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1985 (Sixtieth) Spring Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

Two hundred ninety-two species, plus Clark’s Nutcracker, for which no specific dates were reported, and Lapland Longspur, which was not recorded, are listed in this report, from 22 locations. The comparable figures for 1984 are 293 and one possible, from 13 locations; 1983 288 and 2 possibles from 13; and 1982 287 from 15 locations.

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1985) 53(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal and sent to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on calendar year basis only) are $10.00 per year in the United States, $12.00 per year in Canada and Mexico, and $12.50 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $3.00 each, postpaid, in the United States; $3.50 elsewhere.

Memberships (on a calendar year basis only): Students, $.3.00; Active, $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00; Family Sustaining, $20.00; Life, $100.00.

All dues and subscriptions should be remitted to …

Wpa News 9 (1985), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (July 1985), number 9

Published by the World Pheasant Association

“Notes” From Nebraska Bird Review (June 1985) 53(2)

Nebraska Bird Review

DESOTO NWR. Our Independent Science Research class at Laurel-Concord High School, led by Ed Brogie, took a field trip to DeSoto NWR 3 November 1984. We spotted two species listed as “rare” on the NWR checklist: Western Grebe and Lesser Golden-Plover; and one not listed for fall: Water Pipit.—Paul L. Pearson, Wakefield

CLAY COUNTY. Here are some observations Joe Gabig, Ross Lock, and I made 22 September 1984 at Harvard Marsh, just west of the town of Harvard.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION MIDWINTER EAGLE SURVEY. The NWF survey was initiated in January 1979 as a means of monitoring the nation’s wintering …

Nebraska Bird Review (June 1985) 53(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

The Historic Breeding Distribution of the Least Tern in Nebraska … 26

Possible Addition of the Prairie Skink to the Diet of the Common Grackle … 36

Observations of the Barred Owl in Southeastern Nebraska … 37

The Eighty-fourth Annual Meeting … 38

Notes … 39

Observations Of The Barred Owl In Southeastern Nebraska, Steve Shupe

Nebraska Bird Review

The status of the Barred Owl (Strix varia) in Nebraska has been questioned for several years. The concern rests mainly with the continued depletion of deep forest habitat which has threatened the very existence of this magnificent raptor. During a three-year study of the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) and Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), Barred Owls were encountered at various times. It seemed appropriate to accumulate some data on the birds; however, because of their precarious status only limited ecological information was collected.

In 1983 seven nest sites were located within the study area …

The Eighty-Fourth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Bird Review

About 75 people participated in at least one of the events at the eighty-fourth Annual Meeting, held 18 and 19 May 1985 at the Eastern Nebraska 4-H Camp, adjacent to Schramm State Park, between Louisville and Gretna, in Sarpy County. There was the usual slide show Friday night. Saturday morning was available for birding. In the afternoon the following papers were presented:

Waterfowl Production in the Rainwater Basins—Robin Harding, Department of Biology, Kearney State College

Age and Reproductive Success in Northern Orioles—Thomas Labedz, Nebraska State Museum

A Comparative Analysis of Long-eared Owl Pellets—Russell Benedict and Ray Korpi, presented by Ray …

Possible Addition Of The Prairie Skink To The Diet Of The Common Grackle, Louis A. Somma

Nebraska Bird Review

On 8 June 1984, at the intersection of California Street and the Union Pacific railroad tracks, just west of Saddle Creek Road in Omaha, a Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) was seen flying approximately 2 m above the observer, with a large adult prairie skink, (Eumeces septentrionalis) (Reptilia; Sauria) in its bill. The Grackle had difficulty flying, since the skink was somewhat heavy and struggling violently, The Grackle dropped to the ground about 7 m away and released the lizard. The skink lay on its back, twitching slightly. The distal half of its tail was missing. The …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (June 1985) 53(2)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December, by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc., as its official journal and sent to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on a calendar-year basis only) are $10.00 per year in the United States, $12.00 per year in Canada and Mexico, and $12.50 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $3.00 each, postpaid, in the United States, $3.50 elsewhere.

Memberships (on a calendar-year basis only): Students, $3.00; Active, $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00; Family Active, $10.00; Family Sustaining, $20.00; Life, $100.00.

All dues and subscriptions should be …

Wpa News 8 (1985), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (April 1985), number 8

Published by the World Pheasant Association

1984 (Twenty-Seventh) Fall Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

Two hundred seventy-eight species (plus the possibility that the Empidonax species was not one listed) from twelve locations are listed in this report. Comparable figures for previous years are 262 species from 10 locations in 1983, 269 species from 10 localities in 1982, and 277 species from 14 locations in 1981.

The information is presented in a rough west (left) to east (right) order, with locations of about the same longitude listed with the northernmost first. Two dates indicate the first and last records for the period.

