30 July 2010

Water Features Prominent Aspect of Holt County Landscape

Water related features are a prominent landscape feature of southwestern Holt County, Nebraska. Their extent is obvious in looking at topographic maps of the region.

There are headwaters creeks which eventually flow into the Elkhorn River. Lakes and wetlands abound. And within the entire scene are a myriad of flowing wells, where water gushes from the sandy substrate and create flows which contribute to the watery conditions.

Map graphic showing prominent water-related features of southwestern Holt County. Information derived from topographic maps. Image Copyright 2010 J.E. Ducey, all rights reserved.

Amongst this region, is Amelia, a tiny hamlet with a few residents. The place is known for its flowing waters, as expressed in a January 1998 article issued by the Associated Press, and published in the Norfolk Daily News. A portion of that article is given here:

"Regardless of the ebb and flow of population, one thing about Amelia was constant: The community had plenty of water, thanks to the existence of hundreds of free-flowing artesian wells.
"Water from these wells is relatively pure, said Dennis Schueth, manager of the Upper Elkhorn Natural Resources District.
"Free-flowing wells are created when a well is drilled to a point where the water pressure is so great that water is forced out at the surface. Normal deaths range from 50 to 100 feet.
"But in the Amelia area that depth ranges from ground level to less than 15 feet, Schueth said.

Flowing wells in the immediate vicinity of Amelia, eastern sandhills of Holt County.

"Adair," [Allen Adair, Amelia's unofficial mayor], "said history books of the 1950s cited Amelia as having the purest water in the world.
"Somebody should be selling it," he told the Norfolk Daily News.
"Back in the sodbuster days, people did. When Amelia's postmaster made his three-day, 26-mile journey to retrieve the mail in O'Neill, he hauled gallons of Amelia water to Moses P. Kincaid, the congressman and lawyer whose legislation was responsible for settling the Nebraska frontier.
"The wells run for years without drying up and maintain a temperature around 52 degrees. Winter cold doesn't freeze them, and summer heat doesn't warm them.
"On the county road running past Amelia is an old water fountain that gurgles with clear drinking water. The well was dug about 80 years ago and is still going strong, Peterson said.
"A person walking the streets of Amelia hears the sounds typical of a rural town -- barking dogs, the motors of passing cars, the leaves rustling from the trees and the Nebraska wind.
"But one also will hear water -- trickling, rushing and flowing. More than 20 wells flow into the canals that line the dirt streets, Adair said."

Flowing fountain at Amelia. Picture taken 12 May 2007.

Water is not only a feature about the community of Amelia, but occurs throughout the region, apparent on the surface at lakes known as Dora, Lizard, Cottonwood, East, West, Gold, Lambs, Overton, Long, Swan, Willow and Chain Lakes. With so much water about, some places are known as Maurice Lakebed or Grass Lakebed since they are now drained to provide meadows where the grass can be cut to supply a season's hay crop. A few more lakes occur in the area to the south, in Garfield County.

There is also a plethora of flowing wells. Topographic maps of the U.S. Geological Survey show their extent and how wide-spread they are. The are indicated by a the words "flowing wells" and occur at more than 25 different places.

Around Amelia, there are at least nine indicated, along with other wetland features, including a lake area just to the east.

Besides that fountain at Amelia, there is a spout in a small local lake, bubbling forth as an ongoing, seemingly ever-lasting supply to the lake where the waters nourish other life.

There is also Keegan Creek, Dry Creek, Holt Creek and other flow channels which are forks of the Elkhorn River. Some flows southward as Big Cedar Creek. These channels might nourish a wet meadow or simply transport the water onward as it flows away from this region of the eastern sandhills.

Obviously a plethora of water from the groundwater aquifer occurs in this area, and it is perhaps the most prominent aspect of the landscape.

Two of the most predominant features of the southwest portion of Holt County can be simply described: sandhills and water.

Designated wetlands in the vicinity of Swan Lake, which is at the lower right of the image. Wetlands are indicated by green and blue, and the type indicated by the alphabetic code. Information from www.nationalmap.gov.

Designated wetlands in the vicinity of Amelia, in the lower center of the image, with Swan Lake at the lower left.

Birds of Eastern Sandhills, Southern Holt County

Loren B. Blake and Jim Ducey. 1991. Birds of the eastern Sand Hills in Holt County, Nebraska. Nebraska Bird Review 59:103-132.

A one year survey was conducted on birds that occur in the Sand Hills region of southern Holt County. The southern part of the county is basically south of O'Neill but with most field work taking place in the most southern portion of the county. Most of the information is for birds noted during 1990, though some earlier records are included.

The Blake Ranch had the most thorough notes since ranch chores were done here daily. Sites were visited on a periodic basis, typically once very ten days, from mid-February through November were done at Swan, Goose and Chain Lakes. Bruner Lake was visited just four times and information from here has been compared to birds noted historically (Blake and Ducey 1990). Records were kept of bird species occurrence and the number of some birds. A list for the region was kept by recording all species noted in the southern Holt County area.

