Platte River Cranes 2009
March 18-23, 2009 - Bird/Species Trip List
Guide Peg Abbott, with five participants

Our journey was a week earlier this year so we encountered fewer shorebirds but MANY more Snow and Ross' Geese. Highlights were many! Snow Goose - Our first sighting was a pond literally FILLED with thousands of Snow Geese mixed with Ross' Geese. They were packed in densely and it was fun to see the various color morphs and ages. Their constant communication calls gave us a sense of restless migration urgency. We saw them on a warm day and they seemed ready to take to the skies. We also saw small numbers elsewhere, including some mixed in with the roosting cranes and a lone bird in a farm field near Burwell.

Ross's Goose - seen with the flock of Snow Geese at Mormon Island Recreation Area and in smaller numbers on other ponds or fields of Rainwater Basin.
Canada Goose - scattered small numbers at several lakes and ponds, along the Platte and Loup Rivers
Gadwall - Funk Lagoon, we saw about a dozen birds, paired up and at close range
American Wigeon - not common, but present on a few ponds in Omaha and Rainwater Basin
Mallard - very common on ponds and along rivers, many of them paired up and sitting even on standing water in farm fields
Blue-winged Teal - handsome ducks in bright plumage, we saw several pairs at Funk Lagoon and a few at the Calamus Reservoir State Fish Hatchery
Northern Shoveler - seen regularly on ponds of the region
Northern Pintail - abundant in the Rainwater Basin, we appreciated their beauty and grace. The males were in exquisite plumage and we watched them repeatedly in flight and sitting on the water
Green-winged Teal - common and widespread both on the Platte and in small ponds around Calamus
Redhead - just one bird seen in the Rainwater Basin east of the road south from Kearney and then several at the Fish Hatchery at Calamus Reservoir
Ring-necked Duck - one bird only, at the Fish Hatchery ponds at Calamus
Lesser Scaup - one on the lake in Omaha, a few in Rainwater Basin and then several to scope in detail at the Fish Hatchery at Calamus
Bufflehead - bright males were common and easy to spot, seen in small numbers throughout the trip. The group of displaying males on the south side of Calamus Reservoir was fun to observe
Common Goldeneye - three birds seen near the dam at Calamus
Ruddy Duck - a fairly good size group seen at the far end of Mormon Island Rec. Area lake while our attention was on the Snow Goose mob
Ring-necked Pheasant - surprisingly uncommon near Kearney, only two seen on our Rainwater Basin day, but very common around Calamus Reservoir
Greater Prairie Chicken - observed through the fog on their lek grounds at Calamus. Their morning concert will remain unforgettable!
Sharp-tailed Grouse - Great views from our school bus blind at Calamus, about a dozen birds which remained wary due to a marauding Northern Harrier
Wild Turkey - quite common, seen in large number (150?) spread across a large field near Crane Meadows Nature Center, in small numbers on local farms and again quite common at Calamus
Pied-billed Grebe - seen by our early arriving group members - Peg on the gravel ponds near Wahoo and Ann on the pond near downtown Omaha
Horned Grebe - a gorgeous breeding plumage adult displayed its crown as it swam solo near the dam at Calamus, a treat for all of us to see this plumage
American White Pelican - first spotted on a large pond in the Rainwater Basin and then in good number at Calamus
Great Blue Heron - one on the lake near Wahoo and another flying down Grassy Creek our final day at Calamus
Bald Eagle - several seen along the Platte, most notable was the one who spooked about 10,000 cranes the morning we watched from the blinds at Rowe. We saw them fairly frequently and then at Calamus saw them thirty at a time, wow!
Northern Harrier - seen in small numbers but regularly, quartering over farm fields. One interacting with a Ferruginous Hawk was fascinating near Funk Lagoon
Sharp-shinned Hawk - Peg caught a glimpse of a fast moving small male at the bird feeders behind the Country Neighbor restaurant near Fort Hartstuff
Cooper's Hawk - Ann has a sighting in Omaha the morning we met for our journey
Red-tailed Hawk - by far the most common raptor, but we never tired as we saw an array of plumage and a lot of individuals.
