2004no4

NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION

Dedicated to the Study, Appreciation and Protection of Birds

Newsletter November 2004 Number 4

Dues, please

     NOU dues are due on January 1. Please make our treasurer, Betty Grenon, happy by paying now.
     There is a form elsewhere in this newsletter. And while you are at it, why not give a gift
     membership to a birding friend — a membership would be a great Christmas present.

Fall Reports Due

Please send reports for your fall sightings to Ross Silcock by December 15. The fall reporting
period is August-November. Ross’s contact information is on the back of this newsletter.

Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs)

     The 105th annual Christmas Bird Count season is rapidly approaching. This annual bird count
     is conducted at locations from the Artic to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South
     America as well as several island locations in the Pacific. If you’ve never participated
     in one, you are missing out on a great tradition. The calendar is not kind to us this year
     with Christmas and New Years both falling on Saturday. Most of the Nebraska counts will be
     December 18 or 19. Following is a list of compilers for the various Nebraska counts and their
     contact information.

December 18 — Norfolk — Duane Wolf, 402-841-0130

Sioux City — Jerry Probst, 712-258-1296, probstsuebee(at)aol.c o m

Scottsbluff — Alice Kenitz, 308-436-2959, akenitz(at)prairieweb.c o m

Omaha — Betty Grenon, 402-731-2383, grenon925(at)aol.c o m

Lincoln — Kevin Poague, 402-466-1220, kpoague(at)audubon.o r g

Grand Island — Connie McCartney, 308-384-0129

December 19 — DeSoto NWR — Bob Barry, 712-642-5404, Bob_Barry(at)fws.g o v

Branched Oak — Joe Gubanyi, 402-643-7316, jgubanyi(at)seward.cune.e d u

Lake McConaughy — Steve Dinsmore, 662-325-8141, sdinsmore(at)cfr.msstate.e d u

December 20 (or 27)— Crawford — Bruce and Donna Walgren, 307-234-7455, bwalgren(at)coffey.c o m

January 1 — Calamus — Dave Heidt, 402-371-3412, daveh(at)northeastcollege.c o m

[E-mail addresses have been altered to stop spammers from stealing the addresses from this web site.
Just replace the (at) with the @ symbol and remove the blank spaces.]

Note: A few of these dates may be subject to change, so be sure to contact the compiler before
making plans to participate.

CBC compilers, please be sure that NBR editor, Janis Paseka, gets a copy of your report.

“Nebraska Bird Review”

     As the last newsletter stated, Bill Clemente has found it necessary to resign from being
     editor of The Nebraska Bird Review because of his increased teaching load at Peru. Bill
     had hoped to get all 2003 issues finished this summer, but gremlins attacked his computer.
     He will continue to work on the September and December issues.

     Meanwhile, the NOU Board has given the OK to new editor, Janis Paseka, to begin working on
     2004 issues. You should be receiving the March issue very soon. So do not be alarmed when
     you receive 2004 issues before receiving all of the 2003 issues.

Upcoming Meetings

2005 Annual Spring Meeting — May 13-15 at Calamus Lodge near Burwell.

2005 Fall Field Days — September 9-11 at South Central 4-H Center, Alma

2006 Annual Spring Meeting — May 19-21 at Ponca State Park

Welcome to New Members

We welcome the following new members:

Matt Mendenhall, Milwaukee, WI

Anita Evans, Omaha

Ruben Siegfried, Gering

Loren (Bub) Blake by Norma Brockmoller

     Bub Blake was a remarkable man!! A talented photographer, self-taught, who educated, entertained,
     and amused you with his presentations. He astounded us with his knowledge and story telling ability.
     Who can forget the stories of the Burrowing Owl or Chimney Swift pictures? Bub was a true steward
     of God’s land and creatures. He was an important cog in the gears of Lueshen’s Birders. His
     devotion to us was a blessing and he will not be forgotten.

(Editor’s note—Bub Blake died in October. NOU will miss his slide shows as well as his presence at our
meetings.)

Other Deaths

     Katie Buffett from Omaha who had been an NOU member since at least 1950 died in August. She and
     her husband, Fred, provided funding for the construction of the Katherine and Fred Buffett Forest
     Learning Center at Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue.

Eugene Maddux from Kearney died in September. He taught biology at the University of Nebraska
at Kearney.

