===== begin NeBirds 19980604.text ===== Topics covered in this issue include: 1. birds of May 25 LANNY RANDOLPH Tue, 26 May 1998 13:49:25 -0500 2. Re: birds of May 25 Chris Hobbs Tue, 26 May 1998 17:42:33 -0500 3. My post "Ross Silcock" Tue, 26 May 1998 21:46:28 -0500 4. Birds of May 25 "Ross Silcock" Tue, 26 May 1998 17:51:08 -0500 5. Re: birds of May 25 "Ross Silcock" Wed, 27 May 1998 00:56:37 -0500 6. Birds in Keya Paha County Carolyn Hall Tue, 26 May 1998 22:05:45 -0500 7. birds-May 30 Joe Gubanyi Sat, 30 May 1998 14:16:46 -0500 (CDT) 8. at home and on mudflats "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Sat, 30 May 1998 14:51:39 -0500 9. Unexpected visitor Sat, 30 May 1998 22:56:45 EDT 10. [BIRDWG01] Spring Western Sandpiper in NE USA "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Sat, 30 May 1998 22:40:15 -0500 11. RWB, May 31 Sun, 31 May 1998 20:18:20 EDT 12. Sunday birds "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Sun, 31 May 1998 22:07:27 -0500 13. Mississippi Kite Mon, 1 Jun 1998 00:02:11 EDT 14. RE: Western Sandpiper Chris Hobbs Mon, 01 Jun 1998 19:02:47 -0500 15. Re: Unexpected visitor "Ross Silcock" Tue, 2 Jun 1998 18:03:57 -0500 16. banded Burrowing Owls LANNY RANDOLPH Tue, 2 Jun 1998 18:21:33 -0500 17. [Fwd: FALCON WATCH] rluehrs@kearney.net (Richard Luehrs) Mon, 1 Jun 1998 19:18:42 -0500 18. June 2nd Birds lpdlfrd@juno.com (Loren J. Padelford) Tue, 2 Jun 1998 19:16:13 -0500 19. Re: Unexpected visitor rluehrs@kearney.net (Richard Luehrs) Tue, 2 Jun 1998 20:55:32 -0500 20. Collared-Dove update "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Tue, 2 Jun 1998 22:28:14 -0500 21. Buffalo County birds "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Wed, 3 Jun 1998 00:16:25 -0500 22. Re: Buffalo County birds Carolyn Hall Wed, 03 Jun 1998 08:26:44 -0500 23. Re: [BIRDCHAT] State/provincial bird-record committees Carolyn Hall Thu, 04 Jun 1998 17:37:29 -0500 24. Re: [BIRDCHAT] State/provincial bird-record committees "Ross Silcock" Thu, 4 Jun 1998 18:07:54 -0500 25. Mississippi Kite Thu, 4 Jun 1998 23:29:51 EDT ============================================================ 1. birds of May 25 ============================================================ Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 13:49:25 -0500 From: LANNY RANDOLPH Subject: birds of May 25 Hello Nebraska birders, Monday, May 25, at our home 3.5 miles southeast of Gibbon, we heard a Sedge Wren and saw two male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. In Phelps County, at Funk Lagoon, we saw at least 28 American White Pelicans, about 200 Double-crested Cormorants, a Great Egret, two White-faced Ibis, a Northern Harrier, two Cooper's Hawks, about 10 Black Terns, two Yellow-billed Cuckoos, a Least Flycatcher, two Marsh Wrens, two Warbling Vireos, two American Redstarts, 11 Great-tailed Grackles and Orchard Orioles. Along the Kearney/Phelps County line a mile east of Funk Lagoon we saw five Franklin's Gulls. In Kearney County, at the privately owned marsh that is two miles east of Funk Lagoon we saw ten more Great-tailed Grackles. In a flooded field four miles west and one mile north of Heartwell we saw a Lesser Yellowlegs, a Semipalmated Sandpiper, a Western Sandpiper, five Least Sandpipers, at least fifty White- rumped Sandpipers, at least forty Stilt Sandpipers and at least thirty Wilson's Phalaropes. Two miles north of there we heard a Grasshopper Sparrow. There sure is a lot of water in our area. Goodbye, Robin and Lanny ============================================================ 2. Re: birds of May 25 ============================================================ Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 17:42:33 -0500 From: Chris Hobbs Subject: Re: birds of May 25 How often do NE birders find Western Sandpiper after 1 May - and particularly at this very late date? I'm curious because most clear out of KS and MO in April, and in MO, it would require documentation from the Bird Records Committee. Thanks for helping with this distributional question! Chris Hobbs Bonner Springs, KS c-hobbs@worldnet.att.net LANNY RANDOLPH wrote: > Hello Nebraska birders, > > In a flooded field four miles west and one mile north of Heartwell we > saw > a Lesser Yellowlegs, a Semipalmated Sandpiper, a Western Sandpiper, > five Least Sandpipers, at least fifty White-rumped Sandpipers, at > least forty Stilt Sandpipers and > at least thirty Wilson's Phalaropes. ============================================================ 3. My post ============================================================ From: "Ross Silcock" Subject: My post Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 21:46:28 -0500 Just posted an incomplete note by mistake. I'm trying to get the exact location