Date: 7/19/26 12:25 pm From: Robin Harding via groups.io <pine2siskin4...> Subject: [NEBirds] Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks
Nebraska birders,
I went in search of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks on Sunday, July 19. I left my home in Shelton early to take advantage of the cool morning. I drove to Kenesaw, pausing to look at a reuse pit just north of town. I didn't see anything there so I moved on to the sewage pond. Not much there either. I paused at the Thirty-two Mile Reservoir east of town. Nothing there. I stopped at the Juniata sewage ponds but there wasn't much there either. I drove to Hastings Lake and looked from the northwest parking area and the southeast parking. I saw Mallards and Canada Geese.
I drove to Theesen WPA, parked in the shade at the cemetery and walked west along the highway about a quarter mile and back. I drove west slowly along the highway and saw waterfowl in the wetland just west of Theesen. I didn't want to stop on the highway so I parked in the shade on the next county road. I walked east along the highway about a quarter mile and spotted two Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks. They were standing on the mud beside a shallow pool. Success! Although I've seen the species once before in Clay County. Now I need to coax them into going just a little bit to the west so that I can add them to my Adams County list. Thanks to E. R. for reporting them.
The weather was still tolerable in the shade so I drove to Crystal Lake near the town of Ayr. As soon as I drove through the entrance, I heard an Indigo Bunting singing. I stopped the car and started an ebird list. Then I heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling. I saw and heard several more species including a Red-headed Woodpecker chasing a Red-bellied Woodpecker. I don't recall seeing that before.
I didn't add any new county birds to my lists today but it was good to get out for a while.