The Holt County Region

Southern Holt county is subirrigated valleys and sandhills. "The subirrigated valleys are broad, nearly level to very gently sloping bottom lands along the Elkhorn River an its tributaries. The high water table in the area permits the growth of luxuriant stands of native grasses. The valleys merge through transitional areas of low rolling and hummocky topography with the rolling and hilly sandhills. The largest sandhills are mostly in the southwestern part of the county. The sandhills rise 10 to 200 feet or more above the valleys and swales. Small lakes and wet areas are in some valleys and swales. Blowouts are common throughout the sandhill areas. Perennial streams are small and slow moving, 4 to 5 feet in depth. Streamflow during dry periods is maintained by seepage of ground water into the stream channels. Most rainfall infiltrates the sandy soil, and there is little runoff," (Soil Conservation Service 1983:4-5).

Most lakes in Holt County are slightly alkaline and have an average depth of 1.2 meters (McCarraher 1977). Specific features of lakes visited for the bird survey, include: Overton Lake (55.5 ha (hectare), 136 ac (acres); maximum depth 2.0m (meters) and mean depth 1.1m), Bruner Lake (15.4 ha, 38 ac; depth 2.3 and 1.2m; medium alkalinity), Swan Lake (97.1 ha, 240 ac; depth 2.6 and 1.2m; slight alkalinity), Chain Lake (42.5 ha, 105 ac; depth 1.5 and 0.9m; slight alkalinity) and Goose Lake (102 ha, 252 ac.; depth 1.5 and 0.6m; slight alkalinity).

All wetland meadows are cut for hay each season. Areas of standing water in lower portions of meadows aren't hayed but the grass is cut from as much of the meadow area as possible. Hay is cut starting in July and may continue during for two months. Cattle graze the grasslands and create a variety of rangeland conditions. Areas cut for hay may also be grazed during the fall or winter.

There have two primary changes which have impacted habitats used by birds in Southern Holt County. Water drainage has occurred in lakes and streams. Grass Lake and Maurice Lake are now lakebeds used as hay meadows. Declines in exposed water levels have been caused by road ditches. "The area is not wet because the road ditches, which are lower than the land beside them, allows many low areas to drain and many other areas to drain more rapidly. The creeks used to spread out wide and flow through the valleys and had no channels. Roads have been a major factor in causing the channelization because the culverts and bridges narrow the streams and forces all the water to flow in one place," (1990: L Dubrovolny, in his 70s, to L.E. Blake, pers. comm.). Conversion of rangeland to irrigated cropland has also occurred throughout the county.

Specific Areas Birded

Visits to a variety of locations were made to gather bird records. This included the larger, primary lakes, an area ranch and notes kept during travels in the area. The wetlands, sandhills prairie and woody growth occur to different extents. Grassland is the most predominant habitat type and was present to some extent at each site visited.

It should be noted that the summer of 1989 was extremely dry in this region. Moisture was adequate in 1990 but there was no surplus moisture to fill areas that may have been wetter when moisture levels were greater. Due to dryer conditions, the water level in some lakes was lower. Some marshes and sloughs were completely dry. Of the lakes visited, Chain Lake was the most affected by lower moisture levels. One portion of this lake was completely dry and the remaining area of standing water covered fewer acres than it normally would.

Bruner Lake is predominantly open water with rushes growing on about one-half of the shoreline. Two small islands in the lake are covered with vegetation. A mix of rushes, slough grass and scrub willow covers the lowland next to the lake. Other features include an ash and mulberry shelterbelt about 0.5 mile southeast of the lake. A planting of young cedar trees and a few cottonwoods grow on the west side. Another shelterbelt, predominantly ash trees, and marsh is 1.5 miles to the southeast. The shelterbelts are not grazed by cattle but there is not much woody understory (Blake and Ducey 1990).

Swan Lake is predominantly open water. Willows grow along the north shore. There is a small area of cattails on the northeast part of the lake. A pine grove of about 120+ acres has been established on the flat land and hills north of the lake. Recreational fishing occurs on the lake. A paved road parallels the eastern half of the north shoreline.

The Blake Ranch area covers nine square miles (buildings in the southeast one-quarter of sec. 25 T26N R14W). The south fork of the Elkhorn River runs west to east through the center of the ranch. This stream may not have any water in dry years except for deeper holes which are eventually reduced to stagnant ponds. The western ranch is moderate-sized sandhill dunes and the eastern two-thirds is sub-irrigated meadow and pasture. There is a good growth of trees and shrubs around the ranch house. A mature grove of cottonwoods occurs in a grove and a shelterbelt along the road. Sightings in the trees at the ranch house and a feeder in the winter provide a constant record since they are made daily. Meadows are a combination of native species and introduced timothy, red top and clover. There are two small patches of corn grown in the ranch vicinity. One crop area has been abandoned and replanted with an introduced forage grass.

