Membership Renewal Time

By Clem Klaphake

It is again time for all you NOU members to renew your memberships.  This organization
can't function without your paid memberships and participation.  I am hoping that this year
I won't have to personally contact as many people as I did last year.   Your membership dues
run from January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001.  If you can't remember the membership
categories, I have included them below:

One Active Member                $15.00
Family Active Member            $20.00
One Sustaining Member           $25.00
Family Sustaining Member       $30.00
Student Member                     $10.00
Life Member                          $250.00

The two sustaining‚ member categories are for those who want to renew or join and add a
small gift to NOU.  Our treasurer, Jan Uttecht, has moved to another community.  So when
you mail your dues to her send them to: Jan Uttecht, Box 283, Stanton, NE 68779.  Her new
address also appears on the last page of this Newsletter.  In addition to paying your dues I would
like to encourage more of you to become involved in the NOU organization itself.  As you
probably all know, an organization can't exist for very long, or be effective, if no one wants to
participate in maintaining the ongoing activities that have to be done for the organization to continue.
As we approach the May General Meeting of NOU we will again be voting on who we want as our
officers and directors of this organization.  I am currently in the process of setting up a
Nominating Committee.  This committee's primary function will be to contact the current
officers about whether they want to continue in their positions, and then to find replacements
if they choose not to continue.  The new nominated candidates along with those officers wanting
to continue will be voted on by the general membership at the Annual May General Meeting.
Consider participating if you are asked. Since we are a state organization it probably
helps to have officers and directors from different parts of the state.  Broad geographic
representation builds a stronger organization.  From a practical standpoint it is also very
helpful when planning future meeting sites or planning for birding trips.
If you haven't renewed your membership, PLEASE RENEW  AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
 

page 2.
 

Spring General Meeting Set For May 18-20

By Clem Klaphake

According to the calendar we are still in the winter season and it may feel that way also.
However, spring IS just around the corner.  By the time you get this Newsletter I'm sure
the first Sandhill Cranes will already have arrived in the Platte River valley.  So be sure
to mark your calendars for May 18-20.  We will be meeting at Camp Calvin Crest in Fremont,
NE. Janis Paseka, our Vice-President, has been working on putting together a great program
of speakers.  She and Neal Ratzlaff will also be setting up the various birding field trips.
If any of you are interested in leading one of these field trips, or at least helping out,
be sure to contact Janis (her phone, address and e-mail are on the last page of this
Newsletter).  More information on the General Meeting will be in our next Newsletter.
That will include a tentative program, lodging places, and registration.

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow

By Clem Klaphake

I'm including an article on page 3 entitled, A Small Brown Bird From Illinois, that was published
in The Living Museum, vol 62, Numbers 1 and 2, 2000.  I obtained permission from the
editor of this Illinois State Museum publication.  Since the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow migrates
through Nebraska I thought H. David Bohlen's article might be of interest to many NOU members.
Some of you may be familiar with this sparrow and others of you may not have seen it at all.  As
many of know, sparrows aren't always the easiest birds to identify, nor the easiest to see.
The Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, though more colorful than many other sparrows, does make
you work to find it.  I checked with Ross Silcock on this sparrow's occurrence in Nebraska.  It tends
to be a late spring migrant (mid-to-late May) and then late September to early October in the fall.
In recent years it has been reported in the Jack Sinn Marsh area on the Lancaster/Sauders County
line. There are many other reported sightings in Nebraska.  However, these reports tend to be more
from the eastern part of the state.  In the last several years there also have been reports from Boyer
Chute NWR (Jerry Toll), Sandpiper Basin (Joel Jorgensen) and from Sheridan, Blaine, Knox and
Gosper Counties.  As with so many other marsh and grassland nesting birds, the Nelson's Sharp-tailed
Sparrow seems to be struggling to maintain a viable migratory population.  Also, because of its
secretiveness it is more difficult to obtain good long-term data on this species to know exactly where
its numbers are compared to 30, 50 or more years ago.  Since it migrates through Nebraska in
mid-to-late May, with a little luck we might spot one on a field trip at the Spring General Meeting in
Fremont.
 

page 4.

N.O.U. Scholarship For the General Spring Meeting May 18-20

By Mark Brogie

The Nebraska Ornithologist's Union (N.O.U.) Executive Committee has elected to provide a
scholarship for a student to attend the upcoming General Spring Meeting at Camp Calvin
Crest near Fremont.  Preference will be given to 9th to 12th grade students, although students
of any age group will be given consideration.  Any parent/teacher wishing to attend with the
student will receive a similar stipend. The scholarship will pay all costs for registration, meals,
and lodging.  Costs for transportation are not included.  The application DEADLINE is April 15, 2001.
The concept of a Nebraska Ornithologist's Union Scholarship Fund which would provide stipends to
students to attend our Fall Field Days in Halsey originated with Rusty and Margaret Cortelyou.
They suggested we direct gifts in honor of their 90th birthdays to this fund.  Subsequent sales of
Cortelyou memorabilia and gifts in memory of Lona Shafer and Margaret Cortelyou have also been
placed in this fund.  To apply, the student must submit a short statement (one page or less) indicating
why they wish to attend the meeting.  Applications should be sent to:
Mark Brogie, 508 Seeley, Box 316, Creighton, NE 68729.
The Scholarship Committee is made up of Mark Brogie, Alice Kenitz and Tom Labedz.  They
will review the applications and award the scholarships. The committee would like to make
this information available to as many 9th through 12th grade students as possible.  We encourage all
N.O.U. members to spread the word in any way which would target this age group (teachers, boy/girl
scout leaders, explorer leaders, nature clubs and organizations, etc.).

