Every day can be a bird day and spring in Cherry County and at Valentine was indicative as many different wildbirds got lots of attention as appreciated by multiple observers. On various days during March through May birders visited prominent places including near Valentine at the city park and mill pond, Valentine NWR (12 checklists), three visits each to Fort Niobrara NWR and Smith Falls State Park, as well as to Anderson Bridge, Shell Lake and Ballards Marsh WMAs, and even along the county road northward from Brownlee.
There were some especially exciting sightings among nearly 1800 records, many by visitors reporting their observations to the ebird online repository and that were significant in indicating many of the 176 species seen to occur. The tally for the immediate vicinity of Valentine was 115 species during the three months.
The mid-April blizzard wrought destruction to birds. Carcasses of migratory Sandhill Crane were found a few miles south of Valentine, days later. A significant flight of the cranes going northward did occur on 17 April, and the flight and calls perfectly showed that winter was finally finished! During the blizzard event, a nest box with Eastern Bluebird eggs filled with blowing snow, ruining the breeding attempt. After the pair had not returned for weeks, the box caretaker let some Tree Swallow use it instead.
Notably prominent at Valentine were two indications of the potentiality of bird hybridization in the so diverse Niobrara Valley environs. A male Rose-breasted Grosbeak had a contention during mid-May over breeding habitat with a couple of Black-headed Grosbeak just north of the Mill Pond. The latter species was still present at the end of the month. A hybrid Bullocks Oriole x Baltimore Oriole was also indicative as closely seen during the same days, also north of town.
A couple of local highlights were the Great-tailed Grackle in mid-May, seemingly getting established here and elsewhere in north-central Nebraska, and a simply beautiful Lazuli Bunting appreciating some of the bird seed. At least two pair of Great Blue Heron have been busy raising a brood at nests in trees at the eastern extent of the city park. Bald Eagle were not reported but were certainly raising young in their massive nests.
Various warblers were seen on branches and boughs in the sylvan setting of the city park, including the Yellow Warbler, American Redstart and Ovenbird. The itty-bitty Common Yellowthroat appreciates its bit of space among the cattail habitat at the western extent of the Mill Pond, where Spotted Sandpiper are busy nearby on the sandy creek bank. Many other species are local residents. You can’t miss the robins, Blue Jay or Eurasian Collared Dove around town.
Daily, the local flock of Turkey Vulture soar in search of some edible carrion near Valentine, as well as other suitable country spaces. The north side flock of Wild Turkey survived intact after the hunting season. Red-winged Blackbird were visibly perturbed as the big hens and gobblers – a very apt term – ruled at the seed buffet. Daily a horde of black birds of three species eat a bunch of seeds. While they feed, it is quite interesting to watch the birds’ behavior as they interact to get something to eat. Female redwings, for example, use a wing-flutter action to indicate their space ... momma is hungry, so stay away.
By the end of May, two pair of Canada Goose had goslings at the Mill Pond. Swallows were busily eating bugs with a colony of Cliff Swallow on the Highway 83 bridge over Minnechaduza Creek. Rough-winged swallows were busy in the same vicinity. Chimney Swift continue to be prominent over Main Street being bugeaters all day long. Purple Martin with a similar purpose, dwell where a suitable nest house is present, and not overtaken by the pesky House Sparrow. During the night, Common Nighthawk also fly in search of insects somewhere near where they nest on the ground or a city building roof?
The overall county bird variety ranges in size from the magnificent Trumpeter Swan to the mighty mite, the house wren. The call of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo was heard in late May and is a certain sign of summer’s arrival.
A grand variety of wildbirds are essential wildlife around Valentine, within the county and overall in the Great American Sandhills. The current and historic reality conveys many people spend tourist money and hundreds of hours to appreciate nature and the many ranchland and wildlife values amidst a landscape mostly free of constructs and blinking lights that destroy night sky views.
Nearly every bird sighting can be a distinctive story with every outing an opportunity for unique memories. Wildbirds though are indifferent to being a mark on a tally sheet, so there is a responsibility for actions to make a difference to ensure the “voice” of birds is realized and their airspace and habitat is suitably conserved so the special wildbird wonders of these days can be appreciated in a similar manner tomorrow, next years and by future generations.
