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Nebraska Bird Review- Whole Issue March 1991 Volume 59 Number 1

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

1990 Treasurer's Report

1990 Christmas Count

Fall 1990 Occurrence Report

A Second Specimen Record of Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) from Nebraska........................ 2

1991 National Wildlife Federation Eagle Survey Results ........................2

Fall 1990 Whooping Crane Report ........................3

Notes ........................3

Book Reviews ........................3

1990 Christmas Count Report

Nebraska Bird Review

101 species were reported on Christmas counts during 1990. An additional 2 species were recorded during count weeks but not during a specific count day. Direct comparison with 1990 count data is difficult due to a disparity in the number of counts; 110 species plus 2 in the count week were found in 1990. 14 counts were held during 1989, but only 6 counts are reported in 1990. The DeSoto NWR count was cancelled due to icy roads and bad weather. Wayne Mollhoff's 4 central Nebraska counts were apparently not held because he is a member of the Reserves and …

1991 National Wildlife Federaton Eagle Survey Results

Nebraska Bird Review

1991 National Wildlife Federation Eagle Survey Results

From 3 to 17 January 1991, the National Wildlife Federation sponsored their midwinter survey of Bald and Golden Eagles in Nebraska. This year, the surveyors spotted a total of 642 Bald and 41 Golden Eagles. Of the 642 Bald Eagles, 176 birds were spotted along the Missouri River, and 466 were seen in the remainder of the state (the Missouri area total is kept separately due to state boundaries which occur along the river). Only one of the 41 Golden Eagles was seen along the Missouri.

The 1991 eagle count was about 475 …

Book Review- Nebraska Bird Review (March 1991), R.G. Cortelyou

Nebraska Bird Review

Dan O'Brien. The Rites of Autumn: A Falconer's Journey Across the American West. New York: Anchor Books, Doubleday, 1988. 192 pp. $9.95.

The reintroduction of animals into the wild is difficult and, at times, seemingly futile work. A tiny fraction of those actually released live long enough to reach full adulthood and an even smaller number actually survive to breed. Dan O'Brien has worked since 1965 at the frustrating task of reintroducing young peregrine falcons to the mountains of the western United States. His new book, The Rites of Autumn, is an autobiographical account of his dedication …

Fall 1990 Whooping Crane Report, Wally Jobman

Nebraska Bird Review

The following is a synopsis of the report from the U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service with regard to Whooping Crane sightings from this fall. The report consists of confirmed, probable, and unconfirmed sightings during the season (these terms are defined in NBR 56:79). The USFWS states that under best conditions 155 cranes, including at least 13 fledged young, should have made the trip to Aransas this fall. As of December 19, 1990, nine of these birds had not arrived. The most spectacular confirmed sighting of the fall was a record group of 13 birds seen together in Saskatchewan on October …

Notes- Nebraska Bird Review March 1991

Nebraska Bird Review

Swainson's Hawks. On Saturday, 29 September 1990, I witnessed a mass migration of Swainson's Hawks. The weather was clear, with large cumulus clouds, approximately 75°F. At about 3:30 pm, I noticed several Swainson's traveling south over the Carpenter Ranch (20 miles north of Henry in Sioux County). For the next 45 minutes, I counted 176 Swainson's. One thermal contained 62 birds, soaring to an estimated 3800 feet (National Weather Service data on base of clouds). Once near the clouds, the birds would "peel off" and head south, with wings folded and at speeds clocked via auto at 55 mph. How …

Editor's Note, Ray Korpi

Nebraska Bird Review

I am pleased to announce that Rosalind Morris of Lincoln will serve as the editor of The Nebraska Bird Review for 1992. Dr. Morris brings many years of birding experience to the Review and will do a fine job. Dr. Morris officially takes over the editorship on January 1, 1992.

Until that time, I will continue to serve as editor of the NBR. I will consider submissions for the December issue up until November 27, 1991 (the day before Thanksgiving). After that date, those wishing to contribute articles and notes to the NBR should mail them to Rosalind Morris, 3018 …

Eagles

Nebraska Bird Review

For the past three years, the Central Nebraska Public Power District has operated an Eagle Viewing Center at our J-2 Hydropower plant south of Lexington, and this past year below Kingsley Dam on Lake Ogallala.

The following are some results recorded at the sites:

At J-2 Hydroplant:

January 1990-0bservations were recorded on 23 days. 263 birds were sighted for a daily average of 11.4 per day. The highest count was 20 birds on January 2.