Chain Lake is isolated in the sandhills and all of the area is grazed. The lake mostly open water with little or no cover or emergent marsh along the shoreline. The surrounding ground is mostly sandhills prairie heavily grazed by cattle. A growth of mature cottonwood trees around an abandoned homestead occurs in three separate sites but overall covers less than 40 acres. There is no shrub or understory growth among the trees.

Goose Lake WMA is 349 acres is the lake with some areas of cattails a few acres in size with trees well developed at several places. The open water areas can be easily surveyed from the western shore line. A cottonwood grove, with a good growth of shrubs, of about 10-12 acres occurs on the northwest portion of the area. Willows grow at several places along the lake boundary. Bare sand areas on the west and northeast portions of the lake provide open areas for water and shore birds. Trees along the north shore provide a roost spot for birds such as Black-crowned Night Herons. A pump installed by the local natural resources district is used to provide supplemental water if levels need to be maintained. The lake has been regularly used in past summers for recreational boating, including water-skiing in the summer. Water skiing was not allowed in 1990 and the lake was chemically treated to kill fish prior to a restocking.

Species Analysis

During the survey of southern Holt County, 202 species in 42 bird families were noted. The greatest number were at the Blake Ranch (143 species, 71% of 202 noted), with lesser numbers at Goose Lake WMA (117, 58%), Chain Lake (93, 46%), Swan Lake (90, 45%) and Bruner Lake (72, 36%) which basically had three summer visits. Though the number and intensity of observations influence the species list, it is apparent that no specific site had an overall majority of all the species noted for the survey.

The Blake Ranch has a higher number of noted species. The extent of bird notes from here would be higher, specific reasons include daily activities and awareness of bird activity. If a species came through quickly, but was seen at the Blake Ranch it was a recorded observation. A similar occurrence at the other survey sites would have been less likely to have been recorded. Winter feeding attracts species and the list for the Blake Ranch reflects this. Winter birds noted only at the Blake Ranch includes both kinglets, the Purple Finch and Common Redpoll. Other species noted only at Blake Ranch are Tennessee Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, chat, grosbeaks, buntings and sparrows.

The Horned Grebe, Black-bellied Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and Red-necked Phalarope were noted only in wetland habitats at Chain Lake. Based on the available, records, this indicates that Chain Lake has a greater diversity of water and shore birds due to its habitat conditions. Other species seen at a single site only include the Black-crowned Night Heron and Forester's Tern at Goose Lake. The Rock Dove was seen only at Bruner Lake. The Cliff Swallow occurred only at Swan Lake, near the small nesting colony.

Avian Guild Analysis

Avian guilds are useful for analyzing how birds relate to resources available in their environment (Landres 1983). A guild analysis can provide important information that indicates the ability of habitat zones to support populations of wildlife species (Verner 1984). For the birds of North America, the quild categories have been thoroughly explained and defined (De Graff et al. 1985).

For the Sand Hills region, the use of guilds can define zones of habitat used by bird species and the number of species that occur in a particular habitat zone. Both items can be useful in better understanding habitat use and occurrence of Sand Hills avifauna, perhaps helping to identify "indicator species" that can be used to evaluate changes in bird populations and to better understand habitat utilization.

Placing birds within the appropriate guilds allows a detailed analysis and comparison of the resources and habitats used by species. For this Holt County study, each species was assigned to an avian food preference and foraging guilds (Tables 1 and 2). Comparisons can then be made on habitat utilization and the variety of habitats used by species. Only those species noted at the five specific study sites are included in the guild analysis.

Table 1. Summary of the food preference guilds of species at Select Holt County sites. Numbers may not equal the total number of species because the same species may be listed more than once if it is included in more than one guild class.
Preference GuildBrunerSwanBlakeChainGooseOverall Total
Insectivore293858535389
Omnivore303966425079
Granivore122032162133
Crustaceovore697141220
Carnivore66178820
Piscivore3878820
Herbivore8687812
Frugivore225437
Vermivore432435
Molluscivore122224

 

Table 2. Summary of the foraging guilds of species at select Holt County sites. Guilds are agganged from higher to lower elevations and from upland to lowland habitats. Numbers may not equal the total number of species because the same species may be listed more than once if it is included in more than one guild class.
Foraging GuildBrunerSwanBlakeChainGooseTotal
Air
Screener244447
Hawker245437
Sallier337458
Upper Canopy
Forager343325
Gleaner35133514
Bark
Gleaner225336
Lower Canopy
Forager45105811
Gleaner71112101019
Ground
Scavenger----31--3
Hawker55117714
Grazer233334
Forager192448253456
Gleaner182342313353
Prober111--11
Shoreline
Prober231424
Gleaner56310811
Mud
Forager111--11
Gleaner------111
Prober------1--1
Fresh Marsh
Forager1--1222
Gleaner11----11
Prober----1----1
Freshwater
Strainer--11111
Dabbler786889
Gleaner1--1--12
Surface Gleaner355557
Ambusher224236
Plunger--11--22
Foot-plunger----11--1
Diver484879
Freshwater Bottom
Gleaner132323
Forager253355

