Wrensian Perspective at Shadow Lake in Midtown River City

Amidst a discordant urban setting of a city along the middle Missouri River, there is a fine haven for the littlest of wrens. When the certain chills of autumn descend and linger on the central plains there is a small place - among others - that becomes a place of birdly importance, essential for species' survival as frigid winds of winter and torpid temperatures abscond upon the formerly pleasant times of the outdoors.

When the season transitions to its invigorating and lowly essence, after a brief night of migratory movement from the north, one avian species that arrived mostly goes unnoticed by nearly all of its larger worldly neighbors, after arriving to reside during several months of cold, and continuing a centuries old transition, but historically known by just a small handful of observant people, for only a relatively short one hundred years.

Winter Wren at the park

The first bit to recollect was written by Miles Greenleaf, while he was starting to write observations that would extend across subsequent decades and establish a profound legacy of bird history. One topic of importance was Elmwood Park, and in 1915, there was only a brief notation for avian species of interest.

A year later, perhaps after another outing to the park - created in 1890 - which was still at the western edge of an expanding city, there were further words of the winter wren in a December issue of the Omaha World-Herald. There was no author given for the bird editorial, but it was probably Miles Greenleaf. If it had been Sandy Griswold, the other prominent outdoor writer for this newspaper, his name would - no doubt - have been given.

"He is about the same size as the House Wren, but his tail is still shorter and points straight up to the zenith. He is ruddier in color, but his habits are about the same, for he lurks in the brush heaps and shrubbery along ravines and creek beds, busily scratching around for food like some tiny little winged mouse. Although he hasn't the rich, heartfelt warble of the Jenny, he has a neat little chirp that will attract you, and remind you of the summer to come.

"It is good to have the counterpart of Miss Jenny with us in the wintertime - and everyone should try to find Mr. and Mrs. Winter Wren during the next few weeks. They are not numerous - but they are here.

"God bless the Winter Wren!"

Bird attractions at the creek within the park continued to be featured in the journalistic writings of this bird enthusiast. This version was in a Bird Lore column of the thriving Omaha Bee News for October 1931. The words were succinct but expressive enough to convey that the subtly appreciated feathered mite had again arrived to tarry in the park environs.

His profound prose of a mostly forgotten era:

"This bird possibly isn't very well known to most of you, and cannot be unless you start looking for him when the frost begins to paint the remaining sumac in the ravines and God is sending down his last collection of glorified leaves from His treetops. Then, and even when the snow is deep about the protective weedplots and underbrush and sheltered gullies, you will find the winter wren - shrewd and lovely counterpart of his summer cousin!

"Zero is just another word with the winter wren, as it is with all our truly winter birds, so fascinating to study and to behold."

Phantasmic view of spring water at Shadow Lake

Lapse ahead another decade, and Greenleaf again had to write about a species noted during the winter which consistently captured his attention. This article was about the winter birds of Elmwood Park, done for the Omaha Sunday Bee News. A few words but enough to convey how the little wren acting like a mouse on the ground was a captivating topic.

In December 1940, Greenleaf wrote about the winter wren in a weekly publication of his own endeavor and initiative, the Dundee News. When writing his Birds and the Outdoors column for the winter, the winter wren was given further media attention in 1942 and 1944, then belatedly in 1950. This species was mentioned in the city newspaper, when there was little or nothing being scribed in the state ornithological journal.

Move ahead nearly five more decades for some more simple notes of revelation that this wren continued to subtly tarry in the park environs during its seasonal times. The wren continued to arrive for the winter, once the house wren had already gone south.

When Clyde and Emma Johnson, a couple that were two icons of ornithology for Nebraska, were on their particular incessant and regular walking forays to the park from their residence - a few blocks eastward on Leavenworth Street - to note the birds of their times, their notes recall the little wren, usually in the midst of its time at the city park during November to December.

A few years later - when it was a new millenium - another representative of the little wren dynamo was a winter resident. It was noted again and again with its bobbing behavior along the fringe of water kept open by warm subterranean springs, notable calls - readily heard by an aficionado of winter birds having a subtle presence - and always appreciated on a frigid morning when bundles of cloths are the required garb for a visitor.

The park setting for the feathered mite provided clues to understand those places where it preferred to reside elsewhere during the winter. Open water was of utmost importance.

Fresh and consistent water during the most frigid times of deep winter are the necessary requisite. If you'd take the time for a foray into the right spot, look and listen closely to view the little wren as it goes about its daily routine. There is no certainty and repeat visits should be expected, and requisite to recognize the habits. At times, the wren appears with a bit of a voice, then can be seen walking along the ground among the natural features whether it is a bunch of fallen tree branches or logs, or some rocks, or just on the edge of the steaming waters where a tasty tidbit can be snatched to provide a nourishing portion for a day's sustenance.

Surveys elsewhere at a myriad of other places with spring water, reveal some more essential moments with the wren. Locales included during a few years of looking: Spring Lake Park, Fontenelle Forest, up north along Ponca Creek at Hummel Park, and beyond into the north lands of the state. This species has been appreciated as well at a short tributary of Long Pine Creek near the village of the same name, westward up the Niobrara River at Buckhorn Springs, Tyler Creek and Falls, Sears Fall, Anderson Bridge WMA and below the cleft at Mogle Falls.

This winter resident is also elsewhere but no one has taken the opportunity to make a survey and determine the value of a some particular place as a refugium for birds during winter months.

Locally, Elmwood Park continues to be one special mecca within the city for the winter wren. As mundane days of winter continue to languish this little bunch of feathers provides a perspective to appreciate for the toils of existence in the harsh settings of winter on the plains.

