early-morning second visit to the locality

Holland Performing Arts Center

¶ a dead Lincoln's Sparrow at the southeast corner of the courtyard, at the north-facing entry

Nebraska State Office Building

¶ a dead Wood Thrush on the north side, at the section of windows at the eastern end

1200 Landmark Center

¶ a disabled Gray Catbird at the north side of the atrium

Omaha-Douglas Civic Center

¶ a dead Clay-colored Sparrow at the entrance on the side side of the atrium

Thursday, May 8

Five different species were noted during the early morning bicycle rounds, just after a fast-moving rain-storm passed through...

CenturyLink Center Omaha

¶ a dead Common Yellowthroat male about ten feet south of the north corner of the west facade

¶ a dead Clay-colored Sparrow about ten feet north of the first from north entry

¶ a dead Marsh Wren about 35 feet south of the northmost entry

¶ a dead Indigo Bunting between the southmost convention center entry and the third from north entry

1200 Landmark Center

¶ a dead Lincoln's Sparrow at the doorway on the south side of the atrium

Friday, May 9

A cool, cloudy day with westerly wind. Only two instances of fatalities, at two of the regular buildings in east downtown Omaha.

CenturyLink Center Skywalk

¶ a dead Baltimore Oriole on the north side, and the eastern section

1200 Landmark Center

¶ a dead Lincoln's Sparrow on the north side of the tower, at the third pane of glass from the west corner

The tally of bird-window collisions personally documented in Omaha is now at more than 1820 during more than six years of surveys.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continues to not take any enforcement activity though each strike instance is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This agency is basically worthless in this regards at Omaha, and numerous other cities where a multitude of birds are killed or injured in this manner.

First Bird Fatality at Gavilon Building

The first known bird-window collision at the recently finished Gavilon headquarters building was noted the morning of May 5. A Blackpoll Warbler carcass was found on the east side of the building in downtown Omaha (at 1331 Capitol Avenue), beneath a section of reflective glass at the street-level.

It was predicted months ago that due to the highly reflective glass used with this building, that bird deaths could be expected. It did not take long this spring season for that to occur.

Gavilon officials claimed the glass was low- to mid-reflectivity. This is not the case. The north side of the structure has the greatest extent of glass, and this is where the bird-window collisions had been expected.

Elsewhere in downtown Omaha, the following where also noted:

• Yellow-rumped Warbler: carcass on the south side of the Union Pacific Center, about ten feet from the west corner
  
• Gray Catbird: temporarily disabled on the west side of the Gottschalk Freedom Center (an Omaha World-Herald building) and at the second section of glass from the north corner
  
• Eastern Whip-poor-will: carcass on the south side of the First National Bank Building, and about 25 feet from the west corner. This is the first record of this species as a bird-window strike victim at Omaha.
  

More Fatalities on Tuesday

There were seven strike occurrences noted on Tuesday morning, May 6th.

CenturyLink Center Omaha

a disabled Clay-colored Sparrow on the west side, about 15 feet from the north corner of the facade

a dead Lincoln's Sparrow at the same place

a dead Orange-crowned Warbler on the west side, about ten feet from the second from north entry

a dead Lincoln's Sparrow on the west side, about ten feet north of the southernmost convention center entry

Nebraska State Office Building

a disabled Swainson's Thrush on the north side, at the middle of the entry area

1200 Landmark Center

a dead Gray Catbird on the north side of the atrium, just east of the doors

Central Park Plaza

a dead Yellow-rumped Warbler on the north side of the north tower, at the eastern one-quarter

Each of these deaths is a taking, and therefore a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Industrial Powerline Threatens Carson Lake Bird Habitat

Carson Lake is a distinct wetland in a remote corner of northwest Garfield county, and one of the few such places in this eastern sandhills county. More than twenty years ago, upon initiating a personal project to survey distinctive lake places in the Sand Hills region, this locality was one of the first places visited. It became a favorite site to enjoy the local wildbirds because of the number and diversity of species.