Three Species Of Siberian Geese Seen In Nebraska, Rick Wright, Alan Grenon

Nebraska Bird Review

At about 3:00 PM on 29 December 1984, while participating in the DeSoto NWR Christmas Count, Betty Grenon, David Starr, and the authors, Rick Wright and Alan Grenon, flushed from near the west shore of the DeSoto Cut-off (Washington County, Nebraska) a party of seven Greater White-fronted Geese. With these seven geese was one distinctly larger, which drew our attention as the small flock flew above us for about five minutes. The larger bird displayed obvious damage to or loss of primaries on each wing, making it easier for the four of us to concentrate our observations on it and …

Wpa News 7 (1985), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (January 1985), number 7

Published by the World Pheasant Association

The Ecology Of Foraging Behavior: Implications For Animal Learning And Memory, Alan Kamil, Herbert L. Roitblat

Avian Cognition Papers

In his recent Annual Review of Psychology article, Snowdon (1983) discussed the synthesis of ethology and comparative psychology. A similar synthesis of behavioral ecology and animal learning is beginning to take place. This article reviews developments in the behavioral ecology and ethology of foraging behavior relevant to psychological research on animal learning. The psychological literature shows that animals possess a wide range of learning abilities, including “simple” classical and operant conditioning; they acquire spatial, nonspatial, and temporal discriminations; they exhibit various forms of rule learning (e.g. matching-to-sample and learning set), and may even in certain senses learn language. Why does …

Buzz-Wings, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

In Nebraska, the species of hummingbird most likely to be seen, and indeed the only one likely to be seen in the eastern half of the state, is the ruby-throated hummingbird. This is the most widely distributed of all North American hummingbirds, and its breeding range covers virtually all of eastern North America north nearly to Hudson Bay. The nesting range includes most of eastern Nebraska, but only along the Missouri River is nesting at all regular. Nests have been reported as far west as North Platte. Ruby-throats typically arrive in Nebraska in early April, with about half of the …

Nearshore Foodwebs And The Distribution Of Acanthocephalan Parasites In Antarctic Seabirds, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Field studies, in the vicinity of Palmer Station during the austral summer of 1982— 1983, yielded an extensive collection of acanthocephalans and other parasites from seabirds, fish and invertebrates. The continuing analysis of this material has resulted in the elucidation of factors that control the occurrence of Corynosoma spp. in Antarctic seabirds. Notably, the host-distribution of Corynosoma spp. suggested that these parasites were being acquired from piscine or possibly amphipod prey, generally in nearshore habitats.

Bobwhite Thesaurus, Thomas G. Scott

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Reports and Other Materials

The Bobwhite Thesaurus was assembled with the belief that it  would make the voluminous literature more accessible. Publications  on the bobwhite have become so numerous and have been published  in so many different places that today's bobwhite researcher is seldom able to conduct the library search required to unearth all pertinent material. This results in failure to acknowledge and use prior  findings.

An effort has been made to seek out and index all publications  issued prior to 1983 that contain information on the bobwhite. All  publications found have been included irrespective of their apparent  worth excepting anonymous papers. Publications which …

Nebraska Bird Review (December 1984) 52(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

An Exceptional “Fall” Migration of Shorebirds along the Big Bend Reach of the Platte River … 70

1984 Fall Field Day … 71

Least Tern Eggs in Nests of the Piping Plover … 72

Nesting Common Moorhen in Lancaster County … 74

Cattle Egrets and White-faced Ibises Nesting at Valentine Refuge … 6

Notes … 76

Index of Volume 52 … 78

“Notes” From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1984) 52(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

EARLY NESTING WOOD DUCKS. On 7 May 1983 I found a female Wood Duck with newly hatched ducklings at Cedar Island, a property along the Platte River in Sarpy County owned by Metropolitan Utilities District.—Ruth C. Green, Bellevue

GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER NEST. On 20 June 1984 I saw Great Crested Flycatchers nesting in a bluebird box. This was at Beaver Lake, Cass Co.—Ruth C. Green, Bellevue

LAZULI BUNTING. I saw a male Lazuli Bunting by the railroad tracks at the foot of Child’s Hollow in Fontenelle Forest, Sarpy County, on 14 May 1984.—Ray Korpi, Bellevue

GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW IN BOX BUTTE …

An Exceptional "Fall" Migration Of Shorebirds Along The Big Bend Reach Of The Platte River, Gary R. Lingle, Thomas E. Labedz

Nebraska Bird Review

The Big Bend reach of the Platte River extends about 80 miles from Overton to Chapman, Nebraska. This area is characterized by braided channels with numerous riverine islands bordered by cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) and willows (Salix spp.) along the high banks. Habitat between the high banks consists of open water, barren sandbars and mudflats, herbaceous islands, shrub islands, and floodplain forest.

Prolonged summer flows during 1983 were among the highest recorded this century; in excess of 20,000 cfs (cubic feet per second). Spring 1984 also consisted of high flows resulting in much scouring and shifting of …

Index To Volume 52

Nebraska Bird Review

Accipiter sp. 14

Adcock, Dorothy 18, 58

Alexander, George 17

Irene 17

Alfred, Norris 3, 23, 56

Allison, Mary 18

Anderson, RoseAnn 17

Sheridan 17

Ardinger, Bruce 18

Arrowhead (plant) 21

Avocet, American 6, 30, 55(2), 76

. . .