New Goose Species (Cackling Goose) by Ross Silcock

     By now, most of you will be aware that the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) has concluded
     that what we previously called Canada Goose (old sense) is really two species. That’s easy to
     understand, but the names complicate the issue. Simply put, all birds except the tiny ones are
     still called Canada Goose, and the tiny ones are now called Cackling Goose. Form here on in
     this article, “Canada Goose” refers to the “new” Canada Goose per the AOU.

     Conclusive identification of Cackling Goose is not as easy as one might think or hope. Although
     the AOU included several subspecies in Cackling Goose, the only one expected in Nebraska is
     subspecies hutchinsii (often called Richardson’s or Hutchins’ Goose). These birds resemble
     the bigger Canadas in plumage coloration; this is especially true of breast color, which is
     pale. I don’t believe that Cackling Geese can be identified by plumage coloration. Probably
     the best features to be studied to clinch an identification of Cackling Goose are overall size
     and bill size relative to the head. As mentioned earlier, Cackling Geese are small; they are
     not much bigger that Mallards (a bit larger in measurements but about 25% heavier); while this
     is obvious when with large Canadas (see the birds in front at
     http://www3.sympatico.ca/jeaniron/cackling2.htm, the difference is not as obvious when the
     smallest Canada Geese are present. Unfortunately for Nebraska birders, these small Canada
     Geese (subspecies parvipes) are common migrants in our state, especially in the west.
     Personally, I think bill size relative to the head is the best way to clinch an identification
     of Cackling Goose, although it is difficult to see except under close conditions with good light.
     The bill is very short and stubby and is shorter than the distance from the bill base to the eye,
     as shown well in the fifth and sixth pictures at http://www.martinreid.com/cago2.html. On the
     other hand, even the smallest Canada Geese (parvipes) show a bill length longer than or equal
     to the bill base to eye distance; this is shown (especially in the last picture) at
     http://www.badboybirding.com/LCGO_01252004.htm. In these pictures, note also that the parvipes
     bill has a sharp rearward extension from the upper part of the bill, which makes it look
     longer relative to the bill base to eye distance, whereas the Cacklings at
     http://www.martinreid.com/cago2.html and especially in the third picture at
     http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/rare_birds/richardsons_canada_goose.htm do not appear to show this.

     The occurrence of darker-breasted small Canada/Cackling Geese in Nebraska has been reported; these
     birds have been tentatively identified as minima, another subspecies included within Cackling Goose
     by the AOU. This Pacific Coast subspecies is thought not to occur east of the Rockies, although it
     is kept in captivity. True minima are very dark-breasted, as shown at
     http://www.badboybirding.com/CAGO_11302003.htm. Tom Labedz is currently looking at the specimens
     in the University of Nebraska State Museum to ascertain which subspecies have occurred in Nebraska.

     An interesting overview of this identification problem is provided by David Sibley at
     http://www.sibleyguides.com/canada_cackling.htm, although Sibley essentially confirms the
     difficulty of field separation of Cackling Geese from the smallest Canadas (parvipes).

     Now that fall is here, all of us should be looking at these small Canada/Cackling Geese with a
     more discerning eye than in the past. The limited amount of data available suggest that Cackling
     Goose is a regular migrant in central Nebraska in March and October, with varying numbers
     lingering as late into winter as conditions allow. Unfortunately, parvipes Canada Geese occur
     at about the same time, but are more common westward.

Special September Business Meeting

     A special business meeting of the NOU was held at the 4-H Camp at Halsey on September 25, 2004.
     The purpose of the meeting was to act upon a proposed amendment to the bylaws. The meeting was
     called to order by Alice Kenitz.

Jan Uttecht moved and Betty Grenon seconded to adopt the following amendment to Article IX,
Section 6:

When necessary, the business of the Corporation, of the Board of Directors, or a committee may be
transacted by mail ballot or by electronic mail. A mail ballot, or electronic mail shall be
accompanied by a statement of the pros and cons, compiled in consultation with any known opposition
to the proposal. The Secretary shall be responsible for mailing the ballots, whether by surface mail
or electronic means, for a meeting of the Corporation, the Board of Directors, and the chair for a
committee meeting. The written ballots shall be returned in a sealed envelope addressed to the
Tellers of the Election at the address specified in the notice of the meeting. The ballot envelopes
shall be delivered unopened to the Tellers of the Election, who shall report the results to the
Secretary and the President for meetings of the Corporation or Board, or to the chair for a committee.
Electronic ballots shall be received at a single e-mail address that has been designated by the Board
of Directors. (Underscored words are the new additions.) Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned.

