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Whole Issue Nebraska Bird Review (March 1994) 62(1),

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

1993 Treasurer's Report, Nebraska Ornithologists' union, Inc …………….. 2

Fall 1993 Occurrence Report (July 1 - December 31) …………….. 3

Table 1. Fall 1993 Occurrences: Rare Species …………….. 5

Table 2. Fall 1993 Occurrences in One or Two Counties …………….. 5

Table 3. Fall 1993 Occurrences of Species Not in Tables 1 or 2 …………….. 8

Fall 1993 Reporters, Observers, and county Totals …………….. 50

Winter Field Report, December 1993 - February 1994 …………….. 51

Observers for winter Field Report…………….. 62

Notes on Bird Sightings in Nebraska…………….. 63

Correction in the Nebr. Bird Review Vol. 61 (3), …

Turtles, James F. Fowler, Jimmy L. Avery

Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage Handbook

Turtles (Terrapene carolina) occur on all continents except Antarctica. Any permanent body of water is a potential home for turtles. Turtles are seldom a pest to people. Most turtles are not protected by state laws.

Predator Deterrence In The Central Newt, Notophthalmus Viridescens Louisianensis (Wolterstorff) With Notes On Salamander Antipredator Strategies, Malcolm Mccallum

Masters Theses

The effectiveness of the skin secretions of Notophthalmus viridescens as a predator deterrent has been well documented. Still, there have been documented cases of predation on this salamander. This study investigates the ability of a variety of herptiles to feed on N. viridescens louisianensis.

In the first experiment, plethodonts and efts were fed on alternate weeks to snakes. Latency of response, anatomical location of predator attack, and behaviors displayed by predators and prey were recorded during each trial.

In the second experiment, tongue flick frequency by T. sirtalis to the essence of live N. viridescens louisianensis, Eurycea cirigerra …

Homosexual Copulations By Male Tree Swallows, Michael P. Lombardo, Ruth M. Bosman, Christine A. Faro, Stephen G. Houtteman, Timothy S. Kluisza

Peer Reviewed Publications

Homosexual courtship behavior in non-human animals is well known (Ford and Beach 1980) and occurs in a wide variety of taxa. However, homosexual copulations, especially between males, are less well known. In birds, males mounting other males have been observed in the colonially breeding Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) (Fujioka and Yamagishi 1981) and Common Murre (Uria aalge) (Birkhead et al. 1985, Hatchwell 1988). Neither Fujioka and Yamagishi (1981) nor Birkhead et al. (1985) and Hatchwell (1988) reported whether cloacal contact occurred during their observations of male-male mountings. Here we describe homosexual copulations by male Tree Swallows …

Aspects Of Nesting Ecology Of The Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin) In Rhode Island, Caitlin C. Goodwin

Open Access Master's Theses

I studied the only known nesting population of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in Rhode Island at Nockum Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Barrington, Bristol County and characterized aspects of the nesting behavior and ecology of this population, described nest site habitat characteristics and factors affecting nest success, and compared my findings to other described Malaclemys populations. A total of 241 nests was found at Nockum Hill in 1993. Terrapins tended to nest in the morning and near the time of high tide. Mammalian predators, primarily raccoons, destroyed 75 of 86 monitored nests. Fifty-five percent of the surviving clutches were oviposited …

Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) Food Habits In West-Central Arkansas, R. M. Huston, Thomas A. Nelson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

This study was conducted on Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge in west-central Arkansas to investigate the food habits of the common barn owl (Tyto alba). Three hundred thirty-eight pellets were collected from four barn owl nest boxes yielding the remains of 1003 individual prey items. Hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) were eaten most frequently, comprising 46.8% of the diet by frequency. Results of this study are compared with those from other Arkansas ecoregions to assess regional variation in the diet of this endangered species.

