Purple Martins Return to Roost at Hospital

Nancy Gaarder. July 5, 2012. Purple martins return to roost at hospital. Omaha World-Herald 148(235): 2B. Briefly. The Metro Area. Online headline: Purple martins return to Nebraska Medical Center.

"Purple martins have begun roosting again at the Nebraska Medical Center.

"Omaha birder Jim Ducey said about 1,000 have begun flocking to the summer roosting, the trees at 44th and Farnam Streets, which is the Medical Center's emergency entrance.

"As July wears on, the number is likely to swell into the tens of thousands. Ducey said he expects 50,000 to 60,000 martins to be roosting at the Medical Center by early August.

"The summer roost has become popular for spectators because the acrobatic flocks swarm and swoosh in military precision to the delight of old and young alike.

"The best time to see the martins is about 8:30 p.m., he said. Spectators should be careful not to get in the way of emergency vehicles.

"Martins roost together after they've reared their young and before they head south for the winter."

---

The roost is near, not at, the medical center emergency entrance.

This is a view of martins on the powerlines west of the roost in the evening. June 30, 2013.

Hummel Park Degradation Continues Due to Disc Golf

Degradation of distinctive natural features associated with Hummel Park is continuing to occur. On a recent visit the following pictures were taken to document obvious concerns and problems. They are only a sample, as there certainly could be other sordid occurrences, but the morning's purpose was bird watching.

Firework trash at a disc golf tee among the hills. Fireworks are usually "shot-off" at night, and which is obviously too much of a disruption for a forest area. Fireworks should be banned from Hummel Park. And to add insult to injury, the people that did this, could not even pick up their trash. How pathetic.

Trash left at the same disc golf tee. Note how barren the hillside is due to vegetative clearing.

More fireworks trash at the same spot among the woods.

The nearby hillside, which has been basically denuded of native vegetation. Thankfully the hill is a "hard-soil" type and not prone to immediate erosion, though it will certainly occur eventually.

A recently cut-down tree snag. Apparently the perps think they can remove any vegetation they might care to, or to cut down any unwanted tree or snag. This implies an indifference by park officials who are supposed to be responsible for care of the parks owned by the people of Omaha.

Trash receptacle at a disc golf tee. What makes the perps think they can drink beer whenever they want in a city park. It appears that a permit is required to drink alcohol at city facilities, but once again, being in the woods, they perfer to act indifferently.

This is another example of a barren hillside of which a large portion has been nearly completed cleared of all vegetation. This is another situation where an erosion problem will certainly occur in the future.

A downslope hillside, also denuded, with future erosion more than certain.

Another plastic bag for the beer cans of the course perps. There were also bottles and cans which had been thrown among the nearby trees of the forest.

Tree limbs and such thrown thrown into Ponca Creek to provide a crossing to use rather than following the nearby trail. It is a violation of a federal law to place fill material into a wetland recognized by Section 404 of the Clear Water Act. Since Ponca Creek is a tributary of the Missouri River, it is included within this designation. In addition to being illegal, during some eventual ample rain, the material will be washed downstream, gather at a constricting point which will likely result in bank erosion, and then perhaps block the culvert under the street to the east, cause flooding, and maybe loss of creeks-side trees. A bunch of negative results can occur due to tree limbs in a creek at this park, and others about Omaha.

Understory clearing along Ponca Creek. Note the difference between the right of the picture and the rest of the view. The tee area to the left among the trees is predominantly a barren place in comparison to what would occur naturally. Yet, the perps associated with the course creation apparently have carte-blance to clear whatever they want to suit their biased perspective without any consideration to the overall values associated with this park.

The course should be removed and this failure to consider values of this unique park should end. Those inconsiderates that degraded this distinctive park should be required to restore what they have wrought in destruction. This entire endeavor is a disgrace, allowed by city officials with a seemingly laissez faire attitude. This disc golf course has been a fiasco, and a supreme mistake which should be quickly ended and removed!

Park Service Receives Niobrara Valley Property

The National Park Services has recently received ownership of land parcels along the Niobrara National Scenic River in northern Nebraska. The property comprises the first NPS-owned land associated with the scenic river.

Eight parcels comprising 185.8 acres was transferred from the Bureau of Reclamation to the NPS, for "management under the Niobrara Scenic River Designation Act of 1991," according to the June minutes of the Niobrara Council.

