29 July 2015

Peregrine Falcon Visits Midtown Bird Roost

A Peregrine Falcon on the prowl visited the bird roost at the Nebraska Medical Center on the evening of July 28th. It swooped around for a time, causing the gathering birds to get perturbed, and then swooped up to land on a medical center building sign and sat there for a good long while, keeping a close look around.

During this time of the evening, many European Starling had already landed in the trees at the midtown Omaha roost. Numerous Common Grackles had already done the same. Most of the expected Purple Martins were still airborne, as several hundred would soon to settle in for the night, as they have done each season for the past few years.

There was only a single person enjoying the spectacle of the congregating birds, especially the martins as they gather about, calling in their musical chords and enjoying their time in the sky before alighting into the roost trees.

The species recognized to be present in this vicinity these days are:

  • American Robin
  • Peregrine Falcon
  • Western Kingbird
  • Rock Pigeon
  • House Sparrow
  • European Starling
  • Common Grackle
  • House Finch
  • American Crow
  • Mourning Dove
  • Barn Swallow
  • Chimney Swift, more especially up towards the Blackstone District and eastward of 40th and Farnam Streets

There is also the Common Nighthawk, Downy Woodpecker and Northern Cardinal occurring in the vicinity, again in the Blackstone District.

One thing predominantly missing at the midtown martin roost were the banners on the walkway. The Nebraska Medical Center has been remiss in getting these up in a timely fashion, as bird strikes resulting in the death and injury to birds has been repeatedly documented. The banners should already be in place. The following picture is indicative and also shows how the window decals are also looking decrepit.

Update

On a humid Saturday evening, there were thousands of martins seen in the skyscape above the medical center campus, as they flew before roosting among the precious few trees. The Peregrine Falcon was perched upon its roost of an artificial construct on the west side of a big building, as previously seen.

Among the important features for this Saturday night, was a family of watchers. A couple and their son were enjoying the multitude of martins. Father and son eventually walked beneath the roost trees because they cared to experience an understanding of being among the multitude of birds amidst the the trees so appreciated.

They knew about the roost and came to see the birds.

How wonderful that there is some appreciation for the gathering of these birds!

26 July 2015

Bugly Action at Memorial Park in Omaha

While intent on taking floral pictures at the rose garden at Memorial Park, there was no realization of the bugly activity going on amidst many of the rose blossoms. Only later, when looking at the photographs was the extent of their bug activity blatantly evident. They were certainly being active in their antics.

This image was especially surprising in its result. A gold-headed bug. Have not seen one of them before.




The quality of the conditions meant that more than 450 pictures were taken during the late afternoon and evening. It was a first to completely drain all of the juice from a fully charged camera battery.

Only a portion of the pictures taken still remain. Editing meant multiple deletions and with a cantankerous camera, well sometimes an image is just worthless.

The blooming flowers are a great attraction in various ways. During my visit, there was a wedding couple and their giggly photographer. Then there was some event with people looking for art pieces (for whom a group photo was taken) among which was the metal art-work in the middle of this distinctive Omaha garden. It was Saturday (July 25th), which helps explain the ongoing antics. Nearby residents were walking about as well with a couple strolling among the many sorts of roses. At least two buses as needed to move many people came and went. There were limousines as well taking up space for a while.

An identification on the particular species of the busy bugs would be appreciated, but will certainly need some further consideration.

The bugs in the pictures are the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), according to Steven Spomer, research entomologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, adding in a late July email that "they are all over Omaha now."

24 July 2015

Attentive Library Staff at UNO a Treasure

This is an expression of heartfelt gratitude for some staff at Criss Library. After troubles getting information transferred from a portable hard drive to a DVR recordable disc on Thursday, another attempt was made during Friday morning, July 24, 2015. There were some more thwarts during the effort.

It started with having to get change since there were constrictions on needing some particular legal tender for another vending machine. Then the adjacent change machine was out of order. Change to suitable bills was , however, promptly provided at the circulation desk upstairs.

Going back downstairs, the machine with the needed DVR discs was not working. Another trek of stairs ensued to inquire at the circulation desk.

