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Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Fall Meeting Report, 1999

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Fall meeting took place once again at the Nebraska National Forest at Halsey between October 8 and 10. The following table represents the count, 108 species in all, for the five areas listed. As usual, the counts for Thomas and Blaine counties exclude the National Forest land in both counties.

A Summer Survey Of The Birds At Two Eastern Nebraska Wetlands, Kristine T. Phipps

Nebraska Bird Review

This study compares the avian species diversity at two eastern Nebraska wetlands that differ in their relative isolation from an urban environment. Birds were surveyed by the point Count method twice weekly at each site during June of 1998. Diversity was measured using species richness and species evenness. The percentage of bird species observed that depend on wetlands for breeding was also compared.

Results suggest that both species richness and evenness, as determined by the Shannon-Wiener index, were higher at the wetland located in a network of other marsh areas and agricultural land than at the suburban wetland. Immigration of …

The 1999·2000 Nebraska Christmas Bird Count, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

The 1999·2000 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) period included ten counts in Nebraska (Table 2). These counts reported a total of 133 species, a great total for so few counts. Counts were scattered statewide, but most effort was in the eastern half of the state where most of the birders are. The top count this year was Lake McConaughy, where the combination of several lingering rarities, excellent participation, and great count weather led to a new record Nebraska count of 101 species, breaking the old record of 87 species. Other excellent totals were 85 at Harlan County, 84 at Branched Oak-Seward, …

Review Of The Breeding Status Of Lewis's Woodpecker In Nebraska, Wayne J. Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) was first mentioned as a possible breeder in Nebraska by Bruner (1901), who included it in a list of birds that breed in the state. None of the authorities he cited, however, had published conclusive evidence of breeding, and one of them (Bates 1900) cited only a winter record.

The species was mentioned in reports from the University of Nebraska field parties that worked in the Pine Ridge in 1900 and 1901. Crawford (1901) reports the discovery of only a single empty nest, despite weeks of fieldwork concentrated specifically on gathering nesting data on western species …

Yellow-Billed Loon At Lake Mcconaughy, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Joel G. Jorgensen

Nebraska Bird Review

On 8 August 1998 we observed a Yellow-billed loon (Gavia adamsii) at lake McConaughy in Keith County, Nebraska. We arrived at the pull-off on the south end of the dam at 6:25 p.m. and soon spotted a distant loon off the dam. On the basis of the yellow bill, head pattern, and large size, we concluded the bird was a Yellow-billed loon. We studied the bird until 7:33 p.m. and again from 9:03-9:45 a.m. on 9 August. Compared to a Common loon, this bird was huge and large-headed. The neck was very thick with an almost puffy appearance. …

First Record Of An Arctic Tern For Nebraska, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 20 September 2000, I arrived at Lake Minatare in Scotts Bluff County after the passage of a strong cold front the day before. At 11:36 a.m., I noticed two distant Sterna flying east of the lighthouse. Although the distance was great, I could see that one tern was a juvenile Forster's Tern while the other tern was clearly a different species. Even at a distance, I thought I could see a white cheek, a darker gray belly, and pale upperwings, all indications that the bird was an adult Arctic Tern. I then drove to the lighthouse and soon found …

Fall Field Report, August-November, 2000, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This fall season was amazing, or as Stephen Dinsmore put it: ''The birding was simply spectacular in western Nebraska this fall," There was something for everyone, whether rarity-chasers, taxonomists, listers, or whatever. There were no fewer than four new species for the state list (pending NOURC approval, of course!), a total of 315 species reported, and fascinating information on western subspecies in the Panhandle.

Numbers of western migrants reached record levels, exemplified by fall totals of 53 Townsend's Warblers, 25 MacGillivray's Warblers, and 28 Western Tanagers. By contrast, eastern migrant warblers in the east were almost non-existent.

At L McConaughy, …

Index To Volume 68

Nebraska Bird Review

Index

Proximity Of White-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus Virginianus, Ranges To Wolf, Canis Lupus, Pack Homesites, Michael E. Nelson, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Seven adult female White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in northeastern Minnesota lived within 1.8 km of Wolf pack (Canis lupus) homesites without vacating their home ranges. Six of these deer and at least three of their fawns survived through the Wolf homesite period.

