"NOU Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting, 125th Anniversary of the Neb" by Janis Paseka

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union

 

Date of this Version

6-2024

Document Type

Article

Citation

Nebraska Bird Review, volume 92, number 2, June 2024, pp. 89–98

Comments

Published by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc.

Abstract

The NOU Annual Meeting and Spring Field Days were held in Lincoln on May 3-5, 2024, with 80 in attendance. This year is the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, and this meeting also served as the kickoff of the Nebraska Birding Bowl.

Field trips were led by Olivia DaRugna, Thane Dinsdale, Joe Gubanyi, Thomas Labedz, Jason St. Sauver, T. J. Walker, and Michael Willison. Destinations included Wilderness Park, Bluestem Lake SRA, Killdeer WMA, Cottontail WMA, Pawnee Lake SRA, Branched Oak Lake, Butler County Prairie-Chicken lek, Marsh Wren Saline Wetland, Spring Creek Prairie, and Conestoga Lake SRA.

Our Friday programs included a bird photography workshop led by ace bird photographers Boni Edwards and Colleen Childers. Their interest in bird photography began in 2017 with the Game and Parks “150 Bird Challenge.” Their list of photographed Nebraska species now totals 355 for Boni and 345 for Colleen.

Dan Leger, retired UNL professor of psychology, presented a history of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union from its inception in 1899 with a group of 14 charter members. Although there were already several regional ornithological organizations in the United States, the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union was the first state ornithological organization.

Olivia DaRugna, wildlife biologist with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, outlined the Nebraska Birding Bowl, which was started in 2023, when 270 participated. It is a free competition during the month of May to see how many bird species can be found and identified in Nebraska. There are four different skill levels, and sightings are entered on eBird for a chance to win prizes such as binoculars and cash.

President Joel Jorgensen, Game and Parks Nongame Bird Program Manager, gave more information about the Birding Bowl and the weekend’s opportunities for birding with experienced birders. Several first-time NOU meeting attendees were recognized, as was Neva Pruess, who has been an NOU member since 1961.

Thane Dinsdale presented a brief lecture on basic bird identification for the newer birders. He pointed out keys to identification such as habitat, behavior, bill size and shape, and also encouraged beginning birders to observe the bird, with or without binoculars, before attempting to look it up in a field guide.

Jason St. Sauver, education manager at Audubon Spring Creek Prairie, gave a presentation on the use of eBird. He outlined all the different ways the application may be used, such as trip lists, year lists, personal lists, as well as research into what species have been seen in a given location at a given time.

Our featured speaker on Saturday evening was Ross Silcock, co-author of Birds of Nebraska, current co-manager of Birds of Nebraska-Online (BONO), and author of seasonal reports in the NBR. His presentation was titled “Nebraska Birds and People: 125+ Years of Change.” He spoke about how the numbers and species of birds in Nebraska change and the reasons for this: change in habitat (e.g., planting of forests), fire suppression, changes in land use (tillage vs. no-till), climate changes, and yearly weather changes (as distinct from climate change). He also spoke about changes in birders. More people now are observing birds, and many are using cameras and recorders to document their sightings. Technology has further changed the way birds are observed and reported with the use of eBird.

The total species count for the meeting was 202. Among the highlights were Sandhill Crane, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Yellow-breasted Chat, 14 sparrow species, and 20 warbler species, including Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Bay-breasted, and Black-throated Blue.

Download

Share

COinS