The weekend of October 15-16 was prominent in the annals of regional birding for the grand efforts by local birders to visit several notable locales and tally the species present.
Many of the sightings recorded are based upon outings associated with the Omaha and Lincoln Audubon Society groups.
Saturday started out with a distinctive cast of characters gathered for the field trip of the Audubon Society of Omaha to the Spring Creek Prairie, an Audubon Society owned area south of Denton.
There were many people present which have and continue to be prominent in the ornithological community of Nebraska. The skill set present was truly impressive. Their names would be readily recognized to any reader of the state bird journal or the online discussion group. Justin Rink was the field trip leader, appreciated for his identification skills and "young ears" which can more readily hear sounds from prairie birds.
It was a beautifully fine morning, with little wind and an expressive and ever-changing cloud-scape over the wandering "birdiacs." As the Audubon group started out, there was already another bunch about, as the prairie-place had their own field trip underway to search for autumn birdlife.
The Audubon group was out on the prairie, and walked through the creek woods for three hours. There was - at times - more than one progressive group, as people walked, talked and swapped stories with a common theme. It was a gathering to appreciate for interest and enthusiasm.
Highlights included the well-seen Le Conte's Sparrow enjoyed up on a prairie hilltop. Two flying southward flocks of Sprague's Pipits added to the excitement. The speed of walking slowed along the creek, as a different set of species were watched and identified. Some of the birders were further back on the trail as they were looking at some sort of plant or another!
On Sunday, a Wachiska Audubon sponsored endeavor visited saline wetlands at Lincoln and northward. Their first stop was at the Pfizer Saline Wetland, which has been a "hotspot" this season. The Little Salt Creek Fork Marsh Preserve was their second stop. A Lincoln birder had also stopped there on Saturday and reported three species on the Nebraska birds forum.
It has been quite unusual for the many visits to this tract, based upon a comparison to previous years. Usually birders get to Shoemaker Marsh, and not much further north.
The final stop on Sunday was the Jack Sinn WMA. It was near the end of the day when the birders arrived. There was a hunter present.
Two other places - to add to the mix of the birders weekend - that were surveyed were Lake Manawa, south of Council Bluffs, Iowa and around Carter Lake. An effort to determine what was around Nathans Lake and the Horseshoe Lake Bottoms was still being thwarted by blocked county roads which said there was "water over the road" though this condition may only be the result of someone's opinion rather than an actual situation.
October Diversity
There were at least 79 species represented in the tally for these sites during the weekend, which is a result of the many birders out and about. Their efforts indicated some important details for the habitats visited, which is the reason a compilation was prepared, which would not have been possible without notes contributed in various manners.
The number of species seen, varied, with the largest number seen at the expanse of the Spring Creek Prairie.
- Lake Manawa (Sunday) - ten species with only waterfowl reported; notable for the presence of gulls and a merganser not seen anywhere else
- Carter Lake and Levi Carter Park (a hurried visit on Sunday afternoon) - 16 species with a large number of American Coot; there was boat traffic speeding upon the waters on this day when the boating season would soon finally be done
- Nathans Lake - only three species here with only limited access, and Killdeer and the Eastern Bluebird a short distance southward
Road closed barrier at Nathan's Lake.
Formerly flooded land west of Nathans Lake.
- Jack Sinn Memorial WMA (Sunday evening) - at least 12 species
- Little Salt Fork Marsh Preserve (Sunday, with three additional mentions from Saturday) - 21 species
- Pfizer Saline Wetland (early Sunday afternoon) - 26 species
- Spring Creek Prairie (a Saturday morning hike) - 44 species including one species noted by the Spring Creek group though not seen by the ASO group. This was presented as an outing to look for sparrows, and there certainly was a variety seen.
|
A view of Spring Creek Prairie, in the distance is a group of birders.
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Audubon group enjoying the Le Conte's Sparrows on the hilltop.