There is no place in our unique county where industrial wind turbines and mega-powerlines should in any manner be allowed to kill wildbirds by spinning turbine blades or destroy wildlands habitat. Don’t ruin treasures just so some misdirected people can put tax-payer subsidized dollars in their pocket.
Ad paid for by James E. Ducey. Details online at Wildbirds Broadcasting.
The numbers given in the table indicate an overall summary of the number observed for each of the species at any locale within the county during the particular month.
| Proper Name | March | April | May |
| Canada Goose | 220 | 3853 | 181 |
| Cackling Goose | -- | 16 | -- |
| Snow Goose | -- | 336 | -- |
| Trumpeter Swan | -- | 10 | 6 |
| Wood Duck | 19 | 6 | 8 |
| Cinnamon Teal | -- | -- | 1 |
| Blue-winged Teal | 78 | -- | 122 |
| Northern Shoveler | 196 | 5 | 43 |
| Gadwall | 227 | 7 | 20 |
| American Wigeon | 12 | 7 | 6 |
| Mallard | 51 | 35 | 48 |
| Northern Pintail | -- | 4 | 1 |
| Green-winged Teal | 39 | 8 | 4 |
| Canvasback | 96 | 12 | -- |
| Redhead | 158 | 10 | 18 |
| Ring-necked Duck | 27 | 10 | 3 |
| Greater Scaup | 2 | -- | -- |
| Lesser Scaup | 125 | 21 | 3 |
| Bufflehead | 82 | 7 | 1 |
| Common Goldeneye | 1 | 8 | -- |
| Common Merganser | 24 | 81 | -- |
| Ruddy Duck | 182 | -- | 55 |
| Northern Bobwhite | -- | -- | 1 |
| Wild Turkey | 103 | 76 | 64 |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | 5 | -- | 9 |
| Common Pheasant | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Common Loon | -- | -- | 1 |
| Pied-billed Grebe | 1 | -- | 5 |
| Horned Grebe | 5 | -- | -- |
| Black-necked Grebe | -- | -- | 18 |
| Western Grebe | 12 | -- | 103 |
| White-faced Ibis | 1 | -- | 34 |
| American Bittern | -- | -- | 7 |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | 1 | -- | -- |
| Western Cattle Egret | -- | -- | 5 |
| Great Blue Heron | 15 | 3 | 15 |
| American White Pelican | 73 | -- | 86 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 50 | -- | 16 |
| Turkey Vulture | 171 | 28 | 125 |
| Western Osprey | -- | -- | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 4 | 1 | -- |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Northern Harrier | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| Mississippi Kite | -- | -- | 1 |
| Swainson's Hawk | -- | -- | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 5 | 21 | 9 |
| Rough-legged Buzzard | 1 | 3 | -- |
| Virginia Rail | -- | -- | 2 |
| Sora | -- | -- | 1 |
| American Coot | 546 | -- | 20 |
| Sandhill Crane | 1545 | -- | 6 |
| Black-necked Stilt | -- | -- | 1 |
| American Avocet | -- | -- | 4 |
| Killdeer | 14 | 4 | 26 |
| Upland Sandpiper | -- | -- | 34 |
| Long-billed Curlew | -- | -- | 2 |
| Stilt Sandpiper | -- | -- | 63 |
| Sanderling | -- | -- | 1 |
| Least Sandpiper | -- | -- | 12 |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | -- | -- | 3 |
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | -- | -- | 31 |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | -- | -- | 1 |
| Wilson's Snipe | -- | -- | 7 |
| Wilson's Phalarope | -- | -- | 45 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 1 | -- | 13 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | 3 | -- | -- |
| Franklin's Gull | -- | 2 | 6 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 6 | 19 | 20 |
| American Herring Gull | 4 | 22 | -- |
| Forster's Tern | -- | -- | 7 |
| Black Tern | -- | -- | 43 |
| Rock Dove | 17 | 27 | -- |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 47 | 47 | 57 |
| Mourning Dove | 67 | 9 | 97 |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | -- | -- | 2 |
| Great Horned Owl | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Burrowing Owl | -- | -- | 1 |
| Common Nighthawk | -- | -- | 16 |
| Chimney Swift | 3 | -- | 64 |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | -- | -- | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | -- | -- | 22 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 11 | 12 | 7 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Northern Flicker | 16 | 19 | 10 |
