© A & J Binns
Trip Report by Connie Goldman

A group of friends (Bert Filemyr, Jane Henderson, Bob Cohen, Ann Scott and Connie Goldman) planned a birding trip to Nebraska. Our major goal was to witness the spectacle of migration of the Sandhill Crane in the Platte River area. We would also target local species including the Greater Prairie Chicken and Harris’s Sparrow. We would also visit hotspots in the area to experience March birding in the sandhill country and rainwater basin areas of Nebraska.

Monday, March 19th, 2007 – Connie met Bert at his home at 3:15am and the two drove to pick up Jane and Bob at their home in Flourtown. The four dropped Bert’s car at airport parking and took a shuttle to the Northwest Airlines check-in area. There we all met Ann when she was dropped off by her husband. Our morning flight departed as scheduled at 6:00am. Our connecting flight was from Minneapolis, and we left there as planned around 10:00am (CDT).

Arriving in Omaha around 11:00am, we collected luggage, swiftly obtained our rented vehicle and began our birding adventure. We visited Carter Lake, minutes from the airport, for our first official birding spot. The horseshoe-shaped shores of this lake span areas of Iowa and Nebraska. This aspect added interest for the state listers among us, who began racking up birds in both states! We spotted common songbirds, Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls. Numerous duck species, including Common Merganser, American Wigeon and Bufflehead, swam the lake. A highlight at this spot was Connie’s sighting of a large raptor overhead, soon joined by another like it; two juvenile Bald Eagles! The pair flew a circular pattern over the lake, interacting with each other in the air. This gave us opportunities for close observation of these majestic birds. After considering their plumage characteristics, we were able to identify them as one first year and one third year eagle. This would remain a favorite experience of the trip; but we had just begun, and knew there was much more to come!

We ate lunch in a local restaurant and headed west toward our hotel in Grand Island. Along the route we birded the roadsides from our vehicle. As we drove away from the city, the landscape took on the characteristics of this midwest farming state. Cattle grazed low grassy expanses, and last year’s grain fields displayed row after long row of pre-planting stubble. Numerous Red-tailed Hawks perched in trees or hunted from the sky. One Rough-legged Hawk was identified in flight over the fields. Ann spotted Eastern Bluebirds at a box on a farm fenceline. American Robins seemed to be everywhere. Flocks of Common Grackles, European Starlings and Red-winged Blackbirds foraged in the fields or flew en masse across the road.

By mid-afternoon we were deep into an area of continuous squared-off farmfields. This was Nebraska’s agri-business. Few trees and hardly a building was visible as we drove mile after mile along the long straight roads of this vast open area. Almost every farm field hosted Killdeer, foraging among the long rows. Our next birding destination was a marsh area among these farms, the Harvard Marsh Waterfowl Production Area. We walked the dike here to watch for birds using the impoundments and surrounding marshy areas. Many kinds of ducks were found, including Gadwall, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Redhead, Lesser Scaup and Ruddy Duck. Wilson’s Snipe flew out of one impoundment into another. Canada and Snow Geese were present. Shorebirds here were a bit distant, but we got scope looks at Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Baird’s and Pectoral Sandpipers and American Golden-Plover.

The Central Community College in Hastings, NE is a possible spot for songbirds, so we stopped there next. We read the historical marker at the entrance here. It explains the legacy of the area as a former storage depot and packaging plant for naval munitions during the WWII era. The storage bunkers were visible along numerous roads in the area. We birded the campus and found Dark-eyed Juncos and Northern Flickers. Few other birds could be located, so we made our way to our Grand Island, NE hotel.

As we approached our Grand Island destination, we began checking the skies and fields for Sandhill Cranes. This was our primary reason for making the trip – to witness the migration spectacle of this species on and around the Platte River. We saw Snow Geese, Wild Turkeys and eventually, we saw Sandhill Cranes. As we got closer to the Platte River staging area, every field was seen to contain cranes, feeding in small groups or flying over in a row. We admired the graceful flight and haunting calls of these birds. The cranes were here and so were we!

