Numerous bicycle outings were made during June to survey breeding season birds at several parks in eastern Omaha. Each area was especially visited during a five day period in mid-June. The locales of interest were:
- Carter Lake District: four visits and 64 species, with the place continuing the provide unexpected occurrences (there were three surveys in 2011 and four in 2012 with 75 species overall);
- Fontenelle Park: three visits, and 26 species;
- Adams Park District: one visit and 21 species, with the last June visits in 2003, and which included the wooded property parcels west of the park property;
- Mercer District (including Walnut Hill Reservoir, Carolyn Mercer Park and Bemis Park where a couple of June visits last occurred in 2003): one visit and six species for these parks which have very little habitat diversity for birdlife;
- Gifford Park: one visit and 14 species and it was the first June visit;
- Memorial Park: 22 species during one survey visits, and with occasional notes for other dates, especially along Happy Hollow Creek;
- Elmwood Park: one visit and 23 species
- Hanscom Park: one visit and 14 species; and
- Spring Lake Park: one visit and 27 species (the last June visits here to do a bird survey were in 2003).
This is an overall tally of the species, with the values given representing the total number counted.
| Common Name | Carter Lake District | Fontenelle Park District | Adams Park District | Mercer District | Gifford Park District | Memorial Park District | Elmwood Park District | Hanscom District | Spring Lake Park District |
| Snow Goose | 18 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Canada Goose | 141 2 | 296 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wood Duck | 171 3 | 114 3 | - - | - - | - - | 57 | 22 | - - | 1 |
| Gadwall | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Mallard | 198 4 | 5 | - - | - - | - - | 19 | - - | - - | - - |
| Blue-winged Teal | 24 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Blue-winged Teal x Green-winged Teal | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Redhead | 1 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Lesser Scaup | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Ruddy Duck | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wild Turkey | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Common Loon | 2 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Pied-billed Grebe | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Great Blue Heron | 8 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Green Heron | 5 | 2 7 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Turkey Vulture | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - |
| Cooper's Hawk | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Kestrel | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Killdeer | 39 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 2 8 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Least Sandpiper | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Black Tern | 54 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Rock Pigeon | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 5 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Mourning Dove | 74 | 10 | - - | - - | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Barred Owl | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Chimney Swift | 38 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | - - | 4 | 4 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | 15 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 2 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 6 | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - - | 2 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 |
| Northern Flicker | 13 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | 1 |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Alder Flycatcher | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Willow Flycatcher | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Least Flycatcher | 5 | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Phoebe | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 |
| Western Kingbird | 13 | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Kingbird | 26 | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Warbling Vireo | 21 | 3 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Blue Jay | 3 | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| American Crow | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 3 | - - | - - | 6 |
| Purple Martin | 66 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Tree Swallow | 25 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | 30 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Bank Swallow | 30 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Cliff Swallow | 35 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Barn Swallow | 150 | 36 | 2 | - - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - - |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 18 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| Carolina Wren | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 3 |
| House Wren | 14 | 1 | 3 | - - | - - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| American Robin | 256 | 166 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 29 | 41 | 14 | 5 |
| Gray Catbird | 26 | - - | 3 | - - | - - | 2 | 3 | - - | 2 |
| Brown Thrasher | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| European Starling | 163 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 3 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 3 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - |
| Yellow Warbler | 17 | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Redstart | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Yellowthroat | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Chipping Sparrow | 11 | 8 | 2 | - - | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - - |
| Northern Cardinal | 15 | 5 | 6 | - - | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 7 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Indigo Bunting | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Dickcissel | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 74 | 15 | 18 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Grackle | 368 | 47 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 44 | 42 | 31 | 11 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 16 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 3 | - - | - - | - - |
| Orchard Oriole | 10 | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Baltimore Oriole | 40 | 4 | 2 | - - | 2 | - - | 2 | - - | 1 |
| House Finch | 3 | 12 | - - | - - | 2 | 12 | 6 | - - | - - |
| American Goldfinch | 13 | 5 | 5 | - - | - - | 4 | 1 | - - | 2 |
| House Sparrow | 5 | 13 | - - | - - | 2 | 1 | 19 | 4 | 5 |
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The greater the number of surveys, the better the local avifauna can be known. For example, at the end of the month survey in June 2012 there were 35 species noted at the habitats about Carter Lake. This year, at the end of the month survey, the tally was 42, and would have been greater if the usually seen White-breasted Nuthatch and expressive Blue Jay would have indicated its presence. Surprising this year during the month, especially in the latter part of the period being considered, were the several Snow Goose, a single Redhead, three Wild turkey and the wonderfully seen pair of Common Loon. Additional new records for the date were a Cooper's Hawk being chased away from the airport grounds by a bunch of Common Grackle, and a solitary, silent American Kestrel sitting atop a snag in the north part of the park, which is now oficially open to the public.
It was a good month for surveys, with moderate temperatures and suitable mornings with low wind speeds, and some sunny skies. The mid-June effort turned out especially nice, as it provides a solid perspective for each park amidst the breeding season. Not that it essentially matters, but the facts are important.
Next month will provide additional perspectives, and what the birds convey depends on one essential fact: if you don't go, you don't know!
Barred Owl at South Grove, Elmwood Park.
Western Kingbird nest at Levi Carter Park.
American Robin attending nest with young at Levi Carter Park.
A few of the snow geese at Carter Lake at the end of June, 2013. There were 2-3 earlier in the month, but it was certainly a surprise to see this number. It isn't the best picture in the world, but it works for documentary purposes!