of the pond with the Willets. Will post ASAP. Sorry. Ross Silcock Tabor,IA silcock@sidney.heartland.net ============================================================ 4. Birds of May 25 ============================================================ From: "Ross Silcock" Subject: Birds of May 25 Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 17:51:08 -0500 NEBirders: John Sullivan and I went to ne NE Monday in search of Gray Partridge and to try to catch up with the warbler migration. We visited Ashford Boy Scout Camp in northern Thurston Co and Babcock-North Lakes at Columbus, with brief stops at Ponca State Park and Gavin's Point Dam. No sightings of note at the latter two, but highlights were: Gray Partridge: one in typical habitat, short grass along edge of cropland beside a dirt road in eastern Knox Co. at Ashford: 2 Yellow-throated Vireos 8 Tennessee Warblers 6 Least Flycatchers 1 Connecticut Warbler (singing for 20 minutes but it wouldn't pop up for a viewing) 25 Redstarts 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler (singing like a Mourning Warbler) at Babcock-North: 3 Ruddy Turnstones 1 Sanderling Ross Silcock, John Sullivan Tabor, IA silcock@sidney.heartland.net ============================================================ 5. Re: birds of May 25 ============================================================ From: "Ross Silcock" Subject: Re: birds of May 25 Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 00:56:37 -0500 Chris and all: There are few documented spring records of Western Sandpiper in NE and our knowledge of spring movements is not great. Joel Jorgensen (pers comm) considers it a rare spring migrant. Latest documented records are in mid-May. Jorgensen has said that migration of Westerns peaks in late Apr in NE and that numbers are low, in some years absent. As you know, in spring most Westerns migrate up the Pacific Coast, where they peak in the Pacific Northwest in late Apr (Paulson), suggesting, as you have, that May reports of Westerns need documentation. Observers have been asked (in Seasonal Reports in Nebr Bird Review) to document spring sightings of Westerns in NE. Semi Sands are common into early Jun and can be rather buffy in late May-early Jun and often accompanied by paler individuals; I suspect some if not most mid-May through early Jun reports of Westerns are these buffier Semis. Indeed, some 58% of undocumented spring Western reports coincide with the spring peak of Semi migration in the first 2 weeks of May in NE (pointed out by Jorgensen), a fact that is suggestive of misidentification, given the late Apr peak of Westerns in the Pacific Northwest. Ross Silcock Tabor, IA silcock@sidney.heartland.net ---------- > From: Chris Hobbs > To: NeBirds@rip.physics.unk.edu > Subject: Re: birds of May 25 > Date: Tuesday, May 26, 1998 5:42 PM > > How often do NE birders find Western Sandpiper after 1 May - and > particularly at this very late date? I'm curious because most clear out > of KS and MO in April, and in MO, it would require documentation from > the Bird Records Committee. Thanks for helping with this distributional > question! > > Chris Hobbs > Bonner Springs, KS > c-hobbs@worldnet.att.net > > LANNY RANDOLPH wrote: > > > Hello Nebraska birders, > > > > In a flooded field four miles west and one mile north of Heartwell we > > saw > > a Lesser Yellowlegs, a Semipalmated Sandpiper, a Western Sandpiper, > > five Least Sandpipers, at least fifty White-rumped Sandpipers, at > > least forty Stilt Sandpipers and > > at least thirty Wilson's Phalaropes. > > > ============================================================ 6. Birds in Keya Paha County ============================================================ Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 22:05:45 -0500 From: Carolyn Hall Subject: Birds in Keya Paha County Carolyn Hall wrote: > > May 26, 1998 > > Dear Birders. I know you all like to eat so: > > PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY DEAD AT 71 > > Veteran Pillsbury spokesman Pop N. Fresh died yesterday of a severe > yeast > infection. He was 71. Fresh was buried in one of the largest funeral > ceremonies in recent > years. Dozens of celebrities turned out including Mrs. Butterworth, the > California Raisins, > Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker, and the Hostess Twinkies. The graveside was > piled high with > flours as longtime friend Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy, describing > Fresh as a man who > "never knew how much he was kneaded." > Fresh rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with > many > turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of > his dough on half- > baked schemes. Still, even as a crusty old man, he was a roll model