Nebraska Terns and Plovers

Partnership, Terns and Plovers in the news

2009-07-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Summer greetings to all!

I hope you have all had a great summer. It's been a busy field season in the lower Platte River of Nebraska. Over 80 terns and plovers have new bling (identification bands) on their little legs. We are happy to report that we have seen birds that we banded last year returning to areas near where they were banded last year. Being able to identify birds by their bands helps researchers get a better understanding of the hows, whens, whats, and whys about these birds. Finding the answers to the many questions about how these birds live will help with future management of these species and lead to, hopefully, delisting.

Here are links to a couple of articles that have been in newspapers this summer about terns and plovers, and about our Partnership. The first one is from the Prairie Fire newspaper: http://www.prairiefirenewspaper.com/2009/07/cooperation-in-conservation.

The second is from the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star. If you read the public comments after that article you can see that we have our work cut out for us in educating the public about the needs of these birds and why they, too, deserve a place on this earth.
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2009/07/15/news/local/doc4a5cf98b81ff8897858166.txt

You can all help out our education effort by telling people about terns and plovers, and other endangered species. An informed public is our best hope to keep these birds from extinction.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Chris

Summer Newsletter now available

2009-06-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hello!
Many Piping Plovers have broods and chicks, and the Least Terns are still settling down to start their families. Since summer is nearly here, the Summer 2009 Newsletter is now available for viewing. You can view it from the following link:
http://ternandplover.unl.edu/Spring%202009%20newsletter.pdf
Have a great summer!
Chris

2009-05-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hello! The Piping Plovers are establishing nests in many areas, but no Least Tern nests yet. A couple of terns have been spotted in various locations, but not even a scrape from them at this date. Be looking for bands on the legs of terns and plovers. You can report your band sightings to Mary Bomberger Brown at mbrown9@unl.edu or call 402-472-8878.
Chris

First Piping Plover of 2009 spotted

2009-04-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hello!
Finally! The first Piping Plover of the year was spotted in Nebraska yesterday, 21 April, just in time for Earth Day. Though the Piping Plover was alone, it most likely won't remain that way for long. A forecast of 85 degrees with strong south winds will probably mean a big push for many species. Keep your eyes on the legs of any Piping Plovers or Least Terns you see. Many have been banded throughout the Midwest, and we would appreciate feedback about them. Note the color of the bands, which legs they were on (the bird's left and right), where you saw it (GPS coordinates are awesome, but street names also work well), and if it was a plover or tern.

Contact Mary at 402-472-8878 if you spot any banded Least Terns or Piping Plovers.

Good Birding,
Chris

It won't be long now!

2009-04-07T13:02:00.001-07:00

Our beloved least terns and piping plovers will be making their way to Nebraska very soon. Thus far, none have been spotted. Our earliest record of arrival is April 1st for piping plovers, so we won't beat that record this year. I don't blame them - today is the first day in several that the wind has decreased and the temperature is a decent 50 degrees. Keep your eyes out for those early arrivals!
Chris

We're off to see the cranes!!

2009-03-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I know this is a blog for Nebraska terns and plovers, but until they arrive, we have to fill our birding time with other species. This weekend we're going to watch the spectacular migration that occurs in Nebraska every spring. In a 150 mile stretch in central Nebraska, between Grand Island and Lexington, an astounding 300,000 to 500,000 Sandhill cranes use the Platte River for roosting and the adjacent agricultural fields for putting on pounds for their journey north. Along with all those cranes are millions and millions of waterfowl. About 90% of the White-fronted goose population migrates through the central flyway. And it's hard to describe the incredible flocks of Snow and Ross's Geese that are here already. I urge all of you to journey to Nebraska sometime in your lives to experience this mass migration. Audubon Nebraska and the Nebraska Partnership for All-Bird Conservation host a Rivers and Wildlife Celebration in Kearney, Nebraska every March. This event includes field trips to birding areas near Kearney, and a chance to sit in a blind right next to the Platte River where the Sandhill Cranes roost. The event this year is March 20-22. For more information check out http://www.audubon.org/chapter/ne/RWC.htm

Have a great weekend. I know we will!

Welcome to the Nebraska Tern and Plover Blog

2009-03-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
This is the first of what I hope to be many blog spots for those interested in Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers in Nebraska. At this time, terns and plovers are enjoying warmer weather to our south. We received an email from tern and plover spotters in Louisiana and Texas and they found 5 of our banded plovers - one in Louisiana, and 4 in Texas! We banded 31 plovers, so getting information about 5 was a pretty good outcome so far. I'll give more detailed information in a future blog.
I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Chris