It was another distinctive month for wildbirds present Valentine, Cherry County. A big difference for sightings during April this year was providing bird seed. It was so much easier to make observations when birds would be readily visible outside the window or front door rather than going in search of them. Feed is refreshed daily, and on occasion, more than once per day since the birds can be very hungry.
 This gobbler was looking in the north window in early morning on April 28th, perhaps to see if the resident birder was awake and going to spread more seed for his companion turkeys to eat? |
The Valentine Mill Pond was a prime place for waterfowl, and the results are indicative. Two species added to the overall regional tally from this locale were the Redhead and Bufflehead. There were also larger numbers of the Northern Shoveler (with the best occurrence in a flock number along Minnechaduza Creek, west of Highway 83), Gadwall and Green-winged Teal. Several sorts of waterfowl appreciate the cattail wetlands at the west end of the Valentine Mill Pond, just east of Highway 83. The Snow Goose was a flyover species, as was the Sandhill Crane, with the majority observed on a single day when numerous flocks were moving northward, with kettling in a spectacular manner over the pine-covered hills at the north edge of the city. Wild Turkey liked the free food and once the flock arrived as winter waned, they were daily visitors. There was no need for a morning alarm from a clock because the gobbling sufficed to indicate it was early morning.
Missed during the month was the Franklin's Gull. This was a result of timing, as probably my time of being observant outdoors was not when flocks of this species would have been transient over the locality, as they have been seen in the past. Swallows seemed to have a later arrival this year as none were observed locally during the month.
There were lots of usual observations for the many species that regularly occur or are residential. Chimney Swift were once again present along Main Street at the end of the month. Downy Woodpecker and Hairy Woodpecker are certainly local residents but they are not seen on a regular basis. Once the Icterids arrived, they became very common at the bird seed, with many Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird and Common Grackle present daily. Their antics can be quite amusing, especially when a couple of the black birds have a dispute over a bit of seed when a few feet away there are seeds where there are no birds foraging. A male Northern Cardinal may not occur at the bird seed buffet on a daily basis, but it also needs to be noted that it may not be heard singing every day at the tree line just to the west. At least the small sparrows had a chance to feed, and often more seed was not put out to facilitate their feeding.
Harris's Sparrow were more prominent this spring. Larger numbers of the Dark-eyed Junco and American Tree Sparrow were counted because they were daily visitors to the bird seed buffet. The Lazuli Bunting was also seen when it foraged for a time one day at this food source.
The blizzard of April 13-14 had an impact on birds. One nest box occupied by Eastern Bluebird ended up filled to the entrance and then a crust of snow. The nest had contained five eggs, according to a local observer. The birds had not returned by the end of the month. South of the Heart City, carcasses of Sandhill Crane were found. There were other reports of crane mortality locally but the wildlife officer in the area of the Fish and Wildlife Service did not respond to an inquiry for further details.
White-tailed Deer were also appreciative of having a supplemental food source, often feeding four feet outside the front door. The corn-oats-barley mix disappeared in entirety each time they arrived, as seven deer are great consumers.
What is becoming more useful is that after years of ongoing observations, particulars associated with dates of occurrence can be compared, which is why all calendar dates are converted to julian date, since calendar dates cannot be grouped in a common fashion by a database query. A standard Julian date indication is the same for a particular date in any year.
| Proper Name Julian Date > | 93 | 94 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 105 | 107 | 109 | 110 | 112 | 120 |
| Canada Goose | -- | 12 | 7 | 80 | 9 | -- | 22 | -- | -- | 12 | 14 | 8 |
| Wood Duck | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- | 2 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 10 | -- |
| Blue-winged Teal | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | -- | -- | 4 | 16 | -- |
| Northern Shoveler | -- | -- | -- | 15 | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 32 | -- |
| Gadwall | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | -- | 4 | -- | -- | 7 | 4 | -- |
| American Wigeon | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 3 | -- |
| Mallard | -- | 2 | 2 | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | -- |
| Green-winged Teal | -- | -- | 18 | -- | -- | -- | 6 | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Redhead | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Lesser Scaup | -- | -- | -- | 10 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Bufflehead | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wild Turkey | 1 | 8 | 7 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 12 | -- | 6 | 13 |
| Great Blue Heron | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | 2 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- |
| Turkey Vulture | 1 | 17 | 28 | 75 | -- | -- | -- | 13 | -- | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Bald Eagle | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-tailed Hawk | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Coot | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Sandhill Crane | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1400 | 65 | -- | -- | -- |
| Killdeer | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | 2 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Herring Gull | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Rock Dove | -- | -- | -- | -- | 16 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 4 | -- | 7 | -- | 3 | 8 | 5 | -- | -- | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| Mourning Dove | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | -- | -- | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Great Horned Owl | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Chimney Swift | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Flicker | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | 2 | -- |
| Eastern Phoebe | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 4 | -- |
| Blue Jay | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 |
| American Crow | -- | 2 | 2 | -- | 2 | -- | 2 | -- | -- | 1 | 2 | -- |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 3 | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 3 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 2 |
| Brown Thrasher | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Common Starling | -- | -- | 3 | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 |
| Eastern Bluebird | -- | 2 | 4 | -- | -- | 2 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- |
| American Robin | -- | 5 | 23 | -- | 10 | 125 | 4 | -- | -- | 6 | 44 | 21 |
| House Sparrow | -- | -- | 18 | -- | -- | -- | 27 | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 10 |
| House Finch | 2 | -- | 6 | -- | 4 | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- | 13 | 8 |
| American Goldfinch | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 20 | -- | -- | -- | 5 | 11 |
| Pine Siskin | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Western Meadowlark | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 45 | -- | 55 | -- | 35 | 85 | 100 | -- | -- | 105 | 36 | -- |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | 8 |
| Common Grackle | 2 | -- | 30 | -- | -- | 4 | 29 | -- | -- | -- | 36 | 12 |
| Song Sparrow | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | -- |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- |
| Harris's Sparrow | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 12 | 14 | 22 | 10 | 6 | 50 | 40 | 27 | -- | 8 | 8 | -- |
| Savannah Sparrow | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- |
| American Tree Sparrow | 24 | 11 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| Chipping Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 10 |
| Field Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Northern Cardinal | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 1 |
| Lazuli Bunting | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
The 63 species seen in 2018 compares to 63 in 2017 and 53 during the month in 2016. The overall tally for the three years combined is 80 species. Eventual plans are to prepare individual accounts for the more than 120 species observed in the immediate vicinity of Valentine and that would include detailed comparisons of numbers and dates of occurrence.