for > millions. > Fresh is survived by his second wife. They have two children and one > in the oven. > The funeral was held at 4:25 for about 20 minutes. > > XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX > > Bluebird babies update: This box had 3 eggs and 4 days later still 3 eggs. When I checked it 3 days later, it had 5 eggs and 3 days later 8 eggs. I think I lost a mother bluebird and a second bird took the nest and laid a complete clutch of 5 eggs. > This morning there were 7 babies in the box and one egg. This > afternoon I > extracted the egg from under all of the little bodies. It was not > pipped so maybe It just > won't hatch. I'll give it till Friday and then remove it. > I have placed mealworms on a post in front of the box. There were > about 50 > worms and 5 beetles in the pan. Tonight I could only see 2 beetles and > maybe 5 worms. I > wonder who ate the worms? I hope it was mama bluebird. I have not seen > a male bb > around to help her. I hope something has not happened to him. She has > an awful chore to > feed 7 babies even if I furnish some of the food. > > Wish I was better at identifying warblers. There were 2 different > calls this > afternoon at the ranch and a different call here when I got home at 7. > Couldn't get a good > look at any of them. > The male bobolinks have a beautiful melodious song which they sing > either from a > high perch or during a courtship flight. It always amazes me that a > dark (black) bird can > sing so beautifully. > The male dicksissel are also back but they are just noisy. Nothing > beautiful about > their song. > A male yellowthroat has taken up residence on the highline straight > south of this > house. His witchy, witchy, witchy call is easy to remember and > identify. > The Indigo bunting has not returned. I hope he does because he sang a > beautiful > song whenever I went for the mail about noon. I never did see her. She > is very sparrow > like but has an anstreaked back and a hint of blue on the tail (quoting > from the Golden > Book of Birds). > The lark sparrows have really been working the spotted spurge whic is > growing out > of the gravel driveway. I put the scope on them and found that they are > getting inchworms > about 1/2 inch long off the spurge leaves. Just like going through the > cafeteria. > I have a pair of tenaceous barn swallows trying to build a nest just > south of the > kitchen door under the porch roof. I keep knocking it down and telling > them to go nest > undet the calving shed but they just won't listen to reason. > > Carolyn Hall cjhall@huntel.net Springview, NE ============================================================ 7. birds-May 30 ============================================================ Date: Sat, 30 May 1998 14:16:46 -0500 (CDT) From: Joe Gubanyi Subject: birds-May 30 I visited Meadowlark Lake in the NE tip of Seward CO this AM and had two Henslow's sparrows singing in the prairie on the west side of the lake. They were away from the road about 100 m (not next to the road like last year). Also in Seward CO 3 miles to the west of Meadowlark Lake on County Line Rd. I had yellow-throated vireo ( a new county record for me). Joseph Gubanyi Concordia College Seward, NE 68434 (402) 643-7316 jgubanyi@seward.ccsn.edu ============================================================ 8. at home and on mudflats ============================================================ Date: Sat, 30 May 1998 14:51:39 -0500 From: "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Subject: at home and on mudflats NeBirders, Tuesday, May 26, in Buffalo County we heard Pine Siskins on the UNK campus. Wednesday, May 27, we heard an Eastern Wood Pewee at our home. Thursday, May 28, we saw two male and two female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at our home. In Kearney County four miles west of Heartwell at a series of flooded fields we saw a Swainson's Hawk, a Lesser Yellowlegs, two Spotted Sandpipers, a Semipalmated Sandpiper, six White-rumped Sandpipers, two Pectoral Sandpipers, a Stilt Sandpiper, five Wilson's Phalaropes, a Gray Catbird, Grasshopper Sparrows and an Orchard Oriole. Friday, May 29, in Buffalo County in Kearney we saw three Common Nighthawks. At our home 3 1/2 miles south of Gibbon we saw a first year male Orchard Oriole, a male and a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a male Black-headed Grosbeak. good birding and goodbye, Lanny and Robin Lanny Randolph and Robin Harding southcentral Nebraska 50370 24th Road Gibbon, Nebraska 68840 (308) 468-5057 home (308) 865-8647 work MarshWren@nctc.net RandolphL@platte.UNK.edu HardingR@Platte.UNK.edu ============================================================ 9. Unexpected visitor ============================================================ From: Date: Sat, 30 May 1998 22:56:45 EDT Subject: Unexpected visitor Ne Birders, We had an unexpected (and uninvited) visitor at my aunt's 90th birthday party on May 30. We were enjoying lunch on our patio when this young cowbird decided to perch on my aunt's head!! What a birthday present!!! A cousin shooed the bird away. It flew to a small tree nearby & squawked at us for awhile before flying away. No harm done, but quite a surprise. I've been trying to figure out why the bird picked her. Most of us had gray hair, so that doesn't seem to be it. Maybe her hairdo looked softer or something. Now I'm wondering whose nest this bird was hatched in. Alice Kenitz ============================================================ 10. [BIRDWG01] Spring Western Sandpiper in NE USA ============================================================ Date: Sat, 30 May 1998 22:40:15 -0500 From: "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Subject: [BIRDWG01] Spring Western Sandpiper in NE USA Nebraska birders, We thought this might be of interest to this group because of the recent discussion of Western Sandpipers. Lanny and Robin ............................................................. >>From owner-birdwg01@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sat May 30 21:10:11 1998 >Date: Sat, 30 May 1998 21:49:44 EDT >Sender: NBHC ID-FRONTIERS Frontiers of Field Identification > >From: Sandy Sherman >Subject: [BIRDWG01] Spring Western Sandpiper in NE USA > >Birdfolk, > I'm sure many of us remember Claudia Wild's stern questioning, "Have you ever >seen a Western Sandpiper on the East Coast in the spring?" >Her contention, by tone of voice alone, was that it never happens. > I sure wish she had been with me today. > While serving as a volunteer shorebird warden for the New Jersey DEP, >Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, Endangered and Nongame Species Program >(whew!) and the Nature Conservancy at East Point Lighthouse Beach, Cumberland >County, NJ, I had small numbers of Semipalmated Sandpipers early in the day, >and the numbers kept building. When I first saw them, I speculated that they >were likely female Semis from eastern Canada because the bills seemed so long. >The backs were all brown, with only a few birds having noticeable rusty >feathers, particularly one bird with a fairly rusty cap. And after all, >everyone knows there are no Westerns in the East in spring. > Later in the afternoon, I was scoping a flock of about 400 Semis, looking >for bands, when I noticed that one of the birds had a few rusty feathers on >the back. As I started to study the bird, it turned around. In the tight >flock, it clearly stood a little taller than the Semis, with a clearly longer, >slightly droopy bill. The face featured a white supercillium, with a faintly >brownish ear patch. Overall, I recall noticing the face gave a very light >appearance. The rusty feathers were in the scapular area. All across the >breast were fine, dark streaks, and the flanks showed a broken line of dark >streaks extending behind the leg. > The observations were made through a Kowa TSN2 with a zoom eyepiece, at >about 30 yards. The sun was not a major factor through the scope. >I made these notes before going to get my camera, with a 400mm lens, to >document the record. (I didn't even check a book for about 5 hours.) >When I returned with the camera, the birds flushed and had landed farther down >the beach. As the warden, I was telling visitors to stay OFF the beach, so it >would not have been a great idea to try to run after them. Many birds had >flown, but when some of the birds returned to my end of the beach, I found >what I thought was the same bird =97 until I noticed that the streaks on the >lower flanks were a different shape. I truly believe there were a number of >Westerns in the flock, but I was unable to document any others since I was >attending to my duties. > David Sibley's book The BIrds of Cape May indicates there are no accepted >records of Western Sandpiper in Cape May County between April 1 (overwintering >birds) to June 25 (southbound). (This site is just north of the county line.) > I don't necessarily want to pin this on El Ni=F1o, but has anyone else >documented Western Sandpiper on the East Coast this spring? >Sandy Sherman >Collingdale, PA >paavocet@aol.com ............................................................. Lanny Randolph and Robin Harding southcentral Nebraska 50370 24th Road Gibbon, Nebraska 68840 (308) 468-5057 home (308) 865-8647 work MarshWren@nctc.net RandolphL@platte.UNK.edu HardingR@Platte.UNK.edu ============================================================ 11. RWB, May 31 ============================================================ From: Date: Sun, 31 May 1998 20:18:20 EDT Subject: RWB, May 31 Hello all, Ross Silcock and I took another Sunday birding trip today the 31st of May. We started off great, at Meadowlark Lake in northeastern Seward Co. where we found 1 singing HENSLOW SPARROW that Joe Gubanyi had found there yesterday, Thanks Joe. From there we did a loop of the eastern rainwater basin, hoping for some stragglers at the tail end of shorebird migration. Here are the highlights: Seward Co. North Lake Basin WMA 2 AMERICAN BITTERN York Co. Waco Basin WPA 25 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER 1 SORA 2 HOODED MERGANSER Fillmore Co. Wilkins WPA * * 1 RUDDY TURNSTONE * * 15 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 355 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER 12 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER 18 PECTORAL SANDPIPER 3 DUNLIN 1 WILSON'S PHALAROPE Mallard Haven 45 BLACK TERN 35 SNOW GEESE Clay Co. Private marsh north of Hansen WPA 45 SNOW GOOSE 12 NORTHERN PINTAIL 3 GREEN-WING TEAL 10 PECTORAL SANDPIPER 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS Massie WPA 1 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Kissenger Basin WMA 3 AMERICAN WIDGEON 1 BOBOLINK Harvard WPA 5 EARED GREBE 1 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT 76 SNOW GOOSE 44 REDHEAD 2 RING-NECK DUCK 3 LESSER SCAUP 4 SPOTTED SANDPIPER 1 SANDERLING: banded - 2 bands on the right leg yellow over green 4 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 5 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER 12 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER 4 WILSON'S PHALAROPE 118 BLACK TERN John Sullivan Lincoln, Ne ============================================================ 12. Sunday birds ============================================================ Date: Sun, 31 May 1998 22:07:27 -0500 From: "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Subject: Sunday birds Nebraska birders, Sunday, May 31 at our home southeast of Gibbon, we saw a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. They must be nesting nearby. We also heard Sedge Wrens in the grassland behind our home. In Kearney County, in the sandhills-like prairie two miles southwest of Lowell, we saw a Blue Grosbeak and we heard Horned Larks and Grasshopper Sparrows singing. In a flooded corn field four miles west of Heartwell, we saw a female Hooded Merganser and a Spotted Sandpiper. In that general area, we saw a total of 25 White-rumped Sandpipers. In Adams County at the Kenesaw Marsh, we saw an American Coot, a Willow Flycatcher and at least two Cedar Waxwings. Back in Buffalo County, at Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary, we saw another Spotted Sandpiper. Hope all of you had a great weekend. Robin and Lanny Lanny Randolph and Robin Harding southcentral Nebraska 50370 24th Road Gibbon, Nebraska 68840 (308) 468-5057 home (308) 865-8647 work MarshWren@nctc.net RandolphL@platte.UNK.edu HardingR@Platte.UNK.edu ============================================================ 13. Mississippi Kite ============================================================ From: Date: Mon, 1 Jun 1998 00:02:11 EDT Subject: Mississippi Kite Nebraska birders, I had a message today about a Mississippi Kite north of Mitchell. I was unable to touch bases with Steve Kerr who left the message, so I'm not sure exactly when he saw the bird or anything more about. I will try to catch him in the next few days. Alice Kenit ============================================================ 14. RE: Western Sandpiper ============================================================ Date: Mon, 01 Jun 1998 19:02:47 -0500 From: Chris Hobbs Subject: RE: Western Sandpiper Dear NEBirders, Here's more fodder for the Western Sandpiper discussion. This is not to question the recent NE report - simply additional information to enlighten and educate. Enjoy! Chris Hobbs Bonner Springs, KS c-hobbs@worldnet.att.net Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Western Sandpiper Date: Sun, 31 May 1998 09:00:27 -0400 From: David Abbott To: BIRDWG01@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU In reply to the post on Western Sandpipers in mid Atlantic in Spring, it is true they are exceedingly rare during May (I have seen more Curlew Sandpipers in May in Virginia than May Westerns, for example). I remember discussing this with Claudia many years ago; she had only a few May records from Chincoteague. I remember standing at Chincoteague in May with other good birders who swore we were looking at Western's (many!) while I pointed out that, for various reasons, why they were Semipalmated. But my words fell on deaf ears. Later, talking this over with Claudia she mentioned that she has witnessed the same