May was a very active month for the variety of bird species noted in the vicinity of Valentine. Late season winter residents lingering during the early days of the month and the arrival of all breeding season residents by the last of May, all contributed to the dramatic increase in species present.
To get a greater perspective, additional locales surveyed at the end of the month were Government Canyon, the fish hatchery grounds, city of Valentine property north and each of the hatchery, and Valentine Nature Park.
The largest number of Canada Goose noted were the multiple families at the fish hatchery. Fewer numbers occurred at the Mill Pond as young of the year grew large enough to allow the family to fly away to someplace else.
The Spotted Sandpiper were prevalent at the fish hatchery ponds. Red=bellied Woodpecker present at the beginning of the month became nonexistent by the end of the month. Also missed were observations of the Hairy Woodpecker.
In addition to Purple Martin at the nest structure at the southeast portion of the city, another pair of adults was seen by one of two houses at Sixth and Valentine streets. There were two especially notable observations of swallows. There was a nesting colony of American Cliff Swallows at both the dam on the Mill Pond and at an abandoned concrete structure on the south bank of Minnechaduza Creek, on city property eastward of the water treatment plant. A colony of Sand Martin was found at the city shooting range, north of the fish hatchery. This unusual colony was protected from wanton disturbance via a communication between a federal wildlife official and the city manager of Valentine that clarified that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act protected any nests, eggs or young. Northern Rough-winged Swallow were notable in few numbers at several different places.
As for towhees, the Spotted Towhee was prevalent, with the Eastern Towhee only seen once.
There were 86 species noted, with the variety quite enjoyable and the myriad of bird songs prevalent from pre-dawn through the end of each day by the end of the month. Their occurrence on a particular day is indicated in the table, with all records Copyright 2016 James E. Ducey (All rights reserved). Also enjoyed was one hybrid species, an oriole in this vicinity where some other species are known to hybridize.
The last column represents those species seen within in the immediate setting of Valentine, or to its eastern or southern edge.
As the month progressed, several species could be seen carrying food to feed their young, especially by the American Robin and Common Grackle.
| Valentine Vicinity Bird Species Summary – May 2016 | |||||||||||||||||
Common Name |
124 | 125 | 128 | 130 | 131 | 133 | 134 | 135 | 138 | 141 | 142 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 151 | 152 |
| Canada Goose | 44 | - | - | - | 25 | - | - | - | 20 | - | 25 | - | - | 51 | - | 8 | - |
| Wood Duck | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mallard | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - |
| Blue-winged Teal | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Northern Shoveler | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Wild Turkey | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Great Blue Heron | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Turkey Vulture | 14 | - | - | - | 7 | - | - | - | 3 | - | 12 | - | - | 6 | 3 | 10 | - |
| Western Osprey | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| Killdeer | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | 2 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | - | - |
| Rock Dove | - | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | 16 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15 |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 11 | - | - | - | 11 | - | - | - | 14 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | 7 |
| Mourning Dove | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 4 | - | 3 | - | - | 11 | 13 | 10 | - |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| Common Nighthawk | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Chimney Swift | - | 4 | 6 | - | 8 | - | - | - | 7 | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | 7 | 3 | 2 | - |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 | - |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Northern Flicker | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | - |
| American Kestrel | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Eastern Phoebe | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Least Flycatcher | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Western Kingbird | - | - | 2 | 1 | 4 | - | - | - | 3 | - | 2 | - | - | 2 | - | 3 | 4 |
| Eastern Kingbird | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 8 | 6 | 11 | - |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 2 | - | 3 | 3 | 5 | - |
| Bell's Vireo | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - |
| Warbling Vireo | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Red-eyed Vireo | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 3 | - |
| Blue Jay | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| American Crow | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Cedar Waxwing | - | - | 7 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | 5 | 1 | 16 | 3 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 3 | 2 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 4 | 2 |
| Horned Lark | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Sand Martin | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | - | - | - |
| Tree Swallow | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - |
| Purple Martin | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | 3 | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | 4 | - | - | 24 | 5 | 12 | - |
| Barn Swallow | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| American Cliff Swallow | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 65 | 6 | - |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| House Wren | 4 | 1 | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | 8 | - | 5 | - | - | 6 | 4 | 13 | 3 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | - |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 1 | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 4 | - |
| Grey Catbird | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 4 | - | 6 | - |
| Brown Thrasher | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 5 | 1 | 4 | - |
| Common Starling | 3 | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 11 | 4 | - | 4 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 7 | - | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Swainson's Thrush | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - |
| American Robin | 10 | 11 | - | - | 10 | - | - | - | 13 | - | 8 | 10 | - | 8 | 6 | 22 | 20 |
| House Sparrow | - | - | 4 | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 15 |
| House Finch | 9 | - | - | - | 10 | - | - | - | 15 | - | 4 | - | - | - | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| American Goldfinch | 4 | 2 | - | 5 | 4 | - | 10 | - | 5 | - | 10 | - | - | 9 | 2 | 14 | 5 |
| Common Yellowthroat | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | 8 | 3 | 3 | - |
| American Redstart | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 4 | - |
| American Yellow Warbler | - | - | 2 | 5 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 11 | 3 | 7 | - |
| Audubon's Warbler | 6 | 15 | 5 | - | 6 | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Western Meadowlark | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Bullock's Oriole x Baltimore Oriole | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 1 | - |
| Baltimore Oriole | - | - | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | 1 |
| Orchard Oriole | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 6 | 2 | 3 | - |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | - | 12 | - | - | 5 | 2 | 18 | - |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 12 | 1 | 30 | - | 10 | - | - | - | 13 | - | 11 | - | - | 7 | 4 | 13 | - |
| Common Grackle | 15 | - | - | - | 50 | - | - | - | 20 | - | 15 | - | - | 7 | 3 | 26 | 20 |
| Song Sparrow | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Harris's Sparrow | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 2 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 7 | - | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| White-throated Sparrow | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Chipping Sparrow | 14 | 2 | 15 | 90 | 20 | - | - | - | 10 | - | 6 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 11 | 5 |
| Field Sparrow | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | - | - | 8 | 6 | 5 | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Lark Sparrow | 2 | - | 2 | - | 4 | - | - | 4 | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | 10 | 3 | 7 | - |
| Spotted Towhee | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | 4 | 3 | 5 | - |
| Eastern Towhee | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - |
| Black-headed Grosbeak | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Northern Cardinal | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | - |
| Indigo Bunting | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | - | - |
June started out with some decent temperatures to start the month. It soon became very hot, and any interest in hiking about in those conditions were very fleeting, indeed. Further details will have to be gathered on the nesting places for the Purple Martins and to present a perspective on the House Wrens at the "wren man's" place on the north side of the mill pond.