The NOU spring 2001 meeting was held at Calvin Crest, a Presbyterian camp on a wooded bluff above the Platte River southwest of Fremont on May 18-20.  Calvin Crest is a comfortable facility, providing motel-like rooms with private baths in Proett Lodge, rooms with shared baths in Eppley Lodge, dormitory-style cabins, meeting rooms and a dining hall.

On Saturday morning, we ate breakfast at 6:00, and groups left for Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue and Neale Woods, Nathan’s Lake and Boyer Chute north of Omaha. A third group birded the Calvin Crest grounds and Hormel Park in Fremont.  On Sunday morning, groups went out to Camp Fontanelle, northeast of Fremont, Hormel Park and the acres around Calvin Crest.

Due to unseasonable (and just darned hot) weather earlier in the week, migrant species were a little challenging to find. We did have good shorebird numbers, including Hudsonian Godwit, all 5 “peep” species, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin and Stilt Sandpiper.  The north Omaha group observed Caspian Terns flying over Hummel Park in Omaha, a sighting  which may have been a first for that wooded locale.  Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Common Nighthawks, Chimney Swifts, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Wood Thrushes were also observed.  The Pileated Woodpeckers at Fontenelle Forest were a highlight, as were the Scarlet Tanagers at Calvin Crest and the Prothonotary Warblers at Hormel Park.  We saw four vireo species, including Bell’s and Yellow-throated, and ten warbler species, including Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, and Ovenbird.  The final tally reached 124 species and will be published in the Bird Review.

Thanks are due to our outgoing officers.  Clem Klaphake served as President and Newsletter Editor for two years and did a great job of keeping us on course.  Your new President and Newsletter Editor wonders how he managed to find the time, while teaching at Bellevue University, serving as a Vice President of the Audubon Society of Omaha, volunteering at the Hitchcock Hawkwatch and presumably occasionally doing  non-birding things.

Tom Labedz also deserves our appreciation.  Tom has just retired from two terms as Director and served as NOU President from 1987 to 1989.  No doubt we’ll be calling on both Clem and Tom for help and advice in the future.

Our two new officers, Alice Kenitz as Vice President, and Betty Grenon as Treasurer, have both been officers in the NOU previously, and now they’re back for more.  Most recently, Alice served as a Director, and Betty was Treasurer not too many years ago.  We appreciate having them as officers again.

Among the conclusions we can reach from the fact that they are willing to serve again is that being an officer can’t be all that bad, or they wouldn’t agree to do it again!  Secondly, since these two ladies were both on the Nominating Committee, there must not have been a plethora of volunteers to run for office.

Perhaps we should remember this when a member of the Nominating Committee calls us sometime in the future.  Being an officer isn’t that hard (sometimes it’s even fun!), and we don’t want our Nominating Committee members to be so desperate that they have to take the jobs themselves!

 The hawkwatch was started in 1992 by Loren and Babs Padelford.   Mark arrived in Nebraska a few years later and took over the watch.  Each year since has seen an increase in raptor species and individuals observed as well as in volunteers and hours logged.  In 2000, the watch was manned from mid-August to mid December for over 300 hours.  A total of 19 species and over 8300 individuals were observed, including Mississippi Kite, Northern Goshawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and Prairie Falcon.  Mark has come to realize that the Hitchcock Hawkwatch has the potential to become a world class hawkwatch with perhaps 12,000 to 15,000 individual raptors per year observed.  It can no longer be said that the Great Plains contains no major points of concentration for migrating raptors.  Hitchcock will be a site to watch, and to watch from, in the future.
 

Joe examined the vegetation, from ground cover to canopy level trees, counted deer pellets to determine populations, and surveyed both breeding birds and migrants.  In high deer use areas, very little leafy foliage below the ‘browse line’ survives. Fewer shrubs and fewer sapling trees are found.  An example of this type of area is the floodplain in Fontenelle Forest.  A contrasting low deer use area is Hormel Park.

Joe found that some avian species thrive in high deer use areas.  Weaver Finches and Red-winged Blackbirds are more common at high deer use sites, as are cavity nesters, who find more old trees in which to nest.  Shrub nesters, such as Brown Thrashers and Catbirds, are predictably less likely to occur at high deer sites.  Resident birds seemed to be adapting to the changes, and migrants seemed largely unaffected by them.

Joe’s conclusion was that high deer numbers can help some species and hurt others.  High deer populations can have negative effects, but the effects are not as dramatic as we might have thought.
 

Dave’s research involves the measurement of body fat and the composition of that fat.  He also studies where the birds go, using transmitters, and the availability of food along the Platte.  One potential problem he mentioned was that the amount of waste corn available to the cranes has decreased considerably due to more efficient combines. In 1979, 5% of the crop was left in the field, but in 1998, only 2% was left.  The competition from other species, such as Snow Geese, is also increasing.  However, as Dave pointed out, the number of cranes is still increasing, so they seem to be coping  with the pressures.