Yellowlegs, Greater 6, 30, 55, 60, 70, 71

Lesser 6, 30, 55, 70, 71

Yellowthroat, Common 11, 33, 40, 41, 50, 64

Zeillemaker, C. Fred 26, 28(6), 29(4), 30(5), 31(3), 32(6), 33, 34(5)

Melly 26

Nesting Common Moorhen In Lancaster County, William C. Garthright

Nebraska Bird Review

On 6 July 1984, at 6 PM CDT, I saw a Common Moorhen at the Capitol Beach marsh, in Lincoln. It was about 10 yards to the north when I first saw it, and I could see the red facial shield and red bill with yellow tip, the yellow legs, a thin white horizontal line along the side, and prominent white patches along either side of dark undertail coverts. It acted mildly agitated, and swam away from me but stayed in the vicinity.

At 7 the next morning I waded into the pond at that spot. This time I saw …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1984) 52(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal and sent free to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on calendar year basis only) are $7.00 per year in the United States and $9.00 per year in all other countries payable in advance. Single copies are $2.25 each, postpaid.

Memberships (on a calendar year basis only): Student, $.3.00; Active, $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00; Family Active, $10.00; Family Sustaining, $20.00; Life, $100.00.

All dues and subscriptions should be remitted to the Treasurer, Mrs. Jack Shafer, RR2, Box 61, Wood …

1984 Fall Field Day

Nebraska Bird Review

The 1984 Fall Field Day was held (officially) from noon to noon, 6/7 October, at the4-H Camp at Halsey National Forest. The weather was not the best—light rain early Saturday morning, only a couple of short showers in the afternoon, and no rain Sunday, both days dull and gray. But the attendance was good—87 were officially registered—but the added manpower could not make up for the lateness in the season and the poor weather—the tally on or near the Forest was only 81. In addition, 4 species (marked N) not recorded in the Forest were seen by a party that …

“Book Review” From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1984) 52(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

Birding with a Purpose: Of Raptors, Gabboons, and Other Creatures, Frances Hamerstrom, 130 pp., 6¼ x 9¼, The Iowa State University Press, Ames. Hardcover, $13.95.

These are snippets—interesting, amusing, sometimes amazing—from Mrs. Hamerstrom’s long experience with birds and birders. She devised her own methods of marking individual birds so they could be recognized while flying free; she had to learn about trapping raptors and adapting these traps to different species; she had run-ins with authorities, and was helped by individual law enforcement officers; and she had problems (as so did others) with five high school boys who attached themselves …

“Notes” From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1984) 52(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

BURCHARD LAKE. Bill Garthright and Bill and Bonnie Mulder went to Burchard Lake, Pawnee Co. 16 April 1984 and saw the Greater Prairie Chickens on their booming grounds. Jim and Sandra Kovanda were there and reported these birds: 27 May 2 Double-crested Cormorants, 1 Little Blue Heron (immature), 2 Hooded Mergansers, and 1 Forster's Tern; an immature Common Loon 3 and 23 June, and a Loggerhead Shrike 23 June.

WADERS. I found Great Egrets in Holt Co. in mid-June 1984, adult Little Blue Herons at three locations in Boone and Nance counties from April through June, and 10 adult Cattle …

1984 (Fifty-Ninth) Spring Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

Two hundred ninety-three species (and the possibility that one of the Swan sp. was not a Tundra Swan) are listed in this report, from 13 locations. The comparable figures for 1983 are 288 and 2 possibles from 13 location, 1982 287 from 15 locations, and 1981 298 from 12. The symbols used in the tabulations are: . . .

Nebraska Bird Review (September 1984) 52(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring 1984 Whooping Crane Records in Nebraska … 46

1983 Nebraska Nesting Survey … 47

1984 (Fifty-ninth) Spring Occurrence Report … 51

Notes … 59

Book Review … 68

1983 Nebraska Nesting Survey, Esther V. Bennett

Nebraska Bird Review

Data on the 1983 nesting season in Nebraska were received from 24 observers, reporting on 69 species from 49 counties. Counties in the tabulation are listed in a west to east order, with the northernmost of approximately equal locations given first. Numbers represent Nest Record Cards: N represents nests observed for which no Nest Record Card was submitted; and Y represents young observed. GPC in the following paragraph represents Nebraska State Game and Parks Commission. Fifty-four species were reported on 595 North American Nest Record Cards. The counties, with column numbers on the tabulation shown in parentheses, and the contributors …

Spring 1984 Whooping Crane Records In Nebraska

Nebraska Bird Review

The Pierre, S.D., office of the Fish and Wildlife Service has released their records of sightings of the Wood Buffalo flock of Whooping Cranes, and those that pertain to Nebraska are given below.

There are three classes of sightings:

Confirmed Sightings. Observation made by a State or Federal Biologist or officer or by other known qualified observer (trained ornithologist or birder with experience in identification of Whooping Cranes). A photograph may also be used to confirm sightings.

Probable Sighting. No confirmation made by State or Federal Biologist or officer or by other known qualified observer, yet details of the sighting …