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 |
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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
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