Date: 5/12/26 7:23 pm From: Robin Harding via groups.io <pine2siskin4...> Subject: [NEBirds] Birding Marathon
Nebraska birders,
Bill Flack and I did a birding marathon recently. We birded four days in a row in five counties. I know, for most people, this would not be like a marathon but for us it was. We started on May 07 in West Point at Wilderness Park. It's a beautiful place. We saw 36 species in three hours of hiking. Highlights include a Blue-headed Vireo, Black-capped Chickadee, Swainson's Thrush, several species of sparrows, Black and White Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. New county birds for me were Hairy Woodpecker, Blue-headed and Warbling Vireos, Swainson's Thrush, Harris's Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Black and White Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Bill's new county bird was the Blue-headed Vireo.
We enjoyed an hour at the bridge over the Elkhorn River near Beemer. We were able to get a good look at some shorebirds on the sandbars. Identifying shorebirds is tough sometimes but we were able to record both Yellowlegs, Solitary, Baird's and Least Sandpipers. We also saw Clay-colored, White-crowned, Harris's and Lincoln's Sparrows. Another highlight was a couple of Swainson's Thrushes. New county birds for me were the Solitary Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Clay-colored Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow.
The Wisner River Park is a nice place for birding. We saw 25 species including Franklin's Gulls, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpipers, Chipping, Clay-colored, Harris's, White-throated and Lincoln's Sparrows. New county birds for me were the Semipalmated Plover and Spotted Sandpiper. Bill's new county bird was the Semipalmated Plover.
Also in Cuming County, we birded Black Island WMA. We saw or heard 23 species including Bank Swallow, Sedge Wren, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Field, Lark, Harris's and White-throated Sparrows. New county birds for me included Mallard, Bank Swallow, and Sedge Wren. I have birded the county several times over the years but had not seen a Mallard until this day. My new total is 104 and Bill's is 160.
