Zoology Commons^™

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 …

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.

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.

Index To Volume 58 (December 1990)

Nebraska Bird Review

Index

A-Z

9 pages

Mountain Plover Sighted In Kimball County, Mary Clausen

Nebraska Bird Review

In late April of 1990 I went to Kimball Co. to search for Mountain Plovers. Over a period of a week I walked several sections where Mountain Plovers have been sighted in the past. No Plovers were found at that time.

After I returned to my office in Lincoln, Fritz Knopf (Avian Studies Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado) contacted me to discuss Mountain Plover nesting habitat and behavior. Fritz offered to make a quick drive around Kimball Co. to see how the habitat in Nebraska compared to that used by nesting Mountain Plovers in Colorado.

On 3 May …

Whole Issue Nebraska Bird Review (December 1990)

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

Third Report of the N.O.U. Records Committee.................... 90

1990 Fall Field Days.................... 97

Mountain Plover Sighted in Kimball County ....................98

Laughing Gull in Cedar County, Nebraska ....................99

A Comparison of Historic and Modern Birdlife at an Eastern Sand Hills Lake In Nebraska ....................100

Significant (?) Modifications in Bird Sightings at Wolff Lake (fall 1979 to spring 1990) ....................104

Notes ....................106

Index to volume 58 ....................108

1990 (Sixty-Fifth) Spring Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

1990 (SIXTY-FIFTH) SPRING OCCURRENCE REPORT

Two hundred and ninety species are listed on this report from 13 locations plus 17 counties reported in five "spot check" counties. The 1989 figures were 289 species from 13 locations, plus 7 "spot check" columns involving 36 counties; in 1988, 306 from 15 locations, plus 13 "spot check" columns involving 34 counties; in 1987, 288 from 13 locations and 6 "spot check" columns involving 9 counties; and 1986, 304 from 13 locations and 9 "spot check" columns involving 24 counties.

The "spot check" columns are for infrequent visits to an area and the la …

Nebraska Bird Review, Whole Issue (September 1990) 58(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1990 (Sixty-fifth) Spring Occurrence Report .................58

Corrections to 1989 Fall Occurrence Report .................73

First Nebraska Kittiwake Specimen .................75

NOU Participation in Academy of Science Meeting .................75

Book Reviews .................83

Survey for Least Terns and Other Birds on the North and South Platte Rivers, Eastern Keith County .................84

Notes .................88

1989 Treasurer's Report

Nebraska Bird Review

1989 TREASURER'S REPORT

Balance

Memberships

Subscriptions

Misc.

Publications

Officer's expenses

Misc.

Balance

1989 (Thirty-Second) Fall Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

Two hundred ninety-one species, and the probability that the Snowy Owl on the DeSoto NWR Christmas Count would qualify as a Nebraska bird and the possibility that some of the Empidonax sp. reported were not otherwise reported, were reported from 13 "full-time" locations plus 9 "spot-check" locations, which included 27 counties. The figures for 1988 were 282 species from 14 "full-time" locations plus 14 "spot-check" locations, which included 49 counties. The figures for 1987 were 296, plus 2 possibilities, from 14 "full-time" and 4 "spot-check" locations; 1986, 293 and 1 possibility from 13 "full-time" and 4 "spot-check" locations.

The information …

Nebraska Bird Review (March 1990) 58(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

1989 Treasurer's Report .....................2

1989 Christmas Count.....................3

1989 (Thirty-Second) Fall Occurrence Report..................... 13

Corrections to 1989 Spring Occurrence Report .....................27

Sage Sparrow in Sioux County .....................27

Notes.....................29

Book Reviews..................... 35

1986: A Nebraska Big Year, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

In January of 1986 my brother, Ed M. Brogie, and I were tallying our lists for Nebraska when the question arose: "How many species of birds do you think one could see in Nebraska in one year?" The previous year (1985) had been the first year we had made a serious attempt at seeing western Nebraska species and chasing rarities in the state. Our efforts had yielded such birds as Bean Goose, Green-tailed Towhee, Black-necked Stilt, Red Phalarope, Lewis' Woodpecker, Sprague's Pipit, Cassin's Finch, Cassin's Kingbird, and King Eider. When 1985 ended, my Nebraska life list stood at 290 and …

Cassin’S Sparrow In Dundy And Chase Counties, Nebraska, W. Ross Silcock, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

On 3 and 4 June 1989 Tanya Bray, Doug Rose, and I [W. Ross Silcock] traveled to Dundy Co. to look for two species: Chihuahuan Raven and Cassin's Sparrow. While we found no Ravens, we did find several Cassin's Sparrows.

All of the Cassin's Sparrows were found in sandy sage prairie habitat. At least six were found, in four different locations. The birds were located most easily by their skylarking behavior, although the song, once heard, is also useful for locating birds. Indeed, Doug Rose found the first Cassin's Sparrow by song. Once located, we were able to study individuals …

Notes [September 1989]

Nebraska Bird Review

“Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Nest in Cass County”: On 2 July 1989 Greg Hertel, Murray, Cass Co., reported an adult Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in his yard. He thought it had left the area, but Betty Allen and Ruth Green went down on 8 July to look for it, and they finally found it (a male) in Young Memorial Park. The next morning Betty took others down to see it and found a female on a nest on a 40-foot light pole used to floodlight the ball field.