Crystalline morning at wren haven

A nearby park provides the site where the wrensian view can be readily appreciated, without expenditure of gasoline and a flexibility to consider when to best capture the a view from the perspective of such a little bird species ... the wonderful winter wren in Nebraska.

Raptor Journal Published in Russia Helps Conservation World-wide

Two Booted Eagle chicks. Photo by Elvira Nikolenko.

A journal with a particular focus on raptors continues to be a leader in providing information for the conservation and management of species world-wide.

The current issue of Raptors Conservation - newsletter of the raptors of the East Europe and North Asia - released in December, has several important article on powerlines, for example. Articles in previous issues have also dealt with this topic and have been helpful in successful programs to conserve raptors, said Igor Karyakin, an editor from the Center of Field Studies.

"As soon as the information about certificated constructions for bird protection from electrocution was published in the journal," Karyakin said, "at once several regions began to equip power lines with those constructions though nobody tried to solve the problem of bird electrocution in the country during 30 years."

"Our journal has been published since January 2005 and already in the second issue (April 2005) there was an article about the results of a project, realized in 2003-2004 by a group of enthusiasts, that aimed to solve this problem in Kalmykiya," a republic in southwest Russia. "This project was successful enough and the wide distribution of the experience through our journal stimulated similar activities in other regions."

Three important articles on this topic are included in the current issue:

Cover of the current issue of Raptors Conservation.

1) "Protection of Birds from Electrocution on Power Lines in the Frames of Governmental and Non-Governmental Control on Management of Wildlife"

The article identifies the legal mandate to utilize measures that protect raptors from electrocution on power lines throughout the Russian Federation.

"One of the main documents that defines the necessity of protection of birds in connection to the exploitation of power and communication lines is ‘Requirement on prevention of death of animals in connection to the execution of manufacturing processes, as well as the use of ways, pipelines, communication and power lines’, approved by Decision No. 997 of the Government of the Russian Federation on 13.08.1996. Article 37 of this document declared that the power lines with voltage 6–10 kV should be equipped with bird-protective constructions." Tariffs are levied on the owners of lines where mortality occurs.

2) "Use of GIS Techniques in Estimating the Level of Birds of Prey Electrocution on 6–10 kV Power Lines in the Kinel Region of the Samara District"

3) "First Results from the Application and Estimation of Effectiveness of Modern Bird Protection Constructions on the 6–10 kV Power Lines in Russia" is an evaluation of the success of measures used to reduce raptor mortality.

"As an example, tracing the problem of power lines, the journal showed that the theme is acute for any steppe and forest-steppe regions of Russia, Kazakhstan and even Mexico," Karyakin said. "A huge number of birds die everywhere, especially along the routes for seasonal flights and migrations. When the extent of the problem becomes widely known, it is easier to attract the attention of the society and governmental actors to it.

"The beneficial experience of solving the problem of bird casualties was published from Kalmykiya, following which a project was realized by one active group in Nizhnii Novgorod. Further work was soon afterwards carried out in several regions; in Samara District, Republic of Tatarstan, Kirov District, Republic of Mariy-El, and Smolensk District. In 2008, a pilot project studying bird mortality on power lines was carried out in Tomsk region.

"In our journal we regularly illustrate the theme of bird mortality in connection to power lines, as it is indeed a very important theme, birds of prey having suffered from the economic activities of humans for a long time. At the moment in some regions nature conservation organizations are carrying out work in relation to this problem. It is in our interest to make this issue still more widely known.”

"The same applies to the realization of projects on attracting owls to nesting boxes. As soon as first successful results were obtained in Nizhniy Novgorod District, similar projects were started in Republic of Tatarstan and Samara District. In 2007 first similar projects were carried out in Novosibirsk District and from these the first, and successful, results appeared in 2008.

Cover of a past issue of Raptors Conservation.

"As soon as such information becomes available, it starts to use independently in other regions. For example for the first time in our country the project on artificial nests for raptors was began to realize, the information about which was published in 2005, to 2008 similar projects at the state level has been approved to realize in 7 regions.

"Of course we value the result of this publication as a very important achievement, as in this lie the conservation goals of our journal.

"Our journal is received almost all ornithologists researching birds of prey in Russia and all departments of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Nature Conservation, thus our main aim in the sphere of bird protection is distribution of the information about any nature conservation activities. This facilitates work with governmental bodies, when in separate regions the communities start projects in order to solve these problems. This helps substantially."

The journal includes details on raptors around the world that might be of interest to readers.

"Our readers are mainly concentrated in countries of the former Soviet Union. However, what is especially important for us is that the journal knows and values specialists from all over the world.

"For example, apart from problems of bird mortality on power lines in Mexico, we illustrated an example of population restoration work on peregrines in the state of Vermont (U.S.A.) from 2003-2005, the success of which shows that even with relatively simple means it is possible not only to preserve the existing natural treasures of birdlife, but also to restore already lost populations of birds of prey.

"The journal creates a forum for exchange of experience and opinions, and generates demand for scientific and conservation projects within the field; the audience is very interested in this area of activity."

The current 120-page issue includes news related to raptor conservation and management, reports on conferences and, of course, peer-reviewed articles, and short reports. Examples of notable articles include:

White-Tailed Eagle. Photograph by Sergey Bakka.