"In 1952 the BOR withdrew these parcels from the public in anticipation of development of a water project for agricultural and recreational purposes," said Chris Ryan, acting superintendent for the Niobrara National Scenic River. "Since the land was no longer needed for reclamation purposes, in 2009 the NPS petitioned the BOR for this transfer. These are not newly acquired lands, but rather just transferred from one agency to another. The NPS plans to preserve these lands in their natural state and does not plan any construction or development."

"The scattered parcels are located adjacent to or within the confines" of the Niobrara Valley Preserve, owned by The Nature Conservancy, according to Pamela Sprenkle, resource management specialist with the scenic river, which has an office at Valentine. "Several of the parcels are quite tiny (several hundredths of an acre) and located within the banks of the Niobrara, rending them of limited practical value in their current form. The parcels located outside the riparian zone are the more substantial ones. Because these lands are bound by TNC property, NPS will engage in conversations with that organization prior to determining potential usage."

Bloom as Spring Has Come!

May 2, 1861. Huntsman's Echo 1(27): 2. Issued at Wood River Center.

Aye, the zephers are once again wafting from the glowing south the breath of roses and orange blossoms, and even here, in the broad bounteous plains of the West, the fragrance of the snowy-white plum trees, and the beds of blooming violets suffuse the genial breath of spring with the most grateful odors.

The forests and groves, and even our own sweet, tree-studded lawn, in front, are rapidly assuming the bright, leafy garb, so cheerfully verdent as to make the heart throb with delight, as at early morn the merry wild songsters warble their joyous notes,, to awaken and encourage the husbandman in his honest toil, and cheer the heart that is sad and lonely, or oppressed with the cares of life. It there be real joy for mortals on earth, it is these, combined with the companionship of a quiet home, with "wife, children and friends" and a heart to appreciate heaven's best gifts.

Give us the spring-time, with its bright spring verdure, its fragrant flowers, its music of brooklets and birds, its sighing zephers and soft twilights, its yout-giving, soul-cheering, omnipotence, its glorious sunshine and pattering, reviving showers, its soft velvet carpet of grass, its sweet leafy groves, and hearts of love and friendship, and hands of firmness and truth, and we ask no paradise but earth, and a regal sceptre would be no temptation for fly from these — and even the joys of heaven would scarce compensate in exchange for so great happiness thus beneficently provided by the all-wise and bountiful creator of our existence, our hopes, and our hereafter. O, the heart must be dead and hopeless, that cannot enjoy the elysium of spring — the diadem of the year, and the crowning beauty of mortal life, and the fore-shadowing of thse immortal joys beyond this life of cares and sorrows.

A hail to beauteous, glowing, blooming, joyous spring.

"Fain would my muse the flowing treasure sing

The rising glories of the youthful Spring."

Platte Valley Game

November 2, 1860. Huntman's Echo 1(n.a.): 2. Issued at Wood River Center.

Game

Since our last issue our neighbors have had rare sport in capturing game. One party went out and took six buffalo — the boys who went on ous account brought in a buffalo, an antelope and a badger. Messrs. Barnard, Moores, and others took six buffalo, and a party from Kearney city got of turkeys, buffalo and antelope all they could bring in. Our boys have been doing a heaby business in wolves, raccoons, and large feathered game, insomuch that we have been feasting daily upon the flesh of wild beasts and birds. Antelope in abundance may be found back in the hills and on the plains, and myriads of buffalo over towards the Republican Fork.

Game - Fun - The Chase

Buffalo and elk being scarce just not in this region, the sporting boys have turned their attention to wolves, beaver, otter, &c.

One night recently, the boys from Perdues camp caught, with traps, two wolves and one fine large beaver. One wolf had loosened and made off with his trap, whilst the other awaited results — which between guns, clubs and dogs, proved disadvantageous to his narrow circumstances. The other being charged with the larceny of the trap, was pursued by the losing party, and soon hunted down, and between the jaws of the trap and dogs he was soon devoured by the jaws of death, so we won't jaw anymore about the matter. The beaver was fine and fat, and the captor, no doubt, feasted sumptously off its huge tail and juicy flesh. A night later, Sam, (who, by the way is some when he goes in to catch a "varmint") missed one of his traps set for a wolf, but soon captured the rogue, and now, his jacket adorns an outbuilding. He has also exhibited, as trophies, the legs of several beaver, and one huge fellow, with a sealy caudal appendage and web feet, and one otter. He don't charge the missing with theft, but thinks they would have made money by waiting for him to help them out. Ducks, geese and cranes are becoming more common. Vant brought in a string of the former, a short time since. Antelope are still abundant over about Prairie creek, but the buffalo begin to make south; and those who expect to sport with this large game this season had better be about it soon.

