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1. Re: Official list of Nebraska birds web site
price_rip@hotmail.com (Robert I. Price)
Tue, 16 Jun 1998 12:24:50 +0100
2. Sutton's Burrowing Owl
ROBIN HARDING <HARDINGR@platte.unk.edu>
Tue, 16 Jun 1998 13:38:13 -0500
3. Re: Sutton's Burrowing Owl
Ross Lock <rlock@ngpsun.ngpc.state.ne.us>
Tue, 16 Jun 1998 16:25:42 -0700
4. Administrivia
price_rip@hotmail.com (Robert I. Price)
Wed, 17 Jun 1998 00:18:32 +0100
5. June Warblers
LANNY RANDOLPH <RANDOLPHL@platte.unk.edu>
Wed, 17 Jun 1998 11:18:26 -0500
6. Bubbas Bird Report
"murwille" <murwille@genie.esu10.k12.ne.us>
Wed, 17 Jun 1998 18:31:02 -0500
7. Re:June Warblers and Snow Geese
jwhall2@juno.com (John W. Hall)
Wed, 17 Jun 1998 20:55:11 -0500
8. Say's Phoebe
Jan Johnson <jjohnson@mother.esu1.k12.ne.us>
Wed, 17 Jun 1998 21:05:51 -0500 (CDT)
9. Sutton's Buttowing Owl
"Linda R. Brown" <lb14735@navix.net>
Thu, 18 Jun 1998 16:10:32 +0000
10. NOU web site
ROBIN HARDING <HARDINGR@platte.unk.edu>
Fri, 19 Jun 1998 11:50:05 -0500
11. Re: NOU web site
Ross Lock <rlock@ngpsun.ngpc.state.ne.us>
Fri, 19 Jun 1998 15:45:40 -0700
12. bewildering Belted Kingfisher behaviour
LANNY RANDOLPH <RANDOLPHL@platte.unk.edu>
Fri, 19 Jun 1998 19:26:31 -0500
13. Great-tailed Grackle in Scottsbluff Co.
<AKENITZ@aol.com>
Fri, 19 Jun 1998 22:54:33 EDT
14. Birding in northern NE & southern SD
Carolyn Hall <cjhall@huntel.net>
Fri, 19 Jun 1998 22:21:36 -0500
15. Bubbas Bird Report 6/21/98
"murwille" <murwille@genie.esu10.k12.ne.us>
Sun, 21 Jun 1998 13:11:26 -0500
16. Gray Partridge
Joe Gubanyi <JGUBANYI@seward.ccsn.edu>
Mon, 22 Jun 1998 10:24:21 -0500 (CDT)
17. Re: Gray Partridge
pkaufman@sccm.cc.ne.us (Paul Kaufman)
Mon, 22 Jun 1998 10:42:48 -0500
18. The Clark's Grebe Salute
LANNY RANDOLPH <RANDOLPHL@platte.unk.edu>
Mon, 22 Jun 1998 13:05:13 -0500
19. addition
LANNY RANDOLPH <RANDOLPHL@platte.unk.edu>
Mon, 22 Jun 1998 15:16:17 -0500
20. Schramm / Cracker Barrel
johnsllvn@juno.com (John C Sulllivan)
Mon, 22 Jun 1998 17:27:25 -0500
21. Re: Gray Partridge
"Ross Silcock" <silcock@sidney.heartland.net>
Mon, 22 Jun 1998 18:21:18 -0500
22. Weekend birds: Chalco Hills Recreation area & Schramm Park
jwhall2@juno.com (John W. Hall)
Mon, 22 Jun 1998 19:45:58 -0500
23. Lanny and Robin
"Ross Silcock" <silcock@sidney.heartland.net>
Mon, 22 Jun 1998 20:48:18 -0500
24. Carolina Parakeets
jkovanda@juno.com (James Kovanda)
Tue, 23 Jun 1998 12:15:22 EDT
25. Re: Carolina Parakeets
johnsllvn@juno.com (John C Sulllivan)
Tue, 23 Jun 1998 17:15:08 -0500
26. Re: Carolina Parakeets
"Lloyd D. Moore" <ictinia@swbell.net>
Tue, 23 Jun 1998 17:38:45 -0500
27. Re: Carolina Parakeets
"Ross Silcock" <silcock@sidney.heartland.net>
Tue, 23 Jun 1998 18:09:22 -0500
28. Re: Carolina Parakeets
"Ross Silcock" <silcock@sidney.heartland.net>
Tue, 23 Jun 1998 21:20:50 -0500
29. Re:Monk Parakeets
jkovanda@juno.com (James Kovanda)
Wed, 24 Jun 1998 09:59:21 EDT
30. Common Loon plumage ID
ROBIN HARDING <HARDINGR@platte.unk.edu>
Thu, 25 Jun 1998 9:23:33 -0500
31. Chuck-Wills-Widow
johnsllvn@juno.com (John C Sulllivan)
Wed, 24 Jun 1998 23:31:16 -0500
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 12:24:50 +0100 From: price_rip@hotmail.com (Robert I. Price) Subject: Re: Official list of Nebraska birds web site At 4:26 PM 6/8/98, Jan Johnson wrote: >A possibility for additions to the NOU web page might be adding an >archives for the weekly Nebraska birdline so that sightings can be compared >over the years. You might want to check out Wisconsin's archived sighting >page at http://keaggy.intmed.mcw.edu/wiaves/webpage.html to see what I >mean. <SingSong Style="Naa,Na-Naa,Na-Naa-Naa" HappyDanceMode=ON> I hav'a new server. I hav'a new server. I hav'a new serrrrver... </SingSong> My new server is a Power Macintosh G3 with four Gigs of HardDrive space and a 266 MHz processor. Therefore, I will be able to serve up lots more stuff,faster. In addition, the AutoShare software now seems to be HTML savvy. This means that after I HTML the old files I will be able to construct the data structure as requested. In addition I would like someone "out there" to volunteer to periodically write a summary for the NeBirds list. The summary