During the month, there were some new arrivals while others had already raised their brood of the year. There was nothing prominently exciting, nor where any rare birds seen. It was a basic month of wild bird occurrence in north-central Nebraska.
The usual bird haunts in the Valentine vicinity were traversed via bicycling or walking as appropriate during the month, especially along the trails at the city park.
Other special places within the sandhills were bird surveys were done have already been reported on. Especially notable was the May 6 visit to Anderson Bridge WMA because this was the first place in Cherry county visited to do some bird watching, 35 years ago! During the month, 876 distinct observations became database records.
This is a tally of the 74 species noted during the month, for seven different dates. These are some comments:
- Canada Goose: the large number noted at the end of the month were multiple family groups at the Valentine Fish Hatchery and there were more goslings than adults
- Trumpeter Swan: the two birds were present for just a short time at the Valentine Mill Pond
- Wood Duck: present at the Mill Pond and on Minnechaduza Creek at the city park; there was no indication of ongoing occurrence during the breeding season
- Wild Turkey: the birds seen can be very intermittent at the shack, though a hen is most regularly seen foraging in the morning, and calling as if she was asking to be joined by others
- Great Blue Heron: there were at least two occupied nests in the trees just eastward of the city park; their forage grounds include the mill pond, fish hatchery ponds and other unknown places in the vicinity
- Turkey Vulture: it is not known where they might be nesting but the sighting of this species is a regular and appreciated occurrence every day as they soar so gracefully above the landscape; there is a regular nagging, personal question: What is available here that they can eat?
- Eurasian Collared Dove: noted daily
- Mourning Dove: also noted daily
- Common Nighthawk: finally seen at the end of the month
- Chimney Swift: seen as they appreciated buggy skies and the few chimneys - especially in downtown - where they can find a safe haven to raise a family as they have for so many years as they strive to survive
- Belted Kingfisher: heard less than might be expected though this species certainly continues to be extant
- Eastern Phoebe: two bridges across Minnechaduza creek at the city park are appreciated as they provide a safe place for a pair to build a nest where their young will thrive
- House Wren: breeding birds find their preferred nest place and this does not always mean some artificial nest box of which there are many at the western extent of Lake Shore Drive
- Purple Martin: there are multiple nest structures in the Heart City but not all of them get used; House Sparrows are unwanted squatters; a surprise of the month was finding a few birds nesting at an apartment on the north side of Cherry Hills Estate
- Grey Catbird and Brown Thrasher: residents, and as a birder, their is a certain appreciation of when the catbird expresses its "mew" song rather than sounding off like a thrasher, which thankfully makes no effort to sound like a catbird
- Audubon's Warbler: very vocal along my daily route but gone after the first week of the month
- Spotted Towhee: heard very regularly and none of their compatriot seen
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak: very well seen along Lake Shore Drive and west end of the city park
- Northern Cardinal: have only a limited occurrence since they are irregularly heard and less often seen; perhaps more searching is needed?
Based upon regular and ongoing occurrence of wildbirds, it is obvious why Valentine is a birding hotspot as designated on ebird. There are the "big" places like Fort Niobrara NWR and Valentine NWR while also importantly are the many public spaces so close to Valentine where anyone wanting to take the time to enjoy nature's life can venture forth, whenever, and have a personal time of outdoor discovery.