NOU Board members met at 9:30 p.m., May 18, 2001, at Camp Calvin Crest, Fremont.     Present were officers,  Clem Klaphake, President; Janis Paseka, Vice  President; Mitzi Fox, Secretary; and Jan Uttecht, Treasurer.  Also, Mary Lou Pritchard, Librarian; Wayne Mollhoff, Breeding Bird Atlas Project;  Past Presidents, Betty Allen and Neal Ratzlaff; and Directors, Thomas Labedz,  Mark Brogie, and Steve Lamphere.  Also, incoming board members, Alice Kenitz and Betty Grenon.

Old Business:  Minutes of the Sept. 14, 2000, meeting were reviewed and accepted, with no corrections.

The new, revised NOU Field Cards were printed by NE Game and Parks, and are now available.

The Breeding Bird Atlas by Wayne Mollhoff is awaiting an ISBN number and final decision on cover design. Neal Ratzlaff distributed copies of the suggested "Memorandum of Agreement between the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission and the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union".  The Memorandum states that money received for the Atlas will be used for some future project approved by both Game and Parks and the NOU.  It was moved, seconded, and approved that the Memorandum of Agreement is acceptable to the NOU.  It was suggested that complementary copies of the Atlas be sent to ornithological groups in surrounding states.

Birds of Nebraska by Silcock, Sharpe, and Jorgensen can now be ordered through the University of Nebraska Press.

New Business:  Discussion on accepting advertising from ornithological organizations and associated businesses in the NOU Newsletter.  Questions arose concerning rates to be charged, and possible limitation of number of ads for each issue.  The Newsletter Editor will investigate and bring recommendations.

A reminder was given about the one-time waiver of the term limit for the Chair of the Records Committee, which will be voted on at the Annual Meeting.   This will allow a 1-year extension of the term of Joel Jorgensen.   Joel will be contacted for a list of current Records Committee members, plus their latest report.

Year 2002 Annual Meeting location possibilities were discussed.    One suggestion was the south-central area of NE.   Mark Brogie and Neal Ratzlaff will make recommendations.

Noted that the Lincoln Rare Bird Alert contact, John Sullivan, has moved from the state.  His name will be dropped from the Newsletter.

Noted that Neal Ratzlaff is currently keeping the membership list and the address labels.

The Nominating Committee suggested a change in their proposed slate of nominees.  It was moved, seconded, and approved that Betty Grenon be elected Treasurer, instead of Director, and that Jan Uttecht be elected Director, instead of Treasurer.

Mary Lou Pritchard distributed copies of the Library Committee report.   She commented that Dr. Paul Johnsgard's article on the history of the NOU  based on his presentation at the 1999 Centennial meeting, which was published in the History of North American Ornithology, Vol. II, lends NOU prestige.  Noted that approximately 10,000 copies of NOU field cards were printed by Nebraska Game and Parks at cost, which amount is approximately one-third of commercial cost.  She suggested forming a separate Marketing Committee to handle distribution of the Breeding Bird Atlas.

Meeting adjourned at 11:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Mitzi Fox, Secretary.

The 102nd Annual Meeting of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union was held May 19, 2001, at Camp Calvin Crest, Fremont, NE.   It was called to order at 4:30 by President Clem Klaphake.  The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as presented in the NOU Newsletter.

Old Business:
The book, Birds of Nebraska,  by Ross Silcock, Roger Sharpe and Joel Jorgensen, is not available yet; however, order forms from the University of Nebraska Press are available.

Wayne Mollhoff’s Breeding Bird Atlas  is completed except for receiving an ISBN number and final cover design.  The NOU will be handling distribution of the Atlas.

The revised NOU field cards, printed by the Nebraska Game and Parks at cost,  are available.   Suggested distribution sites are schools, libraries, and nature centers.  The NOU will not charge for the cards.

New Business:
Members voted on a change in the by-laws to reflect the addition of the Chair of the Records Committee to the Board two years ago.  Article IX, Section 2 still read “eleven” and not “twelve” members of the Board.  It was moved and seconded to change the above section of the by-laws.  Approved.

The membership was asked to approve a one-time waiver of the term limit of 2 three-year terms,  to allow Joel Jorgensen to serve one additional year on the Records Committee.  It was so moved and seconded.  Approved.   The Records Committee should make a recommendation to the full Board if they wish to recommend any permanent changes in the by-laws regarding the number of terms a member may serve.

Steven Fleer, of Hoskins, NE, a sophomore at Winside, was the recipient of the student scholarship to attend the spring meeting.  He and his instructor, Paul Sock, addressed the group.  Steven expressed appreciation for the scholarship.

