Birding Day
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
For most of the year, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Wildlife Division staff are busy with a variety of duties and responsibilities, but on one day a year in each of our six districts, we get together to do a “District Birding Day” (DBD). at one or more of our agency’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs).
There are different approaches to DBD in each district. Some focus on diversity and hold the event in April or May; others, held later, focus on documenting the breeding birds of Nebraska. This tends to cut down on number of species observed, as many of the migratory birds have already pushed through the state, but it allows us a greater understanding of those species that nest in our diverse habitats.
For many years, our DBDs were pretty much for “staff only” with just an occasional “expert” birdwatcher invited along. More recently we have opened up the event to include partnering conservation agencies and the general public. These events allow our staff members to learn more about birds and gives us a chance to meet interesting people, share our habitat management activities and goals, and learn more about many things other than birds.
District 4 in southwest Nebraska comprises part of the region known as the Chicken Dance Trail. This year the District 4 DBD was held June 10 at Medicine Creek Reservoir where there were three BBA (Breeding Bird Atlas) blocks to survey.
A very diverse crew of surveyors showed up to help us, including 16 agency employees, Betty Sayers and Nancy Herhahn, founders of the Chicken Dance Trail website (www.chickendancetrail.com), Wayne Mollhoff, a coordinator from the BBA, and several bird watchers, ranging in expertise from novice to experts like Angus Garey, inspiration for the Chicken Dance Trail. In all, 23 participants set out to document birds and any reproductive behavior that was observed at the reservoir and its surrounding habitats. Careful management has led to an excellent mix of habitats around the reservoir including early-, mid- and late-successional grasslands, eastern deciduous woodland, and a lot of shrubby/early successional woodlands that are hosting a diverse group of bird species and other wildlife. We observed a total of 74 species of birds on the day, confirmed nine species as nesting, found signs sufficient to list another five species as “probable” breeders, and all but two of the observed species were listed as at least “possible” breeders.
Some species that tend to be fairly uncommon in this part of the state were quite abundant including Bell’s Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Indigo Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak and Yellow-breasted Chat. But the real highlight of the day was the discovery of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers along Trail 12. We found a pair of them that were obviously disturbed by our presence (suggestive of nesting) and then saw one of them carrying a caterpillar to an out-of-sight location (which confirmed that they were taking food to young in a nest). Their behavior was enough to document them as a confirmed breeder. This species is known to nest in oak woodlands along the Missouri River and up the Platte River as well as in the Pine Ridge area in the Panhandle, but Medicine Creek Reservoir is pretty far away from either of those locations so it was a real “find” for the BBA.
Thanks to all that attended and participated.
T.J. Walker
Wildlife Biologist
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
North Platte
District 4 Birding Day Results
Wood Duck
Mallard
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
Northern Bobwhite
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Killdeer
Franklin’s Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Barn Owl
Eastern Screech-owl
Great Horned Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Bell’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-breasted Chat
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Mammal Species Observed:
Prairie Vole
Fox Squirrel
Eastern Cottontail
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
White-tailed Deer
Mule Deer (including a doe with twins)
Reptile Species Observed:
Bullsnake
Ornate Box Turtle
Six-lined Racerunner
Northern Prairie Lizard
Amphibian Species Observed:
Woodhouse’s Toad
Fish Species Observed:
Freshwater Drum
Common Carp
White Bass
Walleye
Channel Catfish
About the Chicken Dance Trail
The Chicken Dance Trail is actually a collection of great bird watching locations in southwest and south central Nebraska, between the Platte and Republican Rivers. Because the area includes the narrowest section of the hourglass-shaped Central Flyway, the Chicken Dance Trail is uniquely situated for birders. Millions of different birds come through here during spring and fall migrations, making the Chicken Dance Trail one of the best places in the country to see a wide variety of species in a relatively small area.
Our bird watching sites were developed by local naturalists and birding experts and are collected into a series of bird watching “adventures” which are described in detail, along with interactive maps, on our Web site at www.chickendancetrail.com. Other resources include a birding chart, useful birding links, and guides to restaurants, lodging and activities in the area.
Our wildlife and bird watching sites were developed by local naturalists and are collected into a series of “adventures” which are described in detail, along with interactive maps, on our Web site at www.chickendancetrail.com. Other resources include a birding chart, useful links, and guides to restaurants, lodging and activities in the area.
Come and visit and learn why we say, “Birds love this part of Nebraska...and you will too!”
Special Thanks to:
Nebraska Game and Parks, Birds of Nebraska
www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/guides/birds/findbirds.asp