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Where available, the following list includes the numbers of each species seen, with particular attention given to counting all species at Spring Creek Prairie at during the Carter Lake visit.
|
Common Name |
Lake Manawa State Park |
Carter Lake and Levi Carter Park |
Nathans Lake |
Jack Sinn Memorial WMA |
Little Salt Fork Marsh Preserve |
Pfizer Saline Wetland |
Spring Creek Prairie |
|
Canada Goose |
- - |
35 |
2 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Wood Duck |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
- - |
|
Gadwall |
200 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
4 |
- - |
- - |
|
Mallard |
- - |
100 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
Blue-winged Teal |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
12 |
- - |
- - |
|
Northern Shoveler |
0 |
4 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Northern Pintail |
1 |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Lesser Scaup |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
- - |
- - |
|
Red-breasted Merganser |
1 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Ruddy Duck |
0 |
12 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Ring-necked Pheasant |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Pied-billed Grebe |
- - |
60 |
2 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Horned Grebe |
4 |
4 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Western Grebe |
1 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Double-crested Cormorant |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
4 |
- - |
|
Great Blue Heron |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
Osprey |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
Northern Harrier |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
|
Cooper's Hawk |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
Red-tailed Hawk |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
American Kestrel |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
American Coot |
300 |
2200 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Killdeer |
- - |
- - |
- - |
8 |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Greater Yellowlegs |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
2 |
- - |
- - |
|
Least Sandpiper |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
- - |
- - |
|
Wilson's Snipe |
- - |
- - |
- - |
3 |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Franklin's Gull |
0 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Bonaparte's Gull |
9 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Ring-billed Gull |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
50 |
- - |
|
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Mourning Dove |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
2 |
2 |
- - |
|
Red-bellied Woodpecker |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
Downy Woodpecker |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Northern Flicker |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Eastern Phoebe |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Loggerhead Shrike |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
|
Blue Jay |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
|
American Crow |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
30 |
25 |
1 |
|
Horned Lark |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
Barn Swallow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
12 |
|
Black-capped Chickadee |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
White-breasted Nuthatch |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Sedge Wren |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
2 |
|
Marsh Wren |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
- - |
|
Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
Eastern Bluebird |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
6 |
|
American Robin |
- - |
8 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
32 |
|
Brown Thrasher |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
European Starling |
- - |
5 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
4 |
2 |
|
Sprague's Pipit |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
17 |
|
Tennessee Warbler |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
- - |
|
Orange-crowned Warbler |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Yellow-rumped Warbler |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
3 |
3 |
|
Spotted Towhee |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Eastern Towhee |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
3 |
|
American Tree Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Field Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Vesper Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
- - |
- - |
|
Savannah Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
11 |
5 |
2 |
|
Grasshopper Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Henslow's Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
|
Le Conte's Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
6 |
18 |
4 |
3 |
|
Nelson's Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
|
Song Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
- - |
7 |
2 |
|
Lincoln's Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
3 |
6 |
|
Swamp Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
0 |
- - |
|
White-throated Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
Harris's Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
3 |
4 |
|
White-crowned Sparrow |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
0 |
2 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
3 |
|
Northern Cardinal |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Red-winged Blackbird |
- - |
2 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
10 |
60 |
|
Eastern Meadowlark |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
|
Western Meadowlark |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
- - |
- - |
2 |
|
Blackbird |
- - |
- - |
- - |
300 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
Common Grackle |
- - |
4 |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
House Finch |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
1 |
|
American Goldfinch |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
2 |
15 |
Habitat Conservation
A couple of the birders on the Wachiska outing had their eyes on more than birds. At the Pfizer habitat, the extensive occurrence of invasive eastern red cedars was noted.
"This is the first year the carpet of baby trees has been taller than the goldenrod and visible," said Shari Schwartz.
The situation brought forth suggestions on how to remove the unwanted cedars, perhaps by getting company employees and local saline wetland enthusiasts involved, and by also setting up a situation suitable for individual effort to remove the unwanted tree growth from the prairie.
During the weekend, many people appreciated a multitude of bird sightings, and the avifauna got some attention and were disturbed for a time, but received little else for what they conveyed.
Floodland remains on the southern edge of Boyer Chute NWR. There were many Killdeer here.