• "Imperial Eagle in Russia and Kazakhstan: Population Status and Trends"
• "Distribution of the Imperial Eagle in a Steppe Zone of Ukraine"
• "Attracting Ural Owls to Nest in the Outskirts of Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk, Russia"
• A wide-ranging article "Contraband of Rare Birds of Prey in Far East is Threat to Their Survival" identifies the travel routes used to illegally transfer captured falcons.
• "Monitoring Results on the Saker Falcon Population in the Altai-Sayan Region in 2008, Russia"
• "Locations of Goshawk Habitats in Vegetation Areas of Kerzhenskiy State Nature Reserve, Russia"

"Our journal consolidates the strength of ornithologists and bird lovers, the enthusiasts of birds of prey conservation," Karyakin said. "Birds, like nature overall, do not know boundaries. Similar processes in the populations take place over a vast territory, sometimes separated by several thousands of kilometers. However, ornithologists usually manage to observe the birds only within the limited territories that their studies can cover. Our publication offers the possibility to synthesize results from specialists from different parts of the former Soviet Union. After we have published a row of articles on some common theme from authors previously unknown to each other, these people start to communicate among themselves. After having been published in our journal, a useful experience from one region is taken up by specialists elsewhere. This is well reflected for example in the articles about attracting owls to nest boxes.

"Thanks to our journal, interest in raptors is increasing, among young scientists who are yet to find a focus for their work, as well as among enthusiasts, the bird watchers. Interest in raptor conservation is also growing among ornithologists.

"Successful projects in the sphere of bird conservation, the information about which is published on pages of our journal, inspire more and more people in the regions to use the positive experience and carry out similar projects."

Access to the complete issue is available via a link on the home page of the Siberian Environmental Center. Most articles are published in Russian and English. The printed version has a colour cover and black-and-white pages, while the online version has the numerous maps, illustrations and photographs in colour.

"If there’s no additional sponsor's support, we publish stably 3 issues each year," said Elvira Nikolenko. "If any fund or other sponsors support the edition we publish a 4th issue, as a rule, it’s devoted to a theme which is interested the sponsor's organization."

Initiative to Restore Natural Ecosystem on Henderson Island

Planning is underway to eradicate rats and restore the natural ecosystem on Henderson Island, one of the four Pitcairn Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean.

North shore of Henderson Island. Picture courtesy of Angela K. Kepler, and available at the Pacific Biodiversity Information Forum.

The 3,700 hectare island - measuring 6 miles (9.6 km) long and 3.2 miles (5.1 km) wide - is one of the "world's best remaining examples of an uplifted coral atoll." In 1988 it was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and given worldwide recognition for its unaltered natural character and variety of endemic species of birds, plants, insects and snails.

Birds: The flightless Henderson crake, Henderson fruit-dove, Henderson reed-warbler, and the especially rare Henderson lorikeet; these four species are listed as being vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List. A few species have already been extirpated, including three doves and a sandpiper, as well as a shearwater species and the globally threatened white-throated storm-petrel, according to the kiore eradication feasibility report. An estimated 50,000-80,000 pairs of seabirds nest, representing a dozen species: Henderson petrel, Murphy’s petrel, kermadec petrel, herald petrel, red-tailed tropicbird, masked booby, red-footed booby, great frigatebird, fairy/white tern, blue-grey noddy, brown noddy and black noddy.

Plants: The flora includes nine endemic plant taxa, and five globally threatened flowering plant species

Snails: at least six of 22 land snail species disappeared because of the Polynesian impact, about half of those remaining are endemic, according to the feasibility study.

Insects: Some 20% of insects present today (ca. 180 species) are believed endemic.

These unique characteristics have brought the island special recognition as an Endemic Bird Area, an Important Bird Area, and an Alliance for Zero Extinction Site.

When Henderson Island was recognized as a World Heritage Site, there was a requirement to produce a Management Plan. The plan adopted includes an objective "to control or eradicate, where necessary and feasible, alien species that are already at Henderson Island."

This objective is one reason for the initiative to eradicate the Kiore, introduced hundreds of years ago by Polynesians which initially occupied the island early in ca. A.D. 700, and for at least the following six centuries, according to archeological findings. These people introduced the rats.

"… as long as Pacific rats remain on Henderson, the Henderson Petrel’s only known significant breeding site, the species is destined for extinction" - Feasibility study for kiore eradication on Henderson Island

"The subtle impacts of rats on plants and invertebrates are not known, but, based on other islands, undoubtedly bad," said Dr. Geoff M. Hilton, a principal conservation scientist, with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. "However, what we do know about is their impact on the nesting seabirds. Henderson is a global headquarters for the most oceanic of all seabird groups - the gadfly petrels. Although four different gadfly petrels still nest on the island, we now believe that they have been in slow, inexorable decline for hundreds of years, and that numbers were 10 to 100 times higher before the rats arrived. The rats kill and eat almost all of the newly hatched chicks, and so the petrels produce incredibly few fledglings.

"Of most concern is the Henderson petrel, known to nest only on the island, which we believe is facing extinction. Because they are such long-lived birds, they are not likely to disappear entirely in the next few years, but they are gradually heading down the slope. Removing the rats would restore normal breeding success at a stroke, and allow the seabirds to gradually recover to their former glory, averting extinction for Henderson petrel."

Planning is now underway for an expedition to the remote island.

"We are planning on having a five person team on Henderson Island for seven weeks in August-September 2009," Hilton said. "This team will include one of the very few biologists ever to have worked on Henderson before; one or two experts on island restoration and rodent eradication; and hopefully a Pitcairn islander."

"Organising this preliminary fieldwork trip is a pretty major undertaking, because Henderson is so remote, entirely without infrastructure and indeed fresh water.

"Their task will be to conduct a variety of bits of fieldwork that will pave the way for an actual eradication project in the future. It’s essentially clearing up the unknowns that the Feasibility Study threw up.