Dates of visits to Carson Lake to survey wildbirds
1990 27 Apr 15 Jun 21 Jul 1991 01 Feb 28 Apr 18 May 01 Jun 21 Jun 26 Jul 07 Aug 12 Aug 12 Sep 28 Dec 1992 23 Apr 10 May 21 May 18 Jun 16 Jul 19 Sep 26 Oct	1993 22 Apr 19 Jun 1994 28 May 15 Jul 1995 03 Jun 2003 22 Sep 2004 13 May 02 Jul   Total: 28 visits during all seasons of the year, but especially during the breeding season

The land-owner gave permission, so there were many nights when my truck was parked on the west bank of the place, during which the lake setting was scanned repeatedly with a spotting scope to observe and appreciate the abundant bird life. Often, the respite from driving continued until the next morning, when the song of the birds could especially be enjoyed. This is a unique place for birds among the hills.

Now, about 25 years after my first visits, a state utility company wants to place an industrial powerline along the south side of the lake setting. The officials know nothing of the wildbirds associated with this distinct place. They have indicated a line on a map to indicate the routing for the so-called r-project. The corridor is along the southern edge of the lake. The utility company could have just as easily drawn their route a mile southward, along the county road, but obviously preferred to run the line across a grassland/wetland terrain, and most notably, too near to the lake.

The utility company has not presented any rationale about how they decided upon this particular route. It does not make sense to place a hazardous powerline so close to a wetland used by so many sorts of wild birds.

Lake Features

Carson Lake is about 400 acres in size with two types of wetlands. The extent and depth of water is highly variable depending on precipitation, and this flux creates a diverse wetland setting that provides a changing habitat. There are additional wetland features — including wet meadows — immediately south of the lake.

Bird Species

This is a tabular summary of the 114 bird species observed at the lake and its surrounding ranchland environs. The value given indicates the total number of birds counted on the visits during the particular year, and gives a rough indication of the extent of occurrence.