A Record Large Wolf, Canis Lupus, Pack In Minnesota, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

This report documents a pack of 22-23 Wolves (Canis lupus) in central Minnesota. This is larger than the largest pack previously observed on the mainland in the midwestern U.s. during 650 wolf pack-years. Because this record-large pack preyed on White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), one of the Wolfs smaller prey, it is evidence that pack size and prey size are not tightly related. It also indicates the size that Wolf packs can attain in the area if fully protected from human persecution.

Lack Of Reproduction In Muskoxen And Arctic Hares Caused By Early Winter?, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

A lack of young muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and arctic hares (Lepus arcticus) in the Eureka area of Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut), Canada, was observed during summer 1998, in contrast to most other years since 1986. Evidence of malnourished muskoxen was also found. Early winter weather and a consequent 50% reduction of the 1997 summer replenishment period appeared to be the most likely cause, giving rise to a new hypothesis about conditions that might cause adverse demographic effects in arctic herbivores.

Durant l’été 1998, et ce, à la différence de la plupart des années depuis …

Accuracy And Precision Of Estimating Age Of Gray Wolves By Tooth Wear, Philip S. Gipson, Warren B. Ballard, Ronald M. Nowak, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We evaluated the accuracy and precision of tooth wear for aging gray wolves (Canis lupus) from Alaska, Minnesota, and Ontario based on 47 known-age or known-minimum-age skuIIs. Estimates of age using tooth wear and a commercial cementum annuli-aging service were useful for wolves up to 14 years old. The precision of estimates from cementum annuli was greater than estimates from tooth wear, but tooth wear estimates are more applicable in the field. We tended to overestimate age by 1-2 years and occasionaIIy by 3 or 4 years. The commercial service aged young wolves with cementum annuli to within …

Viability Of Piping Plover Charadrius Melodus Metapopulations, Jonathan H. Plissner, Susan M. Haig

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The meta-population viability analysis package, vortex, was used to examine viability and recovery objectives for piping plovers Charadrius melodus, an endangered shorebird that breeds in three distinct regions of North America. Baseline models indicate that while Atlantic Coast populations, under current management practices, are at little risk of near-term extinction, Great Plains and Great Lakes populations require 36% higher mean fecundity for a significant probability of persisting for the next 100 years. Meta-population structure (i.e. the delineation of populations within the meta-population) and inter-population dispersal rates had varying effects on model results; however, spatially-structured meta-populations exhibited lower viability than …

Salinity And Shade Preferences Result In Ovipositional Differences Between Sympatric Tiger Beetle Species, W. Wyatt Hoback, Douglas A. Golick, Tina Marie Svatos, Stephen M. Spomer, Leon G. Higley

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

1. Adult tiger beetles of the genus Cicindela often co-occur within a habitat but larvae do not. Larvae are sedentary and form usually permanent burrows at the site of oviposition where they require 1-3 years for development.

2. To test niche partitioning based on ovipositional preference, the behavior of two sympatric salt marsh tiger beetles, Cicindela circumpicta and C. togata (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), were examined.

3. In laboratory studies, female C. circumpicta and C. togata distinguished between experimental salinities, with the former preferring 4 parts per thousand (ppt) and the latter preferring 12 ppt. In the field, C. circumpicta larvae were …

First Nesting Record Of Blue Jay (Cyanocitta Cristata) In Hidalgo County, Texas, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

No abstract provided.