Status Of The Endangered Gray Bat (Myotis Grisescens) Hibernating Populations In Arkansas, Michael J. Harvey

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

New Records Of Bolivian Mammals, Jorge A. Salazar-Bravo, Mariel Campbell, Sydney Anderson, Scott Lyell Gardner, John L. Dunnum

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

We present new records of occurrence and distribution for two species of didelphid marsupials and one species of echimyid rodent. Specimens were obtained from May through August 1991 and June through August 1992 in a study of mammalian diversity of Bolivia, a joint project between the Colección Boliviana de Fauna in La Paz, the Museum of Southwestern Biology (University of New Mexico), the American Museum of Natural History (New York), the Museo “Noel Kempff Mercado” de Historia Natural in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and the University of California at Davis. This project is an attempt to strength Bolivian collections …

Terrapene Carolina Carolina, Joseph C. Mitchell, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

TERRAPENE CAROLINA CAROLINA (Eastern Box Turtle). REPRODUCTION. Female Terrapene carolina containing oviductal eggs have been recorded in Virginia from 26 May to 25 July (Mitchell, in press. The Reptiles of Virginia. Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, D.C.). Other reports of reproduction in Terrapene (see list in Ernst and McBreen 1991. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. 512.1-512.13) indicate that nesting occurs in late spring and early summer throughout its range.

Evolutionary Perspectives On Animalivory, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Derived from insectivorous ancestors, microchiropteran bats have diversified into a remarkable array of feeding habits. Cranial and dental characteristics mirror this diversity. Insectivorous predators of hard-shelled prey have thicker jaws, well-developed cranial crests, fewer but larger teeth, longer canines and abbreviated M3s than species that take soft items. Carnivorous bats have more elongate skulls, larger brain volumes and larger pinnae, lengthened metastylar ridges, and larger protoconids compared to insectivores. Animalivorous species have large ectoloph areas compared to frugivorous and nectarivorous species, but animalivores and frugivores have large tooth areas relative to palatal area compared to nectarivores. Frugivores sacrifice ectoloph for …

The Effects Of Temperature And Daylength On The Rosa Polyphenism In The Buckeye Butterfly, Precis Coenia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Kelly C. Smith

Publications

In North Carolina, Precis coenia that emerge during the Summer months exhibit a ventral hindwing (VHW) with well-defined reddish-brown and brown pattern elements on a light tan background. During late Summer and early Fall, however, individuals begin to appear with poorly defined or obscured pattern elements on a dark reddish-brown background. The present study shows that the Fall (rosa) color morph can be induced by either low rearing temperatures or short daylengths. The effect of such conditions seems to be cumulative throughout the larval life, although animals are much more sensitive during the last 24 hours of larval …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Whooping Crane Sightings During Fall Migration, 1993, Steven Anschutz

Nebraska Bird Review

During the summer of 1993, an all-time record of 45 whooping-crane nests were confirmed on the breeding grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park. Suspected mortality included two nesting females. A total of 143 whooping cranes (127 adult/subadult and 16 young) arrived at Aransas between October 20 and November 22. As of December 30, five juveniles were missing and presumed dead. The only verified mortality during migration was a crane near Midland, Texas which died November 5 after apparently flying into a fence. The first dates for confirmed observations of migrating whooping cranes were August 16 in Saskatchewan, Canada, and September …

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Fall Meeting, Halsey National Forest, September 3-5, 1993; Excerpts From The Fall Meeting, Robin Harding

Nebraska Bird Review

Excerpts from Minutes of the Fall Meeting (Robin Harding, Secretary):

Heather Whittaker reported on a Wildlife Society program called "Integrating People in Wildlife Conservation", in which she is participating. Five hundred to seven hundred wildlife biologists from all over the world will travel to Costa Rica for this program this fall [1993].

On Sunday morning, Mack Deveraux and Clark Fliege, Forest Service, presented the Master Recreation Plan for Halsey National Forest. They expressed a desire to hear NOU members' ideas and reactions to this plan.

The 1994 Annual Meeting will be held at Niobrara State Park May 2022, and the …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska Bird Review

EDITOR'S NOTE: Appreciation is expressed to Dr. R. G. Cortelyou for compiling the Christmas bird count and the index for this volume.