February 1990-0bservations were recorded on 15 days. 28 birds were sighted for a daily average of 1.9 per day. The highest count was 16 birds …

A Nesting Report Of A Wilson's Phalarope In Lancaster County, Larry Einemann

Nebraska Bird Review

Only once before has a nesting record of Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) been reported in Lancaster County. This report is in The Nebraska Bird Review, December 1985. Employees of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission discovered two fledglings at a site in the northeast part of the county at 98th and Ashland Road. The two fledglings were found in a wet meadow. They were accompanied by two male and one female phalaropes. The sighting was made on 13 June 1985.

On 7 June 1991 I visited Arbor Lake, a recently purchased salt marsh about one mile north …

Some Birds Of The Pony Lake Area Of The Eastern Sandhills, Nebraska, James E. Ducey, Jerry Schoenenberger

Nebraska Bird Review

A partial survey was made of the bird life in the vicinity of Pony Lake, located about 15 miles south of Newport, in portions of sections 17-20, T28N, RI7W, Rock County.

Pony Lake was reportedly named according to a legend from "early days" when a native American was thrown and killed on its banks by a wild pony (Perkey, 1982). Originally Pony Lake was reported to be 20 feet deep (lake history based on conversations and observations of Jerry Schoenenberger). In the late 1800s, possibly 1900-1910, a town site was platted on the southwest corner of the lake. Construction included …

Pileated Woodpecker Responds To Owl Tape [Notes], Rick Wright

Nebraska Bird Review

Suspecting the Pileated Woodpecker (Drycopos pileatus) first reported in fall 1990 might still be present, I spent much of a late March visit to Nebraska in Fontenelle Forest, Sarpy County, looking and listening for the bird without success. Late on the morning of March 26, 1991, Tanya Bray, Babs Padelford, and I wele at the mouth of Handsome Hollow in Fontenelle Forest, the site of the most recent observations. Seeing and hearing nothing we played the recorded song of Eastern Screech-Owl (Otus asio), hoping to attract passerines. Within seconds, a female Pileated Woodpecker flew silently from …

Spring 1991 Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

For the first six months of 1991, 301 species were reported from 34 counties. This compares with 290 species from 13 occurrence report and 17 "spot check" locations covering 30 counties in 1990; 289 from 20 report locations in 36 counties in 1989; and 306 from 28 report locations involving 34 counties. The tables which follow represent 22 of these counties in 21 columns (Douglas and Sarpy listed together as has become the custom), and additional species lists from 11 counties are also provided.

Cuming County Banding Records, Mabel Ott

Nebraska Bird Review

For the past 14 out of 16 years I have banded at a farm northeast of Beemer, Cuming County, for 2 to 4 days in late May. Last year (1990), Memorial Day weekend, 222 birds of 43 species were banded.

Book Reviews, R. G. Cortelyou

Nebraska Bird Review

Frank Graham, Jr., with Carl W. Buchmeister. The Audubon Ark: A History of the National Audubon Society. 336 pp., bibliography, index. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990. $29.95.

Connie Toops. The Enchanting Owl. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press. 128 pp., bibliography, index, 100 color photographs. $27.95 hardcover, $17.95 softcover.

Predation On Livestock Ticks By Chickens, S. M. Hassan, O. O. Dipeolu, A. O. Amoo, T. R. Odhiambo

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Chickens were shown to be natural predators of ticks. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus were recovered in large numbers from the crops and gizzards of chickens which had scavenged for 30 min-1 h among tick-infested cattle. Other ticks recovered were Amblyomma variegatum and Boophilus decoloratus. The numbers of ticks recovered ranged from 3 to 331, with an average of 81 per chicken. Cattle facilitated the predation of ticks by certain behavioural actions. Chickens also picked up both engorged and unengorged ticks seeded on vegetation, but unengorged ticks were preferred. The possibility of tick predation by chickens forming a viable biological control component in …

Spring 1991 Whooping Crane Report

Nebraska Bird Review

The following is a synopsis of the report from the U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service with regard to Whooping Crane sightings from Spring 1991. The report consists of confirmed, probable, and unconfirmed sightings during the season. These terms are defined in NBR 56:79.

The USFWS states that 135 Whooping Cranes began the spring migration, compared to 142 in 1990. This drop of seven birds represents the first population decrease since 1981. Most confirmed sightings en route to Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada, were made between April 14 and April 23. Overcast skies and low visibility delayed the usual early April …

Announcements And Corrections In Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska Bird Review

GRANTS FOR NONGAME WILDLIFE RESEARCH IN MINNESOTA

Corrections

Sighting Information And Analysis

Nebraska Bird Review

Rather than do a county-by-county analysis as has been done in the past, since this count starts a new year, I thought I would comment on the sightings presented using both information provided by the observers and appropriate reference materials. This current report only documents those species which are listed by the Records Committee as needing documentation, or those which merit comment due to significant out-of-range or out-of-season status. A more thorough study, including nesting information provided by the reporters, will appear in the next NBR.