Sixty-two NOU members and friends gathered at the 4-H Camp at Halsey on September 28-30, 2001, for the annual NOU Fall Field Days.  The fall colors were beautiful and the temperatures were warm.  A brisk wind on Saturday probably hindered some of the birding that day.  And, there might have been more species of migrants around if the weather had been a little less comfortable for the human observers.

    On Saturday, Neal and Izen Ratzlaff led a field trip to the southern part of Valentine NWR, Robin Harding and Lanny Randolph led one to
Willow Lake, and Tom Labedz led a group around the National Forest.  Everyone was on their own for Sunday morning, but many of us spent most of that morning at the tree dump in the Forest.  There were 120 species plus Plegadis Ibis sp. identified.  Birds were identified in Blaine,
Brown, Cherry and Thomas Counties as well as in the Nebraska National Forest.  The best birds for most of the participants were two
Broad-winged Hawks seen flying over the tree dump on Sunday morning.  Other species of note include Mississippi Kite, Bald Eagle, Peregrine
Falcon, Prairie Falcon, Common Poorwill, Mountain Bluebird, Black-throated Green Warbler, Eastern Towhee, White-throated Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, and Rusty Blackbird.

    Friday evening after dinner there was a member slide show.  A number of the photographers in the group had not read all of the last newsletter,
so they didn't know to bring slides.  But what we lacked in quantity, we made up for in quality.  Clem Klaphake showed some great slides and Bub Blake entertained and educated us with slides of insects, especially butterflies.

    Late Saturday afternoon Jeff Huebschman, who is working on his doctorate at UNL, and Keith Geluso, who is working on his doctorate at
the University of New Mexico, informed us about another group of flying animals--bats.  Over the past few years, Jeff and Keith have spent about
30 nights netting bats in the Wildcat Hills south of Gering .  Until they began their study, there had been little information on the bats in
the Wildcat Hills.  The purpose of their study is to determine what bats can be found in the Wildcat Hills and what species are breeding in that
area.  In the summer of 2001, they put radio transmitters on a couple of female bats in an attempt to find the 'roosts' of female bats.
Unfortunately, they were not successful in finding the 'roosts'.  Keith also showed some slides of some very unusual bats he had seen on a trip
to Central America.  The variety of bats is quite amazing -- some are 'handsome' while others could be straight out of a horror movie and even
others are just plain interesting.  At the end of their presentation, Jeff and Keith introduced us to a big brown bat they had caught the night before.

    Right after dinner on Saturday evening, Roger Sharpe, Ross Silcock, and Joel Jorgensen were on hand to autograph their new book, "Birds of
Nebraska: Their Distribution and Temporal Occurrence".

    Later Saturday evening everyone enjoyed a Bub Blake slide show.  Bub showed slides from a number of places including Texas, Kansas, and
Nebraska.

    As always, the 4-H Camp provided good sleeping quarters and delicious (and very ample) food.

Mace Hack, Omaha
Linda Deeds, North Platte
The Peregrine Fund, Boise, Idaho
Karen & Jim Baird, Clay Center
Duane Backstrom, Auburn
William Scharf, Traverse City, Michigan

    The executive committee met September 28, 2001, at the NOU Fall Field Days at Halsey Nat'l Forest.    Present were Betty Grenon, Mark Brogie, Wayne Mollhoff, Steve Lamphere, Janis Paseka, Alice Kenitz, Jan Uttecht, Mitzi Fox, Clem Klaphake, and Neal Ratzlaff.

    Minutes of the 200l Annual Meeting were read and accepted.

    Old Business:   The authors of "Birds of Nebraska", Roger Sharpe, Ross Silcock, and Joel Jorgensen, will be available to autograph copies of
their book on Saturday evening.

    The "Breeding Bird Atlas", by Wayne Mollhoff, is at the printers.  In reference to the Memorandum of Agreement between NE Game and Parks and the NE Ornithologists' Union, the NOU is to market and distribute the Atlas.  Monies will be kept in a separate interest-bearing account
by the NOU.  The price of the book will be $25, plus tax and shipping.  The mailing address for book orders will be Mary Lou Pritchard at the
State Museum, phone 402-472-3334.

