Date: 12/8/24 4:29 pm From: Robin Harding via groups.io <pine2siskin4...> Subject: [NEBirds] Johnson Lake
Nebraska birders,
I was planning on doing some county listing this weekend in Custer. Then I
read Tobin’s message about the cool Short-billed Gull that he found at
Johnson Lake and quickly changed my mind. I was doubly convinced when I
read Bonnie and Colleen’s report of Long-tailed Duck and Lesser
Black-backed Gull.
I went Sunday morning to the reported location of the Short-billed Gull. I
scoped the gulls from the shoreline. I saw mostly Ring-billed Gulls and
several Herring Gulls. As usual, some of the gulls confused me. I didn’t
see anything like Short-billed Gull. I took a break and scoped the ducks
near the dam. I found the Long-tailed Duck but saw it just barely good
enough to identify, which was not very satisfying but that’s the way it
goes sometimes. It is a new county bird. I did, however, get a good look
at a pair of Hooded Mergansers. Beautiful birds.
I scoped the gull flock one more time and spotted the Lesser Black-backed
Gull. I watched it for quite some time just to be sure. It must have been
a subadult because of the pinkish legs and the bill had a red spot and some
black smudging.
I drove across the dam and around the west side of the lake. I came back
around to the swimming beach in the southeast part of the lake again. The
water level was very low and the exposed lake bed was dry enough to walk on
so I walked out to the edge of the water near the dam to get a better look
at the Long-tailed Duck. I could not find it again.
I saw three people out on the dry lakebed looking at gulls so I walked over
to them. There was Bonnie, Paul and Thane looking at the Short-billed
Gull. What a treat it was to share a life bird with friends. Many thanks
to Tobin for finding the bird and to Thane for showing me where it was
located. I was able to watch it at close range for a long time.
My life list is now 427 and my Gosper County list is 181.
Along the way back home, I stopped by Bassway Strip but could not find the
White-winged Scoter that Andrew reported.
