Date: 6/16/25 12:57 pm From: Jon Strong via groups.io <jon.strong...> Subject: Re: [NEBirds] Hay Springs USGS BBS Summary
Dave and Paul, Joel J. should know the answer. I was kind of wondering about it also like Paul was. I thought maybe Blue Jay had never been on the count before? Or maybe it is a new route? I will stay tuned. Jon S. Omaha
On Monday, June 16, 2025 at 02:41:38 PM CDT, Tobin Brown via groups.io <tobinjbrown...> wrote:
Dave,
I went the other way with my assumption. When I encountered Yellow Warbler, Greater Prairie Chicken, Black-necked Stilt, and Cinnamon Teal at Crescent Lake, I labeled them as breeders. If the Common Yellowthroat was singing, that could be considered evidence of breeding? The blue jay makes sense though, it could just be passing through from a nearby area not on the count.
Curious to hear others thoughts!
- Tobin
On Mon, Jun 16, 2025 at 2:15 PM David Cunningham via groups.io <gopacgodc...> wrote:
Paul,
Great question. I used the term "non-breeder" in this case as used by USGS where it is not listed in their breeder list. USGS permits me to select between the breeder and non- breeder for "additional" species. This is the first year that these species were identified for this survey. There was no evidence of breeding. Therefore, I used the USGS default of non-breeding.
All that said, I hope the expert orinithologists can confirm or correct my interpretation and selection.
Thanks again for the question. I'm still learning.
Dave Cunningham Sarpy County
On Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 2:04 PM Paul Roisen via groups.io <roisenp1950...> wrote:
David, Thanks for the update on Hay Springs. It has been a while since I have been in Sheridan County. Sorry for the silly question, but I was confused by your comment that the Blue Jay and the Common Yellowthroat were the only NON-breeders on the list. I jumped to the conclusion that this meant that there was no evidence of breeding?
God Bless and have a great day.
Paul O. RoisenWoodbury County, IAMobile 712-301-2817
On Mon, Jun 16, 2025 at 1:45 PM David Cunningham via groups.io <gopacgodc...> wrote:
I completed the Hay Springs BBS on 7 Jun 2025. The biggest missing species was Bobolink. I paused on 3 stops to use the binoculars and specifically listen for them, but none heard or seen. This is the fastest I completed the route, mostly due to the good weather. This year's counts are consistent with past years going back to 2018 (first year). The average number of species is approximately 42 with about 985 for the individuals count. The lone Blue Jay and Common Yellowthroat were the only non-breeders observed.