The Fall Field Days will be at Halsey, September 28-30, 2001.  Location of the 2002 annual meeting is being explored.  Lanny Randolph suggested meeting at Kearney in the spring of 2003, as the new Audubon nature center near Gibbon will be completed by that time.

Loren Padelford informed us that there are a few Breeding Bird Survey routes still available.  For more information, contact him.  (see address on last page of this newsletter)

The Nominating Committee presented the following slate of officers and directors for the coming year:

President, Janis Paseka
Vice President, Alice Kenitz
Secretary, Mitzi Fox
Treasurer, Betty Grenon
Director, Jan Uttecht

It was moved and seconded to accept the slate as presented.   Approved.

Belated appreciation was expressed to Sue Amiotte for her work as treasurer; also to all officers, directors, and committee members.

Meeting adjourned at 5:00 P.M.

Respectfully submitted, Mitzi Fox, Secretary

If you check out the BBS website (www.mp2-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/), you’ll find a new feature:  the Participant Photo Gallery.   NOU Past President Betty Allen contributed slides and is shown hard at work observing birds on her route near Gretna.

The BBS is requesting slides from other participants to use on their site, so pack a camera along with your binoculars and checklists when you go out to do your route this month.

The following is a message from Dave Rintoul posted on NEBirds.

Greetings

I'd like to publicly thank the N.O.U. for inviting me to their spring meeting last weekend, and all of the attending N.O.U. members for their kindness and hospitality.   I met some old friends, made lots of new ones, and saw a lot of good birds! I certainly will plan to make it back for one of your meetings again soon; I had a wonderful time.  Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Vireo, and even those tom Turkeys strutting outside the dining hall were definite highlights, but the outstanding fellowship that your organization epitomizes was the best of all.  Keep up the good work!

Sincerely
Dave

You’re welcome to come back any time, Dave!

Your Newsletter Editor has a limited imagination, so suggestions for newsletter items are welcome!  We can’t promise to use everything, but reports of interesting birds or birding experiences, birding trips you’ve taken, announcements, or personal (well, not too  personal) news items are welcome.

Give our Monarch of Memberships  (aka Neal Ratzlaff) (not to be confused with Linda Brown, our Bulk Mail Queen) a break and send in your dues.  Your address label tells how far ahead you are paid up.  You may save yourself the stress of remembering to pay every year by paying now for several years!

Please renew my membership in the category checked below:

___ One Active Member  $15
___ Family Active  $20
___ One Sustaining Member  $25
___ Family Sustaining  $30
___ Student Member  $10
___ Life Member  $250
 

Name _______________________________________________________________________

Address  _____________________________________________________________________

City  _____________________________  State  ____________________  Zip  _____________

Telephone  (______)___________________________Email____________________________

Make checks payable to NOU and mail with this form to:

  Betty Grenon
  1409 Childs Road East
  Bellevue,  NE  68005

President and Newsletter Editor:
Janis Paseka
1585 Co. Rd 14 Blvd
Ames NE 68621
402-727-9229
paseka(at)tvsonline.net

Vice-President:
Alice Kenitz
190648 Co. Rd. 22
Gering, NE  69341
308-436-2959
akenitz(at)prairieweb.com

Secretary:
Mitzi Fox
Rt. 2, Box 36
Albion, NE 68620
402-395-2395
mitzi(at)albion.net

Treasuer:
Betty Grenon
1409 Childs Road East
Bellevue, NE 68005
402-731-2383
bgrenon(at)gateway.net

Editor, Bird Review:
William Clemente
Box 10
Peru State College
Peru, NE 68421
402-872-2233 work
402-872-3073 home
clemente(at)bobcat.peru.edu

Librarian:
Mary Lou Pritchard
6325 'O' St.
Lincoln, NE 68510
402-472-3334 State Museum
402-486-2428 home

Past Presidents:
Clem Klaphake
707 Garden Ave.
Bellevue, NE  68005
402-292-2276
cnk(at)scholars.bellevue.edu

Betty Allen
9628 Emmet St.
Omaha, NE 68134
402-571-9755
lizprints(at)webtv.net

Directors:
Mark Brogie
Box 316
Creighton, NE 68729
402-358-5675
mbrogie(at)mother.esul.k12.ne.us

Steve Lamphere
3101 Washington St., #98
Bellevue, NE 68005
402-291-9149

Jan Uttecht
Box 823
Stanton, NE  68779
402-439-2114

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

Breeding Bird Atlas Project and Nest Records Committee:
Wayne Mollhoff
1817 Boyd St
Ashland NE 68003
402-944-2243
wmollhoff(at)netscape.net

Occurrence Reports:
Ross Silcock
P.O. Box 57
Tabor IA 51653
712-629-5865
silcock(at)rosssilcock.com

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

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

Nebraska Ornithologists‚ Union
3745 Garfield
Lincoln, NE 68506