thing and this incident sparked her Western vs. Semi in Spring article published in the RAVEN (VSO publication). The point is, that Semi's travel much further than Westerns (one reason why so few Westerns have been recorded in UK). However, on the coast of Virginia, Westerns can be regularly found into April; they are virtually gone by week 3 of April. May 1998 has been unusual for shorebirds in Loudoun County, VA. I have had two Western's this Spring: 1, Greenways, Loudoun, 4/22/98; 1, there, 5/26/98. The April record doesn't surprise me as much as the May record. I have seen < 6 May Westerns in 30 yrs of birding VA. Having studied thousands in various springs on the west coast and on the east coast begining July 4, a breeding plumage Western is not the id problem we have been led to believe. In early July, when they arrive in the Delaware refuges, many are still in breeding plumage and most have some, so it is a good time to study Westerns in breeding plumage. Rule of thumb: if struggling with id, its not Western. One can spend hours sorting through Semi's turning a few into Westerns, but when an honest-to-goodness Western is seen there is little doubt. To me, a breeding Western is something like a breeding Dunlin without the black belly. They have a ground color of white covery throat, breast, flanks, sides and underparts. The breast, flanks and sides are heavily flecked with black, more noticeable and heavier on sides. Not densely, but distinct. This is somewhat simalar to breeding White-rumped. The black on sides often form arrowheads. Thus the breast and flanks are black-and-white. Legs are longer than Semi. Westerns bill is nearly always, regardless of length, pointed with a fine tip. Lower scaps of Semi are devided to the tip while in Western the fringe completely encircles the feather. It is normal for Semi to have narrow long black streaks on lower flanks, however. But if present they are seperated from grayish-brown or often dingy breast of Semi. Quite a number of Semis here as late as yesterday are lacking much of breeding plumage. So be warned. Semis often have considerable rust on their heads. I find the structure, underparts and mantle most useful. In general, look for a small Dunlin without the black belly! Good luck and Good Birding! David Abbott dfabbott@compuserve.com Ashburn VA ============================================================ 15. Re: Unexpected visitor ============================================================ From: "Ross Silcock" Subject: Re: Unexpected visitor Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 18:03:57 -0500 Alice: I hope you're not implying that the cowbird was fledged from someone's hairdo! I know you have some unique habitats out there, but this would be something! Ross ---------- > From: AKENITZ@aol.com > To: NeBirds@rip.physics.unk.edu > Subject: Unexpected visitor > Date: Saturday, May 30, 1998 9:56 PM > > Ne Birders, > We had an unexpected (and uninvited) visitor at my aunt's 90th birthday party > on May 30. We were enjoying lunch on our patio when this young cowbird > decided to perch on my aunt's head!! What a birthday present!!! A cousin > shooed the bird away. It flew to a small tree nearby & squawked at us for > awhile before flying away. No harm done, but quite a surprise. I've been > trying to figure out why the bird picked her. Most of us had gray hair, so > that doesn't seem to be it. Maybe her hairdo looked softer or something. Now > I'm wondering whose nest this bird was hatched in. > Alice Kenitz ============================================================ 16. banded Burrowing Owls ============================================================ Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 18:21:33 -0500 From: LANNY RANDOLPH Subject: banded Burrowing Owls Nebraska Birders, Many on this list are also on the SDbirds list. This is for those that are not also on that list. I got this message from that list. Lanny ................................................ From: SMTP%"tallmand@wolf.northern.edu" 2-JUN-1998 11:24:52.45 To: RANDOLPHL CC: Subj: FW: request for assistance Sender: owner-sd-birds@igc.org Subject: FW: request for assistance To: sd-birds X-Mailer: Microsoft Mail V3.0 ---------- From: Dowd Stukel, Eileen To: owner-sd-birds Subject: request for assistance Date: Monday, June 01, 1998 7:44PM If any of you plan to spend time on prairie dog towns this summer (or anywhere burrowing owls may be), please keep your eyes open for color-banded birds. Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management personnel have banded owls with USFWS aluminum bands and at least one color leg band. Please record the band combination (example - green over red on right and aluminum on left) and report it to me. I'll see that the information is transmitted to the appropriate person. Thanks a lot. Eileen Dowd Stukel SD Department of Game, Fish and Parks ============================================================ 17. [Fwd: FALCON WATCH] ============================================================ Date: Mon, 1 Jun 1998 19:18:42 -0500 From: rluehrs@kearney.net (Richard Luehrs) Subject: [Fwd: FALCON WATCH] >Date: Mon, 01 Jun 1998 07:48:12 -0500 >From: Karen Clark >Reply-To: kclark@ngpsun.ngpc.state.ne.us >Organization: Nebraska Game and Parks >MIME-Version: 1.0 >To: rluehrs@kearney.net >Subject: [Fwd: FALCON WATCH] > >Message-ID: <356EDCCD.66BC@ngpsun.ngpc.state.ne.us> >Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 11:05:33 -0500 >From: Karen Clark >Reply-To: kclark@ngpsun.ngpc.state.ne.us >Organization: Nebraska Game and Parks >X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0 (Win95; I) >MIME-Version: 1.0 >To: ALL >Subject: FALCON WATCH >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >The five Peregrine falcon chicks appear to be very healthy and are >growing very rapidly. > >Representatives from the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission will be at the >Woodmen Tower on Thursday, June 4th, at 2:30 PM to band, take blood >samples and determine the sex of the chicks. > >An area will be set up just off the lobby on the 28th floor of the >Woodmen Tower so the press can assemble to view the Peregrine Falcon >chicks as they are tested and banded. > >KAREN > Richard ============================================================ 18. June 2nd Birds ============================================================ Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 19:16:13 -0500 Subject: June 2nd Birds From: lpdlfrd@juno.com (Loren J. Padelford) Hi Nebraska birders, We heard 2 singing Henslow's Sparrows again today, June 2nd, on the west side of Meadowlark Lake, in Seward County. We also heard Bell's Vireo and Willow Flycatcher there. Meadowlark Lake is 2 miles north of Branched Oak Lake on NW 126th St., and 1 mile west on Little Salt Rd. In Lancaster County at Little Salt Fork Marsh, we saw about 12 White-rumped Sandpipers, 6 Pectorals, 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers & a Willow Flycatcher. Babs & Loren Padelford Bellevue, NE lpdlfrd@juno.com ============================================================ 19. Re: Unexpected visitor ============================================================ Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 20:55:32 -0500 From: rluehrs@kearney.net (Richard Luehrs) Subject: Re: Unexpected visitor At 6.03 PM -0500 6/2/98, Ross Silcock wrote: >I hope you're not implying that the cowbird was fledged from someone's >hairdo! I know you have some unique habitats out there, but this would be >something! Although it must be said that this could be a solution to the cowbirds' nasty habit of laying eggs in other birds' nests. What say we put together a brigade of people donating a few months of their time to serve as cowbird nests... Richard ============================================================ 20. Collared-Dove update ============================================================ Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 22:28:14 -0500 From: "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Subject: Collared-Dove update NeBirders, Roger Newcomb gave us an update on the Eurasian Collared-Doves that nested near his yard in Kearney, so we over to visit today. Roger and Marilyn have been seeing the two young doves every morning and evening on the ground in their yard where the Newcombs have been putting cracked corn out for them. The Newcombs have also been seeing two pairs of adults flying around the neighborhood. Today when we went over to visit, we saw two pairs of adults flying around but we did not see the young doves. The adults appear to be courting and Roger saw one of them carrying nesting material into a tree down the street. Are they going to become like Rock Doves? Robin Lanny Randolph and Robin Harding southcentral Nebraska 50370 24th Road Gibbon, Nebraska 68840 (308) 468-5057 home (308) 865-8647 work MarshWren@nctc.net RandolphL@platte.UNK.edu HardingR@Platte.UNK.edu ============================================================ 21. Buffalo County birds ============================================================ Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 00:16:25 -0500 From: "Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding" Subject: Buffalo County birds Hello Nebraska birders, Monday, June 1, in Buffalo County 4 miles north of Kearney and two miles east of highway 10 & 44 I saw a pair of Cinnamon Teal on a flooded field. The male was in breeding plumage. They were with