| Proper Name Julian date > | 122 | 127 | 136 | 139 | 146 | 150 | 151 |
| Canada Goose | 6 | 8 | 17 | - - | - - | 12 | 47 |
| Trumpeter Swan | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wood Duck | 3 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Mallard | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wild Turkey | 1 | - - | - - | 3 | - - | 2 | - - |
| Great Blue Heron | 1 | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | 2 |
| American White Pelican | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| Turkey Vulture | 5 | 4 | 19 | - - | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-tailed Hawk | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Killdeer | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Rock Dove | - - | - - | 10 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 5 | - - | 12 | - - | - - | 6 | - - |
| Mourning Dove | 3 | - - | 4 | - - | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Great Horned Owl | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Common Nighthawk | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Chimney Swift | - - | 9 | 9 | 28 | 1 | 4 | - - |
| Belted Kingfisher | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - - | 1 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Downy Woodpecker | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Flicker | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | 2 | - - |
| American Kestrel | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Eastern Phoebe | - - | - - | 3 | - - | 3 | - - | - - |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - - |
| Western Kingbird | - - | 1 | 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Kingbird | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | 2 | 1 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | - - | - - | 3 | - - | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Bell's Vireo | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - |
| Warbling Vireo | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | 2 |
| Red-eyed Vireo | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 2 | - - | - - |
| Blue Jay | 2 | - - | 3 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - |
| American Crow | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - |
| Cedar Waxwing | - - | - - | 13 | - - | 1 | 2 | - - |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 3 | 2 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Purple Martin | - - | 2 | 12 | - - | - - | - - | 6 |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | 3 | 1 | 3 | - - | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Barn Swallow | - - | - - | 2 | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| American Cliff Swallow | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| House Wren | 5 | 7 | 13 | - - | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | - - | 3 | - - | 1 | - - | 1 |
| Grey Catbird | - - | - - | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | - - |
| Brown Thrasher | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - - | 1 | - - |
| Common Starling | 2 | - - | 5 | 6 | 7 | - - | 2 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 3 | 2 | - - | - - | 7 | - - | 1 |
| American Robin | 12 | - - | 62 | - - | 8 | 10 | 6 |
| House Sparrow | - - | 2 | 20 | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| House Finch | 6 | 4 | 12 | - - | - - | 7 | 2 |
| American Goldfinch | 5 | 12 | 15 | - - | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Ovenbird | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Common Yellowthroat | - - | - - | 4 | - - | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| American Redstart | - - | - - | 6 | - - | 7 | - - | - - |
| American Yellow Warbler | - - | 2 | 4 | - - | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Audubon's Warbler | 2 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Western Meadowlark | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Baltimore Oriole | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Orchard Oriole | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | 2 | 3 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 30 | - - | 15 | - - | - - | - - | 5 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 6 | - - | 2 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Common Grackle | 26 | - - | 49 | - - | 7 | 4 | - - |
| Song Sparrow | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 7 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Chipping Sparrow | 9 | 14 | 19 | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Field Sparrow | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | 2 | 1 | - - |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Lark Sparrow | - - | - - | 8 | - - | - - | 2 | 2 |
| Spotted Towhee | 2 | - - | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Cardinal | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Indigo Bunting | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
The tally for May 2016 was 87 species, but this is likely the result of records being available for 17 different dates. Overall, there have been 92 species denoted for this month in the past two years, with particulars available for 22 different julian dates for these periods of time.
Every day was an opportunity to listen and learn while riding my bicycle around.
On the day when this report was written, my left shoe had a blowout and a sock is exposed to the regular cycling breezes. So my usual pair of shoes are now worthless and another option needs to be determined. It is not acceptable to have pathetic, old and broken shoes worn in public and the shoelaces have absolutely no quality. The henceforth direction that needs to be taken in now unknown. There will be something done! I'd like to have a treasured pair of cowboy boots? My former pair disappeared so many years ago, so a new version is needed. There was one night in the Mother Lake country when a pair of spurs were worn. It was such an experience for a man of eastern Nebraska was present because of the wildbirds.
With a pair of exposed boots while wearing fine denim, a nice country sort of hat and scarf, opposing anyone wanting to threaten the values of the sand hills will get a new reality! Besides words, of which is a personal skill, my hope, and which has been a personal endeavor for years, some time there will be a cowboy respect. My garb would be appropriate and distinctive, as looking for a final picture that can be sent to my mom in her final months. I am not a cowboy, but the cowboy way is part of every day of my life.