Animal Sciences Commons^™

Bellevue Fall Field Days, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2012 NOU Fall Field Days was held in conjunction with the Inland Bird Banding Association meeting at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center in Bellevue on October 26–28. The meeting, organized by Betty Grenon and Rick Schmid, drew a total of 104 attendees, including 33 members of the Inland Bird Banding Association.

On Friday evening, Phil Swanson's photographic presentation "Welcome to Omaha . . . It's for the Birds" included a brief history of Omaha, an overview of area birding hotspots, and photos of many of the birds which can be seen in the area. Following the presentation, a group led …

Subscription And Organization Information [December 2012]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101 (or at the email address listed below).

Memberships in the NOU …

Index To Volume 80

Nebraska Bird Review

Addy, Darren 47, 75

Albrecht, Jeff 75

Albright, Patty 111

Allen, Edward 128

Allison, Scott 28, 48

American Ornithologists' Union 120

Anderson, Leif 129

Anthony, Courtney 75

Armknecht, Henry 88

Arnett, Gladys 128

Avocet, American 54, 79, 93, 137

. . .

Wren: Bewick's 99; Carolina 13, 36–37, 63, 99, 110, 147, 161; House 63, 81, 99, 106–110, 147; Marsh 13, 36-37, 63, 81, 99, 147, 161; Rock 63, 99, 119, 147; Sedge 63, 81, 99, 108, 147; Winter 13, 36–37, 63, 147, 160

Wright, Rick 48

Yellowlegs: Greater 10, 54, 93, 137, 160; Lesser 46, 54, 79, 93, 137 …

Nebraska Bird Review (December 2012) 80(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August–November 2012 … 126

Bellevue Fall Field Days ... 158

Notes on a Greater Sage-Grouse Record by Levi L. Mohler ... 162

Index to Volume 80 ... 164

Subscription and Organization Information ... 175

Notes On A Greater Sage-Grouse Record By Levi L. Mohler, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

In Nebraska, Greater Sage-Grouse has been considered an uncommon casual winter visitor in the extreme northwest (Sharpe et al. 2001). This species may now be extirpated in Nebraska due to habitat loss. There have been no known Nebraska observations of Greater Sage-Grouse in the last 25 years. The only documented record accepted by the NOURC of Greater Sage-Grouse in Nebraska (Accession #243) is a description of an adult male in September 1987 in extreme northwest Sioux County by Douglas Kapke (Grenon AG. 1990).

In 2002 Wayne Mollhoff received the following record from Levi L. Mohler and submitted it to the …

Fall Field Report, August–November 2012, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Some of you may be curious about the sources of sightings I use to compile these reports. The primary sources are reports posted to NEBirds, the Nebraska Listserv, along with the full reports (early and late dates, peak counts for all species) sent by a few faithful reporters around the state. The latter reports are very useful overviews of movements in the reporters' regions. Lately, thanks to a suggestion by Clem Klaphake, I have been receiving the eBird daily rarity report for Nebraska which I find to be an excellent check against reports posted to NEBirds, while providing a few …

Summary And Comparisons Of The Fontenelle Forest And Boyer Chute Maps Stations In Nebraska, Betty Grenon, Rick Schmid

Nebraska Bird Review

This report provides results and comparisons of two Monitoring Avian Productivity & Survivorship (MAPS) stations operated in central eastern Nebraska. MAPS is a multinational research project managed by the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) in Point Reyes, CA (http://www.birdpop.org/maps.htm). The project is designed to monitor the population trends and breeding success of breeding birds in North America. Each year, more than 500 participants throughout North America collect data (via the process of bird banding) according to strict protocols and then submit their data to IBP for analysis and interpretation. MAPS began in 1989, and similar studies have subsequently begun on …

Summer Field Report, June–July 2012, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This summer most of Nebraska was very dry, with "Exceptional Drought" everywhere but the extreme southeast, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu). Although no really striking effects were noted, several bits of evidence attested to the difficult conditions. Wetlands dried up in most cases in the Rainwater Basin, reflected by a lack of Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and Black-necked Stilts, and there were no stilt nests reported. However, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons surprisingly staged an incursion, perhaps continuing to disperse northward from their customary haunts in the almost equally dry Kansas and Oklahoma. Cliff Swallow colonies may …

Subscription And Organization Information [September 2012]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101 (or at the email address listed below).

Memberships in the NOU …

2011 (23rd) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (NOURC) are described in its bylaws (NOURC 2010). The committee's purpose is to provide a procedure for documenting unusual bird sightings and to establish a list of all documented birds for Nebraska. Accidental and casual species for which the NOURC seeks documentation (NOURC Review List) can be found at the NOU website www.NOUbirds.org.

All records mentioned here are available to interested persons at the NOU archives at the University of Nebraska State Museum (UNSM), Lincoln, NE. Interested parties should contact the current NOU Librarian, whose address can be found …

Nebraska Bird Review (September 2012) 80(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report, June–July 2012 ... 86

Summary and Comparisons of the Fontenelle Forest and Boyer Chute MAPS Stations in Nebraska ... 104

2011 (23rd) Report of the NOU Records Committee ... 112

Subscription and Organization Information ... 123

Snowy Owl Invasion Of 2011–12, Joel G. Jorgensen, Lauren R. Dinan, Thomas J. Walker Jr.