The least common species based on food preference are those in the mulluscovore guild, for birds which eat mollusks. The four species are the Semi-palmated Plover, Marbled Godwit, Virginia Rail and Ovenbird. The plover and godwit were seen at the four lake survey sites. The rail and ovenbird were noted only at the Blake Ranch. The vermivore guild, with a food type of earthworms, has the next lowest number of species. Species in this category are mostly shorebirds - the Black-bellied Plover, Least Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper and Common Snipe - and a single songbird, the American Robin which forages in very different habitat. More carnivores, the various raptors were seen at the Blake Ranch. More birds that eat crustaceans were noted at Chain Lake and Goose Lake that at the other three study sites. There are 19 species included in this category, but each of them is also classified in another food preference guild. Note of the survey sites has a record of all 19 species. Chain Lake has the highest number. All of the species are water or shorebirds, include the curlew seen only at Chain Lake, and the Sanderling and Western Sandpiper seen only at Chain and Goose lakes. The Great Egret and Green-backed Heron, included in this guild, were seen only at the Blake Ranch.

Based on foraging guilds there are more wetland guilds used by foraging birds in comparison to air and ground foraging sites. There are five categories and 18 different wetland foraging guilds. This includes the shoreline, mud, fresh-marsh and freshwater groups. There are five categories with 14 guilds for air and ground foraging guilds. This indicates greater utilization of aquatic habitats in comparison to upland habitat, especially if the air foraging guild is excluded.

Species in the air foraging guild include swallows, Common Nighthawk, American Kestrel and flycatchers that use vegetation as perches to sally forth and capture insects. Bark cleaners, the woodpeckers, were seen at several of the sites but only the White-Breasted Nuthatch and Brown Creeper at Blake Ranch. Upper-canopy foraging species include the orioles, Purple Finch and Red Crossbill. Vireos and warblers are the primary species in the upper-canopy gleaner guild.

Summer birds noted only at the Blake Ranch are the Yellow-Billed and Black-Billed Cuckoo which use lower canopy foliage for foraging and breeding. Other lower-canopy species include the Black-capped Chickadee, warblers and the American Goldfinch. The House Wren is a lower-canopy gleaner. Among the lower-canopy and ground guild are the Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird and Brown Thrasher. Short-Eared Owl was a ground hawker noted only at Blake Ranch. The only ground prober noted was the Common Snipe, but was seen at several of the survey sites.

Many species forage on ground prey. This group includes raptors and many songbirds in several families. Many sparrows noted in southern Holt County are part of both the ground forager and ground gleaner guilds. These two categories have the higher number of species. The Blake Ranch had the most sightings and number of species within these two categories.

Shoreline probers includes many notable species, such as the Long-billed Curlew (noted only at Chain Lake), Marbled Godwit, Sanderling, Willet, Semipalmated Plover, Stilt Sandpiper, Western and Least Sandpiper. The Spotted Sandpiper and Killdeer were common species noted at all survey sites. Among the shoreline gleaners, the Piping Plover was noted only at Swan Lake and the Black-bellied Plover was seen only at Chain Lake. Chain Lake had the highest number of species in both shoreline foraging guilds.

Species that forage in muddy habitats were some of the species noted less often during the survey. Only three species in this category - the Baird's Sandpiper, Common Snipe and the Short-billed Dowitcher, noted only at Chain Lake, were seen.

Among species that forage in fresh-marsh habitats were the Avocet at three sites visited and Sandhill Crane at two, most commonly flying overhead. The only fresh-marsh gleaner was the Marsh Wren and the only prober in this category was the Virginia Rail. The only species in the freshwater strainer guild is the Northern Shoveler.

Represented from the freshwater plunger and foot-plunger guild were two species at Chain Lake - the Forester's Fern and Belted Kingfisher. The Kingfisher was also noted at Swan Lake and the Blake Ranch. The only freshwater foot-plunger was the Bald Eagle, seen at Blake Ranch and Chain Lake, which had several birds during the winter.

Many of the freshwater bottom feeders are waterfowl such as the Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser and Ruddy Duck. The several species of waterfowl noted from this guild indicate the quality of water in area lakes, specifically Swan and Goose Lakes, which supports the food base needed by this type of bird. Both of these lakes had greater numbers of freshwater bottom foraging waterfowl.

Although the guild analysis does indicate that for some foraging habitats, only a few species use a specific habitat type. The shoreline, mud and fresh-marsh guilds have a fewer number of species than the freshwater and uplands. Further analysis of avian guilds, including comparisons from different regions of the Sand Hills, is needed to provide additional data needed to evaluate species status.

The survey results indicate additional attention is needed for some species in southern Holt County and adjacent areas. Specifically there is a need to determine if and where the Northern Harrier is present, perhaps breeding, during the summer. The western boundary area of Holt County and into Rock County needs to be surveyed to determine the occurrence and range of Long-billed Curlews in the eastern Sand Hills.