"Specifically, we need to know how much of a problem the land-crabs might be to a poison bait spread. In other tropical island rat eradications, it has been found that land-crabs very much enjoy rat bait. It does them no harm, but if they are present in really large numbers they could actually eat so much that there isn't enough left for the rats - potentially jeopardising the operation. We need to check how many land-crabs there are on Henderson, how much bait they will eat, and how much bait we would therefore need in order to kill all the rats.

"Another work area will be to work out how we will ensure that in the event of a poison bait drop using a helicopter, we don't cause any permanent damage to the native wildlife we are trying to conserve. So we will be looking at whether endemic snail species and endemic landbirds might take bait; whether (in the case of snails) it will do them any harm (we already know it will harm birds); how we can effectively keep them in temporary captivity until the island is safe again."

During the evaluation visit, special attention will be given to how the Henderson Crake might be affected by the poison baits. Tests using colour-dyed baits will be conducted to evaluate this risk. If necessary, plans call for trapping these birds and holding them in captivity until the poison spread about would no longer be a danger.

"The idea is that, if all goes well with these work areas," Hilton said, "the decks would be clear to plan an eradication. In all probability, it would take two years of planning to pull off such an operation - the logistics would be very complicated, and you only get one go at it.

"One major stumbling block of course would be funding. The actual operation is likely to cost in the region of $2 million USD.

"Although it is a United Kingdom Overseas Territory, the UK has not hitherto been a generous funder of biodiversity conservation in the Overseas Territories, so there is no certainty that we will rapidly find the money. However, we are absolutely determined that the money will be found somehow!

"We are already actively looking for funds for an eventual eradication, both from private foundations and through lobbying the UK government. It is important to be clear though that this island is part of the Pitcairn group and nothing will happen unless and until the Pitcairn community are in agreement. So far, they have been very supportive, and we hope to build a strong partnership with them as we go forward, so that they can be fully involved in this exciting venture.

The project would be especially costly due to the lack of local resources since the island is 3000 miles from the closest continent. Eradication efforts would be conducted from a ship loaded with supplies obtained in New Zealand, according to the feasibility report. This floating headquarters would contain everything needed to spread the poison, and provide logistics support for the people involved.

Following the eradication of the predatory kiore, the feasibility report recognized several positive and immediate benefits:

• "Expansion of undetected relict populations of small petrels, perhaps storm-petrels.
• "Flushes of regeneration of those species of forest plants susceptible to suppression by virtue of palatability of fruit, attractiveness of seeds or vulnerability due to reproductive strategy
• "Benefits to fruit-dove and lorikeet from enhanced abundance of fruit and flowers, and possibly to warbler from enhanced invertebrate abundance. These benefits would be realised in increased populations sizes of the birds.
• "Reappearance of hitherto rarely seen or even unknown species of large invertebrates whose populations had been suppressed by rats.
• "Recolonisation by locally extirpated species of seabirds. For example on Raoul Island, these included blackwinged petrels (Pterodroma nigripennis) and wedge-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus). These two species and Christmas shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) probably bred on Henderson in the past, and are therefore likely candidates for recolonisation. The globally Endangered Phoenix petrel (Pterodroma alba) is another possible (re)-colonist.

"To be involved in this programme is the sort of thing that conservationists dream about," Dr. Hilton said. "To be able to restore one of the world's great natural sites. This would not be the sort of damage limitation or finger-in-the-dyke exercise that we are so often forced into. There is no catch or trade-off here. This would deliver a genuine, major improvement in the fortunes of some highly threatened species. Creating a rat-free Henderson Island would truly be a wonderful contribution to the world’s natural heritage."

Web-links

Map and information on Henderson Island

Henderson Island World Heritage Site summary

Henderson Island management plan published in 2004

The distinct avifauna of the Pitcairn Islands has been recognized by a number of commemorative stamps.

The endemic land birds of Henderson Island, southeastern Polynesia: notes on natural history and conservation

Bird remains from an archaeological site on Henderson Island, South Pacific: Man-caused extinctions on an "uninhabited" island

Extinctions and new records of birds from Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group, South Pacific Ocean

Green Considerations of the Omaha Baseball Stadium

The big news event on January 21st in Omaha was the ground-breaking ceremony for a new baseball stadium to be built in north downtown on two former parking lots, which included numerous trees planted just a few short years ago.

Earlier in the week, when checking into the fate of the trees now winter-dormant in two parking lots for the Qwest Center Omaha, I'd heard about the event and knew when to arrive. My primary purpose was not to listen to speeches by city and state officials or representatives of the NCAA or College World Series, or to shake some hands, but to get onto the grounds and count some trees.

This task had already been done - in an approximate manner - using aerial photographs on the county assessor web-site, but there had to be a ground check to get more accuracy. Astride a reliable bicycle I rode eastward on Wednesday afternoon, arriving at least 30 minutes early.

I was immediately taken aback when upon asking - just for hoots - where the bike should be locked. My suggestion to use a nearby tree was nixed as soon as it was spoken. The attendant said: "The tree might get scuffed" which wouldn't be appropriate since they were going to be moved.

OK.

It was a warmish, sunny day to walk about in the immediate zone of the big, white canvas tent erected for the gathering - while patiently waiting for official doings to get underway - and mark the number of trees shown on an aerial photograph showing the landscaped areas within the barricaded construction area. A few documentary photographs were also taken for illustrative purposes.

View of trees in the east parking lot, looking southeast, towards the Qwest Center.

View of trees in the east parking lot, looking to the northeast.

The tally was about 168. These were the tree of concern, even after a few phone calls to determine this earlier in the day, and yesterday, rather than watch political coverage. Additional trees along Webster Street, were outside the construction zone, and were being left to their growing ways.