Fattening Performance And Carcass Characteristics Of Awassi Crosses (F1 And B1) With German Blackheaded Mutton And Hampshire Down Male Lambs, Ali̇ Akmaz, Emi̇n Teki̇n, Ramazan Kadak, Mehmet Gürkan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was carried out to investigate the fattening and carcass characteristics of German Blackheaded Mutton (GBM) x Awassi (A) F1, Hampshire Down (HD) x A (F1) and HD x (HD x A) B1 male lambs. Nine GBM x A (F1), eight (HD) x A (F1) and eight HD x (HD x A) B1 male lambs were used for fattening traits, and six of each breed for carcass traits. The lambs were fed, from the beginning at approximately 20 kg of live weights to the finish at 45 kg, alfalfa hay 100 g/head/day and concentrates ad libitum. For statistical analysis, …

The Possibilities Of Developing Dam And Sire Lines Using Akkaraman, Sakız And Kıvırcıksheep Breeds For Lamb Productioni. Fertility In Akkaraman Sheep, Survival Rate And Growth Characteristics Of Sakız Xakkaraman F_1 And Kıvırcık X Akkaraman F_1 Lambs, Hali̇l Akçapinar, Ceyhan Özbeyaz, Necmetti̇n Ünal, Mustafa Avci

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was conducted to investigate the possibilities of developing terminal male and female lines for lamb production by the crossing of native breeds, that is, Akkaraman, Sakız (Chios) and Kıvırcık breeds. The Akkaraman sheep is a fattailed breed raised in central Anatolia, while Sakız and Kıvırcık sheep aren non fattailed breeds raised in western and northern-western Anatolia. The Birth rate of Akkaraman x Akkaraman (AA), Sakız x Akkaraman (SA) and Kıvırcık x Akkaraman (KA) breeding groups were generally found as follows: 94.0, 78.6 and 74.0% in 1996; and 93.3, 90.8 and 85.0% in 1997, respectively. The survival rate of …

Acute Phase Effect Of Trichloroethylene Ingestion On Some Biological Markers In Dogs, Recep Aslan, Mehmet Tütüncü, S. Oktay Aslan, Yilmaz Dündar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Trichloroethylene (TE) is an environmental toxic solvent hazardous to human and domestic animals and well known in the industrial sector. The purpose of this study was to determine whether oral TE plays a role in lipid oxidation and tissue damage. Fourteen dogs were treated with an oral toxic dose of 0.5 ml/kg T.E. The acute changes that occurred in creatine kimase (CK), malondialdehyte (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were investigated in blood samples taken before application and 8, 24, 48, 72 and 168 hours after treatment. SOD and GSH-Px activities decreased, protein, albumin and alcalen phosphate did …

Comparison Of Meat Composition And Yield Of Blue Crab ( Callinectes Sapidus Rathbun, 1896) And Sand Crab ( Portunus Pelagicus Linne, 1758) Caught In Iskenderun Bay, North-East Mediterranean, Canan Türeli̇, Mehmet Çeli̇k, Ünal Erdem

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The objective of this study is to compare meat yield and chemical composition of blue crabs and sand carbs. The ratio of crude protein (18.93%), dry matter (22.43%) and crude ash (2.34%) in the meat taken from male individuals were found to be higher in sand crabs than in blue crabs, but lipid levels were not statistically different for male individuals of the two species (p>0.05). However, crude ash (2.36%) and lipid (1.33%) levels were found to be higher in the cheliped meat of sand crabs in the same individuals. The ratio of crude protein (17.55%), dry matter (21.93%), …

Determination Of Seropositivity For Toxoplasma Gondiiinfection In Pregnant And Aborted Sheep In Elazig And Vicinity By Sabin-Feldman (Sf) Test, Müni̇r Aktaş, Nazi̇r Dumanli, Cahi̇t Babür, K. Zafer Karaer, Hasan Öngör

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was conducted in pregnant and aborted sheep to determine Toxoplasma gondiiantibodies. Blood samples were collected from a total of 154 sheep from 22 different herds during the period December 1996-January 1997 in Elazig and vicinity. Of these 154 sheep, 56 were pregnant, 57 aborted in the previous year and the remaining 41 sheep aborted within the period of the study. Sera obtained properly from these blood samples were examined by Sabine-Feldman (SF) test. Seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondiiinfection was determined in 72 (46.8%) of the 154 sheep at the titers ranging from 1/16 to 1/1024. The seropositivity rates of …

The Effects Of Rations Containing Different Amounts Of Common Vetch Seed On Growth Performance, Digestibility And Some Blood And Rumen Metabolites In Male Lambs, İsmai̇l Kaya, Saki̇ne Yalçin

