"Notes," from Nebraska Bird Review (March 1982) 50(1)

Copyright 1982, Nebraska Ornithologists' Union. Used by permission.

Abstract

CATTLE EGRETS. Neil Dankert and I saw ten to twelve Cattle Egrets 21 September 1981 on the "Prairie Dog Waterfowl Production Area", south of Axtell. They were among cattle on the small privately-owned portion in the southwestern part of the area. They were seen about 5:45 PM.

-- David L. Jenson, 404 W. 26th 51. #3, Kearney, Nebraska 68847

WHO TAKES CARE, ETC? On 12 June 1981 I saw a duck that I took for a female Redhead on Carter Lake, where I expected to see only Wood Ducks. On 2 July I saw 6 broods of Wood Ducks - 1 of 2,2 of 5, 1 of 8, and 2 of 10 - on Carter Lake, and then a group of over 20 young ducklings with what I presume was the same Redhead - I was looking down at them from a small bridge and I could see the broad blue bill, with parallel sides and rounded tip. These small ducklings moved through a couple of broods of larger ducklings, and every once in a while I would see one of the larger ducklings rush at one of the smaller ones, which had no difficulty in keeping out of reach. Other than the participants in these rushes, no duck, not even the presumed mother seemed to take notice of the rushes. I noticed the rushes only after they started, but I assume they were the result of too close an approach. A little later I saw the big brood reassembled and off by itself, with the presumed mother maybe 10 to 15 feet away. When I got home I checked Kortright's pictures of downy young and realized (l remembered the eye stripes) that they probably were puddle ducks, not diving ducks. One of the people I talked to about the incident was B.J. Rose, of Ducks Unlimited. He saw them the next day, and counted them at 25, said they were Wood Ducks, were about 5 days old, and that the hen with them then was a Wood Duck. It was 16 July before I got back to Carter Lake, and then I saw no sign of the big brood. I saw only one brood - of 7, with a Wood Duck in charge, and they looked to be about the right age to have been of the big brood. I did not see the Redhead again, through August.