Speeches, pictures, gabbing among the throng, and other things people do when they gather to celebrate then followed. Lots of people pictures were taken. It was all glorious for the future of the Omaha Baseball Stadium.

It also helped to determine the people attending, and whom to speak with later.

One opportunity was to visit briefly with the administrative director of the Omaha Parks and Recreation Department, and mention to him that some "public" trees might be available to get placed in city parks. It would be a deal to get trees just for the cost of transport?

Public Open House

After the ground-breaking was done with shovels attached to baseball bat handles within a tent that had a big pile of not frozen, loose dirt good for throwing a shovel-full. This happened several times in order to get pictures of the people involved in various ways. And ... other pictures and interviews with the gathered press.

The days' event then moved to the nearby Qwest Center great hall, or the lobby with the big glass that is such a ... well, that is a story for some other day.

Displayed here were more details of interest, especially the architectural renderings for the structure, which will seat 24,000 fans, and open in the spring of 2011.

The cookies were very tasty, and were decorated to look like baseballs. Add in refreshment and peanuts. The main event however, was upstairs on the third floor, but upon getting there by mistake, there were ready to evict anyone without an invitation. Seemingly it was the real soiree - with more than a bag of peanuts - for some of those walking their way from the parking lot than would soon be gone.

Fate of Trees

The executive director of the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority was also present, so when an opportunity arose after lingering at the proper place, I inquired about the fate of the trees.

The reply? The trees will be reused by transplanting them elsewhere on the grounds of the Qwest Center. When spring arrives, they will be moved to a "staging area" until getting placed elsewhere, such as along Abbott Drive.

There was no intention to destroy them. If any were not going to be used, he agreed that perhaps they could be provided for use in the parks.

This additional detail was shared with the current Parks Department administrator, with a hearty suggestion to establish what might be a beneficial connection.

Bird-Friendly?

During the interim, each architectural rendition got a good once-over to see if there might be situations that would be hazardous to migratory birds. My intent was to see in the stadium was bird-friendly?

Nothing seemed readily apparent, so the question on this topic was posed to a representative of the architectural firm. He was aware of the problem, noting first how the translucent character of glass on the upper half of the stadium. It would allow light to pass, but was opaque to view.

On the ground-level, it seemed there were few apparent situation which seemed to be dangerous by combining transparent glass and nearby landscaping. One particular place was the public entrance at 13th and Cuming Streets. One either side plans indicate trees and glass.

View of the Omaha Baseball Stadium at 13th and Cuming Street, showing the combination of landscaping and glass on the right side of the entrance. Images from pictures taken of the material on display at the open house.

View of the Webster street side of the Omaha Baseball Stadium, showing the combination of glass front for potential retail, and landscape trees.

A questionable aspect is the "vision-glass" meant to allow "people in the vicinity to view the activity in the stadium." This is another feature of the 13th and Cuming Streets entrance, and elsewhere. This would block egress for any birds within the playing field area, that were attempting to leave the area by flying through the entry area, rather than exiting by flying over the structure.

A potential hazard zone was show along Webster Street. Current plans are for a brick wall, but there is intense interest by the local community for a pedestrian-friendly setting that would include retail.

Adding the retail option would mean there would be a block-length stretch of trees and intermittent glass store fronts, creating a hazardous combination for birds. When this was pointed out to the architect, using fritted glass was mentioned as an option to avoid any impacts. It was surprising to hear the term even mentioned, since it is obviously a viable alternative.

This design feature is not currently planned for implementation in the stadium construction.

Since the architectural firm had not reviewed any particular bird-friendly design guidelines, links to this information on the web is going to be provided to them via email.

Aspects of a Green Stadium

With all the press about, effort was taken to inform them of how the trees would be reused and how this detail is valuable news. This was told to the talk-radio program doing a live show, and especially since he was going to interview the very person that provided the authoritative answer to the fate of the many trees.

The potential for a "green" story was also suggested to a newspaper reporter (perhaps as a follow-up story) and one local television station. Each seemed receptive to the telling the public.

The College World Series tradition continues in Omaha, and there is some worthwhile environmental news to also consider as the change in venue got underway.

Omaha Hunt Club Accounts Reveal History for Birds of Missouri River Valley

As a river city grew on the west bank of the wild Missouri River, a number of the men were sportsmen with a definite appreciation for being amidst a setting that harbored a vast array of huntable fowl.

Just a short distance from the scant buildings of a steadily growing Omaha - the thriving gateway to the expanses of the west - were habitats for many species which attracted the wrong end of a shotgun. Shootists spent a vast number of hours afield in pursuit of a viable target.

In the first days once Omaha got its start in the mid-1850s, people striving to make a new home in the territory shot grouse, ducks, turkeys, and other abundant fowl that could be taken when it flew within range. Bang and with a puff of smoke, a bird could fell, and usually was gathered for later appreciation! It was a meaty portion of a days' meal to stir into the cooking pot or hang over the fire.

Within a few quick years, sportsmen organized into clubs and the hunts took on a different specter, especially in the spring and autumn when vast flocks migrated along the river valley. In patterns that mimicked time across centuries past, ducks, geese, shorebirds, and many other forms of avifauna make their treks to their breeding places and back to winter havens.

Diversity of the Missouri River provided habitats that were havens. Oxbow lakes were part of the setting. Mid-channel sandbars sufficed as a roosting place for a time. And the species changed with the weeks of the migratory season.

Shootists pursued a multitude of game birds, following a practice that certainly had been part of the tradition of Indian tribes, formerly the predominant residents along the waterway.

One of the first written notices of game club events was in an Omaha newspaper at the end of March 1863. Just a week after being organized, the men had their first celebratory dinner.

