It had been many years since the numerous lakes and wetlands in the Lakeland district of southwest Brown county had been visited so the gathering of Nebraska birders and knowing that they would visit the district prompted a Saturday outing on September 15th. It was a morning with fog prevalent, but reaching the first locale of Clear Lake at 8 a.m., conditions for observing wildbirds on the lakes became okay. Each site was visited and records kept for each during the primary observation time of two hours. Two spotting scopes as individually used were essential for getting distant views during a fine birding outing. After noon, white cap waves and heat shimmer occurred as conditions deteriorated for bird watching activities.
This is a list of the placenames in their entirety as used for personal database record keeping. Sites are listed in the order visited:
- Clear Lake, Philbrick Lake Quadrangle; permission to take a look around provided by a cabin owner mowing the lawn as he wanted chores done before the start of the Big Red football game.
- Chain Lakes, Koshopah NE Quadrangle; a series of three lakes that can be readily viewed from a distance from a vantage point or two along the county road to the south of the lakes.
- Willow Lake Brown County WMA; numerous gulls were floating in the center of the lake but their distance made it difficult to determine identifications, but general characteristics indicated that the majority were the same species. Further observations by the NOUers added records of occurrence for additional species, during and after the lunch break. The latrine structure here was decrepit and people present had to wander into the trees and grass to take care of business. This place can be a nice place to camp or visit but the lack of attention to an essential and necessary maintenance — especially of the latrine — by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission diminishes any appreciation. At least the picnic tables were not anchored so they could be moved together so the group could congregate and talk among ourselves.
- Enders Lake
- Enders Basin; the depth of water was exceptionally greater than had ever been observed, with the usual shallow water channel between this lake and Enders Lake several feet underwater. There was no shorebird habitat present as has been appreciated during multiple previous visits.
- Schoolhouse Marsh; prominently open water with associated species mostly along its western upland extent.
- Long Lake, Philbrick Lake Quadrangle; along the drive along the south side of the lake and towards the recreation area, there were hundreds of Monarch butterflies gathered in the cedar trees, and were getting active in the sunshine during our passage along the trail road. It was an amazing sight to see them gathered on the foliage or as bunches in short airborne flights dramatic in contrast against the blue sky.
- Long Lake SRA; visited after an intrusion through the yard of the resident rancher that knows that people can drive through his yard anytime as they traverse an indicated route to the state property.
- Philbrick Lake; water birds not present.
- AGA Marsh WMA (American Game Association Marsh WMA, which is one of the earliest designated wildlife management areas in the state of Nebraska); butterflies were also prevalent and some of the NOUers took pictures but their attempt was not something of any significance but at least they tried to get a photographic memory.
- Philbrick Valley Meadow
- Clapper Lake; only very obvious species as seen from a distance.
There was a dearth of waterfowl with the most significant sighting being five Trumpeter Swan at AGA Marsh WMA which included a pair and a large cygnet. Ducks were most often associated with small, ephemeral wetlands alongside county roads. The big flock of Wild Turkey were at the Wales Ranch, on the southern edge of AGA Marsh WMA. Pelicans and cormorants were common, with the latter species most numerous roosting on snags at Enders Basin and Willow Lake.
The prevalence of Bald Eagle may be indicative that the species nests in the Lakeland District? A special observation was a bunch of Killdeer gathered in a small area of recently mowed meadow in Philbrick Valley. In a tree a short distance eastward, was where the many crow were gathered.
Three of the best sightings were the Common Loon, Say's Phoebe and Great Egret. There were several places were flighty sparrows provided only an instant view and then disappeared into the autumn vegetation. Tree snags at Long Lake SRA were an obvious attraction the eight flickers seen.