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official Journal, and sent to members not in arrears for dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $12.50 in the United States, $15.00 in Canada and Mexico, and $17.50 for all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4.00 each, postpaid, in the United States, and $5.00 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to …

1993 Nebraska Christmas Bird Count, R. G. Cortelyou

Nebraska Bird Review

The 1993 Nebraska Christmas Bird Counts are shown in the table in a west (left) to east (right) order, but the narrative accounts are in alphabetical order. In the table those numbers which were underlined (to emphasize the unusual number’s in the reports are shown in bold, and the species for which the names were underlined (to emphasize that the species was unusual in the report are marked * before the number in the particular column. For both Eagles the total number (given first) is broken down by age immediately afterwards, and these numbers are shown in italics to …

Pine Siskins In Breeding Condition Along The North Platte River, Keith County, Nebraska, 1993, William C. Scharf, W. John Berigan, Josef Kren

Nebraska Bird Review

Johnsgard (1979) categorizes the Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) as an erratic breeder in a number of eastern and southeastern Nebraska counties. Ducey (1988) considers this species to be a regular nester throughout the state in suitable coniferous habitat. Neither authors have listed breeding records in Keith County, although Ducey cites a record from Chase County (Bennett 1986). The Pine Siskin is known as a breeder in 12 counties in Kansas (Thompson and Ely 1992).

Methods

We caught and banded Pine Siskins at Cedar Point Biological Station near Lake Keystone, Keith County, Nebraska (41° 13' N, 101° 38' W) …

Whole Issue Nebraska Bird Review (December 1993) 61(4),

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Fall Meeting, Sept. 3-5, 1993 …………….142

Whooping Crane Sightings During Fall Migration, 1993……………. 143

Pine siskins in Breeding Condition Along the North Platte River, Keith County, Nebraska, 1993 …………….144

Nebraska Christmas Bird Count for 1993……………. 145

Index to Volume 61…………….150

EDITOR'S NOTE: Appreciation is expressed to Dr. R. G. Cortelyou for compiling the Christmas bird count and the index for this volume.

Sorex Merriami In Nebraska, Patricia W. Freeman, Jay D. Druecker, Scott Tvrz

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

We report the capture of a second specimen of Merriam’s shrew (Sorex merriami) from the northwestern comer of Nebraska from dry grassland of sage and rabbitbrush. The first specimen, captured in 1965, is a more eastern record in what today is Sandhills prairie.

Whooping Crane Sightings During Spring Migration, 1993, Steven Anschutz

Nebraska Bird Review

A total of 136 whooping cranes began the migration from Aransas National wildlife Refuge in the spring of 1993, and all the cranes had left by April 26. The migration proceeded rapidly, with no major storms within the flyway. The first dates for confirmed observations of migrating cranes were April 2 in the U.S. and April 5 in Canada. The last sighting date was June 2 in Saskatchewan, Canada. Sightings were reported from Texas (1), Oklahoma (1), Kansas (7), Nebraska (8), South Dakota (3), North Dakota (2), and Saskatchewan, Canada (22). The longest stopover time was a juvenile, migrating alone, …

Corrections In Nebraska Bird Review 61(2) September 1993.

Nebraska Bird Review

Whopping Cranes. The location of the five birds reported by Loren Blake was 5 miles east and 4½ miles north from Brunswick in Antelope Co., not northeast of Creighton in Knox Co.

--Loren Blake, HC 63, Box 18, Chambers, NE 68725 --Eldon Marsh, Box 365, Brunswick, NE 68720

Yellow-headed Blackbirds. The flocks seen by Lee Morris in the Benedict area were in York Co., not Knox Co. [Editor’s error].

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1993) 61(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., and its official Journal, and sent to members not in arrears for dues Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $12.50 in the United States, $15.00 in Canada and Mexico, and $17.50 for all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4.00 each, postpaid in the United States, and $5.00 elsewhere. Send orders for back issue to Mary H. Pritchard, NOU Librarian, W-436 Nebraska Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514.

Memberships in NOU (on a calendar year basis …

Bald Eagles Nest At North Platte National Wildlife Refuge, Brad Mckinney

Nebraska Bird Review

The refuge, located in Scotts Bluff County, played host during the summer of 1993 to one of only two bald-eagle nests in Nebraska, and three eaglets were reared to flight stage. A successful nest on the Middle Loup River in 1992 was the first bald-eagle nest to fledge in Nebraska in over 100 years. [See NBR 60 (2): 59. June 1992.]