does not need to be weekly, but some regularity would be helpful. I would place this summary in a logical (to be determined later) part of the NOU data structure. I am not an Ornithologist so I do not know the best format or content for the summary, but I think we have a <grin>few</grin> people on this list that could provide a bit of advice. >I like what you have thus far. > > >****************************************************************************** > > Jan Johnson ___ Children are a message > Wakefield Community Schools <*,*> we send to a time we > Wakefield, NE 68784 ['-'] will not see. > jjohnson@mother.esu1.k12.ne.us _"_"_
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 13:38:13 -0500 From: ROBIN HARDING <HARDINGR@platte.unk.edu> Subject: Sutton's Burrowing Owl Nebraska birders, Does anyone remember where I can find the story about how the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union (NOU) chose Sutton's Burrowing Owl drawing as their "logo?" Robert Price and I have been talking about putting that story on the NOU web page. Robin
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 16:25:42 -0700 From: Ross Lock <rlock@ngpsun.ngpc.state.ne.us> Subject: Re: Sutton's Burrowing Owl There are actually two stories that describe the "process" used in selecting the burrowing owl as the logo for the NOU and Nebraska Bird Review. See Volume 1, January 1933, No.1, pg.16; and Volume VI, January-June 1938, No. 1, pg.25 of the Nebraska Bird Review. I suggest that you contact Mary Pritchard, NOU Librarian, UNL State Museum, Lincoln for access to these volumes. Mary might also be aware of other information on the subject. I could also photocopy the pertinent parts from these volumes that are in the NGPC library. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ross A. Lock Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Ph: 402/471-5438 2200 North 33rd.Str. rlock@ngpsun.ngpc.state.ne.us Lincoln, NE 68503-1417 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 00:18:32 +0100 From: price_rip@hotmail.com (Robert I. Price) Subject: Administrivia Please ignore this message, I am changing a few setting on this server and I needed to send a message to trigger AutoShare to create some files for me. While I am working I have set a few detours, so your traffic will be routed around the construction zone. By the time any of you see this I should have AutoShare doing my bidding and I should have removed all detour signs, barriers, lights, et cetera. Good Night, RIP
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 11:18:26 -0500 From: LANNY RANDOLPH <RANDOLPHL@platte.unk.edu> Subject: June Warblers Nebraska birders, Last week I sent a message to this list entitled Grosbeaks, Wrens and Warblers in which I asked about why are there so many June Warblers this year. When he returned from his trip, Ross Silcock sent an answer privately. I've asked his permission to repost it to NeBirds. He gave it, but I guess he didn't send it to the list in the first place because he wasn't completely satisfied with his answer. But I like it, here goes: ................................................. Lanny: Warblers (and many other birds) may straggle in migration and remain in NE outside their breeding range. This year in particular there seem to be many late warblers in NE and neighboring states. They may be unhealthy or have been held up in some way along the way. Presence in June doesn't mean they might breed (like Snow Geese!). As you know, many sandpipers are still migrating north in June (White-rumps, Semis), and Greater Yellowlegs are starting back now (John Sullivan and I saw 2 in Sioux Co on Sunday). Every species has its own schedule! Hope this helps. Ross Silcock Tabor, IA ................................................. Lanny Lanny Randolph southcentral Nebraska 50370 24th rd Gibbon Ne. 68840 RandolphL@Platte.UNK.edu 308-468-5057
From: "murwille" <murwille@genie.esu10.k12.ne.us>
Subject: Bubbas Bird Report
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 18:31:02 -0500
Hello Nebraska Birders,
The "Bird Bubbas" of Kearney (Mark Urwiller, John Kozak and John Murphy)
went down to Funk to check out the Clark's Grebe. We saw it.
