Dedicated to the Study, Appreciation and Protection of Birds
New Members
Linda Deeds of North Platte
Bonnie Schoen of Scottsbluff
Sarah Rehme of Seward
Ingrid Barcelo of Wood River
Jennifer Cantrell and Jason Meyer of Lincoln
In Memory Of...
Past NOU president, Dr. Mildred Gross passed away in April 2007. Mildred taught mathematics and served as department head at Doane College for many years. She had served as NOU president in 1971. She and her husband, Everett, have been very faithful members. Our sympathies go to Everett and their family. We will miss Mildred.
Sue Amiotte, past treasurer of NOU, died in March. She wanted all of her NOU friends that sent cards, letters, and e-mails during the last few months of her life to know how much she appreciated them.
Izen Ratzlaff lost her battle with cancer in May. Izen
was a one-woman welcoming committee at NOU activities and was always ready
with a camera to record our activities. She was a great helper to
her husband, Neal, especially in the years that he served as NOU president.
We will miss her.
Halsey Fall Field Days
The 2007 Annual Fall Field Days will be held September 28, 29, and 30 at the 4-H Camp at the Nebraska National Forest at Halsey. The 4-H Camp has a lodge where we will be having our meals and programs. There is a staff house that has 6 sleeping rooms; each room can accommodate 2 people. These rooms have private baths and linens are provided. The bunkhouse-type cabins have shared bathroom facilities. We can usually accommodate couples privately and singles in men’s and women’s ‘dorm’ cabins. Bring your own bedding and towels, or they are available for $15 per person. Anyone not sleeping at the Camp must pay $20 user’s fee for the weekend.
You will find the registration blank with the prices for each facility elsewhere in this newsletter. Please return registration forms to Betty Grenon before September 14. Check-in will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, September 28. Dinner will follow at 6:00 p.m. We encourage everyone to stay at the Camp, but motels are available in Halsey, 2 miles east (Keeney Motel 308-533-2240) or Thedford (Arrow Motel 308-645-2246 and Rodeway Inn 308-645-2284). Good camping facilities are available in the National Forest.
There is good birding around the 4-H Camp, along the Middle Loup River, in the National Forest, and in the nearby Sandhills. Organized field trips will be available on Saturday and perhaps Sunday as well. The field trip leaders will be Clem Klaphake, Mark Brogie and Dave Heidt. Routes will be determined by the field trip leaders and presented Friday night. There should be locations visited that have not been used for Fall Field Days before.
Friday evening Wayne Mollhoff will give an entertaining and informative update on the breeding bird atlas project. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Atlas. "Where we stand and what we've seen", all presented in Wayne's inimitable style. Saturday evening’s program will be Sand Hills Odyssey. Bob Rooney, nature photographer, will give a multi-media presentation on this inspirational region, focused on its flora and fauna, scenic beauty and family life.
Please send your completed registration form to Betty as soon as possible.
The 4H camp needs the number of participants by September 14th so that
they can order the right amount of food.
Spring Meeting, May 18-20, 2007
Sixty NOU members and friends enjoyed a great weekend of birding and visiting at the 108th Annual Spring Meeting held May 18-20 at the Sandhills Convention Center in North Platte. Many thanks to Betty Grennon for making all of the arrangements. Field trips worked out well and were a lot of fun with 147 species seen. T. J. Walker organized the field trips. T. J. Walker, Tim Hermansen and Wayne Molhoff scouted field trip routes. Thanks to Wayne Molhoff, T. J. Walker, Robin Harding and Lanny Randolph for leading the field trips.
Field trips took us into Lincoln, McPherson, Custer, Logan, Frontier
and Hayes Counties. A taste of some of the bird species that we saw
or heard or both would have to include Trumpeter Swan, Hooded Merganser
Greater Prairie-Chicken, Eared Grebe, Clark's Grebe, American Bittern,
Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Virginia Rail, Sora, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated
Plover, Willet, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Semipalmated Sandpiper,
Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper,
Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe, Wilson's
Phalarope, Forster's Tern, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Burrowing Owl,
Red-bellied Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Eastern
Wood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe, Great-crested
Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Bell's Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Black-billed
Magpie, Purple Martin, Bank Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, Rock Wren,
Marsh Wren, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, American
Pipit, Cedar Waxwing, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush,
Yellow-breasted Chat, Clay-colored Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Lark Bunting,
Grasshopper Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Black-headed
Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Indigo Bunting, Bobolink, Eastern
Meadowlark, Yellow-headed Blackbird and Great-tailed Grackle.