What followed is something that can only be appreciated. What happened was done in a professional, personal and exemplary manner. Once it was realized that the vending machine was not working, several staff members made a huge difference (do not want to be discriminatory or misspell a personal name, so apologies for not including them). There was several folks that deserve recognition for providing assistance, comments, and even a few nice words and going beyond on a task they decided was right in providing service.

They did then indicate that the vending machine was not working, despite it being "worked" to address the problem. The thing was completely inoperational.

Rather than make excuses, they provided alternatives. Now, that is attention to service.

Then, when further issues arose, step-by-step each was resolved. The computer steps, after a personal hitch, worked just great. When it comes to data, mistakes just don't work.

The efforts of the library staff were a special response that could be used to define service because of what they did.

Recognition is needed and that is the purpose of this missive. Also, a huge THANK YOU. So many thanks to Criss Library staff at the University of Nebraska-Omaha for what they have done for me as a patron, and certainly for the multitude of others that rely on this community space to learn and further knowledge.

If it was up to me and there was a suitable option, I’d buy each of the wonderful staff a tasty ice-cream cone on this hot day of July. May their day be special.

23 July 2015

Omaha Wetland Mitigation at Fontenelle Forest Lowland

Wetland fill activity by Omaha Public Works is currently being mitigated by the construction of replacement habitat at lowlands of Fontenelle Forest on Gifford Point, east of Bellevue, Nebraska.

Mitigation wetlands at two sites near the Great Marsh will comprise a few-tenths less than 4 acres, and are being done at a rate where for every acre of wetland impacted, 1.5 acres are meant to be created, according to project details known to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. City of Omaha, and the Fontenelle Forest Association, the site owner.

The mitigation is the result of natural wetlands being filled due to facility improvements at the Missouri River Wastewater Treatment plant in southeast Omaha, along the Missouri River.

One of the sites is adjacent to a previous mitigation site of 2.5 acres constructed through regulated project activities associated with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, according to a FFA personnel.

A local contractor created ground depressions to "promote ponding" and the growth of wetland plants. Culverts to allow stormwater movement were also part of the recently completed construction activities.

Wetland plants will be planted this autumn by the Prairie Plains Resource Institute, with assistance by volunteers associated with the forest, director William S. Whitney indicted in an email. "Our greenhouse manager has grown a few thousand wetland grasses and forbs for transplanting into the engineered wetlands." Examples of species to be included are swamp milkweed, prairie cordgrass, winged lythrum, pink joe-pye and others, he said. There will be at least 600 individual plantings, according to plans defining project requirements.

Gifford Farm, a state-owned site used extensively for school-children education, is located just to the north of the locale, so the wetlands can also be used for educational activities, and well as the obvious habitat and floral diversity values.

This is the first project for PPRI in the immediate Omaha area, Whitney indicted in an email.

The approximate final cost for the project financed through Omaha Public Works is approximately $360,000, a city official indicated.

This project was required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to meet mitigation requirements of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

Monitoring of the site will continue for a ten year period, to ensure project goals are met.

June photograph of one of the the project sites. Image courtesy of the Public Works Department.

 


The following details were provided by the Omaha office of the Corps of Engineers regarding the species of plants associated with the mitigation sites at Fontenelle Forest.


PPRI Wetland Species List 2014-2015 (119 spp.)


Grasses (11)


Wetness


% of Mix


Calamagrostis


canadensis


Bluejoint


OBL


0.49%


Calamagrostis


stricta


Northern Reedgrass


FACW


0.37%


Elymus


trachycaulus


Slender Wheatgrass


FACU


0.34%


Elymus


virginicus


Virginia Wildrye


FAC


3.48%


Glyceria


striata


Manna grass


OBL


 


Hordeum


jubatum


Foxtail Barley


FACW


 


Leersia


oryzoides


Rice Cut Grass


OBL


0.47%


Panicum


acuminatum


Tapered Rosette Grass


FACW


 


Pascopyrum


smithii


Western Wheatgrass


FACU


 


