"Notes" from Nebraska Bird Review (Sept 1988) 56(3).

Authors

Date of this Version

9-1988

Citation

Nebraska Bird Review (September 1988) 56(3).

Comments

Copyright 1988, Nebraska Ornithologists' Union. Used by permission.

Abstract

BRANT AT FUNK LAGOON. Rick Peifer and I co-led a Bell Museum of Natural History (University of Minnesota) field trip to the Platte River ill March 1988. On 21 March about 25 of us went to Funk WPA (Phelps Co.) about 14:00, We found only a few thousand waterfowl, the remainder had apparently been driven off by USFWS personnel as a preventative measure against a further outbreak of fowl cholera. We were on the NI S road between sections 1 and 2, T6N, R17W, and saw only about 1,000 to 1,500 geese (mostly Canada’s, plus some White-fronted) plus a few hundred ducks. A farmer who lives in the NWi of Sec. 1 invited us to drive onto his land for closer viewing. With my Nikkon spotting scope (20-40X) I was looking south at some of the Canada Geese, most of which were of a very small race (smaller than Snow Geese) standing on the mud flats. Suddenly I realized I was looking at the neck and head of a Brant; at that time, the body was hidden by some of the Canadas.