Common Name	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	2003	2004
Canada Goose	97	52	41	18	7	19	9	170
Wood Duck	11	53	13	- -	- -	1	1	1
Gadwall	17	41	233	45	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Wigeon	1	- -	15	- -	- -	- -	3	- -
Mallard	31	209	398	50	9	17	7	9
Blue-winged Teal	45	99	202	40	4	3	75	- -
Northern Shoveler	12	136	255	35	3	- -	- -	- -
Northern Pintail	3	5	41	10	- -	2	- -	2
Green-winged Teal	10	16	34	- -	- -	- -	40	- -
Redhead	16	44	- -	12	9	10	- -	- -
Lesser Scaup	- -	- -	- -	35	- -	- -	- -	- -
Bufflehead	- -	- -	- -	5	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ruddy Duck	4	4	- -	5	4	7	- -	- -
Ring-necked Pheasant	2	18	3	1	2	- -	- -	- -
Greater Prairie-Chicken	1	2	- -	- -	1	1	- -	- -
Wild Turkey	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	8
Northern Bobwhite	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Pied-billed Grebe	3	- -	7	5	13	5	- -	- -
Eared Grebe	- -	2	2	3	5	12	- -	- -
Western Grebe	20	14	- -	- -	1	2	- -	- -
American White Pelican	156	160	276	- -	- -	- -	92	32
Double-crested Cormorant	20	43	100	- -	3	32	11	1
American Bittern	1	3	1	- -	3	2	- -	- -
Great Blue Heron	16	37	1	- -	- -	1	2	1
Great Egret	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Snowy Egret	1	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Cattle Egret	- -	- -	- -	- -	40	- -	- -	- -
Black-crowned Night-Heron	13	10	2	- -	3	- -	- -	- -
Bald Eagle	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Northern Harrier	- -	3	3	1	1	- -	3	- -
Swainson's Hawk	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-tailed Hawk	- -	1	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Kestrel	4	6	2	1	- -	- -	1	2
Peregrine Falcon	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Virginia Rail	- -	2	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Sora	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Coot	11	139	277	285	10	15	3	- -
Sandhill Crane	- -	- -	125	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Black-bellied Plover	- -	- -	28	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Snowy Plover	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Semipalmated Plover	1	25	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Piping Plover	- -	- -	11	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Killdeer	26	63	129	11	1	7	8	1
Black-necked Stilt	- -	7	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Avocet	- -	2	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Greater Yellowlegs	1	18	3	- -	- -	- -	9	- -
Lesser Yellowlegs	2	10	59	- -	- -	- -	25	2
Willet	2	25	4	- -	1	- -	- -	- -
Spotted Sandpiper	2	7	7	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Upland Sandpiper	5	24	18	- -	7	2	- -	4
Marbled Godwit	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -
Semipalmated Sandpiper	25	290	95	- -	- -	- -	- -	15
Least Sandpiper	- -	81	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	8
White-rumped Sandpiper	- -	- -	355	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Baird's Sandpiper	25	50	15	- -	- -	- -	5	- -
Stilt Sandpiper	- -	100	35	- -	- -	- -	- -	8
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Short-billed Dowitcher	158	303	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Long-billed Dowitcher	50	75	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	4
Wilson's Snipe	- -	10	33	3	- -	- -	4	1
Wilson's Phalarope	9	70	257	5	- -	- -	- -	8
Franklin's Gull	14	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ring-billed Gull	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	2
Forster's Tern	10	2	6	- -	1	4	1	2
Black Tern	5	32	14	- -	150	25	- -	- -
Rock Pigeon	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Mourning Dove	3	6	17	2	2	5	3	7
Great Horned Owl	1	1	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Common Nighthawk	2	3	- -	1	3	1	- -	1
Red-headed Woodpecker	1	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -
Downy Woodpecker	2	2	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	2
Northern Flicker	3	8	6	4	3	1	- -	5
Alder Flycatcher	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3
Western Kingbird	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	2
Eastern Kingbird	2	5	4	1	2	2	- -	- -
Loggerhead Shrike	3	5	3	2	- -	- -	- -	- -
Northern Shrike	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Warbling Vireo	1	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Blue Jay	1	1	1	3	- -	- -	- -	1
American Crow	1	8	- -	12	- -	- -	15	1
Horned Lark	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	4	- -
Tree Swallow	22	5	30	2	- -	- -	- -	78
Cliff Swallow	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	6	5
Barn Swallow	3	7	56	1	21	10	- -	17
Black-capped Chickadee	- -	3	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	- -
White-breasted Nuthatch	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
House Wren	2	2	4	1	1	2	- -	- -
Marsh Wren	2	6	22	- -	5	- -	- -	5
Eastern Bluebird	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Robin	3	5	5	2	2	- -	- -	5
Gray Catbird	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Brown Thrasher	- -	1	2	1	- -	2	- -	1
European Starling	- -	2	35	- -	- -	- -	- -	4
American Pipit	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -
Yellow Warbler	1	1	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	1
American Redstart	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3
Common Yellowthroat	2	4	21	1	5	4	- -	2
Lark Sparrow	1	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	2
Savannah Sparrow	- -	10	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Grasshopper Sparrow	- -	2	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	2
Song Sparrow	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Dark-eyed Junco	- -	3	- -	5	- -	- -	- -	- -
Dickcissel	21	- -	5	1	8	- -	- -	6
Bobolink	1	3	1	1	3	10	- -	- -
Red-winged Blackbird	3	62	138	60	100	25	1	60
Eastern Meadowlark	- -	3	19	- -	1	5	5	4
Western Meadowlark	3	2	20	1	1	- -	- -	- -
Yellow-headed Blackbird	3	6	38	225	200	25	- -	1
Common Grackle	2	5	4	36	1	12	- -	6
Brown-headed Cowbird	2	3	5	16	7	- -	- -	2
Orchard Oriole	- -	2	1	- -	- -	2	- -	2
Baltimore Oriole	2	1	2	- -	5	- -	- -	3
American Goldfinch	1	4	2	- -	- -	3	2	4
House Sparrow	- -	3	16	1	1	- -	- -	- -

Waterfowl and Shorebird Notes

Canada Goose: a regular breeding species

Wood Duck: ten summer season records, but no indication that it breeds

Gadwall: seasonal migrant, with a peak count of 200 on 23 April 1992

American Wigeon: two April records and one September occurrence

Mallard: a breeding species; peak count of 250 in mid-September, 1992

Blue-winged Teal: common migrant, with fledged young seen in mid-June, 1993

Northern Shoveler: common migrant, with a peak count of 250 on 23 April 1992

Northern Pintail: a few migrant birds occur; peak counts range from ten to 15.

