Nongame Bird Blog

It has been a while since I’ve heard from our friends working for the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in The Woodlands, Texas.  On a few occasions over the past few years I’ve received emails, usually accompanied with a photo, informing me that the Peregrine Falcon “Lewis” was observed sitting on a ledge on their office building.   Lewis hatched at the Capitol in 2012 and is the sibling of Clark, who has taken up residence at the Omaha Public Power District’s north …

The Bald Eagle’s comeback continues unabated.  We just finished crunching the numbers for 2017 and our estimated total of active nests in Nebraska last year is 209.  This is the first time Bald Eagles nest numbers have exceeded 200 in Nebraska in recorded history.   The species likely bred historically, but was extirpated prior to 1900.  In 1991, Bald Eagles successfully nested in the state for the first time in more than a century.  The 2017 total also represents a 29% …

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is a long-term, volunteer-driven bird monitoring program conducted throughout North America.  BBS data are used widely by wildlife agencies, researchers, birders and conservation planners.  The program began in 1966 and more information about the BBS can be found here.  I am the state BBS coordinator and perhaps my principal duty is to identify and recruit individuals to fill vacant routes.  Running a BBS requires only one morning in June to complete.  It is a great way …

The first Lower Platte River Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place on 4 January 2018.   It was a hoot starting a new CBC and I was not certain about what would be recorded, especially considering the recent spell of extremely cold weather.   Below, I provide a summary of the CBC and rundown of the results. Coverage area:  The new CBC encompasses a large chunk of Sarpy County and adjacent areas of Cass County.   The big bend in the Platte River …

The 10th Harlan County Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place 14 December and, like last year, it set a record in regards to the total number of species observed.  Previous Harlan County CBC’s were held in consecutive years from 1996-2001 and the CBC resumed in 2014.  Below, I provide a summary of the results from the 2017 edition of the Harlan County CBC. Conditions:   December has been relatively mild and that was definitely the case before and the day of the …

Contributed by Lauren Dinan, Nongame Bird Biologist After banding Piping Plovers along the Lower Platte River in eastern Nebraska for the last 10 years, and banding a total of 809 plovers, we just received our first report of one of our Piping Plovers in Mexico! Over the years, 98 plovers originally banded along the Lower Platte River in eastern Nebraska have been re-sighted in their winter range during the non-breeding season. However, all of these re-sightings have been in the …

Nebraska has had a spate of rare birds recently.  Some of the highlights include not one but two Harris’s Hawks, Black Vulture and a Williamson’s Sapsucker.  None of these big time rarities are first state records.   An Anna’s Hummingbird in Omaha late last year was the most recent addition to Nebraska’s official list.  A Pacific Wren captured and banded at Chadron State Park this fall will be up for consideration by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee, the body that evaluates …

I was out birding yesterday (10/29) and had the good fortune of coming across a Snowy Owl south of Bellevue.  The bird was sitting on a light pole near the intersection of Highway 34 and Harlan Lewis Road.  Photos, below. Finding a Snowy Owl in Nebraska is always a big deal, but it is usually something one hopes for in December or January, not October.   In fact, yesterday’s Snowy Owl is the earliest to appear in Nebraska in fall by …

I’m excited to share on this blog a project that I had the privilege of being a part of and one which will make birding in eastern Nebraska more enjoyable in the future. The project includes a wildlife viewing platform, parking area and walking trail connecting the platform and parking area at the north end of Lake Wanahoo near Wahoo. The project was spearheaded by Paula Hoppe and how it came together goes something like this. Since its creation in …

Wonderful news was recently released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service showing the number of Whooping Cranes in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population (AWBP) is larger than previously believed.   The AWBP includes the birds that migrate each spring and fall through Nebraska between wintering areas on the Gulf Coast of Texas and breeding sites in northeastern Alberta.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a report summarizing results from a survey conducted during the winter of 2016-17.   This survey …