Fall Field Days 2004

     The Annual Fall Field Days of the NOU were held at the 4-H Camp at Halsey on September 24-26.
     Thirty-nine NOU members and friends enjoyed good weather, good friends, and pretty decent birdiing.
     Field trips led by Dave Heidt and Robin Harding and Lanny Randolph on Saturday took us into Thomas,
     Hooker, Grant, Arthur, Blaine, Loup, Garfield, McPherson, and Cherry counties. There were 119
     species identified—the same number as the last two years. One of the highlights of Dave’s trip
     which went west was 28 Pied-billed Grebes on a lake in Arthur County. The trip east toward
     Calamus produced a Merlin which was harassing several Cattle Egrets.

On Friday evening, Kevin Poague gave us an update on the IBA program. Nominations for the first
group of IBA’s will close on October 31. Several areas have already been nominated.

     Dr. Paul Johnsgard and Clem Klaphake gave an update on the Nebraska Partnership for All Bird
     Conservation. Dr. Johnsgard, Clem, and Linda Brown are the NOU’s representatives. They are
     working on birding trails which will be posted onto a website. They started with scenic byways
     that have already been established. There will be several ways to access information.

     2004 was the year that a black cloud seemed to hover over vehicles. A couple of people had to
     get new tires, and a couple of others had car trouble. Everyone enjoyed the birding in spite
     of these setbacks.

Following Saturday dinner, door prizes were drawn and a special business meeting was held to
pass an amendment to the bylaws that will allow the Board of Directors to vote by e-mail.

     Rick Wright, formerly from Nebraska and now living in Arizona, presented the program on Saturday
     evening. His talk was “Is There a Future for Birding?” Rick defined birding as ‘looking for
     birds with the purpose of identifying them’. Transportation is more readily available than it
     used to be and there are a lot of new field guides. This encourages more and more self-taught
     birding. We need to remember the value of having a Birding Mentor and of the importance of the
     social aspects of birding with a group. It is also important to go beyond field identification
     and learn a little about the life histories of various species. Rick certainly gave us a lot to
     think about.

Please enter my membership in the category checked below:

_________One Active Member…………$15.00 ________Family Active………$20.00

_________One Sustaining Member……$25.00 ________Family Sustaining…$30.00

_________Student Member………………$10.00 ________Life Member………$250.00

Name____________________________________________________________________________

Address__________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip____________________________________________________________________

Telephone________________________________e-mail___________________________________

Make checks payable to Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union and return with this form to:

Betty Grenon, Treasurer
1409 Childs Road East
Bellevue, NE 68005

Please include a gift membership in the category checked below:

__________One Active Member………$15.00 _________Family Active………$20.00

__________One Sustaining Member……$25.00 _________Family Sustaining…$30.00

__________Student Member……………$10.00 _________Life Member………$250.00

Name______________________________________________________________________________

Address____________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip______________________________________________________________________

Telephone__________________________________e-mail___________________________________

Prairie Plains Resource Institute — Celebrating the Land and Its People for 25 Years

     Prairie Plains Resource Institute is a non-profit membership organization founded 25 years ago
     in Aurora, Nebraska. An educational land trust, Prairie Plains preserves, maintains and restores
     native prairies and wetlands and coordinates educational and recreational activities that encourage
     people to enjoy nature, share ideas, and build a sense of community.

     NOU members are welcome to check out the bird populations on any (or all) of Prairie Plains’ seven
     prairie preserves. With properties in Hamilton, Buffalo, Colfax, Boone, and Sioux Counties there
     is something for everyone, and visitors are welcome any time of the year! For more information or
     to become a member of Prairie Plains, call 402-694-5535 or visit
     http://www.prairieplains.org/.

Summary NOU Board Meeting September 2004

The NOU Board met September 24, 2004, at the Halsey 4-H Camp.

     Treasurer Betty Grenon reported an Endowment Fund balance of $21,427.00. Memorials for Rusty
     Cortelyou nave been put into the Scholarship Fund which now totals $1,598.30. The Atlas Fund
     contains $6,574.16.

     NBR subscription prices are $30 for one year foreign subscription, but four single issues could
     be purchased for $20. Motion was passed to raise the single issues to $8. Single issue prices
     in the U.S. will remain at $4 and $5 in Canada.

     The family of Rusty Cortelyou has donated binoculars, spotting scopes, and many books to NOU.
     The binoculars and spotting scopes will be given to Audubon Nebraska. The books will be placed
     in the NOU library or, in the case of duplicates, used for door prizes or sold. NOU is also
     expecting a monetary donation from the Cortelyou estate.

Two more volumes of the NBR will be bound.