We had planned to observe the fly-in of cranes at their roosting area on Alda Road on our first night. This year’s change in Daylight Saving Time would make the timing an hour later than it had been for birders in previous years. Our 5:30pm arrival was well timed to allow for a quick freshening up, a happy hour (err…half-hour), and arrival at the Alda Road bridge in time for the evening fly-in.

As we drove toward the Alda Road bridge, a sparrow flew across the road into a bush. We were able to stop and take a look. Bert pointed out the pink bill, identifying it as a Harris’s Sparrow. This large sparrow was a lifer for some on the trip! After congratulating ourselves on the sighting, we proceeded down the road to visitor parking at the bridge, and immersed ourselves in the evening fly-in experience.

From the observation deck we watched cranes gradually flying in, and watched local birds in and around the river. Song Sparrows flew around the observation deck. Double-crested Cormorants flew over. More cranes flew in. A Belted Kingfisher chattered in front of us. Some Canada Geese landed in the river, and Bert identified one as a Cackling Goose. More cranes flew in. Green-winged Teal wallowed in a muddy spot near the deck. More cranes flew in. Bert scanned the crowd of cranes off in the distance and picked out a large white form among them. He got us all on the white bird with our scopes. Occasionally, Whooping Cranes are seen among the Sandhills here; had we found one? Even through the scope, the extreme distance was apparent. As we attempted to compare size and confirm field marks, one bird seemed to blend in with the next, and the white bird slowly walked behind cover. At that distance, the ID would be at the limit of conjecture. We would ask around for reports of Whooping Cranes, and keep our eyes out for a reappearance of this questionable bird. Ann spotted a group of white birds with black wingtips flying toward us from the distance. As they approached, we identified them as American White Pelicans. More and more cranes landed on the Platte’s sandy rises. As the sun sank lower and lower, virtually every available land space in the river became covered with cranes. Distant scope views revealed throngs of Sandhill Cranes congregating. And still there were strings of birds in the sky, yet to come in to roost. The call of Sandhill Cranes was now heard continuously. We all marveled at this wonder of natural history.

We returned to our hotel, where we ended our day with dinner together. We compiled our day list, and congratulated ourselves on a great first day’s birding.

Tuesday, March 20th, 2007 – Our second day in Nebraska began with breakfast in our hotel. Departure for birding was at 6:30am, when we headed for the Taylor Ranch area, a typical Nebraska tallgrass prairie scene in the sandhill area of the state. Here the land had small rolling hills covered predominately with pale golden grasses, a few shrubs, a few trees. At the spot predicted by Bert’s pre-trip research, we came across another group of birders on a professional birding tour. They were watching Greater Prairie Chickens on lek in the fields in the distance. Our spotting scopes allowed us to get good looks at these birds, while they displayed among each other in characteristic breeding behavior. Another lifer for some of us! We enjoyed watching the fanned tails, bowed heads and prancing gait of the birds out on the Nebraska prairie. Closer in, we were able to see and hear many Western Meadowlarks in the fields and perched up on fence posts. Tumbleweed was blown loose and drifted along the road here and there. This, of course, prompted a playing of “Tumblin’ Tumbleweed” from among the Western selections on Bert’s iPod later on in the car! We drove the area, sighting local birds including White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpeckers, a Fox Sparrow, and American Tree Sparrows. Another group of Harris’s Sparrows came into view in a scrubby roadside area – in perfect light, these allowed us more study of the field marks of this sparrow. We also found Fox Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrows. One large flock of birds in a tree revealed itself to be Cedar Waxwings. We saw Blue Jays, American Crows, House Finches and American Goldfinches. A Brown-headed Cowbird or two was located in the blackbird flocks.

Later in the morning we stopped at Crane Meadows Nature Center for a peek at their feeders and a look at crane items for sale at this Audubon Nature Center. Numerous American Goldfinches and a Red-bellied Woodpecker visited the feeders.