(Harlan's Hawk) The immature, and then adult Harlan's race of Red-tailed Hawks near Calamus were just beautiful and a treat to observe in detail
Ferruginous Hawk - Peg spotted this large raptor lumbering around a recently burned field, likely in search of Pocket Gophers. It was being harassed by a Northern Harrier and the two took to the sky. We followed farm roads to get a better look and by this time the Ferruginous had gone on and was hovering near a windbreak between fields - being harassed by Red-tails feeling territorial about a stick nest. No rest for the big guy!
American Kestrel - fairly common throughout the journey
American Coot - common at Calamus
Sandhill Crane - the signature of our trip, seen in amazing number on roost in the river at dawn and dusk and feeding in the farm fields. We watched long lines in flight and heard them calling almost non-stop for days. Indeed, when we went north to Calamus we missed their clarion calls.
Killdeer - seen daily and in good number. As always, vocal!
Greater Yellowlegs - a group of 5-6 were active along the Platte River in front of thousands of cranes during our morning viewing from the blind. By mid-day they were farther downriver in front of Rowe Sanctuary
Ring-billed Gull - by far the most common gull, seen in small number along the Platte and abundant around Calamus Reservoir
Herring Gull - numerous, though less so than Ring-billed Gulls at Calamus Reservoir
Rock Pigeon - urban areas and farms
Eurasian Collared Dove - we encountered a few of these near the grain silos at Funk and on a few local farms - a new addition this year to our Platte trip list.
Mourning Dove - seen on several days
Great Horned Owl - seen in a nest on the farm of our hosts at Calamus Outfitters
Belted Kingfisher - great views along the Platte River, one perched bird put on quite a show. Seen on several days
Red-bellied Woodpecker - seen mainly in Omaha, then a few other sightings
Downy Woodpecker - seen in Omaha at the home of a friend, then heard near Crane Meadows (Wings Over the Platte) Nature Center
Northern Flicker - seen on several days
Eastern Phoebe - seen our final days near farms around Calamus Reservoir
Loggerhead Shrike - a great sighting of this bird as it was hunting. We watched it repeatedly fly from the telephone wires to the ground, catch insects and return, wow!
Northern Shrike - a single bird near the Fish Hatchery, close views and a good comparison with the Loggerhead seen later that day
Blue Jay - seen near Fort Kearney, then tough to find after that!
American Crow - fairly common
Horned Lark - scattered sightings in plowed farm fields
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - seen on our final day near the farmhouse lunch restaurant and historic Fort
Black-capped Chickadee - seen in cottonwood-riparian habitat at Calamus and near Omaha
White-breasted Nuthatch - seen in cottonwood-riparian habitat near Calamus and at feeders at Rowe and Crane Meadows
Eastern Bluebird - first seen near historic Fort then several near farms on our final day
American Robin - seen on several days, nice to hear them sign again!
European Starling - common
Cedar Waxwing - huge numbers in the trees of town in Burwell
American Tree Sparrow - best seen at feeders at Rowe Sanctuary
Chipping Sparrow - seen on most days, good views near Calamus Reservoir
Song Sparrow - seen along the Platte and Loup Rivers
Lincoln's Sparrow - only one bird seen, in a windrow of a farm near Funk
Harris' Sparrow - two individuals watched for some time at the feeders at Rowe Sanctuary, then at one of the wetland areas in a well-developed windbreak hedgerow
White-crowned Sparrow - common, seen well at feeders
Dark-eyed Junco - common
Northern Cardinal - Platte River and Calamus in conifers near our lodgings
Red-winged Blackbird - wetland areas
Eastern Meadowlark - seen in prairie areas near Rowe Sanctuary and on farms near Burwell
Western Meadowlark - singing male heard while on our search for the Whooping Cranes near Grand Island
Yellow-headed Blackbird - seen between Funk and Wilcox in a large reservoir area
Brewer's Blackbird - seen on grid of farm roads north of Funk
Common Grackle - common
House Finch - common
American Goldfinch - seen on several days, bright spots of color
House Sparrow - common

Mammals:
White-tailed Deer - seen regularly in small numbers
Eastern Fox Squirrel - Omaha and Calamus

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