Spartina


pectinata


Prairie Cordgrass


FACW


4.42%


Sphenopholis


obtusata


Prairie Wedgegrass


FACW


0.03%


Sedges/Rushes (30)


Wetness


% of Mix


Carex


brachyglossa


Yellowfruit Sedge


FAC


 


Carex


brevior


Fescue Sedge


FAC


 


Carex


cristatella


Crested Sedge


FACW


0.14%


Carex


emoryi


Emory's Sedge


OBL


0.21%


Carex


gravida


Wetland Gravida


OBL


1.81%


Carex


hystericina


Bottlebrush Sedge


OBL


 


Carex


interior


Interior Sedge


OBL


 


Carex


laeviconica


Smooth Cone Sedge


OBL


6.09%


Carex


molesta


Troublesome Sedge


FAC


0.34%


Carex


pellita


Wooly Sedge


OBL


0.09%


Carex


praegracilis


Clustered Field Sedge


FACW


 


Carex


sartwellii


Sartwell's Sedge


OBL


0.03%


Carex


scoparia


Broom Sedge


FACW


1.03%


Carex


stipata


Saw-beak Sedge


OBL


0.70%


Carex


tribuloides


Blunt Broomsedge


FACW


1.36%


Carex 


vulpinoidea


Fox Sedge


OBL


0.14%


Eleocharis


palustris


Common Spikerush


OBL


 


Eleocharis


erythropoda


Bald Spikerush


OBL


0.03%


Fimbristylis


puberula


Hairy Fimbry


OBL


 


Juncus


balticus


Baltic Rush


OBL


0.16%


Juncus


dudleyi


Dudley Rush


FACW


1.47%


Juncus


interior


Interior Rush


FAC


0.30%


Juncus


marginatus


Grassleaf Rush


FACW


 


Juncus


torreyi


Torrey's Rush


FACW


0.06%


Schoenoplectus


acutus


Chairmaker's Rush


OBL


 


Scirpus


atrovirens


Dark Green Bulrush


OBL


2.73%


Scirpus


maritimus


Prairie Bulrush


OBL


 


Scirpus


pallidus


Pale Bulrush


OBL


0.30%


Scirpus


pendulus


Rufous
Bulrush


OBL


0.27%


Scirpus


pungens


Common Threesquare


OBL


 


Legumes (5)


Wetness


% of Mix


Astragalus


canadensis


Canada Milkvetch


FACU


0.25%


Dalea


leporina


Foxtail Dalea


FACU


 


Desmanthus


illinoensis


Illinois Bundleflower


FACU


1.82%


Glycyrrhiza


lepidota


Wild Licorice


FACU


0.06%


Lotus


purshianus


Deervetch


FAC


0.11%


 



Composites (28)


Wetness


% of Mix


Achillea


millefolium


Yarrow


FACU


 


Aster


ericoides


Heath Aster


FAC


0.35%


Aster


novae-angliae


New England Aster


FACW


0.09%


Aster


prealtus


Blue Willowleaf
Aster


FACW


0.48%


Aster


simplex


Tall White Aster


FACW


0.35%


Bidens


comosa


Threelobe Beggarticks


OBL


 


Boehmeria


cylindrica


False Nettle


OBL


 


Boltonia


asteroides


False Aster


FACW


0.10%


Coreopsis


tinctoria


Plains Correopsis


FAC


2.63%


Erigeron


strigosus


Daisy Fleabane


FACW


 


Eupatorium


maculatum


Spotted Joe Pye Weed


OBL


0.57%


Eupatorium


perfoliatum


Boneset


OBL


0.45%


Euthamia


graminifolia


Grassleaf
Goldenrod


FACW


0.01%


Grindelia


squarrosa


Gumweed


FACU


 


Helenium


autumnale


Sneezeweed


FACW


 


Helianthus


grosseserratus


Sawtooth
Sunflower


FACW


0.70%


Iva


annua


Small Marsh Elder


FAC


0.14%


Lactuca


canadensis


Canada Lettuce


FACU


 