"This spirited little association was organized but last week and is composed of the right material for field and kindred sports as the result of their first day in the field, given below, will testify. ... We admire the spirit and zeal with which it is gotten up, and more especially do we admire the geese and other fowls that occasionally find their way to our humble table.

Based on scoring based on the numbers and types of birds taken, the team of R.F. Fletcher were the victors, with a count of 179, versus the William J. Kennedy team's count of 79.

"That our readers may understand the result and appreciate the enormous pile of game we will state that the score or count is graduated to that the common duck counts one making the result of the figures about equal to 270 common duck or nearly 20 to each man."

In May, 1867 there was just a brief notice of the shootist's take: "Game. - We are under many obligations to the Sportsman's Club of Omaha for a large consignment of fine, plump, fat, good looking "Esquimaux Curlew." This present reminds us of the advance of the sniping season when snipe, curlew, &c., fall before the clacking of the enthusiastic sportsmen's shot-guns; while we cannot but with the liveliest gratitude, consider their remembrance of newspaper folk, whose duties preclude the possibility of practising the healthful sport of the field." - Omaha Daily Herald.

The tradition continued and the sporting news was part of the city news for the 1870s.

In November 1870, there were three reports in the city dailies, as there was more than one newspaper being issued.

In the Omaha Daily Herald was a lengthy report, and the article included a transcription of comments by B.E.B. Kennedy, as president of the Omaha Sportsmen's Club, comments by Judge Lake, and even what Hon. John Taffe said, even though he was not a club member.

"A general demand was here made that experience be related. Messrs. Jewett, Frost, Judge Lake, David and Benjamin Smith, Capt. Homan, Mayor Caldwell, Andy McAusland, Capt. Mills, Dr. Peabody, Mr. Hathaway, Dr. Bragg, of Council Bluffs, Col. Litchfield, Gen. Perry, D.C. Sutphen and Dr. Pinney, all spoke briefly and some of them several times each on this topic. There were some good jokes, but they related to the incidents of the hunt and would not be understood by readers not acquainted with them.

The Omaha Weekly Herald obviously noted the victors: party of Captain Henry A. Homan with 556 points, while there were 461 points for the Captain Geo. T. Mills' party. Additional details were given for the several parties and where they went in pursuit of game.

The tally: Greater White-fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, Canada Goose, Goose, Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Duck, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Greater Prairie-Chicken, Northern Bobwhite, Sora, American Golden-Plover and the Wilson's Snipe. Numbers of each were included, with Mallard and quail having the highest numbers.

In the third report: "They scattered themselves all over the country, and on Wednesday, the day of the hunt, they made a long day of it, and were quite successful withal, which is attested by the large amount of birds that they brought in yesterday. They all report game as very plentiful, but the day was too pleasant, and birds flew very high. Nearly every hunter lost as many birds, by falling into the water where they had not time to follow and capture them, as they secured." - Omaha Weekly Tribune.

1873

The autumn 1873 hunting events were also given in the papers, though there were no birdly details presented. The Omaha Daily Herald noted the hunt and referred to the dinner that evening. Their account the next day had some fine, interesting details.

A Grand Hunt. The Omaha Sportsmen Make the Largest Count Ever Known - Incidents of the Day.

"The member's of the Omaha Sportsmen's Club and other invited guests sat down to a splendid game supper last night at Wirth's. The table was sumptuously arrayed with decorative skill, and the elaborate bill of fare when put to the test was found to be genuine. The company was large, and for the most part ate as hunters should. The meals were mostly game prepared in a great variety of ways. The following is only one divisions of the bill of fare, and comprise but a small portion of it, viz roasts:
"Wild Turkey ala Chipolata, Canada Goose ala Dauphiaise, White front goose ala Eataufinde, Hutchins ala Aberdeen, Snow Goose ala Normande, Dusky Duck ala Provencale, Pentast ala Regence, Gadwal ala Payssane, Teal ala Financlere, and Entrees, Pate chaud of Rabbit ala Perigneux, Carresole of Rice garnished with Puree of Game ala Bellevue, Pate Chawd of Woodcock ala Chasseur, saline of Grouse ala Chuclenna, Blanvuets of Snipe ala Richelleu, Roodins of Red of Red Breast ala Deluynes, Fillets of Quail ala Deluynes, Salines of Widgeon ala Bigarrade Uxeller, Scallops of Balpate ala Ecalarte, Prairie Chicken ala Marergo, Timboles of Macaroni ala Poiyeade, Quail au Gratin ala Finanoure, Kromeskys of Virginia Rail ala Russe, Tourte of Squirrels ala Milanaise."

Obviously there was a fine selection of eats for the gourmands of wild game.

1874

An April, 1874 article in the Omaha Daily Herald was a detailed account, giving results for each party, including where they hunted, and "what game each man killed." This is the tally for hunting grounds on the western edge of Iowa, and eastern edge of Nebraska:

Common Name	Waubonsie Lake	Papillion	Elkhorn	Mosquito Creek Bottoms	Missouri Valley	Little Sioux Bend
Greater White-fronted Goose	8	-	-	-	-	8
Snow Goose	-	-	16	-	-	-
Canada Goose	-	-	8	-	-	32
Wood Duck	28	-	-	-	2	-
Gadwall	14	-	8	-	4	4
American Wigeon	8	4	8	4	-	6
Mallard	3	-	15	-	6	3
Blue-winged Teal	5	-	2	-	-	-
Northern Shoveler	12	2	1	1	2	13
Northern Pintail	2	-	-	-	-	-
Teal	17	-	9	5	4	6
Scaup	6	4	9	-	1	-
Bufflehead	3	1	-	-	-	-
Hawk	10	6	5	-	5	1
Sandhill Crane	-	30	30	-	-	-
American Golden-Plover	-	9	-	-	-	1
Killdeer	3	2	7	-	4	-
Lesser Yellowlegs	6	2	-	-	-	3
Eskimo Curlew	-	60	32	2	-	10
Long-billed Curlew	-	-	10	-	-	75
Curlew	-	-	20	20	-	-
Godwit	-	6	-	-	-	-
Marbled Godwit	16	8	20	8	-	10
Sandpiper	6	16	8	21	-	-
Wilson's Snipe	44	34	56	18	22	54

Some examples of the value the shootist's designated for each species were: Sandhill Crane - 15, Snow Goose, white-front goose and Hutchin's goose - 8, sickle-bill curlew - 5 and hawk - 5. Ducks counted for 2, and shorebirds were worth one point.

The report for the October hunt was bland in regards to the bird information, but conveyed how the sportsmen were helping the community:

"It is a custom for the losing side to get up a game supper for the club, but this year they turned their game to a better purpose by donating it to the Nebraska Relief and Aid Association, for the grasshopper sufferers, and as will be seen by a notice elsewhere, it will be sold at auction at Gray & Allen's, on Douglas street, and we hope those of our citizens who are lovers of game will not fail to attend as there is a splendid lot and great variety." - Omaha Daily Herald

The losing side was led by Captain H.A. Homan; the other side by Captain George T. Mills.

1875

As temperatures cooled, leaves turned colors and fell beneath the vast woods on the bluffs of the river, and birds were following their migratory paths, sportsmen made plans to pursue their favorite targets. In downtown Omaha, they bought shells for their weapons, and other gear to ensure proper preparation for whatever conditions prevailed for the October hunt in those places where the men expected the best results - the number of birds taken and a count which would mean the top count for the team.

Shootists' bagged these birds out in the wilds: Snow Goose, Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, duck, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, teal, Redhead, scaup, merganser, grouse, Bald Eagle, hawk, Clapper Rail [species id questionable], Virginia Rail, American Golden-Plover, plover, Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs, sandpiper, dowitcher and Wilson's Snipe.

Apparently anything that flew within range was an appropriate target. With the pull of the trigger and the blast of shot, there was another bunch of dead feathers to include in the days' count.

The hunter's grand feast was held on the evening of October 15th, at the Grand Central Hotel, at 8:30 o'clock. A reporter for the Omaha Daily Republican conveyed some basics of the event:

Hunt Supper. Annual Game Hunt of the Sportsmen's Club.
At the Grand Central Last Evening - Their Bill of Fare - Ladies Present for the First Time.

"There were two very prominent features connected with the supper, to-wit: it was the best hunt supper ever given by the club, and it was the first one within our recollection that was graced with the presence of the ladies. it has been our pleasure to attend every supper given by the club since we came to Omaha, and we can fairly say that this supper eclipsed them all. It was the first supper given by the club in the Grand Central hotel, and the success that attended it will ensure the serving of future suppers in the same place."

This was the menu of eats to enjoy to the fullest, along with jovial camaraderie:

Oyster Soup.

Roast ducks with jelly - Mallard, pin-tail, gadwall, dusky, merganser, wood, red-head, widgeon, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal.

Assorted game - Snow goose, apple sauce, pinnated grouse, clapper rail, Virginia rail, yellow-shank snipe, golden plover.

Entrees.

Pate of Small Game, a la Chasseur, Compote of Mallard Duck, Salmi of Wood Duck, Wilson Snipe on Toast, Chaux Froid of Prairie Chicken, Red-breasted Snipe on Toast.

Vegetables.

Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Boiled Onions, Stewed Tomatoes, Hubbard Squash.

Pastry and Dessert.

Snow Pudding with Vanilla Custard, Lady Cake, Sponge Cake, Victoria Biscuit, Maraschino Jelly, Rum Jelly, Neapolitan Ice, Nuts, Raisins, Fruit, Coffee.

"We tackled the above, and got along down the list as far as we could, but had to give up at last. It was too much for one time. We are unable to give this feast the proper notice. If it was ten hours later, we could write a better notice, for we are not feeling just right at the present writing."

1876

The spring hunt of the year was again reported in detail by the Omaha Daily Republican. "The following is the result of the count, which we publish in detail by request of the members of the club:"

Common Name	Gilmore	Mondamin, Iowa	Waubonsie Lake	Lake Manawa	Elkhorn	Omaha	Herman	Fremont	Shell Creek	Columbus
Greater White-fronted Goose	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	-	-	-
Canada Goose	-	-	-	-	1	-	4	2	7	1
Wood Duck	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Gadwall	-	5	12	-	11	-	-	4	4	-
American Wigeon	-	1	11	-	10	-	-	4	-	-
Mallard	-	-	-	-	3	-	1	-	1	-
Duck	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	-
Blue-winged Teal	1	1	15	-	4	-	9	5	10	2
Northern Shoveler	-	-	4	1	3	-	2	2	1	-
Northern Pintail	-	-	3	-	3	-	1	-	-	-
Green-winged Teal	-	-	5	-	4	-	-	-	6	1
Canvasback	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-	-
Redhead	-	-	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lesser Scaup	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-
Bufflehead	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
Hooded Merganser	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ruddy Duck	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	1
Hawk	-	1	4	-	1	1	-	-	2	2
Clapper Rail [= Virginia rail]	-	-	1	1	-	-	1	-	-	-
Sandhill Crane	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	8	-
Whooping Crane	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-
American Golden-plover	-	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-
Killdeer	1	-	17	-	3	1	1	1	3	2
Lesser Yellowlegs	-	-	2	-	1	-	-	-	1	-
Eskimo Curlew	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	-
Long-billed Curlew	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	2	4	-
Godwit	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
Least Sandpiper	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sandpiper	8	-	7	-	3	-	-	-	-	-
Wilson's Snipe	15	1	15	15	22	-	10	4	5	-

"The hunters had a fine day for their sport and returning yesterday. Sutphen's establishment on Douglas street, the headquarters of the club, was overwhelmed with the nimrodian trophies," wrote the writer in the Omaha Daily Herald.