The nest was discovered on April 2 while I was inspecting an abandoned heron/cormorant rookery. A startled adult bald eagle leaped out of one of the larger nests and began making several treetop-level passes and snapping its beak over …

"Notes On Bird Sightings In Nebraska," From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1993)

Nebraska Bird Review

Notes on Bird Sighting in Nebraska

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. On Wednesday, May 26, 1993, at 7:00 a.m., we saw two of these birds at our house in rural Lancaster Co., south of Denton, NE (S 26 T-9-N R-5-E). The ducks flew across part of the pond and perched in a dead cedar for about ten minutes before flying off in a southwesterly direction. The distinctive coloration, including black underparts, gray head, bright beak, and pink legs were readily visible. As the birds were flying, the large white areas on the tops of the wings were also clearly discernible.

---Dave …

Whole Issue Nebraska Bird Review (September 1993) 61(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

The Spring 1993 Occurrence Report……………….94

Table for Spring 1993 Occurrence Report……………….96

Continuation of Spring 1993 Occurrence Report……………….136

Notes on Bird Sightings in Nebraska……………….136

Corrections in NBR Vol. 61 (2) 1993……………….138

Bald Eagles Nest at North Platte National Wildlife Refuge……………….138

Whooping Crane Sighting during Spring Migrations, 1993……………….139

The Spring 1993 Occurrence Report, R.G. Cortelyou

Nebraska Bird Review

Three hundred one species, plus the possibility that the Traill's Flycatchers reported by Mrs. Ott in Cuming and Lancaster counties included both Alder and Willow Flycatchers, and that the Empidonax sp. included species not specificallv reported, were reported from 41 counties.

...

Dixon, one species, shown as a note in the Dakota column. Jan and Richard Johnson had a Black-throated Sparrow at their feeder in Wakefield from Ja 2 to early March.

Dodge, 31 species, Larry Einemann, reporter, one date reported: My 30. These are shown in the Cuming Co. column as "d".

Douglas, includes Sarpy, which see.

Deuel, 89 …

Preface To Biology Of The Heteromyidae, Hugh H. Genoways, James H. Brown

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

What is the family Heteromyidae? It is the group ofexclusively New World rodents that includes the kangaroo rats, pocket mice, and kangaroo mice ofthe desert, grasslands, and shrublands of western North America as well as the spiny and pouched rats of the subtropical shrublands and tropical deciduous and evergreen forests of North America, Central America, and northernmost South America. It is a large family, with six genera and 316 species.

"Taxonomy" From Biology Of The Heteroeromyidae, Daniel F. Williams, Hugh H. Genoways, Janet K. Braun

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Herein the taxonomy of the family is reviewed and diagnoses of Recent species and accounts of all currently recognized Recent species and subspecies are provided. The objective is to present a current taxonomy for the family rather than a systematic review. Unfortunately, there have been no comprehensive reviews for most genera for 80 years or more and the current taxonomy of many species clearly is unsatisfactory, as is the understanding of the relationships between most of the described fossil and Recent taxa.

Flat Water Mammals, Patricia W. Freeman, Russell A. Benedict

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Nebraska's diverse habitats are home for an equally diverse collection of mammals, some of which appear to be expanding their ranges as the habitat changes, especially along the Platte River Valley.

Pheromonal Composition Of Two Species Of African Amblyomma Ticks: Similarities, Differences And Possible Species Specific Components, Thomas Lem Price Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Two species of bont ticks, Amblyomma hebraeum and Amblyomma variegatum, common to Africa have been studied to compare types and quantities of compounds known or believed to serve as components of the attraction-aggregation-attachment pheromone (AAAP). A complex of attraction, aggregation and attachment pheromones are used by these ticks to detect hosts, mates and perhaps minimize interspecific breeding. Solvent extraction of pheromone emitting ticks followed by Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry revealed little difference in the composition of the AAAP in these two species. However, subtle differences in the relative makeup of the pheromonal blend are noted, suggesting that such differences …