Lactuca


ludoviciana


Wild Lettuce


FAC


 


Liatris


lancifolia


Thickspike Gayfeather


FACW


0.07%


Ratibida


columnifera


Upright Prairie Coneflower


UPL


 


Rudbeckia


hirta


Black-eyed Susan


FACU


0.14%


Rudbeckia


laciniata


Cutleaf
Coneflower


FAC


0.11%


Silphium


integrifolium


Entire-leaf Rosinweed


FACU


 


Silphium


perfoliatum


Cup Plant


FAC


 


Solidago


canadensis


Canada Goldenrod


FACU


 


Solidago


gigantea


Giant Goldenrod


FACW


0.03%


Vernonia


fasciculata


Ironweed


FAC


0.52%


Misc. Forbs (45)


Wetness


% of Mix


Agalinis


tenuifolia


Slender False Foxglove


FACW


0.07%


Alisma 


trivale


American Water Plantain


OBL


0.06%


Allium


canadense


Canada Garlic (Sets)


FAC


0.34%


Allium


canadense


Canada Garlic (Seed)


FAC


0.07%


Ammania


coccinea


Tooth Cup


OBL


0.29%


Anemone


canadensis


Meadow Anemone


FACW


 


Asclepias


incarnata


Swamp Milkweed


OBL


0.04%


Asclepias


speciosa


Showy Milkweed


FAC


 


Asclepias


syriaca


Common Milkweed


FAC


0.34%


Epilobium


coloratum


Cinnamon Willow Herb


OBL


0.11%


Impatiens


capensis


Spotted Touch-me-not


FACW


 


Lobelia


cardinalis


Cardinal Flower


OBL


 


Lobelia


siphilitica


Blue Cardinal Flower


OBL


 


Lobelia


spicata


Palespike
Lobelia


FAC


 


Lycopus


americanus


American Bugleweed


OBL


 


Lycopus


asper


Rough Bugleweed


OBL


 


Lysimachia


ciliata


Fringed Loosestrife


FACW


 


Lythrum


alatum


Winged Lythrum


OBL


0.15%


Mentha


arvensis


Field Mint


FACW


 


Oenothera


villosa


Common Evening Primrose


FAC


0.06%


 



Penstemon


digitalis


Smooth Penstemon


FAC


 


Penstemon


gracilis


Slender Penstemon


FACU


 


Penthorum


sedoides


Ditch Stonecrop


OBL


0.34%


Physalis


longifolia


Common Ground-cherry


UPL


 


Plantago


patagonica


Wooly Plantain


UPL


 


Polygonum


coccineum


Swamp Smartweed


FACW


 


Polygonum


hydropiperoides


Mild Water Pepper


OBL


 


Polygonum


lapathifolium


Pale Smartweed


OBL


 


Polygonum


pensylvanicum


Pennsylvania smartweed


FACW


0.08%


Potentilla


norvegica


Norwegian Cinquefoil


FACU


0.32%


Prunella


vulgaris


Self-heal


FACW


 


Pycnanthemum


virginianum


Mountain Mint


FAC


 


Ranunculus


macounii


Macoun's
Buttercup


OBL


0.06%


Sagittaria


brevirostra


Shortbeak
Arrowhead


OBL


0.07%


Sagittaria


calycina


Hooded Arrowhead


OBL


 


Sagittaria


latifolia


Broadleaf Arrowhead


OBL


 


Scutellaria


galericulata


Marsh Skullcap


OBL


 


Sisyrinchium


montanum


Strict Blue-eyed Grass


FAC


 


Teucrium


canadense


American Germander


FACW


0.03%


Thalictrum


dasycarpum


Purple Meadow Rue


FACW


0.12%


Tradescantia


bracteata


Bracted
Spiderwort


FAC


 


Tradescantia


occidentale


Western Spiderwort


SAND


 


Verbena


hastata


Blue Vervain


FACW


0.18%


Verbena


stricta


Hoary Vervain


UPL


 


Verbena


urticifolia


Elm-leaf Verbena


UPL


 


 


 


 


 


38.57%