Feather Pattern Remains After Dove Window-Strike

A vivid indication of the wing patterns of an Mourning Dove were left after it struck a large pane of window glass.

The pattern indicated the body area, but especially the primary feathers of each wing. For one wing, even the pattern of the secondaries was obvious and vividly prominent. There was no impression of the tail feathers. The image measured 13 inches in width.

After the dove hit the glass with a loud smack, it fell away an inch or two, and then flew away, so seemingly survived the collision.

The dove apparently flew from the top board of a corral fence, which is just about 16-feet northward of the window. The large picture window is on the north side of a cabin. Doves, including the Eurasian Colarred Dove, occasionally walk atop this fence, and they also forage on the nearby bare ground of a horse pen.

The strike occurred about mid-morning on April 24, 2016 at a country setting north of Valentine. Other smaller birds — notably sparrows and the junco — have also occasionally struck this same window, which is characteristically reflective.

Federal Agency Provides Gordon Creek Documents

Following a Freedom of Information Request on January 26 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency initially provided a single document on March 25th, that was an agreement with the official signatures of the parties involved with a wetland project along Gordon creek in central Cherry county.

A reply provided via email to the agency on March 28th, however denoted several known FWS documents which had not been provided through the FOIA process. Ancillary sources had indicated these additional project-related documents.

The agency then conducted an “additional search for responsive documents,” as indicated in an April 14, 2016 letter of response for request FWS-2016-00392, based upon agency records.

This eventual reply was first received by email, and then via a postal delivery of a dvd disc with more than twenty documents.

Most prominent was an updated addendum to landowner agreement NE-64850-14-71 for payment of final project costs, totaling $237,072.32, according signatures made in December 2015. Portions of the funds paid by the Sandhills Task Force were through money received from grant 12-134 as received from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. The $100,000 provided by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission was from a state wildlife grant, as provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The primary source of money was the Sandhills Task Force, as the majority of the money was indicated as this NGO being the source, according to the document. The landowner still provided $40,000.

Numerous other federal documents provided included:

• A variety of emails, as redacted, mostly in regards to site visits; includes an email indicating that a seed mix to be used “was developed to be successful on wetland and upland areas and is designed with monarch and pollinator habitat in mind”
  
• an Attachment A - Detailed description of project activities (additional details for Block 18 and Block 22 on the permit form).
  
• an Attachment B - Engineering Design plans prepared by Bob Atkeson, of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
  
• an Attachment C - Wetland certification/delineation report and supplemental maps prepared by Chuck Markley, NRCS.
  
• an Attachment D - Wetland delineation polygons overlain on the project plan map, prepared by Ted LaGrange, wetlands biologist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
  
• an Attachment E - Nebraska Stream Condition Assessment Procedure (NeSCAP) narrative and calculation spreadsheet prepared by Ritch Nelson, NRCS.
  
• an Attachment F - Landowner agreement NE-64850-14-71 signed by the landowner and the project funding partners.
  
• an Attachment G - NEPA compliance checklist prepared by the USFWS.
  
• an Attachment H - Section 7 Biological Memo and Evaluation Form, and a Supplemental Memo regarding effects on American burying beetle prepared by the USFWS
  
• an Attachment I - State Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act (NESCA) review prepared by Michelle Koch, NGPC
  
• an Attachment J - Cultural resource review prepared by Margaret Van Ness, USFWS
  

Also included were:

• an application for a Department of the Army permit
  
• a letter from the Sandhills Task Force to the Army Corps of Engineers office in Omaha, dated December 2014, indicating that the project partners would “proceed with the described soil, water, and stream habitat improvement project activities as described without further individual project consultation with USACE.” Eventually the ACE would issue a nationwide permit, via their Omaha regulatory office in early June 2015.
  
• a project timeline
  

The documents and correspondence were the “final response” from the agency, which provided the information without any dollar payment required.

In their seeming entirety, these documents do convey the breadth of this project, the entities involved and what was necessary for this project along Gordon Creek to be accomplished.

NRCS Avoids Public Disclosure of Project Documentation

The Nebraska office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service has indicated it will not provide information associated with a wetlands project along Gordon creek in central Cherry county, Nebraska.

Despite Freedom of Information Act request 2016-NRCS-02453-F made to the NRCS office in Lincoln, no details were provided. A letter indicated that no documents would be provided due to “Exemption 3” of the FOIA act which prohibits - through federal statute 7 U.S.C. 8791, Section 1619 (b) of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-246) – “prohibits disclosure of information of information regarding another person’s agricultural operations, farming, conservation practices, or the land itself.”

This is despite the expenditure of public funds associated with the agency work designing the project and associated consultation.

What is quite revealing is that despite the response of this agency, is that the very details requested are publicly available elsewhere. The NRCS obviously has a nondisclosure policy.