We also (still) saw the female/Imm. Hooded Mergansers and the Imm. Common
Loon is still at Union Pacific SRA near Odessa.
Mark Urwiller
4711 Heather Lane
Kearney NE 68847
Phone: 308-234-6536
Internet:
murwille@genie.esu10.k12.ne.us
http://162.127.10.1/~murwille/7hills.htm
http://204.234.2.2/~murwille/7hills.htm
http://162.127.10.1/~murwille/resume.htm
http://204.234.2.2/~murwille/birding.htm
_=_ _____________________
______--' '--______ (|__________________/
'-------------------' //
'-.-' \ \ //
\ ----------//-----=
-}| =^====--- _/)
\_____________/
"Live long and prosper"
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 20:55:11 -0500 Subject: Re:June Warblers and Snow Geese From: jwhall2@juno.com (John W. Hall) Since you folks mentioned Snow Geese, there are 4 snows and 2 Blues that settled into a plowed field just off the I-80 and I-29 interchange beside the AGM elevator. These birds must have come down in the heavy rain over the weekend, and have been comfortably grazing there since. John W. Hall Omaha, Nebraska jwhall2@juno.com
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 21:05:51 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jan Johnson <jjohnson@mother.esu1.k12.ne.us>
Subject: Say's Phoebe
WE returned late Sunday night from a quick trip to Michigan. Almost the
first bird I heard in the yard on Monday morning was a Say's Phoebe. We
had three on our place northwest of Wakefield in Dixon County last summer
but never found a nest. The lone bird was back again yesterday singing
inthe same area as last year's birds. Today was much too windy to see or
hear anything. Since this is the second year we've had them I am in hopes
they are establishing themselves in our area.
******************************************************************************
Jan Johnson ___ Children are a message
Wakefield Community Schools <*,*> we send to a time we
Wakefield, NE 68784 ['-'] will not see.
jjohnson@mother.esu1.k12.ne.us _"_"_
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 16:10:32 +0000
From: "Linda R. Brown" <lb14735@navix.net>
Subject: Sutton's Buttowing Owl
In reply to Robin Harding's query about why the N.O.U. chose the
Sutton's Burrowing Owl and Ross Lock's follow-up references in the
Nebraska Bird Review, I will type up what I found. (I happen to have a
full set of the Nebraska Bird Review sitting by the computer on loan
from Paul Johnsgard. I have agreed to chair preparations for the 100th
anniversary of the N.O.U. to be celebrated here in Lincoln the weekend
of May 15th, 1999. Beings I am a relative newcomer to the N.O.U., I
thought I better do a little homework to sensitize myself to the work of
the organization. The Bird Reviews take up an entire shelf. That's a lot
of homework!)
The first reference cited by Ross Lock at Game and Parks refers to the
selection of the Burrowing Owl. At that time (1933) a different picture
(by Ridgway) was used. In 1938, we started using the Sutton drawing.
The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 1, January 1933, N. 1, pg 16:
Probably one of the first things that attracted your attention
in connection with this first issue of the Nebraska Bird Review
was the figure of the Western Burrowing Owl on the front
cover
page, in its characteristic prairie dog town habitat. The
figure used is one that was drawn nearly forty years ago by
J.L. Ridgway for Dr. A.K. Fisher's paper on the "Hawks and
Owls as Related to the Farmer", published in the Yearbook for
1894 (p. 226) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The
general appropriateness of using an illustration of this
common and typical bird of the western plains on the cover of
a publication devoted to Nebraska ornithology is obvious. In
fact, just a few years back the Western Burrowing Owl was
suggested, and with good reasons, as a proper candidate for
selection as the state bird of Nebraska. But there is an
additional propriety, not so well known, in our selection of this
species in 1825 from specimens taken by the Major Long
Expedition in June, 1820, along the Platte River in central
Nebraska. (Editor in 1933: Myron H. Swenk)
The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume VI, January-June 1938, No. 1, pg.25:
With the present issue of the Nebraska Bird Review, now
established on a semi-annual basis, you will note several
changes. Conspicuous among these is the stiff-papered sepia cover
to our magazine, and outstanding on the front cover page is a
new illustration of the Western Burrowing Owl, the N.O.U.
"mascot bird", in characteristic pose. The pen and ink
drawing for this splendid illustration was most generously
donated to us by Dr.George Miksch Sutton, the well known
ornithologist and distinguished author, who is equally well known
as a painter of birds and probably has no living superior in
that art. As Dr. Sutton has at different times expressed to
your Editor, he retains a warm regard for Nebraska, having lived
in the state and studied its birds during the early part of his
ornithological career, and his providing us with a suitable new
illustration for our cover is his concrete demonstration of that
regard, which certainly is reciprocated by all of us. Thank you
very much, Dr. Sutton. (Editor in 1938: Myron H. Swenk)
Respectfully submitted,
Linda R. Brown
3745 Garfield
Lincoln, NE 68506-1028
402 489-2381
lb14735@navix.net
P.S. As an interesting coincidence, Paul Johnsgard's most recent book is
Baby Bird Portraits, by George Miksch Sutton. It is based on
watercolors in the Field Museum in Chicago and was published by
University of Oklahoma Press in Norman, copyright 1998.