Friday evening’s program was given by John Sidle the threatened, endangered and sensitive species coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service of the Chadron office. He spoke about the burrowing owl project in the National Grasslands. Saturday evening’s program was given by Dr. Josef Kren a Biology professor at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont. His topic was The Neurobiology of Bird Song. Dr. Kren spoke about theories and research into the subject of why birds sing.
Sunday after lunch, as a way to say goodbye, many of us gathered
at the North Platte offices of the Nebraska Game and parks commision to
go over the final tally of all wild birds seen during the meeting.
It was a fun way to top off the festivities and say goodbye to friends.
Annual Business
Meeting -- Saturday, May 19, 2007 -- minutes
Sandhills Convention Center, North Platte
Meeting was called to order at 7:45 p.m.
President Dave Heidt handed out the minutes from the previous meeting to the membership. A motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes. The membership agreed.
Betty Grenon gave the treasurer's report.
The nominating committee presented its new slate of officers for the
NOU Board, which was published in the newsletter preceding the meeting.
No new nominations were given. A motion was made and seconded to accept
the new slate of officers. The motion was unanimously accepted. The new
Board is as follows:
President ? Lanny Randolph
Vice president ? Urban Lehner
Treasurer ? Betty Grenon
Secretary ? Kevin Poague
Dave related details of the fall meeting, tentatively scheduled for Halsey in late September. He also said the proposed location for the spring 2008 meeting is Kimball, to be organized by Steve Dinsmore. But Alice Kenitz offered to host the meeting in Scottsbluff if Steve is unable to make arrangements.
Janis Paseka announced the recent mailing of the latest issue of The Nebraska Bird Review and said she is looking for new material for future issues.
Wayne Mollhoff described the progress made on the Breeding Bird Atlas Project II.
Dave asked the membership if there was interest in the design and sale of a new NOU t-shirt. There was a modest show of support for this proposal.
Loren Padelford announced there are some open breeding bird survey routes. Members who are interested in taking a route were asked to contact Loren.
Alice Kenitz passed around a paper for members to sign as a show of
support for Neal and Izen Ratzlaff. A motion was made and seconded
to adjourn. Motion passed.
Board Meeting -- Friday, May 18, 2007-- minutes
Sandhills Convention Center, North Platte
Board members present: Betty Grenon, Dave Heidt, Alice Kenitz, Urban Lehner, Loren Padelford, Janis Paseka, and Kevin Poague. Guests: Kathy DeLara, Robin Harding, Wayne Mollhoff, and Lanny Randolph.
Breeding Bird Atlas Project II Wayne Mollhoff began the meeting
providing updates to the project. He requested permission to give a free
copy of the Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas to anyone who fills out a report
for a breeding bird block as an incentive for people to participate. The
Board voted in favor. Wayne will distribute the books at future NOU meetings.
He reported that more than 90 people have signed up to help survey
blocks, and he is pleased with the quality of people taking part. The system
to be used to entering the results into a computer database has yet to
be finalized. Wayne did produce identification cards for atlas participants.
They can show these cards if landowners ask for ID before being allowed
access to private land.
Finally, Wayne asked that his current expenses be paid from NOU
funds. The Board voted in favor, and future expenses will be reviewed at
subsequent meetings and, if approved, will be paid out of atlas funds.
Minutes of fall 2006 meeting were read and approved.
Treasurer's Report Betty Grenon reported the NOU is in good financial shape. Money has been shifted around to different accounts to accumulate the most interest income possible. The NOU continues to receive memorial contributions. Betty asked the board if memorials without a designation should be put in the endowment fund. The Board voted to place undesignated memorials in the endowment fund. There is a good supply of NOU brochures.
Committee Reports Library Committee - No member present.
The committee's report was sent by e-mail. Betty said she had 10 to 15
years of back issues of North American Bird Bander magazine and can donate
them to NOU if needed. Providing there is space, the Board agreed she could
donate them.
Nominating Committee - The committee completed its work by finalizing
the new board for next year.
Publications Committee - Janis Paseka reported that the paper
by Paul Johnsgard (detailed in minutes to the fall 2006 meeting) is still
in review. The paper could eventually be split in two and published in
The Nebraska Bird Review or placed on the NOU website.
Records Committee - No report.
Nebraska Bird Review Editor Janis reported that Linda Brown has completed and mailed the December 2006 issue. She also said she is getting caught up with the backlog of articles and will accept new articles for future NBR issues. About 40 people have not renewed their subscription.
Old Business Fall Meeting - The fall 2007 meeting is tentatively
set for the last weekend in September at Halsey. No contract has
been signed yet, as current president Dave Heidt has not received a contract.