It took multiple requests via email to even get this NRCS indicated “adverse” decision. The initial request was made January 22nd, 2016 and the letter of response was received on April 7th.

March Birds Around Valentine, Nebraska

As the spring season arrived at Valentine, there has been a drastic variety of weather. Some days were wonderfully warm. A few days had inclement weather, some notably cold with winds of a disgusting extent. There was also some snow on multiple inches that influenced bird activities.

During the month, in addition to the immediate vicinity of the heart city, a visit was made to the wonderful habitats of the Vanderploeg Ranch, along the Niobrara river to the south of the city. There is a big marsh in the river valley which waterfowl appreciate, especially the big Trumpeter Swans. Nearby a pair of Bald Eagles have an established nest and one of them were resident during the visit. An eagle is also occasionally seen at the Mill Pond.

There were two especially prominent observations, and they occurred on the same day. First, there were the 21 Turkey Vultures roosting in a tree on north Cherry street. They were first obvious as black things prominent in the skyscape while bicycling into town. My travel route diverged to get a look and take some pictures. Later in the day while at the livestock market, a distinctive sound was vibrant, and more expressive than the penned livestock. As the sound continued, more attention was given to its source, and soon a single Great-tailed Grackle was seen. It then was noted to be expressive from different places of prominence. The sighting was the first for this species at Valentine, though it has been previously seen at the nearby Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge.

The many local Eurasian Collared Dove pairs were pervasive and prominent during the month, north of the Mill Pond as well as in the city environs. The many Cedar Waxwing appreciated the berry trees located along Main street.

With variable weather, the birds adapted. Territorial robins that were establishing territories and excluding others were less discriminatory on cold days as many of them gathered in close proximity as they foraged among the horse pens with their west-facing slope and vegetation which has been cropped closely to the ground by either horses or the many white-tailed deer present on a daily basis.

An Eastern Phoebe was expressive below the dam at the Mill Pond, just before the end of the month. During the same time, an American Kestrel grasping a power line, struggled to maintain its place, but within moments departed due to the over-powering windy gusts.

Bluebirds are generally about. Turkeys are sparse, only heard one evening, up on the nearby hill. The flock of quail were not even seen nor heard.

This is the summary of the bird records as seen on the various Julian dates during the month, as listed in taxonomic sequence. The values are the total number seen at the various localities.

Valentine Vicinity Bird Records Summary
Common Name	62	66	70	71	72	75	76	77	78	79	81	82	84	88	90
Canada Goose	- -	20	- -	12	18	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	8	- -
Trumpeter Swan	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Wood Duck	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	20	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	6	- -	- -	- -
Gadwall	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	25	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Wigeon	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	15	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Mallard	- -	6	- -	- -	- -	15	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Northern Pintail	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	10	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ring-necked Duck	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Common Pheasant	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Great Blue Heron	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	2	- -
Turkey Vulture	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	21	13
Sharp-shinned Hawk	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -
Bald Eagle	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-tailed Hawk	- -	- -	2	1	- -	3	2	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	1	- -	1
Killdeer	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	2	1
American Herring Gull	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	6	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	2
Rock Dove	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	26	14	- -
Eurasian Collared Dove	5	- -	5	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	10	- -	- -	- -	14	7
Belted Kingfisher	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	1	1
Red-headed Woodpecker	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-bellied Woodpecker	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2
Downy Woodpecker	1	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	1	1	- -	1	- -
Hairy Woodpecker	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	2
Northern Flicker	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	2
American Kestrel	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Eastern Phoebe	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Blue Jay	2	- -	2	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	2
American Crow	- -	- -	1	- -	1	5	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	2	1
Cedar Waxwing	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	30	30	- -	- -	- -	- -	9
Black-capped Chickadee	2	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	2	- -	2	- -
Horned Lark	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-breasted Nuthatch	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -
White-breasted Nuthatch	2	- -	1	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	1	2	3	- -	4	4
Common Starling	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	14	- -	6	- -
Eastern Bluebird	- -	- -	2	1	2	2	2	- -	- -	2	1	2	- -	2	- -
American Robin	- -	- -	18	- -	5	1	- -	4	20	71	8	3	- -	38	19
House Sparrow	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
House Finch	- -	- -	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	1	2	- -	7	25
American Goldfinch	- -	- -	4	- -	- -	- -	6	- -	- -	8	- -	3	- -	- -	4
Red-winged Blackbird	9	- -	11	- -	- -	35	- -	- -	- -	10	- -	- -	- -	- -	8
Common Grackle	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	3	1
Great-tailed Grackle	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -
Dark-eyed Junco	- -	- -	4	- -	6	- -	- -	6	- -	4	15	- -	- -	17	2
Northern Cardinal	2	- -	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	2	1

As the month ended, it is obvious that there are many places worth visiting to see and appreciate the local birdlife. Public lands about Valentine are pervasive and provide a great variety of places appropriate for a day's hike and to go bird watching.