April started with a distinctive view of migratory Sandhill Cranes, and ended with significant occurrences of seasonal observations on a nearly daily basis while outdoors.
While some species were migrating, there was a prominent breeding season prevalence on the 21st. There were the first young Canada Goose at the Mill Pond. By the end of the month, at least four family groups were appreciating the mown lawn setting at the northwest portion of their habitat, the lawn green associated with homes along Lake Shore Drive north of Valentine.
The singular highlight amidst the known occurrence of area birdlife was a pair of Trumpeter Swan prominent, resting at the pond marsh on the 29th. Their white plumage was obvious amidst the green of the western vegetation of the Mill Pond. These big waterfowl continued to be present through the following weekend.
Many birds continued their breeding season activities. The Eurasian Collared Dove are prominent in the vicinity. Can't be missed are the Common Grackle about the town and northward. Red-winged Blackbird are loudly present about the Mill Pond. Not to be forgotten were Brown-headed Cowbird which initially arrived in lesser numbers, and then became more prevalent. A Yellow-headed Blackbird or two also could be seen amidst the many birds foraging in the horse pens to the north of the pond, at its western end.
Hunters of Wild Turkey showed up in their big pickup, with an authoritative note allowing property access as scribbled on a tiny bit of a sticky note. Their one day in the north hills was during the early days of the month. They left after their hike resulted in a zero result. Only a few of this game bird of particular interest have occurred outside the shack window during the month. Yet one day while traversing the drive route to the heart city, a flock of 16 was lazily striding along Hulm Lane, on the north side of the pond. Turkey roosters are now active with their flock, just as much as a dominant buck deer is hoarding his bunch of does among the hills of grass. Sire actions are prominent!
When the flock of Franklin's Gulls arrived, they were very prominent in their occurrence. Upon a closer look, a special feature of this bird was obvious, notably their black-colored head and also, group behavior.
Killdeer are present. A prominent bunch was within the city boundaries near the Cowboy Trail, though the seasonal residents occur to a lesser extent, but can usually be seen or heard at the Mill Pond.
The final days of the month brought many new observations. Especially prominent were birds at the Mill Pond. On the days when the swans occurred, there was also a Western Osprey, a single duck worth noting, swallows foraging above the pond water. Amidst the foliage was an Audubon's Warbler, with its vivid yellow rump patch.
Robins continue to be prevalent, as well as the many House Finch. Present yet subtle at the north edge of the heart city are pairs of Eastern Bluebird.
The monthly tally is significant for the several species which are new additions to the local avifauna. Birds with black plumage continue to occur in large numbers amidst the horse pens, on the south side of the hills, and northward of the pond.
There is a story awaiting about the House Wren since there are so many nest boxes prevalent.
There were 53 species noted during the month.
| Species (and to right) Julian Date | 97 | 98 | 102 | 104 | 105 | 107 | 108 | 110 | 112 | 115 | 117 | 120 |
| Canada Goose | 15 | - - | - - | - - | 4 | 13 | - - | - - | 30 | - - | - - | 48 |
| Trumpeter Swan | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Wood Duck | 3 | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 2 | 2 | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| Mallard | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Blue-winged Teal | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 27 | - - | - - | - - |
| Lesser Scaup | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Wild Turkey | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 3 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 16 | 3 |
| Great Blue Heron | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| Double-crested Cormorant | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 40 | - - | - - |
| Turkey Vulture | 18 | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | 8 | 12 | 18 | - - | - - |
| Western Osprey | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Cooper's Hawk | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Sandhill Crane | 19 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Killdeer | 3 | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Franklin's Gull | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 31 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Rock Dove | 6 | - - | - - | - - | 15 | - - | 20 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 15 | - - | - - | - - | 11 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 10 |
| Mourning Dove | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Belted Kingfisher | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Hairy Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Flicker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Blue Jay | 2 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - |
| American Crow | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Cedar Waxwing | 35 | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Black-capped Chickadee | - - | 3 | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Sand Martin | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Common Starling | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Bluebird | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - |
| American Robin | 32 | - - | - - | - - | 20 | 16 | - - | 8 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| House Sparrow | 5 | - - | - - | 5 | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| House Finch | 4 | - - | - - | - - | 13 | - - | 18 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Goldfinch | 17 | - - | - - | - - | 8 | 75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 28 | - - |
| Audubon's Warbler | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Western Meadowlark | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-winged Blackbird | - - | - - | - - | - - | 10 | - - | - - | 10 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 5 | - - | 12 | 125 | - - |
| Common Grackle | 85 | 75 | - - | - - | 100 | 75 | 65 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 40 |
| Song Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 3 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Chipping Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 7 | - - | 27 | - - | - - |
| Lark Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - |
| Spotted Towhee | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Cardinal | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 1 |
Still pending are views of the Chimney Swift and Common Nighthawk. It is relatively late in the spring season for them to not yet have been seen. They will certainly occur soon and be denoted as a particular aspect of the local birds.
The first new hour of May certainly started out with no owl calls but instead many bangs just after waiting for the start of a favorite late-night radio program. What seemed to be casual gun-shots were heard multiple times just after midnight, seemingly upon the hill north of the shack, as derived from multiple instances heard from within and also from outside on the east side of the shack porch while it was raining and cloudy outside. There was a regular series of noises, regularly spaced once and then again. It was not like the sounds were distant, because they seemed to be atop a hill just to the north. There was a mystery vehicle at the end of the drive just before 2 p.m. It parked. Lights were turned off. The squiggle driver smoked a cigarette on its west side, as distinctly seen through a spotting scope in the night time. They vehicle then left after its interlude. Then several similar gunshot noises occurred at 3 a.m., in two interludes.
This is a an undeniable mystery of May day morning! No explanation is available. Neighbors had nothing to contribute on Sunday morning.
May is bird month in Nebraska, so further bird observations and events will occur as there will be new occurrences of the variety of wildbirds of the land.