Traditions continued in the years closing the 1870s. Migrations continued to present flocks that were consistently the pursuit of shootists, even though this was only rarely reported and recorded in the historic record.

Concise results given for the 1877 spring hunt gave few details of particular interest.

Articles on the autumn outing in October were more interesting, especially those in the Omaha Daily Republican. Birds that were part of the night's fare were: Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, teal, Redhead, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Sora, Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs, sandpiper, dowitcher and Wilson's Snipe.

"The annual game supper of the Omaha Sportsmen's Club took place at the Grand Central hotel last evening. The doors of the dining hall were opened at about 8:45 o'clock, and in a few minutes every seat at the table was occupied. There was a goodly representation of ladies. The bill of fare was as follows:

Menu.

Soup.

Non-Insectivorous Game.

Roast Ducks With Jelly.

Mallard. Widgeon. Green Wing Teal. Red Head. Wood. Blue Wing Teal. Pin-tail. Gadwall. Shoveller. Ruddy. Bald Plate.

Entries.

Pate of Small Game, a la Chasseuer. Salmi of Scorp. Compote of Teal Duck. Red-breasted Snipe Gilse, Sauce Chasseur.

Yellow Shank Snipe, a la mode. Wilson Snipe on Toast. Sand-pipers on Toast. Roast Ring-necks P'que.

Vegetables.

Mashed Potatoes. Sweet Potatoes. Boiled Onions. Stewed Tomatoes. Hubbard Squash.

Special Course.

Kennedy's Woodcock, in all Styles. Hughes' Coons, Oppossum Style. Sutphen's Goose, Stuffed with Grasshopper.

Pastry and Desert.

Snow Pudding, with Vanilla Custard. Lady Cake. Sponge Cake. Victoria Biscuit. Marachino Jelly. Vanilla Ice Cream. Rum Jelly. Nuts. Raisins. Fruit."

Hours spent partaking of the cooks results, were certainly more comfortable than those spent afield, and with this menu, more appetizing.

1878

The Omaha Daily Herald continued its coverage with the mid-April, spring shooting event.

"The Grand Spring Attack Upon the Feathered Game.
Counting the Game Yesterday - Major Thornburgh's Side the Victors.

"The spring hunt of the Omaha Sportsmen's Club came off on Thursday, and the game was counted yesterday at Collins & Petty's sportsmen's depot, corner of Douglas and Fourteenth streets. A crowd of the sportsmen and their friends were present to witness the counting and examine the game. The latter was on the whole in fine condition, and made a grand display when laid out for examination. The ground hunted over was about the same as last fall, nearly all the members of the club having their favorite hunting grounds, which they visit at each hunt."

The birds taken, with the number of each were:
Greater White-fronted Goose - 2 Canada Goose - 44 Wood Duck - 4 Gadwall - 5 American Wigeon - 10 Mallard - 1 Blue-winged Teal - 22 Northern Shoveler - 15 Teal - 11 Scaup - 1	Sandhill Crane - 2 Plover - 5 Lesser Yellowlegs - 18 Eskimo Curlew - 86 Hudsonian Godwit - 3 Marbled Godwit - 2 Sandpiper - 22 Wilson's Snipe - 46

For the mid-October hunt, that season, the point scheme was similar to that of previous contests. When the shootists went afield on their days' foray, they were considering these values:

"The game killed, as appearing in the appended record of the hunt, scores as follows: Hawks, 5; owls, 5; mallard ducks, 2; gadwall, ruddy, widgeon, red head, pin tail and wood duck and Wilson snipe and Virginia rail, 2; spoon bill, scaup, shoveller, teal, bald pate, and merganser, ducks, and quail, yellowshank and red-breast snipe, and sora rail, 1." - Omaha Daily Herald

These were the results, giving the number of each bird taken:
Wood Duck - 6 Gadwall - 37 American Wigeon - 41 Mallard - 82 Northern Shoveler - 12 Northern Pintail - 1 Teal - 53 Redhead - 10 Scaup - 5 Hooded Merganser - 6 Merganser - 4 Ruddy Duck - 1	Hawk - 11 Virginia Rail - 1 Sora - 8 Lesser Yellowlegs - 11 Dowitcher - 8 Wilson's Snipe - 29 Owl - 1

The overall tally of species for the 1870s conveys a distinct diversity of avifauna. Eskimo Curlew now thought to be extinct, Long-billed Curlew, and varaible numbers of other species utilized expansive habitats of the decade.

Changes in the pending decades would forever alter the natural setting of the river as further expanse of human developments, modifications in the river channel and other things would mean changes in the occurrence and distribution of those species which were taken by shootists and were the part of an evening's meal in downtown Omaha.

The details for the decade portray an important period for the history of ornithology for the Missouri River valley on the edge of Nebraska.

Online Articles

The articles that were the source of this information were transcribed and are available in their entirety, along with hundreds of other historic articles with details of bird history, are available at the Birds of Nebraska website, provided by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. There is a lot of interesting reading for any aficionado of historic ornithology.