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 11:50:05 -0500 From: ROBIN HARDING <HARDINGR@platte.unk.edu> Subject: NOU web site Nebraska birders, Lanny and I had a ball today looking at the NOU web site. Robert Price has done wonderful work on it. He added a couple articles about the Burrowing Owl drawing and he has links to the NeBirds list archives. Please tell us what you think of it, the address is http://rip.physics.unk.edu/NOU/ Have fun, Robin
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 15:45:40 -0700 From: Ross Lock <rlock@ngpsun.ngpc.state.ne.us> Subject: Re: NOU web site The web site gets better and better with each addition. The archives is a great idea. Now we do not have to use up a lot of computer file space storing all of the bird observations. I particulary like the hot links for the number and email address assigned to each report that were provided in the June 4 - 15 set of reports. Saves a lot of time scrolling to find information in a specific report. Usefulness of the archives would be improved if the birders reporting observations were to be sure to include in the title of their report, the date of observation; species or groups of species seen; the physiographic region of the state (i.e. Six Species of Warblers on Niobrara River - 5/22,23/98; Grosbeaks, Wrens, and Warblers - Central Platte River; 200 Snow Geese in the Rainwater Basins - 6/1/98), or name of the area where observations were made (i.e. W. Grebes and Black Terns at Crescent Lake NWR - 6/9/98; Clark's Grebe at Funk Lagoon - 5/25/98). That way if someone wanted to search the archives for information on when and where (specific area or region of the state) certain bird species were seen, they would not have to open up every report. A computer file search vehicle would be even a better way of accessing the archives. Future project? Keep up the good work! Ross Lock Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 19:26:31 -0500 From: LANNY RANDOLPH <RANDOLPHL@platte.unk.edu> Subject: bewildering Belted Kingfisher behaviour Hi Nebraska birders, This morning while we were getting ready for work, Robin and I saw a Belted Kingfisher on the powerline attached to our house. Robin saw it first. We live south of Gibbon just north of the Platte River. The distance between our eyes and the kingfisher was about fifteen feet. It stayed about twenty minutes. The most odd thing about it was that it was perched above a bucket of water I had left on the patio. Now, I don't think the silly bird thought there were minnows in the bucket. But, what *was* it doing? Is fish the only item on their menu? I'll have to look that up when I get home. We do have a pair of Barn Swallows with eggs in a nest under the overhang above our patio. The Barn Swallows going to and from the nest do hover a lot. And while The Belted Kingfisher was there, the swallow not on the nest hovered under the overhang at different places all around the house as if looking for a place to renest. After the kingfisher left, everthing was back to normal. The swallow not on the nest was on their favorite perch beside and above our door about ten feet from the nest on a wire leading to a light. While the kingfisher was there, it was about five feet from the nest and about ten feet from the little wire near our door. Curiouser and curiouser. Another thing I noticed, Belted Kingfishers look huge from that close. I wish we could have gotten a picture with both the kingfisher and the bucket of water in the same frame. good birding and goodbye, Lanny
From: <AKENITZ@aol.com> Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 22:54:33 EDT Subject: Great-tailed Grackle in Scottsbluff Co. Hi, Did my BBS this morning and found nothing unexpected. But I did spend a little time scoping Kiowa WMA south of Morrill after I finished the BBS. I did finally find one Great-tailed Grackle. This species was found there during the NOU Spring Meeting. Alice Kenitz
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 22:21:36 -0500
From: Carolyn Hall <cjhall@huntel.net>
Subject: Birding in northern NE & southern SD
Road Trip from Bassett, NE to Clearfield, SD
Friday June 19, 1998
Hello from the beautiful and wet Niobrara River Valley in northern
Nebraska,
Today I returned the quilt display racks (thirty 16 foot 2x4's and
twenty 8 foot 2x8
standards) to a ranch about 6 miles northwest of Clearfield, SD. This
area has had a very
wet spring. We received about 2 1/2 inches of rain from Sunday till
Thursday. My quilt
guild had a Quilt Show at the Ranch Expo in Bassett on Wednesday and
Thursday.
The country is wet, green and full of flowers. The small soapweed
(yucca glauca)
are in full flower, the shell-leafed penstemon (Penstemon grandiflorus)
or large bluebells
are just about finished, the western wild rose (Rosa woodsii) are so
fragrant you could
smell them going down the highway at 50 miles per hour. (That was a
heavy load om my
1988 Ford Ranger pick-up truck!) Some of the pastures are yellow with
greenthread
(Thelesperma filifolium) with prairie spiderwort (Tradescantia
occidentalis) in purple to set
of the yellow. The lone spikes of prairie larkspur (Delphinium
virescens) look like
exclamation marks along the road ditches.