References

Blake, L.E. 1988. Connecticut warbler. Nebraska Bird Review 56:99.
Blake, L.E. 1989a. Sprague's pipit. Nebraska Bird Review 57:32.
Blake, L.E. 1989b. Winter wren. Nebraska Bird Review 57:96.
Blake, L.E. 1989c. Black-headed grosbeak. Nebraska Bird Review 57:96.
Blake, L.E. 1990a. Nesting trumpeter swans. Nebraska Bird Review 58:106.
Blake, L.E. 1990b. Buff-breasted sandpipers. Nebraska Bird Review58:107.
Blake, L.E. and J.E. Ducey. 1990. A comparison of historic and modern birdlife at an eastern Sand Hills lake in Nebraska. Nebraska Bird Review 58:100-104.
De Graaf, R.M., N.G. Tilghman and S.H. Anderson. 1985. Foraging guilds of North American birds. Environmental Management 9:493-536.
Landres, P.B. 1983. Use of the guild concept in environmental impact assessment. Environmental Management 7:393-398.
McCarraher, D. B. 1977. Nebraska's Sandhills Lakes. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln.
Soil Conservation Service. 1983. Soil survey of Holt County, Nebraska. Soil Conservation Service, Lincoln.
Verner, J. 1984. The guild concept applied to management of bird populations. Environmental Management 8: 1-14.

Birdlife Within Region of Proposed KeystoneXL Pipeline, Northern Nebraska

The Keystone XL pipeline has a proposed corridor which enters north-central Nebraska in Keya Paha County, and then follows a general southerly and eastern direction. The route is proposed to cross the Niobrara River at the Highway 137 bridge at Mariaville. After going through the northeast corner of Rock County, it continues through the sandhills of western and southern Holt County, then continues into Garfield County.

This corridor goes through a region where there are many places readily recognized for their importance to native fauna, especially birds. Since only a general vicinity map could be located online, the proximity of the buried pipe could not be delimited to within a quarter-mile, so this evaluation covers a larger area which includes prominent places for wild birds within the general area of a township or two of the corridor as apparent from large-scale maps.

Near the Niobrara River crossing, there are two prominent localities in the valley which have been surveyed a few times. This includes the Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, owned by the Audubon Society of Kansas, which is a few miles westward. Right near the bridge, to the west, is Turpin Lake, which is one of the few lake areas along this portion of the river. The privately owned Focken Marsh area - with its wonderful wetland diversity and creek flows - is just a couple of miles eastward.

Within the Holt County area, there are extensive areas of sandhill wetlands - especially prominent lakes and wet meadows - which are habitat for a large variety of bird species. During the past twenty years, there have been a variety of surveys done that readily indicate the extent of bird use. More surveys were done in the period prior to 2004, than in the past few years. The gathering of this data was done on a voluntary basis.

In order to indicate the bird diversity, an analysis was done for several townships, using the records available in the "Sandhills Database," which has details for all known and available bird sightings from the region, available from 1900 to 2010, especially since the latter 1980s.

The townships analyzed were from T13-16W and R25-28W. Summary details are given for only the most prominent locales, as indicated in the species list table. Overall there is information of one extent or another from more than 50 localities, with the number of records varying from one to 680 records, with a total of more than 3400 distinct records. All of these have been obtained by site surveys or visits since 1990, to limit the scope to the current time period. Nearly all of the records have been collected by J.E. Ducey or L.E. Blake (especially in the early 1990s, with shorebird surveys at Chain Lake in 1990 and 1991), or derived from sightings by other birders as reported in the literature or online.

A typical site survey would entail finding a prominent vantage point(s) where the area could seen, and then count each of the birds observed, with diligence given to ensure any individuals were not counted more than once. On a few occasions, this might have entailed a hike around a particular lake, such as Dora Lake.

Prominent Localities

The following are the localities for which there are more than 50 records available for comparison:

Site - Number of Records
Swan Lake - 680; waterfowl and waterbirds prevalent
Chain Lake - 678; shorebirds and waterbirds prevalent
Dora Lake - 542; shorebirds and waterbirds prevalent
Blake Ranch - 452; meadow and upland species
Focken Marsh - 237; riverine lake and marsh
Grass Lakebed - 146; wet meadow and marsh species
Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary - 117
Lambs Lake - 85; included a cattle egret colony
Overton Lake - 72
Doral Valley - 72; in the immediate vicinity of Dora Lake
Dora Lake Meadow - 64; in the immediate vicinity of Dora Lake
Atlas Block 6H04 - 59
Bruner Lake - 58; the bird history for this site dates back to 1883

Bird Diversity

There have been at least 204 species recorded in the area being considered, based on a consideration of the localities given in the following table. The value given is a combined sum of the number counted during the various surveys; a zero value indicates no information was kept on how many were seen. These numbers help indicate whether a species can be considered common, unusual or rare.