An ad for Occasional Papers #7 and #8 will be placed in The Mammoth, the newsletter of the Friends
of the State Museum, for between $35 and $50.

Photos electronically submitted to the Records Committee will be printed and archived. Tom Labedz
will work with Mark Brogie as to the best way to do this. NOU will pay the costs of printing.

In order to increase the usage of the NOU Scholarship Fund, eligibility will be extended to college
students and science teachers as well as junior high and high school students.

Wayne Mollhoff will apply for a grant for 2006 for a new breeding bird atlas project. The Board
voted to give the full support of NOU to this project.

NOU Student Member Receives Award by Dr. Paul Johnsgard

     Allison Johnson received the Youth Conservationist Award from the Nebraska Wildlife Federation on
     August 14 at the Federation’s annual meeting. It was awarded inpart for her work in the
     hand-coloring of 20 of Dr. Paul Johnsgard’s plant and animal drawings for the art exhibit, Lewis
     and Clark on the Great Plains: The Natural History of the Expedition of Discovery, that was held
     at the Great Plains Art Center in the summer of 2004. Allison has also drawn the Dickcissel logo
     for the Nebraska Birding Trails website that will be activated soon, under the auspices of the
     Nebraska Partnership for All Bird Conservation. Dr. Johnsgard had met Allison at a crane-
     watching event at Kearney, in the spring of 2003, and was so impressed with her sketching
     ability that he decided to ask her to help him finish his artwork for the forthcoming exhibit.

Allison is a student member of NOU and a junior at Scottsbluff High School.

Christmas Shopping Ideas

1. “The Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas” by Wayne Mollhoff. Order for $29 (includes shipping and
sales tax) from Neal Ratzlaff, 536 Brentwood Rd., Omaha, NE 68114. Make checks to NOU.

     2. Joel Jorgensen’s monograph, “An Overview of Shorebird Migration in the Eastern Rainwater Basin,
     Nebraska”. Order from Joel Jorgensen, 1829 South St., #28, Blair, NE 68008 for $7 plus $2 for tax
     and shipping. Make checks to Jorgensen.

3. NOU Online Store for nature-related books, videos, and optics. The website address is
http://www.withoutbricks.com/NOUStore.

President and Newsletter Editor:
Alice Kenitz, 190648 Co. Rd. 22, Gering, NE 69341
Phone: 308-436-2959
E-mail Address: akenitz(at)prairieweb. c o m

Vice-President:
Dave Heidt, 1703 Hilltop Drive, Norfolk, NE 68701-2031
Phone: 402-371-3412
daveh(at)northeastcollege. c o m

Secretary:
Mitzi Fox, 2560 Fairgrounds Road, Albion, NE 68620-5200
402-395-2395
mitzi(at)megavision. n e t

Treasurer:
Betty Grenon, 1409 Childs Road East, Bellevue, NE 68005
402-731-2383
grenon925(at)aol. c o m

Editor, Nebraska Bird Review:
Bill Clemente, Department of English, Peru State College, Peru, NE 68421
402-872-2233 (work)
bclemente(at)oakmail.peru. e d u

Librarian:
Mary Lou Pritchard, 6325 O St., Lincoln, NE 68510
402-486-2428

Past Presidents:
Janis Paseka, 1585 Co. Rd. 14 Blvd, Ames, NE 68621
402-727-9229
paseka(at)tvsonline. n e t

Clem Klaphake, 707 Garden Ave., Bellevue, NE 68005
402-292-2276
ckavian(at)aol. c o m

Directors:
Jan Uttecht, Box 823, Stanton, NE 68779 (2004)
402-439-2114

Loren Padelford, 1405 Little John Road, Bellevue, NE 68005 (2005)
402-292-5556
lpdlfrd(at)juno. c o m

Steve Lamphere, 3101 Washington St., Apt. 98, Bellevue, NE 68005 (2006)
402-291-9149

Records Committee:
Mark Brogie, Box 316, Creighton, NE 68729
402-358-5675
mbrogie(at)esu1. o r g

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

Occurrence Reports:
Ross Silcock, P. 0. Box 57, Tabor, IA 51653
712-629-5865
silcock(at)rosssilcock. c o m

Nebraka Birdline:
Josef Kren
402-721-5487 ext. 6490
800-642-8382 ext. 6490
nebraskabirds@yahoo.com

NOU Website: http://rip.physics.unk.edu/NOU/

NOU Online Store: http://www.withoutbricks.com/NOUStore

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union
3745 Garfield
Lincoln, NE 68506