Well, enough on grasses and forbs. I awoke this morning to gloreous
sundlight and
a rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) singing his heart out
from the top of the
elm tree by my window. He was soon joined by the song of a house wren
Troglodytes
aedon) and American robin (Turdus migratorius). There was also several
other songs
which if I was a better "ear birder" perhaps I could identify. I think
one was a warbling
vereo (Vereo gilvus).
As I drove out to the highway, the redwing blackbirds (Agelaius
phoeniceus),
dicksissel (Spiza americana), bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and
western meadowlarks
(Sturnellz neglecta) were everywhere. When I reached the top of the
hills north of the
Niobrara River there were four turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) riding
the thermals.
On the 60 mile drive north I saw lark buntings (Calamospiza
melanocorys), horned
larks (Eremophila alpestris) and lark sparrows (Chondestes grammacus)
were along the
fencelines with lots more meadowlarks and red-winged blackbirds. There
were brown-
headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) were everywhere including around the
herds of cattle.
I only saw one raptor-a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).
After unloading the quilt frames, I drove to the end of South Dakota
highway 53
and then on to the gravel road. This is about a mile west and 2 miles
south of Clearfield,
SD. There was this wonderful wetland bisected by the gravel road. The
first birds I saw
were the spectacularly colored yellow-headed blackbirds (Xanthocephalus
xanthocephalus)
just everywhere in the cattails and reeds. Then a American coot and one
young swam by.
With a little patient glassing I found 4 more young in the edge of the
reeds and a nest with
an adult sitting on it across the road. The call rather like the
grunting of a pig must have
been the coots. I had thought I might see a bittern or some of the
rails but none showed
themselves. As I was leaving, a pair of blue-winged teal (Anas discors)
flew from part of
the wetland to the wast side of the road. There were American white
pelicans (Pelecanus
erythrorhynchos) on the far side of the wetland east of the road. I
think there were at least
two juveniles with the pelicans.
When I dropped south into the Keya Paha (turtle hill) river valley I
heard and saw
what I thought was a curlew but when I stopped to look for it, it was a
Lesser yellowlegs
(Tringa flavipes). It flew up from the wet meadow, circles and came to
rest on a fence
post about 10 yards from me. Cursing me out for disturbing it!!!!!
All along the way I saw northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) and
red-headed wood
peckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus).
I checked my eastern bluebird (Sialia sialia) boxes as I returned. The
first hatch has
fledged (5) and they are now making their second nest. The second nest
box has a family
of 7 tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in it.
When I returned home the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) was again
trying to build
a nest above my east kitchen door. They are so messy and there is a
barn just 100 yards
east but no, they just have to build under that porch. So, once again I
knocked down the
beginnings of a mud nest. I can't seem to get through to her that she
is wasting her time!
Under the concrete bridge across the Niobrara river there are cliff
swallows
(Hirundo pyrrhonota). The belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) was
patiently sitting on a limb
above the river.
It is getting late and I need to make some rhubarb sauce so better get
the rhubarb
picked before it gets dark.
Carolyn Hall
Bassett, Nebraska, USA
cjhall@huntel.net
From: "murwille" <murwille@genie.esu10.k12.ne.us>
Subject: Bubbas Bird Report 6/21/98
Date: Sun, 21 Jun 1998 13:11:26 -0500
Hello Nebraska Birders,
The Bird Bubbas of Kearney (Mark Urwiller, John Kozak, and John Murphy)
went out for about 4 hours this morning. Here are the highlights:
Imm. Common Loon - continues at Union Pacific SRA (Odessa)
Virginia Rail - South of the first minimum maintanence road East of the
Kiosk at Funk WPA
Swamp Sparrow - Same Location
Female Hooded Merganser - Funk WPA
Black Crowned Night Heron - Private marsh 2 miles East of Funk WPA
Indigo Bunting - a pair near East entrance of Sacramento/Wilcox WPA
Turkeys - vocalizing, same location
A complete list of our 66 species can be seen at my web site (address in
signature file). I'll be out of town for a couple of weeks. I'll start
reporting again upon my return. Good Birding to all!