June Birdlife of East Omaha Park Places

Numerous bicycle outings were made during June to survey breeding season birds at several parks in eastern Omaha. Each area was especially visited during a five day period in mid-June. The locales of interest were:

• Carter Lake District: four visits and 64 species, with the place continuing the provide unexpected occurrences (there were three surveys in 2011 and four in 2012 with 75 species overall);
  
• Fontenelle Park: three visits, and 26 species;
  
• Adams Park District: one visit and 21 species, with the last June visits in 2003, and which included the wooded property parcels west of the park property;
  
• Mercer District (including Walnut Hill Reservoir, Carolyn Mercer Park and Bemis Park where a couple of June visits last occurred in 2003): one visit and six species for these parks which have very little habitat diversity for birdlife;
  
• Gifford Park: one visit and 14 species and it was the first June visit;
  
• Memorial Park: 22 species during one survey visits, and with occasional notes for other dates, especially along Happy Hollow Creek;
  
• Elmwood Park: one visit and 23 species
  
• Hanscom Park: one visit and 14 species; and
  
• Spring Lake Park: one visit and 27 species (the last June visits here to do a bird survey were in 2003).
  

This is an overall tally of the species, with the values given representing the total number counted.

Common Name	Carter Lake District	Fontenelle Park District	Adams Park District	Mercer District	Gifford Park District	Memorial Park District	Elmwood Park District	Hanscom District	Spring Lake Park District
Snow Goose	18 1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Canada Goose	141 2	296 2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Wood Duck	171 3	114 3	- -	- -	- -	57	22	- -	1
Gadwall	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Mallard	198 4	5	- -	- -	- -	19	- -	- -	- -
Blue-winged Teal	24	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Blue-winged Teal x Green-winged Teal	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Redhead	1 5	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Lesser Scaup	5	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Ruddy Duck	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Wild Turkey	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2
Common Loon	2 6	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Pied-billed Grebe	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Great Blue Heron	8	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Green Heron	5	2 7	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Turkey Vulture	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -
Cooper's Hawk	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Red-tailed Hawk	1	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Kestrel	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Killdeer	39	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Spotted Sandpiper	2 8	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Least Sandpiper	3	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Black Tern	54	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Rock Pigeon	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	5
Eurasian Collared-Dove	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Mourning Dove	74	10	- -	- -	3	3	5	6	1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Barred Owl	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -
Chimney Swift	38	8	2	4	3	8	- -	4	4
Belted Kingfisher	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-headed Woodpecker	15	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-bellied Woodpecker	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	1	- -	2
Downy Woodpecker	6	- -	1	- -	1	1	1	- -	2
Hairy Woodpecker	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	3
Northern Flicker	13	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	3	- -	1
Eastern Wood-Pewee	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Alder Flycatcher	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Willow Flycatcher	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Least Flycatcher	5	1	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Eastern Phoebe	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1
Great Crested Flycatcher	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	1	1
Western Kingbird	13	5	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Eastern Kingbird	26	1	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Warbling Vireo	21	3	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -
Red-eyed Vireo	2	- -	1	- -	- -	4	2	1	4
Blue Jay	3	- -	1	- -	1	- -	3	2	2
American Crow	- -	- -	- -	1	- -	3	- -	- -	6
Purple Martin	66	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Tree Swallow	25	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	30	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Bank Swallow	30	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Cliff Swallow	35	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Barn Swallow	150	36	2	- -	2	1	1	1	- -
Black-capped Chickadee	18	7	2	3	3	3	5	2	7
White-breasted Nuthatch	2	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	8	4
Carolina Wren	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	3
House Wren	14	1	3	- -	- -	2	2	1	6
American Robin	256	166	12	3	6	29	41	14	5
Gray Catbird	26	- -	3	- -	- -	2	3	- -	2
Brown Thrasher	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
European Starling	163	41	3	1	16	11	9	8	3
Cedar Waxwing	3	- -	1	- -	- -	6	- -	- -	- -
Yellow Warbler	17	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
American Redstart	- -	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Common Yellowthroat	4	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Chipping Sparrow	11	8	2	- -	1	4	2	1	- -
Northern Cardinal	15	5	6	- -	1	6	7	2	7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	- -	- -	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Indigo Bunting	- -	- -	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	2
Dickcissel	2	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Red-winged Blackbird	74	15	18	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Common Grackle	368	47	1	1	14	44	42	31	11
Brown-headed Cowbird	16	- -	- -	- -	1	3	- -	- -	- -
Orchard Oriole	10	1	1	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Baltimore Oriole	40	4	2	- -	2	- -	2	- -	1
House Finch	3	12	- -	- -	2	12	6	- -	- -
American Goldfinch	13	5	5	- -	- -	4	1	- -	2
House Sparrow	5	13	- -	- -	2	1	19	4	5
1: Group of ten surprisingly noted at the end of June at the north side of the lake, with both blue and white phase birds present 2, 3, 4: numerous young noted 5: drake noted at the end of the month 6: pair noted by Bird Isle at the end of the month 7: nesting at the end of the month on the lagoon island; one bird was sitting at a partial nest while the other one was looking for suitable twigs 8: the shorebirds left once the beach area disappeared due to ongoing pumping to raise water levels; pumping has been nonstop since mid-March