Common Name

Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary

Turpin Lake, Niobrara River

Focken Marsh

Dora Lake

Lambs Lake

Blake Ranch

Swan Lake

Chain Lake

Greater White-fronted Goose

-

-

-

-

-

-

150

132

Cackling Goose

-

1

-

-

-

-

70

-

Canada Goose

19

4

1

749

126

357

549

419

Trumpeter Swan

-

-

-

1

2

-

1

-

Wood Duck

-

-

1

28

-

38

21

-

Gadwall

-

2

-

799

50

15

97

114

American Wigeon

-

-

-

47

25

55

41

104

Mallard

2

4

0

609

57

310

296

1314

Blue-winged Teal

3

-

0

246

8

43

67

135

Northern Shoveler

-

-

-

790

29

74

878

285

Northern Pintail

-

-

-

98

-

56

73

760

Green-winged Teal

-

-

-

85

-

50

97

133

Canvasback

-

-

-

25

15

-

55

-

Redhead

-

-

-

121

15

2

252

91

Ring-necked Duck

-

-

-

-

-

203

83

23

Lesser Scaup

-

-

0

64

56

21

489

237

Bufflehead

-

-

-

16

25

9

370

17

Common Goldeneye

-

-

-

-

-

-

28

21

Hooded Merganser

-

-

-

-

-

-

7

2

Common Merganser

6

16

-

5

-

-

904

166

Ruddy Duck

-

-

-

115

7

-

156

37

Ring-necked Pheasant

0

-

0

1

1

8

1

-

Sharp-tailed Grouse

11

-

-

-

-

-

3

1

Greater Prairie-Chicken

-

-

-

7

6

52

3

17

Wild Turkey

23

1

6

-

-

-

20

-

Northern Bobwhite

-

-

1

-

-

12

-

-

Common Loon

-

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

Pied-billed Grebe

-

-

0

1

15

1

1

2

Horned Grebe

-

-

-

-

-

-

6

10

Eared Grebe

-

-

-

102

-

-

20

2

Western Grebe

-

-

-

34

-

-

15

-

American White Pelican

-

-

0

626

31

-

202

60

Double-crested Cormorant

-

-

0

394

14

12

382

55

American Bittern

-

-

-

1

1

8

2

-

Great Blue Heron

3

-

1

35

4

1

21

3

Great Egret

-

-

-

3

-

-

1

-

Cattle Egret

-

-

0

5

115

-

7

1

Green Heron

-

-

0

-

-

-

1

-

Black-crowned Night-Heron

-

-

-

4

2

-

-

-

White-faced Ibis

-

-

-

2

1

-

-

-

Turkey Vulture

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

Osprey

1

-

0

-

-

-

-

-

Bald Eagle

2

2

1

2

-

6

3

63

Northern Harrier

-

-

0

-

1

4

2

3

Sharp-shinned Hawk

-

-

-

-

-

2

1

-

Cooper's Hawk

1

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Swainson's Hawk

0

-

-

-

-

29

2

2

Red-tailed Hawk

2

3

7

1

-

6

1

4

Rough-legged Hawk

1

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Golden Eagle

-

-

-

-

-

2

-

-

American Kestrel

8

-

0

-

-

16

9

4

Peregrine Falcon

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Prairie Falcon

1

-

-

-

-

2

-

2

Virginia Rail

-

-

-

-

1

2

-

-

Sora

-

-

0

-

-

-

-

-

American Coot

-

-

0

1238

385

-

261

142

Sandhill Crane

-

1

0

145

-

13

265

12

Whooping Crane

-

-

-

-

3

-

-

-

Black-bellied Plover

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

American Golden-Plover

-

-

-

1

-

-

-

6

Semipalmated Plover

-

-

-

34

-

-

3

33

Piping Plover

-

-

0

21

-

-

4

3

Killdeer

1

-

2

439

3

10

17

727

Black-necked Stilt

-

-

-

2

-

-

-

-

American Avocet

-

-

-

34

1

-

-

26

Greater Yellowlegs

-

-

-

32

-

13

1

6

Lesser Yellowlegs

-

-

-

247

-

8

2

102

Solitary Sandpiper

-

-

-

-

-

11

-

-

Willet

-

-

-

35

1

2

4

14

Spotted Sandpiper

-

-

0

82

1

2

7

61

Upland Sandpiper

0

-

0

82

5

-

8

5

Long-billed Curlew

3

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

Marbled Godwit

-

-

-

-

-

-

2

6

Ruddy Turnstone

-

-

-

2

-

-

-

-

Sanderling

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

57

Semipalmated Sandpiper

-

-

-

130

-

-

30

351

Western Sandpiper

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

42

Least Sandpiper

-

-

0

47

-

-

1

47

White-rumped Sandpiper

-

-

-

7

-

-

-

275

Baird's Sandpiper

-

-

-

119

-

-

26

333

Pectoral Sandpiper

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

3

Dunlin

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

Stilt Sandpiper

-

-

-

35

-

-

5

124

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

6

Short-billed Dowitcher

-

-

-

39

-

-

-

13

Long-billed Dowitcher

-

-

0

55

-

-

31

90

Wilson's Snipe

-

-

1

21

1

28

4

-

Wilson's Phalarope

-

-

-

233

4

34

226

1901

Red-necked Phalarope

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

24

Franklin's Gull

-

-

0

38

-

-

4

4

Bonaparte's Gull

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

5

Ring-billed Gull

-

-

-

87

15

-

36

67

Black-legged Kittiwake

-

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

Forster's Tern

-

-

0

19

-

-

-

-

Least Tern

-

-

0

-

-

-

-

-

Black Tern

-

-

-

76

105

-