Mark Urwiller
4711 Heather Lane
Kearney NE 68847
Phone: 308-234-6536
Internet:
murwille@genie.esu10.k12.ne.us
http://162.127.10.1/~murwille/7hills.htm
http://204.234.2.2/~murwille/7hills.htm
http://162.127.10.1/~murwille/resume.htm
http://204.234.2.2/~murwille/birding.htm
_=_ _____________________
______--' '--______ (|__________________/
'-------------------' //
'-.-' \ \ //
\ ----------//-----=
-}| =^====--- _/)
\_____________/
"Live long and prosper"
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 10:24:21 -0500 (CDT) From: Joe Gubanyi <JGUBANYI@seward.ccsn.edu> Subject: Gray Partridge I am going to Niobrara Stae Park next weekend with family and friends for a couple of days of camping. Are there any good places within an hour of the park that I might be able to find Gray Partridge? I understand that the northeast part of the state is one of the better parts of the state to find gray partridge. Thanks in advance for any help. Joseph Gubanyi Concordia College Seward, NE 68434 (402) 643-7316 jgubanyi@seward.ccsn.edu
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 10:42:48 -0500 From: pkaufman@sccm.cc.ne.us (Paul Kaufman) Subject: Re: Gray Partridge Joe, > I am going to Niobrara Stae Park next weekend with family and friends for a > couple of days of camping. Are there any good places within an hour of the > park that I might be able to find Gray Partridge? I understand that the > northeast part of the state is one of the better parts of the state to find > gray partridge. Thanks in advance for any help. No clue Joe, we've seen them in SD but never NE. :) I would guess Brogies can help out. I'd like to hear about your trips to KS and western NE. We had a mockingbird at our house on Friday (flying at the netting on the living room window!), but it never re-appeared on Saturday. I'll let you know if it shows up again. Take care, Paul
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 13:05:13 -0500 From: LANNY RANDOLPH <RANDOLPHL@platte.unk.edu> Subject: The Clark's Grebe Salute Green-winged Teal, Franklin's Gulls, Marbled Godwits and Wilson's Phalaropes in the western Rain Water Basin in late June Hello Nebraska birders, June 21 in Buffalo County at our home Robin and I heard a Sedge Wren and Spotted Towhees. We heard the Eastern Phoebe at its little bridge just south of the Gibbon I-80 exit. At the Union Pacific State Recreation Area we saw the immature Common Loon, at least seven Cedar Waxwings and an Orchard Oriole. In Phelps County, half way between Johnson Waterfowl Protection Area and Funk Lagoon, we saw a Blue Grosbeak. At Johnson WPA we saw an Eared Grebe, about twelve Ruddy Ducks, a Swainson's Hawk, two Sedge Wrens, a Grasshopper Sparrow, at least three Bobolinks and at least nine Great-tailed Grackles. One mile east of the Johnson WPA property line, across the road from the Magill Cemetery, we saw a Burrowing Owl. Also in Phelps County at Funk Lagoon we saw the Clark's Grebe, six Green-winged Teal (one of which was a partial albino), a female Hooded Merganser, a Cooper's Hawk, a Virginia Rail, two Greater Yellowlegs, a Spotted Sandpiper, two Marbled Godwits, nine Wilson's Phalaropes, about forty Franklin's Gulls, a Swamp Sparrow and about fifteen Great-tailed Grackles. We had an enormous amount of fun yesterday. Why did the Virginia Rail cross the road? To give Robin and Lanny good looks and many belly laughs. But, the Clark's Grebe out did the rail. It waved at us with one of its feet. On different occassions, I've seen a Common Loon and Common Mergansers flap there feet around, but they rolled onto their side to reach a foot up and play with their toes with their bill. The Clark's Grebe was swimming straight ahead and reached its leg straight up like a flag pole to wave its foot. It did this several times. What a hoot! Lanny Lanny Randolph southcentral Nebraska 50370 24th rd Gibbon Ne. 68840 RandolphL@Platte.UNK.edu MarshWren@nctc.net 308-468-5057
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 15:16:17 -0500 From: LANNY RANDOLPH <RANDOLPHL@platte.unk.edu> Subject: addition Hi Nebraska birders, Mark Urwiller sent us this: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Swamp Sparrow - South of the first minimum maintanence road East of the Kiosk at Funk WPA xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The Swamp Sparrow that we reported for June 21 in the morning was about a mile and a half away from there. So, those of you keeping score now know there are two locations at Funk Lagoon with at least one Swamp Sparrow this year in late June. I'm surprised that we didn't see the Bubbas yesterday. I'll check with Mark or one of the Johns if Mark has left already to see if any other of the species we both recorded were far enough away from each other to possibly be two instead of one individual. Lanny Lanny Randolph southcentral Nebraska 50370 24th rd Gibbon Ne. 68840 RandolphL@Platte.UNK.edu MarshWren@nctc.net 308-468-5057
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 17:27:25 -0500 Subject: Schramm / Cracker Barrel From: johnsllvn@juno.com (John C Sulllivan) Hello All, A small group of Wachiska Birders; Elaine Bachel, Kevin Grahams, Anne Vidaver, Diane West and I took a trip to Schramm SP Saturday morning. Although the birding was pretty slow, as everyone that has been to the eastern forests in the last 3 weeks knows, the 17 year Cicadas are putting on a spectacular show! We did manage to come up with 63 Species for the morning, the highlights were: at Schramm: BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, BELTED KINGFISHER, CAROLINA WREN, RED-EYED VIREO, SCARLET TANAGER and INDIGO BUNTING. At the Cracker Barrel Marsh: LITTLE BLUE HERON (4 adults and 1 immature), HOODED MERGANSER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, UPLAND SANDPIPER, BLUE GROSBEAK and GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE. John Sullivan Lincoln, Ne **Note New E-Mail Address** _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