County Bird Lists For 2000 Due

By Mark Brogie

As most of you know there is a county bird list published in this Newsletter once a year.
Those of you who keep county lists need to send those in to me (Mark Brogie) as soon as
possible for the year 2000.  Only send in your numbers for counties where the total exceeds
125 and you need NOT include the species names (just the totals).

"There are no more shadows across the land, and the birds in the sky--infinite
dreams, white visions seeking shady places will soon have no more trees in
which to build their nests." Victor de Laprade (1844)

page 5.

Odds and Ends About Birds

By Clem Klaphake

Are there more oddities occurring in the bird world, or are these just natural‚ changes
we didn't document in the past.  Or are we having more researchers and birders‚ report-
ing these oddities or changes?  Maybe changes, similar or different, have always been there
and we just haven't noticed.  There are too many examples to list here, but here are a few:

The Anchorage Daily News reports a tremendous increase in the number of Black-billed Magpies in the city and
surrounding area.  The Anchorage Audubon Christmas Bird Count had 740 birds this year.  Over the past 6 years, these annual counts averaged 687 BBM.  Compared to the 1970s the average was 125 and even fewer in the 1960s.  Suggestions as to why this this is happening range from better habitat in the Anchorage area (BBM thrive in urban settings with garbage cans, bird feeders, and pet food bowls) to possibly global warming.

New species are being seen in England that never ventured off the continent.  The Rural White Paper document issued by the British government acknowledges, "the likelihood of climate change will force species to migrate northwards
or to higher ground, whilst low-lying coasts will be flooded and wetlands will become drier."  Examples cited are: the Little Egret, common on the continent, but unknown in England until just five years ago, now numbers several hundred breeding pairs in estuaries of southern England; the Bittern now showing up as far north as Wales (primarily  a bird
of the continent); the Little Stint, Black-tailed Godwit and the Ruff (normally migrate out of England for the winter) are now starting to remain through the winter; due to a warming climate; other birds are staying further north (Snow Buntings and Ptarmigan breed in northern Scotland and are not migrating with the warmer winters).  Yet others may be
moving their ranges further north.  Wildlife Trusts in England suggests the Dartford  and Cetti's Warblers are extending their ranges further north along with the Hobby and Nightingale.

With the CBC records in Nebraska and Iowa I think it would be extremely valuable to compare these numbers from year to year as many of us do.  This should also include the Annual Spring Counts and other counts such as the Hitchcock Raptor Count. I think most of you were surprised, as we at the count were, with the large number of Mississippi Kites
migrating through.  It is too early to speculate on whether this is just an anomaly or a real change.  There are several sources that suggest the Mississippi Kite has been extending its range further north (including the nesting population in Ogallala in recent years and Des Moines).

President and Newsletter Editor:
Clem Klaphake
707 Garden Ave
Bellevue NE 68005
402-292-2276
cnk@scholars.bellevue.edu

Vice-President:
Janis Paseka
1585 Co. Rd 14 Blvd
Ames NE 68621
402- 727-9229
paseka@tvsonline.net

Secretary:
Mitzi Fox
Rte 2 Box 36
Albion NE 68620
402-395- 2395
mitzi@albion.net

Treasuer:
Jan Uttecht
Box 283
Stanton, NE 68779-0823
402-371-8793

Editor, Bird Review:
William Clemente
Box 10
Peru State College
Peru, NE 68421
402-872- 2233 Wk
402-872- 3073 Hm
clemente@bobcat.peru.edu

Librarian:
Mary Lou Pritchard
6325 ŒO‚ St
Lincoln NE 68510
402-472-3334 State Museum
402-486- 2428 Home

Past President:
Betty Allen
9628 Emmet St
Omaha NE 68134
402-571- 9755
lizprints@webtv.net

Directors:
Thomas Labedz
724 Glenarbor Cr
Lincoln NE 68512
402-423-1384
tlabedz@unlinfo.unl.edu

Mark Brogie
Box 316
Creighton NE 68729
402-358-5675
mbrogie@mother.esul.k12.ne.us

Steve Lamphere
3101 Washington St., #98
Bellevue, NE 68005
402-455-5496

Records Committee:
Joel Jorgensen, Chair
1218 Jackson St
Blair NE 68008
402-426-5138
zrtac@genesis.net

Breeding Bird Atlas Project and Nest Records Committee:
Wayne Mollhoff
1817 Boyd St
Ashland NE 68003
402-944-2243
wm24.925@NAVIX.net

Occurrence Reports:
Ross Silcock
P.O. Box 57
Tabor IA 51653
712-629-5865
silcock@sidney.heartland.net

Nebraska Birdline:
Loren and Babs Padelford
2405 Little John Rd
402-292-5325 Birdline
Bellevue, NE 68005
402-292- 5556 Hm
lpdlfrd@juno.com

NOU Web Site:  http://rip.physics.unk.edu/NOU/

Rare Bird Alert:
John Sullivan
3003 Orchard St.
Lincoln, NE 68503
402-476-5239
johnsllvn@juno.com

Nebraska Ornithologists‚ Union
3745 Garfield
Lincoln, NE 68506