We found Big Dally's Deli in Hastings to be a perfect local place for a good sandwich for lunch. The interior corrugated metal “wainscoting” and rooster décor made for interesting ambience. Of added interest, a Thirteen-Striped Ground Squirrel was scurrying around the entrance area there. We spent the remainder of the day between Hastings and Clay Center, birding areas near route #18D. We found numerous raptors, including Red-tailed Hawks, one which was of the Harlan’s subspecies. This dark bird with its pale tail lacking any red, was very interesting to observe. Northern Harrier, Cooper’s Hawk and American Kestrel were seen. Much of the farmland here is part of the Nebraska Meat Animal Research Center. Up from the road on their property we could see a large congregation of Snow Geese in the distance, with many gulls flying the area. Although we were not permitted access to the settling ponds on the property (we tried), we saw Ring-necked Pheasant, Ring-billed Gulls and three Bonaparte’s Gulls along the road. At one point Bob called out “Five Turkeys!” When he continued to count 6-7-8….we realized he had not been referring to the five of us in the vehicle, but to a group of Wild Turkeys along the roadside. At the fairgrounds,4-H area, and golf course in Clay Center, a raptor perched on top of a light standard, then took off in determined flight away from us. We had caught sight of a pale breast, long banded tail and bold facial pattern. After considerable discussion and checking of references, we decided we had seen an adult Goshawk! We drove through Clay Center and spotted Eurasian Collared-Doves on wires. We took a second look at the Harvard Marsh Waterfowl Production Area. We enjoyed second looks at the ducks, adding Canvasback to our list. The shorebirds were not as cooperative this time so we moved on. Heading out, we followed a tip about Greater White-fronted Geese in the area. We drove the roads around Harvard, seeking the flock. We found them down in a wet field with Canada Geese and observed their distinctive field marks before they flew off.

On our way back to Grand Island, we stopped at the Prairie Dog colony in Hastings. Many of the cute critters roamed their pocked habitat next to the railway. Some lounged in the opening to their holes alone or in family groups. We heard their yippie prairie dog barks as they undoubtedly warned each other of our presence. They were the undisputed winners of the “cuteness-factor” prize of the day.

We returned to our hotel for freshening up and happy hour. We visited a fly-in area along Platte River Drive and made another stop at the fly-in at the Alda Road bridge. A group of Greater White-fronted Geese flew over, allowing us looks at this species in flight. We again enjoyed the unique scenery of the Platte River and the leisurely return of thousands of Cranes to their temporary night roosting area. As night fell, we left for dinner at a local restaurant, compiling our day list as we waited for our table. After dinner we returned to our hotel for the night.

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 - On this 3rd day of our trip, we had breakfast at our hotel and headed out around 6:30am for a day of crane-watching in the surrounding fields. This would give us opportunities to see the cranes at closer range and to appreciate some of their behaviors. We started at the fly-out, listening to the dawn chorus of songbirds as we watched cranes leave for the fields. Baird’s Sandpipers and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs were seen on mud flats in the river. A number of Wilson’s Snipes foraged along the edge of phragmites at the bridge. Ducks came and went from the Platte; Bert identified them in flight as they flew overhead. Ann spotted ducks flying into a distant tree. They seemed to disappear into the tree. Wood duck seemed the likely call, but we could not get an identifiable look at the birds. Connie heard an Eastern Phoebe calling from some invisible perch on the other side of the bridge. As the sun rose higher and higher, cranes left in groups, seemingly in every direction. We headed out to find them in the fields.

We drove Platte River Drive, stopping for opportunities to observe and photograph cranes up close. Jane snapped photos of the various social groups to document our visit. We watched cranes in their typical “unison calling” behavior. We saw pairs in typical breeding “dancing” behavior. We observed birds picking up bits of cornstalk in their bill and “tossing” it, in display to another bird. Sandhill Cranes fed in virtually every field we passed.