Green-winged Teal: regular migrant; at least forty were present on 22 Sep 2003 as seen from a vantage point on the west side of the lake

Redhead: noted more in the spring migration season

Lesser Scaup: only one record from later-April, 1993 though this species might occur to a greater extent based upon records from other locales in eastern Nebraska

Bufflehead: noted only on 22 April, 1993

Ruddy Duck: five spring records with fewer than ten birds seen

Ring-necked Pheasant: a permanent resident, though only one bird may be seen; as they congregate in the winter, more of them may be obvious, and there were 13 seen in late December, 1991

Greater Prairie-Chicken: most obvious in the spring

Wild Turkey: two records from April and July

Northern Bobwhite: one heard mid-June and mid-July in 1992

Pied-billed Grebe: migrants with resident birds successfully raising young, based upon young seen in July, 1994

Eared Grebe: records only from mid-April to early June.

Western Grebe: records from late April to mid-July; there were 11 present on 21 July 1990; other counts were less than ten birds present

American White Pelican: a spring and autumn migrant; a peak count of 150 pelicans occurred on 23 April 1992; large numbers also occurred on 21 May 1992 and 21 July 1990

Double-crested Cormorant: a regular migrant, with at least a hundred birds present at one time or another

American Bittern: most often seen during the spring season, with July and August observations indicating that it is a breeding season resident

Great Blue Heron: regional resident; there were 15 at the lake on 7 Aug 1991; this is indicative of a presence during the mid-year breeding season

Great Egret: seen once during a mid-August visit

Snowy Egret: one was seen in latter July 1990, with three present in latter April 1991.

Cattle Egret: one seen on 15 July 1994

Black-crowned Night-Heron: noted as a migrant, but the presence of young in August indicates breeding in 1991

Virginia Rail: summer resident with an adult and chick seen in early August 1991

Sora: noted once in mid-May 1991

American Coot: regular migrant with young noted in mid-July 1994

Sandhill Crane: migrant in the area

Black-bellied Plover: migrant with 27 noted on 10 May 1992

Snowy Plover: one on 10 May 1992

Semipalmated Plover: migrant in latter April and mid May; 25 present on 28 April 1991

Piping Plover: migrant; 11 present on 23 April 1992

Killdeer: numerous records; breeding season resident with a nest found in June 1991

Black-necked Stilt: three records from 1991, with young observed on 7 August; this is the eastern-most rocord of brreding in the sandhills for this species

American Avocet: observed in April, 1991 and 1992

Greater Yellowlegs: regular migrant

Lesser Yellowlegs regular migrant with several counts of more than ten birds

Willet: migrant and potential breeding species

Spotted Sandpiper: breeding season resident with young of the year observed on 7 August 1991

Upland Sandpiper: breeding season resident

Marbled Godwit: observed 19 June 1993 in a pasture associated with the lake environs

Semipalmated Sandpiper: a migrant which commonly occurs

Least Sandpiper: spring and autumn migrant

White-rumped Sandpiper: noted only once in May, 1992

Baird's Sandpiper: spring and autumn migrant

Stilt Sandpiper: migrant, with six records of occurrence; peak count of 45 in mid-August 1991

Buff-breasted Sandpiper: one seen on 21 May 1992

Short-billed Dowitcher: spring and autumn migrant; peak count was 225 on 28 April 1991

Long-billed Dowitcher: spring and autumn migrant; peak counts of 50 in April 1990 and 1991

Wilson's Snipe: breeding season resident

Wilson's Phalarope: numerous records; peak count of 150 on 10 May 1992; several summer records indicate the likelihood of breeding

Franklin's Gull: two records of migratory occurrence

Ring-billed Gull: spring and autumn migrant

Forster's Tern: records for a few birds in April, May, June and July and then September; does not breed at this place

Black Tern: records from May through August; young of the year observed on 15 July 1994