“National Wildlife Federation Eagle Survey” (by Greg Wingfield, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission): The 1989 NWF …

Nebraska Bird Review (September 1989) 57(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Changes in the A.O.U. Check-list ... 58

1989 (Sixty-fourth) Spring Occurrence Report ... 59

Cassin's Sparrow in Dundy and Chase Counties, Nebraska ... 67

1986: A Nebraska Big Year ... 71

Notes [Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Nest in Cass County, National Wildlife Federation Eagle Survey, and Whooping Crane Report] ... 81

Book Reviews ... 83

1988 Nebraska Nesting Report, Esther V. Bennett

Nebraska Bird Review

Data on the 1988 Nesting season in Nebraska were received from 25 observers and 2 agencies, reporting on 94 species from 52 counties. Counties on the tabulation are listed in a west to east order, with the northernmost of the approximately equal locations given first. Numbers represent Nest Record Cards; underlined numbers represent nests reported on Colonial Bird Register Forms; C represents carrying food; E represents eggs; F represents feeding; H represents nest building (home); N represents nests observed for which no Nest Record Card was submitted; S represents fecal sacs; V represents feeding Brown-headed Cowbird (visitor); X is used …

The Eighty-Eighth (1989) Annual Meeting

Nebraska Bird Review

Clear skies and good weather greeted the participants (there were 66 registered) at the 1989 Annual Meeting, held at the 4-H Camp at Halsey Forest 19 to 21 May. There was a Board meeting Friday night; Saturday and Sunday mornings were open for birding; there was a tour of the tree nursery facilities Saturday morning, and a Records Committee meeting; Saturday afternoon Reid Miller, of the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument gave a talk on the Monument, followed by the business meeting. All present officers were re-elected: Thomas Labedz, President; Doug G, Thomas, vice-president; Ruth Green, Secretary; Alice Kenitz, Treasurer; …

Williamson's Sapsucker In Omaha, Barbara L. Wilson

Nebraska Bird Review

On 13 May 1988 Dr. J. J. Baumel discovered a male Williamson's Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) lying dead below an elevated, glassed-in walkway between buildings on Creighton University's campus in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The bird, beautiful in breeding plumage, was largely black from its awl-shaped bill to its stiff, acuminate central tail feathers. There was a white line beginning at the base of the lower mandible and extending over the face, while another ran back from the eye. The white wing coverts formed a broad white line on the wing. Also, there were white tips on the tertials, while …

1988 (Sixty-Third) Spring Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

Three hundred and six species (plus the possibilities that the Accipter and Empidonax species were ones that were not listed, and that a Louisiana Waterthrush was recorded in Nebraska) are listed in this report, from 15 locations, plus 13 "spot check" columns involving 34 counties. In 1987 there were 288 species from 13 locations and 6 "spot check" columns involving 9 counties; 1986 304 from 13 locations and 9 "spot check" columns involving 24 counties; 1985 296 from 13 locations and 9 "spot check" columns (plus additions on NBR 53: 70) involving 22 counties; and in 1984 293 from 12 …

Nebraska Bird Review (September 1988) 56(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

White-winged Dove in Dawson County? .............54

1988 (Sixty-third) Spring Occurrence Report .............55

Notes .............77

Book Review .............83

Comparative Analysis Of The Effects Of Visual And Auditory Stimuli On Avian Mobbing Behavior, C. Ray Chandler, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Both visual and auditory stimuli elicit avian mobbing behavior, but there is little comparative information on their isolated and additive effects. Using three combinations of two experimental stimuli (mount and tape of an Eastern Screech-Owl, Otus asio) we tested the effects of stimuli on the frequency, intensity, and duration of avian mobbing behavior. Of 169 mount-only trials, only 11 (6.5%) were successful in attracting birds. Tape-only (n = 169) and mount-and-tape (n = 170) were equally successful in attracting birds (approximately 85% of all trials), but mount-and-tape trials were more likely to initiate mobbing behavior. Birds responding …

Foraging Behavior And Switching By The Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus Savannarum Searching For Multiple Prey In A Heterogeneous Environment, Anthony Joern

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Switching among four alternative grasshopper species by the grasshop- per sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) through frequency-dependent predation was ex- amined. Grasshoppers were presented against a heterogeneous natural background in an outdoor aviary where total density was held constant but relative density of each grasshopper species varied. Switching among prey, primarily between two of the four species, and inter-bird variability in switching was observed. Species-specific prefer- ences and interactions among the alternative grasshopper species affected the final diet choice as one grasshopper species was always preferentially selected and another disregarded independent of changes in relative density. Attributes of avian foraging behavior, including: …

1987 (Sixty-Second) Spring Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

Two hundred and eighty-eight species are listed in this report, from 19 locations, compared to 304 from 22 locations in 1986, 296 from 22 in 1985, and 293 from 13 in 1984.

“Book Reviews” From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1987) 55(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

Life Histories of North American Diving Birds. A. C. Bent. xiv + 240 + 55 pp. ot photographs. 5.375 x 8.5, Dover Publications, Inc. New York, paper, $6.95. Life Histories of North American Gulls and Terns. A. C. Bent. x + 338 + 93 pages of photographs, 5.375 x 8.5, Dover Publications, Inc. New York, paper $8.95. Dover has reprinted their original reprints of these books in the Bent series with no changes.

Wild Animals I Have Known. Ernest Thompson Seaton. xxvi + 356, 5 x 7.75, Penguin Books, New York, paper, $7.95. If this sounds familiar, …