A second stop at the Crane Meadows Nature Center found us in the midst of a kindergarten lesson being given by a large humanoid Sandhill! The costumed educator had the kid’s attention as she demonstrated a crane dance and talked about how crane migration brought people (like us) from distant cities, to see them.

We birded area roads a bit removed from the river, looking for local songbirds. As we drove along the scrubby fields and hedgerows of Shoemaker Island Road, Ann spotted a bird that gave a black and white impression before it flew out of sight. We backed up our vehicle and re-found it - a Loggerhead Shrike! We got out to scope this handsome bird as it searched for prey from seemingly precarious perches.

We searched a pasture for Black-billed Magpies that had been reported there in recent weeks. We checked the area thoroughly, making a few passes around local roads. Though we found more raptors, woodpeckers and songbird species, we did not fine the magpies. We stopped to read roadside markers along the way, learning about the Martin brothers, whose experience with a North American indian attack made its mark on history here. We continued to bird various roads between Grand Island and Kearney, enjoying our crane experience.

We headed toward Kearney, stopping there for lunch. Our next birding stop was the Rowe Audubon Sanctuary, situated directly on the bank of the Platte River. This is home of the “Crane Cam” and a major site for crane conservation and education. We visited the nature center and watched birds at the feeding station. American Tree and White-crowned Sparrows, American Goldfinches and other common songbirds were here. We did just a bit of crane-related shopping. It was a pleasant surprise to run into Linda and Pete Dunne there – it is a small world. A volunteer guide at the center had information on a possible Whooping Crane seen in fields some miles from the center. While it was not a definitive report, we decided to bird that area and look for the bird. We enjoyed more looks at large masses of Sandhills in the crop fields, again experiencing their staggering numbers. We scanned, but could not locate a Whooping Crane among them.

Since we were still near Kearney, Bert steered into a Dairy Queen parking lot, and we all agreed ice cream was in order .We then headed back toward Grand Island, getting a quick drive-by look at the Great Platte River Road Archway, a tourist attraction that spans I-80, commemorating the old wagon trail through the area. The weather was balmy, with temperatures uncharacteristically in the high 70’s. As we got back near Grand Island we got off the interstate and started birding back roads again. One housing development near Amick Avenue near Leisure Lane had a large pond. Seeing a number of ducks and geese from the car, we stopped for a look. With the birds at close range and in great light, we decided to get out and scope. Soon Jane and Ann were spotting Ross’s Geese among the Snow Geese. A duck with white flanks floated with its head and round tucked in, showing little else. By the pattern of white, we ID’d him as Common Goldeneye. Bert identified his companion as a first-winter plumage male. Both these birds made for an interesting study for us. We briefly visited the Campbell family grave site in the neighborhood here. This is another marker of an historic indian raid. We thought about the difficult lifestyle of those who lived in this area in earlier times, so different from current day Nebraska.

Our afternoon of birding ended with return to our hotel for another happy hour. Then we were off to the Alda Bridge fly-in. This time, our mysterious large white crane from the first night reappeared! It could be seen walking near the front of a mass of cranes in the distance, a bit easier to pick out than our first looks. The bird was very white in appearance. But was it a whooper? It did not appear significantly larger than surrounding sandhills. Did the face show a red malar? At times we thought we saw it; other views made us uncertain. Then the bird lifted its wings as we looked through our scopes. There were definitely no black primary tips! Our crane was not a Whooping Crane, but a leucistic Sandhill Crane. Studying the bird had been satisfying, even though we did not get what we had hoped for. We immersed ourselves in the Platte River sunset and watched the masses of cranes come to roost before heading back to our hotel for dinner, our day’s bird list, and a night’s rest.