Nebraska Bird Review

The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is an Arctic breeder that regularly migrates to and winters in southern Canada and the northern United States (Parmalee 1992). The number of Snowy Owls moving south and the extent and timing of southward movements in any one year are believed to be dependent on interactions between populations of Snowy Owls and lemmings, the owls’ principal food resource (Parmalee 1992). Infrequently, relatively large numbers of Snowy Owls are observed in areas or regions where few are typically observed, and individuals are observed well south of the normal winter range. These occurrences are often …

Spring Field Report, March 2012 To May 2012, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This spring was a definite mixed bag ornithologically, in large part due to the mixed bag of weather conditions. Spring Beauty flowers bloomed 10–14 days early at Fontenelle Forest (RBa). Observers were decidedly mixed in their assessments of the season; veteran observers commenting on the passerine migration noted “poorest spring for passerines that I can recall” (LE) and “the sheer numbers of birds seemed ridiculously high for this early date of May 3rd” (JR). It should be noted that the 3 May date saw record counts of a few passerine species at Fontenelle Forest: 65 American Redstarts, 60 Blackpoll Warblers, …

Subscription And Organization Information [June 2012]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101 (or at the email address listed below).

Memberships in the NOU …

Correction [June 2012]

Nebraska Bird Review

Correction: In the Winter Field Report, December 2011 to February 2012, two Golden Eagles were reported from the Ponca S.P. Christmas Bird Count (March 2012 NBR, page 9). This is incorrect; no Golden Eagles were seen on the Ponca Christmas Bird Count.

Spring Field Days And Annual Meeting At Broken Bow

Nebraska Bird Review

The 113th Annual Meeting and Spring Field Days were held in Broken Bow May 18–20, 2011. Meetings and meals took place at the Mid-Plains Community College and were hosted by Tim Hajda. Despite the unseasonably warm spring weather that had preceded the meeting, the 50+ members and friends in attendance found 164 species. Expected species from the Sandhills and surrounding habitats that were seen included Sharp-tailed Grouse, Greater Prairie Chicken, American Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, White-faced Ibis, Long-billed Curlew, Ovenbird, and Northern Waterthrush. Less common species observed included Glossy Ibis, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Black-necked Stilt, Whimbrel, Alder Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, …

Nebraska Bird Review (June 2012) 80(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March 2012 to May 2012 ... 46

Snowy Owl Invasion of 2011–12 ... 72

Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting at Broken Bow, May 18–20, 2012 ... 77

[Correction … 77]

Subscription and Organization Information ... 83

Winter Field Report, December 2011 To February 2012, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

The most obvious feature of this winter’s avian movements was the number of Snowy Owls, unprecedented in living memory, that invaded the state. A tally maintained by Joel Jorgensen and Lauren Dinan of Nebraska Game and Parks indicated that over 200 snowies were found in the state, and most were documented. Not as popular with the public, but perhaps of greater scientific interest were the mid-winter reports of species normally rare at this time of year. Most notable in this respect were waterfowl, grebes, cranes, and sparrows. A read-through of these species suggests the very mild winter experienced over most …

Nebraska Bird Review (March 2012) 80(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

NOU Annual Treasurer’s Report for 2011 ... 2

Winter Field Report, December 2011–February 2012 ... 3

2011–2012 Christmas Bird Counts in Nebraska ... 17

Report of a Nesting Sora (Porzana carolina) … 40

Subscription and Organization Information ... 43

Report Of A Nesting Sora (Porzana Carolina), William M. Lemburg, Wayne J. Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

During the summer of 2008, long-time NOU member and former NOU Treasurer William (Bill) Lemburg of Cairo, Howard Co., Nebraska, discovered the nest of a Sora (Porzana carolina). On 29 July 2008, while using a small flat-bottomed boat to gather duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) on a small pond near his bird pens to feed the exotic waterfowl he raises, he noted a pair of Sora walking about, foraging atop the dense growth of duckweed. The pair ignored his presence even though, as he later discovered, he was within 10 feet of their nest. The following evening, 30 …

Color Photo Section [March 2012, Pp. 19–27]

Nebraska Bird Review

Killdeer eggs and hatchlings, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-necked Stilt nest (p. 19); Cape May Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler (p. 20); Long-billed Curlew, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Wood Duck, American White Pelicans (p. 21); Mew Gull, juvenile Northern Goshawk, Broad-winged Hawk (p. 22); Rufous Hummingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, Cedar Waxwings, Sanderlings (p. 23); Baltimore Orioles, Red Crossbill, young Rose-breasted Grosbeak (p. 24); Henslow’s Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Le Conte’s Sparrow (p. 25); Snowy Owl, Long-eared Owl, Great-horned Owl, Easter Screech-Owl, Burrowing Owl, and Short-eared Owl (p.26).

2011–2012 Christmas Bird Counts

Nebraska Bird Review

Fifteen counts, one more than last year, were held during the period, and a total of 139 species, 10 fewer than last year, were found. This was a count season of record totals for the state for a number of species. Factors contributing to this include the number of counts, the number of participants and the weather. More counts (15) were run than in any previous year, and several counts (Lake McConaughy in particular) had a much greater than average number of participants. The weather prior to the count period was mild, and most of the circles had unusually warm …

Subscription And Organization Information [March 2012]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101 (or at the email address listed below).

Memberships in the NOU …

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Treasurer’S Report, December 31, 2011

Nebraska Bird Review

One-page spreadsheet constituting the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union treasurer's report at year end (December 31) of 2011. The grand total is $57,901.29.