    Two optical equipment companies and the American Birding Ass'n magazine have expressed interest in advertising in the NOU publications.    National Camera Exchange and Eagle Optics are interested.    A fee of $40 was suggested for 1/3 page in black and white.  Ads could probably appear in the newsletter and/or the Bird Review.  It was moved and seconded to accept advertising in the NOU Newsletter.  Approved.

    New Business:    The 2002 Annual Meeting will be held May 17-19, at the Northeast Community College Lifelong Learning Center, Norfolk.   Members of Lueschen's Birders Club made the arrangements.  Watch upcoming newsletters for details.

    The 2002 Fall Field Days will be at Halsey Nat'l Forest on September 6 to 8.

    Betty Grenon reviewed the 2000 Treasurer's report.

    It was recommended that the $125 remaining after publication of Birds of Nebraska be moved to the Endowment Fund.  This item will be brought up at the 2002 Annual Meeting.

    The Treasurer's interim report to September 2001 was reviewed.  Betty Grenon made the motion that $8,475, which represents the life membership dues, be moved from the General Fund account into the Endowment fund account.  Interest earned in the Endowment account is used for general operations. The motion was seconded and passed.

    The Library Committee reported that the library's contents have been inventoried.  The file is on the computer at the State Museum.  It is
planned to arrange the books alphabetically by author.

    Joel Jorgensen has sent the 1999 Records Committee report to Bill Clemente for publication.  The 2000 report is nearly completed.  Committee members are Joel Jorgensen, Chr., Steve Dinsmore, Alice Kenitz, Ross Silcock, Jerry Toll, and Babs and Loren Padelford.  The Board suggested that a member of the Records Committee make a report at the next Annual Meeting.

    In reference to compensating the speakers at our meeting, Jeff Heubschman will receive $75 for expenses; and Keith Geluso will be
reimbursed for his meals on Saturday.

    Cost of publishing the last issue of the Nebraska Bird Review was $1,015.  Neal Ratzlaff has investigated 2 companies.  For a 52-page
edition, Schwartz, our current publishing company, bid $840, and Service Press, Henderson, NE, bid $624.  It was moved, seconded, and passed
that the Service Press bid be accepted.  Paper quality will equal that currently used.

    Betty Grenon noted that the overseas subscription fee is not paying cost of postage.  She recommended raising the fee to $22.00.  Approved.

    Meeting adjourned at 9:50.    Respectfully submitted, Mitzi Fox.

    You have no doubt already noticed the new Membership Directory included in this edition, courtesy of Neal Ratzlaff, alias the Duke of the
Database.  Our bylaws require us to issue a list of members and their addresses every three years.  Please note that the bylaws specifically
state that the list is to be circulated only to members, and is to be used only to facilitate correspondence between members.  (So please
refrain from your natural impulse to sell this list to a telemarketing company.)  If you do not wish to have your name included in the next
directory, please make that known to Neal.  Neal would also love to receive any additions or corrections you may have.

Occurrence Report Schedule

    Please send your occurrence data to Ross Silcock for inclusion in the Nebraska Bird Review.  Ross' address is P.O. Box 57, Tabor, IA
51653-0057 or silcock@rosssilcock.com.

Season Reporting Period Report Deadline

Fall	August - November	Dec. 15
Winter	December - February	March 15
Spring	March -  May	June 15
Summer	June - July	August 15

Meetings in 2002

Annual Meeting, Norfolk, May 17-19

Fall Field Days, Halsey, Sept. 6-8
 

Notes on Upcoming Meetings

    Many thanks to the Lueshen's Birders for offering to host our 2002 Annual Meeting in Norfolk.  It will be held at the Northeast Community
College Lifelong Learning Center.  Lodging will be at a motel of your choice.  The Norfolk group is already planning some great field trips
for us, and this promises to be a rewarding meeting in an interesting area of the state.
    The fall meeting of 2002 will be earlier than usual (Sept. 6-8).  This is due to the fact that the Halsey 4-H Camp was available only on these
dates, or in late October.  Perhaps by being in the Sandhills a few weeks earlier next year, we'll find some different species.
 

  In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.  -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator    (1833-1899)

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union
3745 Garfield
Lincoln,  NE  68506