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study consisted of two experiments. In the first experiment, the effects of concentrate feeds containing different amounts of common vetch seed (Vicia sativa L.) on fattening performance, digestibility and some blood and rumen parameters of weaned lambs were investigated. In the second experiment, rumen degradability characteristics of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein for vetch seed were studied in ruminally cannulated mature merino rams in different periods with the nylon bag technique. In the first experiment, 24 Karaman x Dorset Down Gİ crossbreed male lambs aged 2.5-3 months and weighing on average 22.5 kg were used. They were divided …

M-Mode And Two-Dimensional (2-D) Echocardiographic Studies On Racing, Untrained And Show-Jumping Horses, Tarik Bi̇lal, Abdulkadi̇r Uysal, Yücel Meral, Abdullah Kayar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In this study, M-Mode and 2-D echocardiographic analysis was performed to investigate the heart structure of 90 English breed horses used for different purposes. The horses were divided into 3 groups: racing horses (Group I), untrained horses (Group II) and show-jumping horses (Group III). M-Mode sections in the fourth right intercostal space were taken from the musculus papillaris, chordae tendinei, mitral valves and aortic root using 2-D, and the measurements were made in four standard transudcer positions. The movement of the left ventrical, right ventrical, left atrium, aortic root, interventricular septum, left ventricular posterior wall and heart walls were analysed, …

Determination Of Prevalence Of Paratuberculosis In Dairy Cattle By Polymerase Chain Reaction (Pcr), Burhan Çeti̇nkaya, Adi̇le Muz, Hasan Basri̇ Ertaş, Hasan Öngör, İ. Yavuz Sezen, H. Basri̇ Gülcü

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of paratuberculosis in dairy cattle in ElazİÛ and the surrounding villages. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on IS900, an insertion sequence specific to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, was used to detect mycobacterial DNA in milk samples of 500 dairy cows. The detection limit of the PCR was assessed by spiking a known negative milk sample with a dilution series (1x10 9 to 10 bacteria/ml) of reference M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis culture). In the agarose gel examination of the PCR amplified products, approximately 50 bacteria/ml were detected. In the examination …

Evaluation Of Fish Scale Chemistry For Determining Habitat Associations, Brian Kenneth Wells

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This is the first work examining the utility of scale chemistry for determining natal origins and habitat associations. I quantified a relationship of scale chemistry to water chemistry, quantified geographic variation in scale chemistry, and evaluated stability of scale chemistry through maturation. Scale chemistry accurately reflected trace element composition of the water in which fish had lived. Juvenile spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) were held in four concentrations of Sr, Cd, and Ba maintained at either 20°C or 25°C, for 42 days. Strontium:Ca, Cd:Ca, and Ba:Ca levels in scales were linearly related to environmental concentrations while temperature had no effect. …

Bulletin No 4315 - Western Australia's Agricultural, Food & Fisheries Industries 1999 - 2000, Besko Trhuij, Francis D'Emden

Bulletins 4000 -

Fifth Edition (revised and updated) December 2000.

Western Australia’s agriculture and fisheries industries have an international reputation for providing premium quality food and fibre produce to customers around the world.

The State of Western Australia is setting the international quality standard in the production of a vast array of food, fibre and fisheries products.

Agriculture Western Australia has developed the Safe Quality Food System (SQF2000), which not only meets stringent world food standards, but is being adopted in many countries as a unique trademark of quality.

Free of many pests, diseases and pollution found elsewhere, the State offers produce sourced …

Landscape Differences In The Ecology Of The Rufous Treecreeper Climacteris Rufa, Gary W. Luck

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Anthropogenic habitat modification is a significant threat to the conservation or global biodiversity. The fragmentation and alteration of woodland habitat has resulted in the substantial decline of many woodland bird species in the agricultural regions of southern Australia. The Rufous Treecreeper Climacteris rufaa, a once common woodland resident, has declined in abundance in the wheatbelt of Western Australia and appears to be sensitive to habitat fragmentation. The reasons for this are unclear because our knowledge of the species and the threats posed by fragmentation arc limited. In this study, I compared the social organisation, habitat selection, reproductive success, dispersal and …