515

17

Mourning Dove

12

-

2

31

5

2

41

15

Black-billed Cuckoo

-

-

0

-

-

2

-

-

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

-

-

0

-

-

9

-

-

Eastern Screech-Owl

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Great Horned Owl

-

-

0

4

-

4

1

7

Common Nighthawk

0

-

1

18

1

508

1

2

Chimney Swift

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

Belted Kingfisher

1

-

0

-

-

3

1

-

Red-headed Woodpecker

2

-

1

-

1

-

2

8

Red-bellied Woodpecker

-

2

1

-

-

2

-

-

Downy Woodpecker

2

2

2

-

-

2

3

3

Hairy Woodpecker

2

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Northern Flicker

24

6

3

10

1

10

13

11

Eastern Wood-Pewee

0

-

2

-

-

-

-

-

Willow Flycatcher

0

-

-

2

-

-

-

-

Least Flycatcher

-

-

-

-

-

2

-

5

Eastern Phoebe

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Great Crested Flycatcher

0

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Western Kingbird

0

-

-

3

-

3

4

8

Eastern Kingbird

0

-

1

15

2

8

12

9

Loggerhead Shrike

-

-

-

1

-

2

1

2

Bell's Vireo

-

-

0

-

-

-

-

-

Warbling Vireo

0

-

2

-

-

18

5

1

Red-eyed Vireo

0

-

3

-

-

-

-

-

Blue Jay

2

3

7

2

-

1

11

1

Black-billed Magpie

-

-

-

-

-

2

-

1

American Crow

172

6

78

15

-

3

38

4

Horned Lark

2

-

-

146

6

1

1

9

Purple Martin

0

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Tree Swallow

-

-

5

85

2

-

326

1

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

-

-

3

3

-

-

128

16

Bank Swallow

-

-

0

-

-

-

-

-

Cliff Swallow

0

-

0

25

-

-

70

-

Barn Swallow

11

-

7

188

2

1

56

13

Black-capped Chickadee

8

13

7

2

-

2

5

3

White-breasted Nuthatch

5

4

7

1

-

2

-

-

Brown Creeper

2

3

-

-

-

-

-

-

House Wren

0

-

4

5

-

4

5

4

Winter Wren

-

-

-

-

-

2

-

-

Sedge Wren

-

-

-

-

-

7

-

-

Marsh Wren

4

-

3

-

10

-

54

-

Golden-crowned Kinglet

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Eastern Bluebird

1

0

12

-

-

11

1

50

Mountain Bluebird

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

2

Townsend's Solitaire

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

Swainson's Thrush

-

-

-

3

-

-

-

2

American Robin

2

44

5

23

4

11

46

13

Gray Catbird

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Northern Mockingbird

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

Brown Thrasher

0

-

0

4

-

3

5

5

European Starling

12

-

1

17

2

1

15

8

American Pipit

-

-

-

1

-

-

-

102

Sprague's Pipit

-

-

-

-

-

5

-

-

Cedar Waxwing

-

-

1

-

-

1

-

-

Orange-crowned Warbler

-

-

-

-

-

3

-

-

Yellow Warbler

0

-

3

3

2

13

17

2

Yellow-rumped Warbler

5

5

-

-

-

14

7

2

Ovenbird

0

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Connecticut Warbler

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Common Yellowthroat

0

-

4

2

1

9

17

-

Yellow-breasted Chat

0

-

2

-

-

-

-

-

Spotted Towhee

1

-

2

-

-

-

-

-

Eastern Towhee

-

1

1

-

-

10

-

-

American Tree Sparrow

-

-

-

-

-

284

11

1

Chipping Sparrow

0

2

-

-

-

60

25

6

Clay-colored Sparrow

-

-

0

-

-

23

-

-

Field Sparrow

-

2

2

-

-

7

7

1

Vesper Sparrow

-

-

-

-

-

39

-

3

Lark Sparrow

1

-

8

6

6

12

15

8

Lark Bunting

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

1

Savannah Sparrow

-

-

-

-

-

11

2

3

Grasshopper Sparrow

0

-

2

10

1

8

8

1

Le Conte's Sparrow

-

-

-

-

-

3

-

-

Fox Sparrow

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Song Sparrow

4

-

3

-

-

15

10

-

Lincoln's Sparrow

-

-

-

-

-

32

3

-

Swamp Sparrow

-

-

8

-

-

4

-

-

White-throated Sparrow

-

-

-

-

-

9

-

-

Harris's Sparrow

-

-

-

-

-

12

-

-

White-crowned Sparrow

-

-

-

-

-

16

2

-

Dark-eyed Junco

8

15

7

-

-

23

1

-

Lapland Longspur

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

50

Northern Cardinal

-

5

3

-

-

-

-

-

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Black-headed Grosbeak

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Blue Grosbeak

0

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Lazuli Bunting

-

-

-

-

-

4

-

-

Indigo Bunting

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Dickcissel

1

-

7

11

1

3

7

1

Bobolink

0

-

6

1

7

55

10

-

Red-winged Blackbird

0

10

12

2133

6

1

621

8

Eastern Meadowlark

2

-

-

5

-

-

10

1

Western Meadowlark

2

2

1

22

1

2

16

14

Yellow-headed Blackbird

-

-

0

20

8

8

26

-

Rusty Blackbird

-

-

-

-

-

2

1

-

Brewer's Blackbird

-

-

-

-

-

221

-

-