Incoming president Lanny Randolph will contact officials at Halsey to get
the contact signed. Urban requested suggestions from board members
for potential speakers at future meetings.
Spring 2008 Meeting - There are two potential sites for the spring
2008 annual meeting. Steve Dinsmore has offered to organize a meeting in
Kimball. If this falls through, Alice Kenitz agreed to host the meeting
in Scottsbluff.
Advertising - An NOU member sent a request to place an ad for
his law firm in the NOU newsletter. After discussion, the Board voted to
not allow this advertisement in the NOU newsletter. Future requests will
be handled on a case-by-case basis.
New Business Postings/Links on NOU Web site - As the Board already
voted against having an ad in the newsletter, they agreed this also applied
to links to for-profit entities on the Web site.
Kevin asked if it was time to look into getting new NOU t-shirts.
The board agreed to have Dave ask the membership at the business meeting
and see what the general consensus is.
For the work T.J. Walker put into organizing the weekend, the
Board agreed to give T.J. and his family a free year's membership to the
NOU.
At 10:00 p.m., a motion was made and seconded to adjourn. The
meeting was adjourned.
NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
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 Code________________________________________________________
Telephone__________________________e-mail__________________________________
Make checks payable to Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union and return
with this form to:
Betty Grenon
1409 Childs Road East
Bellevue, NE 68005
2007 FALL FIELD DAYS REGISTRATION
Two Nights and All Meals
Cabin $90.00 X _____ number of people =
_____ total
Staff House (also known as the administration building
$110.00 X _____ number of people = _____ total
One Night and Three Meals
Cabin $45.00 X _____ number of people =
_____ total
Staff House $55.00 X _____ number of people = _____ total
LINENS
Cabin $15.00 X_____ number of people = _____ total
Staff House (included in room fee)
Total Enclosed with this Form: $_______
For people not sleeping at the 4-H camp:
DAY USE - NO LODGING
Day Use Fee (not optional) $20.00 X_____ = ___________
MEALS
Friday Dinner $8.00 X_____ = ___________
Saturday Breakfast $6.00 X_____ = ___________
Saturday Sack Lunch $7.00 X_____ = ___________
Saturday Dinner $8.00 X_____ = ___________
Sunday Breakfast $6.00 X_____ = ___________
Sunday Lunch $7.00 X_____ = ___________
Total Enclosed with this Form: $___________
Please list special dietary needs here:____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE:
Make checks payable to Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union and return
with this form to:
Betty Grenon
1409 Childs Road East
Bellevue, NE 68005
(E-mail addresses have been altered to fight spam. Replace (at)
with the appropriate symbol
and remove the blank spaces.)
President and Newsletter Editor:
Lanny Randolph, 50370 24th Road, Gibbon, NE 68840
Phone: 308-468-5057
virginiarail(at)nctc.n e t
Vice-President:
Urban Lehner, 15526 Pierce Circle, Omaha, NE 68510
Phone: 402-330-3888
urban.lehner(at)dtn.c o m
Secretary:
Kevin Poague, 379 So. 46th Street, Lincoln, NE 68510
402-477-7390
kpoague(at)neb.rr.c o m
Treasurer:
Betty Grenon, 1409 Childs Road East, Bellevue, NE 68005
402-731-2383
grenon925(at)aol. c o m
Editor, Nebraska Bird Review:
Janis Paseka, 1585 Co. Rd. 14 Blvd, Ames, NE 68621
402-727-9229
paseka76(at)gmail.c o m
Librarian:
Mary Lou Pritchard, 6325 'O' Street, Lincoln, NE 68510
402-486-2428
Past President:
Dave Heidt, 1703 Hilltop, Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone: 402-371-3412
E-mail Address: daveh(at)northeastcollege.c o m
Directors:
Jan Uttecht, Box 823, Stanton, NE 68779 (2007)
402-439-2114
jautek(at)stanton. n e t
Loren Padelford, 1405 Little John Road, Bellevue, NE 68005 (2008)
402-292-5556
lpdlfrd(at)cox.n e t
Steve Lamphere, 3101 Washington St., Apt. 98, Bellevue, NE 68005 (2006)
402-291-9149
kingfisher65(at)aol. c o m
Records Committee:
Mark Brogie, 508 Seely, Box 316, Creighton, NE 68729
402-358-5675
mbrogie(at)esu1. o r g
Breeding Bird Atlas and Nest Records Committee:
Wayne Mollhoff, 2354 Euclid 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/
Nebraska Birding Trails: http://www.nebraskabirdingtrails.com