The greater the number of surveys, the better the local avifauna can be known. For example, at the end of the month survey in June 2012 there were 35 species noted at the habitats about Carter Lake. This year, at the end of the month survey, the tally was 42, and would have been greater if the usually seen White-breasted Nuthatch and expressive Blue Jay would have indicated its presence. Surprising this year during the month, especially in the latter part of the period being considered, were the several Snow Goose, a single Redhead, three Wild turkey and the wonderfully seen pair of Common Loon. Additional new records for the date were a Cooper's Hawk being chased away from the airport grounds by a bunch of Common Grackle, and a solitary, silent American Kestrel sitting atop a snag in the north part of the park, which is now oficially open to the public.

It was a good month for surveys, with moderate temperatures and suitable mornings with low wind speeds, and some sunny skies. The mid-June effort turned out especially nice, as it provides a solid perspective for each park amidst the breeding season. Not that it essentially matters, but the facts are important.

Next month will provide additional perspectives, and what the birds convey depends on one essential fact: if you don't go, you don't know!

Barred Owl at South Grove, Elmwood Park.

Western Kingbird nest at Levi Carter Park.

American Robin attending nest with young at Levi Carter Park.

A few of the snow geese at Carter Lake at the end of June, 2013. There were 2-3 earlier in the month, but it was certainly a surprise to see this number. It isn't the best picture in the world, but it works for documentary purposes!

Trumpeter Swan History from Carter Lake

On February 23, 2003 two Trumpeter Swans with neck bands were seen on the south side of Carter Lake, which would be the Carter Lake, Pottawattamie County, Iowa portion of the oxbow lake of the Missouri River.

The markings on the red neck bands were J50 and J84.

Once these details were obvious, an email was sent to Dave Hoffman, a wildlife technician with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He provided the following details which indicated that at least two of the five swans present were from Iowa.

J50 was 2000 hatch year male from Beemer's pond (five miles west of Webster City, Iowa). He was released at Crawford Creek (Ida Co.), three miles south of Battle Creek, (Ida county, Iowa) on May 18, 2001.

This bird had also been previously seen January 27, 2002 at County Highway A and 144th St. five miles west of Kearney (Clay county), Missouri.

J84 was a 2000 hatch year female from Rick Stickle's (Kirkwood Community College) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She was released at Princeton WMA, two miles north of Princeton (Scott county), Iowa on April 11, 2001.

These details suggest that when Trumpeter Swans occurred in early-January through early-March in 2013, the birds may have been from places in Iowa.

In 1995 the Iowa Department of Natural Resources initiated a trumpeter swan restoration project in the state with the release of ten trumpeters near Spirit Lake in northwest Iowa, Hoffman said.

These records from my bird archive indicate the effort was an obvious success a decade ago, and appreciated on the west side of the Missouri River. Then and now!