one pair each of: Mallard, Blue-winged Teal and Gadwall. Tuesday, June 2, we heard an Eastern Phoebe at the first small bridge south of the Gibbon I-80 exit. We saw two American Avocets and a Lesser Yellowlegs at a wet meadow or flooded pasture about a mile northeast of the Minden I-80 exit. good birding and goodbye, Lanny and Robin Lanny Randolph and Robin Harding southcentral Nebraska 50370 24th Road Gibbon, Nebraska 68840 (308) 468-5057 home (308) 865-8647 work MarshWren@nctc.net RandolphL@platte.UNK.edu HardingR@Platte.UNK.edu ============================================================ 22. Re: Buffalo County birds ============================================================ Date: Wed, 03 Jun 1998 08:26:44 -0500 From: Carolyn Hall Subject: Re: Buffalo County birds Lanny and Robin, I love your birding reports. Thanks so much. Carolyn Hall Bassett, NE (The Sandhills Bluebird Lady) Lanny Randolph & Robin Harding wrote: > > Hello Nebraska birders, > > Monday, June 1, in Buffalo County 4 miles north > of Kearney and two miles east of highway 10 & 44 > I saw a pair of Cinnamon Teal on a flooded > field. The male was in breeding plumage. They > were with one pair each of: Mallard, Blue-winged > Teal and Gadwall. Tuesday, June 2, we heard an > Eastern Phoebe at the first small bridge south > of the Gibbon I-80 exit. We saw two American > Avocets and a Lesser Yellowlegs at a wet meadow > or flooded pasture about a mile northeast of > the Minden I-80 exit. > > good birding and goodbye, > Lanny and Robin > > Lanny Randolph and Robin Harding > southcentral Nebraska > 50370 24th Road > Gibbon, Nebraska 68840 > (308) 468-5057 home > (308) 865-8647 work > MarshWren@nctc.net > RandolphL@platte.UNK.edu > HardingR@Platte.UNK.edu ============================================================ 23. Re: [BIRDCHAT] State/provincial bird-record committees ============================================================ Date: Thu, 04 Jun 1998 17:37:29 -0500 From: Carolyn Hall Subject: Re: [BIRDCHAT] State/provincial bird-record committees NE Birders, I found this on BirdChat. Who is the official record keeper of the birds of Nebraska? Carolyn Hall Springview, NE cjhall@huntel.net Jim and Jude Williams wrote: > > I am seeking the names and addresses, both e-mail, if available, and > postal, of persons to contact for information about state/province bird > records. Perhaps the chair or secretary of the state records committee > would be the appropriate person. Any assistance will be much appreciated. > Thanks. > Jim Williams > Webster, Wisconsin > twojays@win.bright.net ============================================================ 24. Re: [BIRDCHAT] State/provincial bird-record committees ============================================================ From: "Ross Silcock" Subject: Re: [BIRDCHAT] State/provincial bird-record committees Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1998 18:07:54 -0500 Carolyn: I replied to the request and gave the name of Mark Brogie, Secretary of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Records Committee, which is charged with keeping the Official List of the Birds of Nebraska. Ross Silcock Tabor, IA ---------- > From: Carolyn Hall > To: NeBirds@rip.physics.unk.edu > Subject: Re: [BIRDCHAT] State/provincial bird-record committees > Date: Thursday, June 04, 1998 5:37 PM > > NE Birders, I found this on BirdChat. Who is the official record > keeper of the birds of Nebraska? > Carolyn Hall > Springview, NE > cjhall@huntel.net > > Jim and Jude Williams wrote: > > > > I am seeking the names and addresses, both e-mail, if available, and > > postal, of persons to contact for information about state/province bird > > records. Perhaps the chair or secretary of the state records committee > > would be the appropriate person. Any assistance will be much appreciated. > > Thanks. > > Jim Williams > > Webster, Wisconsin > > twojays@win.bright.net ============================================================ 25. Mississippi Kite ============================================================ From: Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1998 23:29:51 EDT Subject: Mississippi Kite Nebraska birders, A Mississippi Kite was seen Saturday & Sunday, May 30 & 31, and again yesterday, June 3, northwest of Mitchell. Steve Kerr, at whose place it has been seen, watched the bird for quite some time on the weekend & was able to take some photos. He saw it eat a mouse & said it also had a stick that it played with for quite awhile. As for the 'unexpected visitor' cowbird at my aunt's birthday party last week--I'm glad for the comments--my aunt is getting a big kick out of it. Alice Kenitz ============================================================ ===== end NeBirds 19980604.text =====