From: "Ross Silcock" <silcock@sidney.heartland.net> Subject: Re: Gray Partridge Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 18:21:18 -0500 Joe and all: While I certainly defer to Mark on Gray Partridge, my experience and recommendation are as follows: Recent sightings (including one John Sullivan and I made May 25) have been in the area from Creighton n about 4 mi and e about 7 mi. I would drive dirt roads (not gravel) and glass short or mowed grassy edges around crop fields. A careful look is needed as these birds generally look like dirt clods unless you get lucky and see one walking or flying. John and I saw one 6 mi e of the e edge of Creighton, 1 mi n, and about 0.5 mi east and another ws 3 mi n of Ceighton (Brogie). Good luck! Ross Silcock Tabor, IA ---------- > From: Joe Gubanyi <JGUBANYI@seward.ccsn.edu> > To: NEBIRDS@rip.physics.unk.edu > Subject: Gray Partridge > Date: Monday, June 22, 1998 10:24 AM > > I am going to Niobrara Stae Park next weekend with family and friends for a > couple of days of camping. Are there any good places within an hour of the > park that I might be able to find Gray Partridge? I understand that the > northeast part of the state is one of the better parts of the state to find > gray partridge. Thanks in advance for any help. > > Joseph Gubanyi > Concordia College > Seward, NE 68434 > (402) 643-7316 > jgubanyi@seward.ccsn.edu >
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 19:45:58 -0500 Subject: Weekend birds: Chalco Hills Recreation area & Schramm Park From: jwhall2@juno.com (John W. Hall) Two quick trips amidst family obligations this weekend. Chalco Hills Recreation area: Indigo Bunting 3, Blackpoll Warbler 1, Coopers Hawk 4 Schramm Park: Scarlet Tanager 1, Indigo Bunting 5, Whip-poor-will 2 John W. Hall Omaha, Nebraska jwhall2@juno.com
From: "Ross Silcock" <silcock@sidney.heartland.net> Subject: Lanny and Robin Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 20:48:18 -0500 Lanny and Robin: Great post re the Clark's Grebe Salute and the Va Rail. Maybe the Clar's was doing some Navy signal, Lanny? Not sure what it is about you guys, but strange things happen when you're afoot! Ross Silcock Tabor, IA silcock@sidney.heartland.net
Subject: Carolina Parakeets From: jkovanda@juno.com (James Kovanda) Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 12:15:22 EDT To: Ross Silcock Ross, What do you hear about the Carolina Parakeets at Freedom Park. Has anyone seen them recently? Jim Kovanda _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 17:15:08 -0500 Subject: Re: Carolina Parakeets From: johnsllvn@juno.com (John C Sulllivan) On Tue, 23 Jun 1998 12:15:22 EDT jkovanda@juno.com (James Kovanda) writes: >To: Ross Silcock > >Ross, > >What do you hear about the Carolina Parakeets at Freedom Park. Has >anyone seen them recently? > >Jim Kovanda Jim, I stopped at Freedom Park 6-17, arrived at 8:30 PM and stayed until dark, 9:45 and the Parakeets didn't show up. John _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 17:38:45 -0500 From: "Lloyd D. Moore" <ictinia@swbell.net> Subject: Re: Carolina Parakeets It has always been my impression that Carolina Parakeets have been extinct for some time. Am I wrong or have they come back from the dead? Lloyd John C Sulllivan wrote: > On Tue, 23 Jun 1998 12:15:22 EDT jkovanda@juno.com (James Kovanda) > writes: > >To: Ross Silcock > > > >Ross, > > > >What do you hear about the Carolina Parakeets at Freedom Park. Has > >anyone seen them recently? > > > >Jim Kovanda > > Jim, > > I stopped at Freedom Park 6-17, arrived at 8:30 PM and stayed until dark, > 9:45 and the Parakeets didn't show up. > > John > > _____________________________________________________________________ > You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. > Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com > Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] -- Lloyd D. Moore 1250 Scott Avenue Kansas City, Kansas 66105 E-mail: ictinia@swbell.net "Like the winds and sunsets wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them." - Aldo Leopold
From: "Ross Silcock" <silcock@sidney.heartland.net> Subject: Re: Carolina Parakeets Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 18:09:22 -0500 John and Jim: I wouldn't wait too long for Carolina Parakeets!!! I haven't heard anything more on the Monk Parakeets there either. Other than what John told me, that they apparently disappear during the day when the crowds are there, but as John says, they never showed up the evening he was there. Ross Silcock Tabor, IA silcock@sidney.heartland.net ---------- > From: John C Sulllivan <johnsllvn@juno.com> > To: NeBirds@rip.physics.unk.edu > Subject: Re: Carolina Parakeets > Date: Tuesday, June 23, 1998 5:15 PM > > > On Tue, 23 Jun 1998 12:15:22 EDT jkovanda@juno.com (James Kovanda) > writes: > >To: Ross Silcock > > > >Ross, > > > >What do you hear about the Carolina Parakeets at Freedom Park. Has > >anyone seen them recently? > > > >Jim Kovanda > > Jim, > > I stopped at Freedom Park 6-17, arrived at 8:30 PM and stayed until dark, > 9:45 and the Parakeets didn't show up. > > John > > > _____________________________________________________________________ > You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. > Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com > Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
