The Region
Featured Bird
Burrowing Owl:
True to its name, the Burrowing Owl often nests in a hold in the ground provided by prairie dogs, coyotes or badgers. It is most active in the morning and evening, hunting for insects during the day and mammals at night. Look for it especially in the Sandsage Prairie and Loess Canyons of the Chicken Dance Trail.
Recent sightings and notes of interest
Check here frequently to see what birds are being seen along the Chicken Dance Trail. Click here to add your own sightings.
Next Last
Posted By: Sylvia Person
For the past week, we have been fascinated with a family of red tailed hawks that have been living (or visiting) the ten hundred block between East and West Avenues in Holdrege. We have seen three at one time and think they are a mother and two young ones. We don’t think that they will be here much longer as the young ones might be hungry, as they seem to be screeching a lot. A friend visiting from CA, Jeff Sall, was able to take these great photos.
Date Posted: 6/29/2010
Posted By: diane
HI THERE,from southern Boone county. What a l-o-n-g winter!! I was so tired of walking on packed snow and ice while going out to feed the birds. I had a lot of drifts around the house this year. Didn't have that many birds this winter but did have a few coons and some of them got shot while getting into my feeders. I wish someone could tell me how to get them away from them. They are a smart little animal. I have welcomed back wrens, brown thrashers, barn swallows, and have had numerous Harris sparrows and white crowned sparrows. Today I seen a cat bird for the first time this year. I believe all that is left that usually comes back are orioles and red-headed woodpeckers. I haven't seen my lazuli buntings yet but I am hoping.----HAPPY BIRDING--DIANE
Date Posted: 5/8/2010
Posted By: Nancy Herhahn
My neighbors and I have been watching two Great Horned Owlet being fed and cared for by the parents over the last 3-4 weeks. Two days ago, probably due to very strong winds and a rather precariously small nest, one of the owlets fell out. It was on the ground under the nest. When my neighbor became aware that the owl was down, she called me. I called a GAme & Parks official who told me how to contact Raptor Recovery. Within an hour and a half of contacting them, the owlet was picked up and on its way to Lincoln Raptor Recovery, where it w be cill be cared for and returned to the wild.
Date Posted: 4/30/2010
Posted By: JayDeHall
Here in Red Cloud, birds are everywhere. What a wonderful sign of Spring it is! The water of the Republican River and the banks seem to be full of life. The Cather Prairieland south of town is coming to life again and the birds are such an important part of it all.
Date Posted: 3/18/2010
Posted By: Betty Sayers
I walked the Alma trail last Sunday, March 7, 2010. I spotted many "flat-topped" nests as T.J. Walker advised to look for. I didn't see owl ears. I did see a sharp-shinned hawk seemingly guarding a nest. The air was filled with twitters and calls. I saw and h eard cardinal pairs, hundreds of robins, gold finch, juncos, yellow-shafted flicers, hairy and downy woodpeckers, and ducks. mallards, blue-winged teal, a red-headed merganzer. Of course Canada geese and snow geese and above it all the cranes traveling overhead. Eagles slowly flying overhead alarmed the ducks and geese, and their sounds of alarm erupted as the eagles approached the flocks. I recommend the Alma walking trail for wildlife viewing. A white tailed deer walked across the trail within 29 yards of me. I imagine new flocks and species arrive daily and stay awhile since the habitat is varied and ideal for many species.
Date Posted: 3/10/2010
Posted By: Tim Smith
Greetings Fellow Birders!,
With the upcoming July 4 weekend, there is a wonderfully quick and easy birding opportunity for those of you that are going to be traveling through Chicken Dance country.
All up and down the Republican River valley, there are bridges that span the Republican River as well as many of the tributaries. These bridges are often located at any of the towns that lie along the river and there are also several of these bridges right on hiway 34. The best things about these bridges are their accompanying colonies of cliff swallows.
Now is the best time to observe a bustling colony of "cliffies" in full swing. These beautiful little colony nesting swallows build their bottle shaped mud nests under many of the bridges along the Chicken Dance Trail. Their numbers can easily exceed over a thousand individuals in one colony. These gregarious little birds are quite tolerant of careful observers and put on a wonderful show for anyone taking the time to stop and watch them for a bit.
Cliffies are quite entertaining for young and old alike. They are fabulous aerialists and their feeding trips in and out of their houses is something to behold. And don't worry about mosquitoes around a cliffy colony. The birds eat them as fast as they can.
Although cliffy colonies can be found anywhere in Chicken Dance country, two of the best I have found are at Macklin Bay on the north side of Swanson Reservior and at the North and South Fork Republican River bridges at Benkelman.
I have attached a photo of a cliffie colony located at Haigler, Nebraska. Although it is not the best picture in the world, I think it conveys the hustle and bustle of a thriving cliff swallow colony
Now the best part. All of these wonderful cliffie colonies are on public right of way! Just pull off of the hiway and enjoy the show. Remember to park safely, be mindful of traffic and have fun.
Later, Tim
Date Posted: 6/20/2009
Posted By: Tim Smith
Here is a rare visitor to this part of the world. An Inca dove! These little doves are very rarely seen this far north and to the best of my knowledge this may be the first documented summer sighting of an Inca in Chicken Dance country.
Sorry about the quality of the photo (I took it through the kitchen window), but at the time I felt that it was more important to document the sighting than to get a great photo. My concerns were proven correct as when I tried to get a really good picture, the little dove took flight.
How about it, anybody else out there have a rare or unique sighting to relate? Let's hear it.
Later, Tim
Date Posted: 6/8/2009
Posted By: diane
Hi there, just had to send something today. I have 3 lazuli male buntings at my feeder this afternoon, quite a nice suprise for me. Yesterday while going out the end road(that's what we always called our driveway when I grew up on the farm). I had to stop and get out to see baby killdeer. What a sight to see. They looked like their parents but just in minature form. They looked so funny with their long legs and a little puff of a body. They clumsily ran into the grass---sure made me laugh. We need some rain up this way had to start watering some of the vegetable garden and farmers got the pivots running too--way to early for this.
Date Posted: 5/17/2009
Posted By: diane
HAPPY MAY DAY!! My sightings have been somewhat of a surprise. I have numerous rufous-sided towhee's this spring and seen numerous white crowned sparrows. The male harris sparrows are really gettings their colors on. The wrens are back along with the brown thrasher--haven't really seen them but I can hear them. Do you think spring is finally here????
Date Posted: 5/1/2009
Posted By: christensen
fly casting in my back yard at 11pm with an audience
Date Posted: 4/15/2009