Thursday, March 22, 2007 - We ate an early breakfast in our hotel and arrived extra early at the Alda Bridge Road fly-out. We listened to the dawn chorus as we stood at the bridge waiting for the sun to rise. We enjoyed watching the strings of cranes fly out to the fields another time. As the light brightened, more and more birds were seen and heard. Ducks, shorebirds and songbirds seen on previous visits appeared again this morning. We watched ducks fly over and attempted flight ID. Connie recognized the call of Wood Duck, and looking up, we saw a pair flying over – maybe the ones Ann had seen going into the large tree the previous day! Bert heard an American Woodcock peeting from the other side of the bridge. We all walked across, and Bert also got us on the call of a distant Great Horned Owl in the woods beside the river. This would be our last crane experience of the trip. We drank in the views of the Platte River, listened to the call of thousands of Sandhill Cranes and watched them flying off in every direction.

Now it was time to head east, birding our way back to Omaha. We birded the roads between Hastings and Clay Center, stopping to see to the Prairie Dogs once more. A new birding spot was the Massie Waterfowl Production Area. An observation tower here allows scope looks down into the grassy wetlands. Ducks were distant, but in good light; we got some repeat looks at a variety of species. A field on our route held Horned Larks.

We headed further east, toward Lincoln, NE, stopping for a fast-food lunch. Our next birding stop was Branched Oak State Recreation Area, northwest of Lincoln. From a campground elevated above the lake we got initial scope looks at the large congregation of ducks here. We approached the lake from a variety of access points. Large numbers of ducks were present, and we enjoyed their number and variety, but added no new species. A large group of gulls near one picnic area was interesting to study, although we got no new species there. Along the park road in an area of hillside fields, we added Eastern Meadowlark, hearing both Eastern and Western Meadowlark here. Some police activity added some interest. A park official recommended another local area, Wildwood Park, so we drove there next. The lake here also held interesting ducks, and we enjoyed watching a Belted Kingfisher perched on a dock. Ann spotted some Tree Swallows over the lake, our first for the trip.

We drove into Omaha to our hotel, quickly freshened up and had a happy hour. We then headed back out for some early evening birding at Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs, IA. As we drove in, we saw small groups of gulls and a few ducks on the lake. A group of American White Pelicans rested near the lake edge. When we reached an access point further in we found very large groups of ducks and hundreds of gulls. Among the Ring-billed Gulls were many Franklin’s Gulls. Ducks included Canvasback, Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck and Common and Hooded Merganser. More Iowa birds for the state listers among us! Ann ID’d a Pied-billed Grebe just as it dove. Though it took us awhile, the rest of us were able to get on the grebe after it surfaced quite a distance from its original spot. As the sun set, we stood in an area of low grassy fields and heard American Woodcock in its seasonal breeding display. A special treat, and the grand finale of our Nebraska birding adventure was the appearance of two Screech Owls on the edge of a wooded area. We watched as one red phase and one grey phase of this species perched, peered down at us, and moved about among the branches overhead. Happy with our last day’s birding experiences, we headed back to Omaha for dinner at a local restaurant, our final day’s bird list, and to our hotel for the night.

Friday, March 23rd, 2007 - On our last morning in Nebraska we had continental breakfast in our hotel and packed up the vehicle to head for the airport. All went according to plan. We dropped off our rental vehicle at the airport and departed Omaha pretty much on time around 9:30am. We had a layover in Minneapolis that allowed us a meal together in the airport. We congratulated ourselves there for a great trip and re-lived fun moments of the previous days together. We all agreed that the Sandhill Crane had been the bird-of-the-trip!! Our flight left as scheduled around 1pm(CDT), and we arrived in Philadelphia around 4:30pm (EDT). Baggage claim was slow and wall-to-wall crowded. Bob risked life and limb to retrieve Connie’s bag, taking a short ride on the baggage carousel - ever the dutiful loadmaster of the trip!

Ann waited for pick-up by her husband. The rest of us waved quick goodbyes to her as we ran for our airport parking shuttle. We reached Bert’s van and drove to Jane and Bob’s house to drop them off. Next we headed to Bert’s home in Meadowbrook, where Connie picked up her car and drove home to Churchville. We were all home by early evening, having had a very successful trip. We look forward to sharing stories of our Nebraska trip for years to come. This group of friends will surely travel and bird together many more times in the future.