From: "Ross Silcock" <silcock@sidney.heartland.net> Subject: Re: Carolina Parakeets Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 21:20:50 -0500 Jim: Looks like you stirred up some trouble on NEBirds with your Carolina Parakeet sighting! I've had that happen to me on these lists- these people are rough! Ross ---------- > From: James Kovanda <jkovanda@juno.com> > To: NeBirds@rip.physics.unk.edu > Subject: Carolina Parakeets > Date: Tuesday, June 23, 1998 11:15 AM > > To: Ross Silcock > > Ross, > > What do you hear about the Carolina Parakeets at Freedom Park. Has > anyone seen them recently? > > Jim Kovanda > > _____________________________________________________________________ > You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. > Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com > Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Subject: Re:Monk Parakeets From: jkovanda@juno.com (James Kovanda) Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 09:59:21 EDT >Jim: >Looks like you stirred up some trouble on NEBirds with your Carolina >Parakeet sighting! I've had that happen to me on these lists- these >people are rough! >Ross Ross, At least we know now there are people interested in NeBirds. And now we'll be the FIRST to hear of any sightings of Carolina Parakeets. Sorry to cause such a furor. Thanks for your patience. Jim Kovanda _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 9:23:33 -0500 From: ROBIN HARDING <HARDINGR@platte.unk.edu> Subject: Common Loon plumage ID Nebraska birders, I received the following message last September on the Frontiers of Field Identification list. Considering our recent sightings of a Common Loon at the Union Pacific State Recreation Area, I thought this group would be interested. Robin From: BIRDWG01@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 Sender: NBHC ID-FRONTIERS Frontiers of Field Identification From: Tony Leukering <jaegers@ECENTRAL.COM> Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Common Loon molt Hi: Bill Evans responded to Chris Sloan's question on Com. Loon (COLO) molt and plumages with what he termed another question. I would say that his suggestion is probably the correct one, that the bird in question was probably a wandering youngster. This is my understanding of the situation: Juvenile COLOs spend their first summer (the summer after the summer in which they were hatched) on the wintering grounds or, sometimes, somewhere between the breeding and wintering grounds. While there, they eventually undergo their first molt, thus finally replacing the feathers they've had since the previous summer, feathers that would be very worn at that time. I believe that this molt is fairly protracted. This molt results in a plumage called First Basic (Basic plumages were called "winter" plumage). They do not molt into the "breeding" plumage (correctly termed Alternate Plumage) until the end of their second winter (when they're about 1.5 years old). COLOs in juvenile plumage can be readily told from adults for most of the year (given a reasonably good look) by feather pattern. The back and wing covert feathers of a juv. are dark and fringed with a contrastingly-pale color (white to the infamous "buff"), whereas, those of adults lack this pale fringe. I believe that separation of the age classes becomes problematic the later into the summer one gets, due to wearing of the juv. fringes. Another thing to keep in mind: apparently, some percentage of adults, for whatever reason(s), stay south in the summer and these birds are often NOT in alternate plumage, though they might have traces of that plumage. One thing I cannot stress enough in ALL birding is understanding molt strategies of the various species and how they differ. Many birders evidently blow through all the introductory text in field guides, because I find very few that understand molt and the importance of molt in identifying birds. It is not an easy thing to learn and much of the literature is inaccessible to the casual birder, however careful study of the common, every-day species can provide much instruction on this phenomenon. Tony Leukering Brighton, CO jaegers@ecentral.com
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 23:31:16 -0500 Subject: Chuck-Wills-Widow From: johnsllvn@juno.com (John C Sulllivan) NeBirders, Janis and Rachel Paseka and I went to the Jesuit Retreat near Morse Bluffs tonight to listen for Chuck-Wills-Widows. It was about 9:15, still very light when one started calling from some nearby Cottonwoods. After the regular Chuck-wills-Widow call we could hear a kind of clucking sound, just like on the NGS Bird Sounds tape. Does anyone know the significance of this sound? After he quit calling, I played the tape and to our amazement he flew out right at us. He circled around us at eye-level within an arms-length, flashing the whites of his tail feathers, then back up into the trees and started calling again. WOW!! What an awesome bird! Thank-you Father Hoffman for reporting the Chucks. John Sullivan Lincoln, Ne _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
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