Nebraska Ornithologists' Union
Date of this Version
9-1989
Citation
“1986: A Nebraska Big Year” from Nebraska Bird Review (September 1989) 57(3).
Abstract
In January of 1986 my brother, Ed M. Brogie, and I were tallying our lists for Nebraska when the question arose: "How many species of birds do you think one could see in Nebraska in one year?" The previous year (1985) had been the first year we had made a serious attempt at seeing western Nebraska species and chasing rarities in the state. Our efforts had yielded such birds as Bean Goose, Green-tailed Towhee, Black-necked Stilt, Red Phalarope, Lewis' Woodpecker, Sprague's Pipit, Cassin's Finch, Cassin's Kingbird, and King Eider. When 1985 ended, my Nebraska life list stood at 290 and I had seen 237 species in the state for the year, without any real attempt to see migrant songbirds. . . . In summary, I found all of the 197 birds I had given a Code 1, and 53 of the 54 Code 2 species (missed Hermit Thrush). Of the 40 birds I had given a Code 3 I had found 26. Included in my total were 12 Code 4 birds and 3 Code 5 species. Each species counted in the total had at least one witness or was documented with a photograph. . . . All in all, 1986 was a great year for birding and I had a fun time playing the game. One always thinks about the species he missed, but I know I'll remember for life some that I found. It was a year I learned a great deal about the birds of Nebraska, and about Nebraska as a whole. Perhaps the best part of birding in 1986 was making new acquaintances, spending time with old friends, and just sharing the joys and experiences that go with the sport.
Comments
Copyright 1989 Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union. Used by permission.