3/19/2021 2 Comments More new goodiesSt. Patty's Day brought to Hastings one of Nebraska's biggest birds, the American White Pelican, which holds the local wingspan record at over 9 feet! Go get a tape measure and check that out. I'll wait.... Crazy big, right?! When one comes soaring in, I always think of a B-52, or Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose." Harlan County Reservoir about an hour southwest of town hosts thousands of these amazing birds. A contender for my "best bird of the year" so far is the Lesser Black-backed Gull that graced Lake Hastings for just a few minutes on March 18. This European species had never been reported in the state before 1992, but now is considered an "uncommon regular spring and fall migrant and winter visitor statewide," according to the excellent resource Birds of Nebraska Online. Today's best bird -- out of five new birds I added to my Adams County year list -- was a male Cinnamon Teal. As you can see on the Bird List, the other species were Franklin's Gulls (which can be found by the 100's in spring flying low over newly plowed cropland, a sight which often surprises people since these "seagulls" are so far from any sea), and Baird's Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs (both common shorebird species which can be found here in largest numbers in April.) Oh, and I almost forgot: I got to see a first-of-year (FOY) Turkey Vulture tilting over town on its dihedral wings, a bird which my wife spotted before I did and pointed out to me. She knows way more birds than she likes to admit or is comfortable with. Thank you, my eagle-eyed Elmy, for giving me Bird #96 for the year! This one's for her ;)
2 Comments
Jean
3/22/2021 02:17:41 pm
Pelicans in Adams Co.?!?! And if I understood you correctly, thousands?!?! I assume here very briefly? I had no idea
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Paul
3/22/2021 03:38:12 pm
I know, right?! That fact surprises lots of people. And, yes, they’re here mostly during migration, with the biggest numbers on the biggest lakes and marshes, but you can find a few around most months of the year
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