Common Grackle

5

-

3

6

4

5

23

3

Brown-headed Cowbird

5

-

4

60

15

5

13

4

Orchard Oriole

0

-

2

-

-

1

14

1

Baltimore Oriole

0

-

2

1

-

2

4

4

Purple Finch

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

House Finch

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

Red Crossbill

-

-

-

-

-

-

24

8

Common Redpoll

-

-

-

-

-

3

-

-

Pine Siskin

-

-

-

-

-

33

1

-

American Goldfinch

4

-

2

3

-

2

25

8

House Sparrow

0

-

32

1

-

-

2

-

These records are indicative of the extensive use of the area habitats by a great diversity of birds of many sorts. if there were further surveys, the actual extent of bird use could be more precisely determined, but this is not happening, so information can only be derived from the records which are available.

The many waterfowl counted at Dora Lake, Swan Lake and Chain Lake indicate the value of these prominent wetlands to ducks and geese. Shoreline at Dora Lake and Chain Lake contribute additional habitat for their use by shore- and waterbirds.

Many of the unusual songbirds noted at the Blake Ranch occurred because of the presence of bird feeders.

The details given here are a simple summary, though with the many records available, a detailed analysis could be prepared to refine the presentation about the wild birds occurrence, in a manner similar for that done for the survey report issued for southern Holt County.

Shorebird Surveys

Shorebird surveys were done by L.E. Blake approximately every week during two seasons at Chain Lake. His counts indicate the number of each species on the day of the survey, with a summary of the total numbers noted in each year provided in the following table:

Common Name

1990

1991

Greater Yellowlegs

1

5

Lesser Yellowlegs

14

88

Willet

1

13

Spotted Sandpiper

10

51

Upland Sandpiper

5

-

Long-billed Curlew

1

-

Marbled Godwit

6

-

Sanderling

56

1

Semipalmated Sandpiper

13

338

Western Sandpiper

11

31

Least Sandpiper

14

33

White-rumped Sandpiper

-

275

Baird's Sandpiper

45

288

Pectoral Sandpiper

3

-

Dunlin

-

1

Stilt Sandpiper

7

117

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

6

-

Short-billed Dowitcher

4

9

Long-billed Dowitcher

38

52

Wilson's Phalarope

221

1680

Red-necked Phalarope

20

4

There are nearly 3500 bird use days indicated by the count results, with each occurrence being valuable for each particular bird, which can thus be interpreted as an economic value.

The highest counts were for the Wilson's Phalarope, with about 1000 on April 27, 1991. Semipalmated Sandpipers were the next most common, etc. The Dunlin and Long-billed Curlew were the most rare.

Summary

A wide variety and number of bird species are typical in the myriad of habitats associated with the corridor of the proposed KeystoneXL pipeline. Each of the sites in the area are distinctly unique, and this is indicated by the number of birds and species.

Construction of the pipeline could have an influence on the wetland habitats. Placing a 36" pipe underground - wherea heated oil mixture was being moved - might influence the flowing springs or otherwise alter the current flow characteristics of the aquifer water, perhaps reducing the movement of groundwater which now nourishes a lake or pond which is a known haven for some birds. One of the proposed pumping stations appears to be placed in the vicinity of Chain Lake, south of Chambers.

While looking at the documents relative to this project, there was no information apparent which directly addressed the wetlands in the eastern Sand Hills and their importance for wild birds. Little or nothing was said about the flowing wells, which are such a unique feature in southern Holt County, where a flowing well fountain is a prominent feature of Amelia, and an important part of the place's history. This is a topic for further consideration elsewhere.

Just to the south of the Niobrara Valley, nothing has been said to address how a newly created ditch in the ground might influence the groundwater flows which provide the waters which are expressed in distinct variety by several creeks on the south side of the valley, east of Mariaville. This aspect is also apparently missing from the broad-scale, draft environmental assessment.

The environmental assessment for the proposed KeystoneXL pipeline is required to consider all and any impacts on natural habitats and native fauna, and by providing this brief analysis of the birds, the prevalence and importance of sites within the area is now available for public review, and might now be considered in any evaluation of environmental concerns.

Images courtesy of Loren E. "Bub" Blake of Chambers, NE, as provided several years ago. Mr. Blake is now deceased.