Being ensconced among the western portion of urban Omaha there were opportunities to see what birds are about now towards the end of the breeding season. Within the past week (July 5th to 8th), the following park spaces have been visited during the morning to determine which sorts of species are about during this summer.
Upon the first day, with other things to consider, there was a thorough survey done at Westlawn-Hillcrest Cemetery, and especially about the creek on its eastern side, and then about the Bohemian Cemetery. The latter place is now celebrating the 130th anniversary of its origin. The celebration could include a recognition for the green-space still extant in the otherwise completely urban Omaha setting. It has a fine line of trees along the fence of its western boundary, and there is a bit of creek in the southwest corner.
On the next morning, Trendwood Park was visited, only because the place has a creek and associated woods. Mostly the place is mown lawn, or a ball-field. Notably, the bridge across the waterway, on its north side, has a bunch of tree limbs which are a blockage so similar to situations in eastern Omaha parks.
The bird variety here was not especially exciting, but anytime there are some birds, it is a good time to be looking, and doing the documentation thing.
During the weekend, a morning's visit at Hummel Park was notable, but situations were problematic due to ongoing degradation of the north woods.
The next park surveyed was N.P. Dodge Park. There was a quite nice variety of species seen. Especially enjoyed were a couple of Lark Sparrows. There was no hiking trail to the river, and it was too brushy and hot to force a way, so the intended route was diverted southward.
During the morning of July 8th, the forecast conveyed there would be slight winds, so by 6 a.m., the pre-planned survey route was underway. The places visited, in order of occurrence, were:
- Towl Park with its sinuous lagoon; there are underwater pumps here, which apparently mix the water, probably to sustain a suitable setting for catchable fish.
- Rockbrook Park; two parcels with the northern extent along an unnamed creek; the highlight was a mama Wild Turkey with two poults; if the City of Omaha cannot repair the bridge over the creek in the northern tract, it should be removed; the creek had a slight flow during the visit.
- Armbrust Park; this so-called park is basically a wooded area along an unnamed creek with a slight flow; the parcel south of Grover Street can be readily hiked, but on the northern side of this place, keep to the east of the creek, for a short distance. The excitement of the morning was the expressiveness of the Blue Jay and other bird life because of a Cooper's Hawk occurrence.
- Meadow Lane Park with its linear extent a jaunt south of West Dodge Road; the most expressive thing at this public space were the tennis-players and the graffiti spewed on the walls of the culvert beneath 117th street. There was no time taken to get a closer look at this vandalism.
- Rockbrook Park; two parcels with the northern extent along an unnamed creek; the highlight was a mama Wild Turkey with two poults; if the City of Omaha cannot repair the bridge over the creek in the northern tract, it should be removed; the creek had a slight flow during the visit.
The last place given some birdly attention was Miller Park, in north Omaha. It deserved a visit so Monday morning was appropriate. The two groups of different-aged Wood Duck young and an expressive Green Heron made it especially notable.
During the past couple of weeks a lot of parks have been visited, despite the tribulations of rising before the sun, and being out the door within minutes. There would be no indication of the birds at these places if there was no go during the early morning of these notably hot days of summer.
The value shown is the number observed at the designated area. There were fifty-five species present during the bird surveys at these Omaha parks.
| Common Name | Ponca Creek, Hummel Park | North Hills, Hummel Park | N.P. Dodge Park | Miller Park | Meadowlane Park | Towl Park | Rockbrook Park | Armbrust Park | Trendwood Park |
| Canada Goose | - - | - - | 29 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wood Duck | - - | - - | - - | 16 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wild Turkey | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - |
| Green Heron | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Turkey Vulture | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Cooper's Hawk | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Killdeer | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Rock Pigeon | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Mourning Dove | - - | - - | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | - - | 2 |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Chimney Swift | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | 23 | - - | - - | - - |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 2 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 1 |
| Northern Flicker | 2 | - - | 2 | 1 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | 2 | 4 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Phoebe | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | 1 | 1 | 2 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Western Kingbird | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Kingbird | - - | - - | 2 | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Warbling Vireo | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Blue Jay | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| American Crow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 2 |
| Purple Martin | - - | - - | 5 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Bank Swallow | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Cliff Swallow | - - | - - | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Barn Swallow | - - | - - | 6 | 11 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 5 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - - |
| Carolina Wren | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| House Wren | 8 | 6 | 12 | - - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - - |
| Eastern Bluebird | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Robin | 1 | 2 | 11 | 30 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 4 |
| Gray Catbird | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | 2 |
| Brown Thrasher | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| European Starling | - - | - - | 35 | 28 | - - | 3 | 5 | - - | 9 |
| Yellow Warbler | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Scarlet Tanager | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Chipping Sparrow | - - | 3 | 2 | 3 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Lark Sparrow | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Cardinal | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Indigo Bunting | 2 | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Dickcissel | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-winged Blackbird | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Grackle | - - | - - | 12 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 3 | - - | 3 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | - - | - - | 6 | 1 | - - | 4 | 1 | - - | - - |
| Orchard Oriole | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Baltimore Oriole | - - | - - | 3 | 2 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 1 |
| House Finch | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 3 | - - | 1 |
| American Goldfinch | - - | 4 | 2 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| House Sparrow | - - | - - | 5 | 6 | - - | 6 | 4 | - - | 3 |
There could be additional interesting details indicated by a further analysis of these records, especially regarding numbers, overall distribution, general status including any obvious differences, and more importantly, new occurrences. Suffice it to say, the particular highlights were the Lark Sparrows breeding at N.P. Dodge Park, and the Green Heron at Miller Park.