| American Kestrel | 4 | -- | 2 |
| Merlin | -- | 1 | -- |
| Peregrine Falcon | -- | -- | 1 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 7 | 1 | 9 |
| Eastern Wood Pewee | -- | -- | 2 |
| Willow Flycatcher | -- | -- | 1 |
| Least Flycatcher | -- | -- | 8 |
| Western Kingbird | 1 | -- | 37 |
| Eastern Kingbird | -- | -- | 73 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | -- | -- | 17 |
| Loggerhead Shrike | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Great Grey Shrike | -- | 1 | -- |
| Bell's Vireo | -- | -- | 13 |
| Warbling Vireo | -- | -- | 9 |
| Red-eyed Vireo | -- | -- | 10 |
| Blue Jay | 5 | 6 | 15 |
| American Crow | 14 | 39 | 18 |
| Cedar Waxwing | -- | 94 | 30 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 20 | 26 | 17 |
| Horned Lark | -- | -- | 63 |
| Sand Martin | -- | -- | 6 |
| Tree Swallow | 23 | -- | 99 |
| Purple Martin | -- | -- | 12 |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | 5 | -- | 103 |
| Barn Swallow | 1 | -- | 59 |
| American Cliff Swallow | 15 | -- | 250 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | -- | 1 | -- |
| Sedge Wren | -- | -- | 1 |
| Marsh Wren | -- | 1 | 25 |
| House Wren | -- | -- | 53 |
| Blue-grey Gnatcatcher | -- | -- | 1 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 13 | 19 | 7 |
| Grey Catbird | -- | -- | 15 |
| Brown Thrasher | 1 | -- | 29 |
| Common Starling | 22 | 97 | 19 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 19 | 18 | 12 |
| Townsend's Solitaire | -- | 2 | -- |
| Swainson's Thrush | -- | -- | 8 |
| American Robin | 278 | 253 | 125 |
| House Sparrow | 70 | 122 | 32 |
| House Finch | 39 | 50 | 23 |
| Common Redpoll | -- | 75 | -- |
| Red Crossbill | -- | 12 | -- |
| American Goldfinch | 39 | 24 | 35 |
| Pine Siskin | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Ovenbird | -- | -- | 6 |
| Northern Waterthrush | -- | -- | 1 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | 5 | -- | 5 |
| Common Yellowthroat | -- | -- | 29 |
| American Redstart | -- | -- | 25 |
| American Yellow Warbler | -- | -- | 83 |
| Blackpoll Warbler | -- | -- | 2 |
| Palm Warbler | -- | -- | 1 |
| Myrtle Warbler | 3 | -- | 6 |
| Audubon's Warbler | 11 | -- | 10 |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | -- | -- | 3 |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | 12 | -- | 82 |
| Bobolink | -- | -- | 9 |
| Western Meadowlark | 20 | 6 | 77 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | -- | -- | 13 |
| Baltimore Oriole | -- | -- | 21 |
| Bullock's Oriole x Baltimore Oriole | -- | -- | 1 |
| Orchard Oriole | -- | -- | 23 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 706 | 840 | 476 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 20 | -- | 147 |
| Common Grackle | 140 | 14 | 204 |
| Great-tailed Grackle | -- | -- | 2 |
| Lark Bunting | -- | -- | 2 |
| Song Sparrow | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | 4 | -- | 4 |
| Harris's Sparrow | 6 | -- | 23 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 2 | -- | 47 |
| White-throated Sparrow | -- | -- | 11 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 198 | 234 | -- |
| Savannah Sparrow | 8 | 1 | -- |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | -- | -- | 43 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 84 | 326 | -- |
| Chipping sparrow | 21 | -- | 132 |
| Field Sparrow | 1 | -- | 14 |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | 3 | -- | 81 |
| Lark Sparrow | -- | -- | 86 |
| Spotted Towhee | 1 | -- | 30 |
| Lapland Longspur | -- | 2 | -- |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | -- | -- | 2 |
| Black-headed Grosbeak | -- | -- | 12 |
| Northern Cardinal | 10 | 15 | 18 |
| Blue Grosbeak | -- | -- | 2 |
| Indigo Bunting | -- | -- | 5 |
| Lazuli Bunting | 1 | -- | -- |
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