This is a list of the 52 species observed, with 49 observed by Gordon Warrick and myself and an additional three species subsequently reported by people on the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union outing. Place names have been condensed for space purposes.
| Proper Name | Clear Lake | Chain Lakes | Willow Lake | Enders Lake | Enders Basin | Schoolhouse Marsh | Long Lake | Long Lake SRA | Philbrick Lake | AGA Marsh WMA | Phibrick Valley Meadow | Clapper Lake |
| Canada Goose | 9 | - - | 9 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Trumpeter Swan | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wood Duck | 7 | 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 10 | - - |
| Blue-winged Teal | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Mallard | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - |
| Wild Turkey | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Pheasant | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Loon | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Pied-billed Grebe | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Horned Grebe | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Western Grebe | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 |
| Great Blue Heron | 3 | 3 | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Great Egret | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American White Pelican | 2 | 28 | 11 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 18 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 62 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 49 |
| Turkey Vulture | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Harrier | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Coot | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Killdeer | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 19 | 3 | 1 |
| Wilson's Snipe | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 |
| Franklin's Gull | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 |
| Ring-billed Gull | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 35 |
| Forster's Tern | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Black Tern | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | - - | - - | 5 | 20 | - - | 12 | 21 | 20 | - - | 1 | - - | 2 |
| Great Horned Owl | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - |
| Belted Kingfisher | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Northern Flicker | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 8 | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | 1 |
| American Kestrel | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Say's Phoebe | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Kingbird | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Blue Jay | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| American Crow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 32 | - - | - - |
| Black-capped Chickadee | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Barn Swallow | 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Marsh Wren | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Starling | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Bluebird | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Robin | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Goldfinch | 1 | 4 | - - | 2 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Western Meadowlark | - - | 5 | 3 | 2 | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 5 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 4 | 75 | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | 10 | - - | 5 | - - | 20 |
| Common Grackle | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Song Sparrow | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - |
| Chipping Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Lark Sparrow | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - |
This survey was done in conjunction with the autumn meeting of the NOU at Ainsworth. Their group arrived in the Lakeland area at 11 a.m. and then visited four particular locales within the Lakeland area: AGA Marsh, Enders Lake and Enders Basin as observed from the county road, and then lunch at Willow Lake Brown County WMA. Additional records were kept along Moon Lake Road and a wetland east of the Calamus River crossing on the county road towards Highway 7. There were many ebird checklists submitted by attendees at this meeting and the overall tally was reported as 134 species.
Situations Noted in Association with Lakeland Ranch
The following details were provided to officials at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on September 17th.This email is in regards to several items noted during the weekend in association with the Moon Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (a.k.a. Moonlake Wildlife Ranch) at Lakeland, southwest Brown County..
When trying to visit South Twin Lake WMA the morning of September 15, the access road was blocked by a large gate at the boundary of the MLWS. There were two chains with a padlock on each which obviously prevented any further travel. The attached photographs show the signage on the gate and adjacent fence as well as other signs, including one indicating this was a public access trail to the WMA.
How is it that the landowner can prevent access to public property? When will this situation be changed so the WMA can be readily visited? The landowner seems to think they can keep out the public, but this is simply wrong and needs to be immediately corrected!
Also, the public access signs need to be replaced with signage in proper condition to convey that the trail is a public travelway. I have visited this area multiple times in the past, and want to visit it again in the near future.
Item 2:
In the photo showing the portion of the gate and adjacent fence, it is obvious that the wire mesh fence extends from ground level to 7 or 8 feet in height. This type of fencing extends along the entire perimeter of the MLWS here and as also noted at the primary gate to the ranch headquarters. The character of the fence does not allow any ingress or egress by larger mammals including white-tailed deer, coyote and antelope. The landowner has effectively fenced out a portion of natural range of these species, while the fence also does not allow any natural movement of these species.
How is it that the landowner can effectively "take" a public resource ... that being the large mammals trapped within the fenced ranch area?
Item 3
The landowner has introduced prairie dogs, as evident on an aerial photograph showing the large residence on the south side of the fish pond. There are multiple burrows present. Does the landowner need to have NGPC permission to introduce this species onto private property?
When Audubon of Kansas introduced prairie dogs at the Hutton Ranch, they had to go through approval by NGPC as evident by the public meeting which I attended some years ago.
Item 4
With the MLWS completely fenced and any access inhibited by locked gates, how will NGPC ensure that quick and ready access is available if there is a need to fight a prairie fire in the vicinity of the WMA. This also applies to access that would be needed by any local fire department.
Item 5
How is the NGPC making sure that livestock associated with the MLWS do not go through the South Twin WMA fencing and graze the area? There are likely bison on the adjacent range, and a barb wire fence is not sufficient to stop their movement. Is the vehicular access point to the area suitably fenced or have a barrier to make certain livestock of the adjacent property owner cannot get onto the site. It is only through agency vigilance as well as that of the public that the area can be monitored to ensure its quality.