Odds and Ends
© 1998 Text & Photo by Leonard Smith

January 1998 began very spring-like here in southwest Nebraska. It has been a deceptively mild winter, with little snow. The coming months of winter can still give us some surprises. Keep the feeders full and the snow scoop handy.

Mirages?

Say "mirage" and most people have images of a bedraggled wanderer in the desert, deranged by the heat and thirst, seeing an oasis on the horizon. Well, you can see mirages here in southwest Nebraska as well -- in winter. Over the years, I have seen them while traveling on Highway 6. It is generally early in the morning before 8 AM. They always seem to be to the north or west. It is odd to see the elevators of towns over the horizon sitting there in plain sight. Sometimes, it seems I can see other things too -- hills, usually. So, if you have seen them, you know the experience. If not, this is something you can look for as you travel early in the morning.

Nesting in Winter

Several days ago, the sun began its trek back to the northern sky and longer days. To the south, the birds will soon hear the siren call and begin the long flight north.

Here in Nebraska and elsewhere, the great horned owl, (Bubo virginianus) is beginning the nesting process. Near where I work, there is a pa ir who nest high on the towers of a grain storage facility. I have seen them fly from the trees at the farmstead to the south and roost there near sunset. They nested here last year as well.

The clutch of eggs usually numbers from 1-4 eggs, with the average nest having two eggs. Incubation is around 30 days, with estimates being from 26-35 days, starting with the first egg laid. There is only one brood per year.

They begin laying eggs in February in this area. The early egg laying is necessary be cause of the long period in which the young are totally dependent on the parents. They do not fly till they are 9-10 weeks old and still beg food from the parents long after that. The parents are strongly monogamous and keep close track of each other out of the breeding season with the haunting call that we have all heard in countless movies, "who-whoowhoo-whoo."

The female's voice is pitched considerably lower than the male's, and he is the smaller bird. The call of each sex also varies somewhat in c ontent. The male's call is usually 4 or 5 hoots in the pattern: "Hoo, hoo-oo hoo hoo." The female usually calls with 6 to 8 hoots in the pattern: "Hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo, hoo-oo hoo-oo."

They are versatile nesters and use a wide variety of nest sites on both natural and man-made structures. In this area, I have seen this bird nest in a gravel quarry, in a hole in the wall of the quarry, and also in a farmer's equipment shed, high up near the ceiling in a pan suspended by wire.

Natural sites chosen are highly variable. They will sometimes use the abandoned nest of another bird, such as a hawk or heron or even a squirrel nest. They also use tree cavities and crotches, stumps, rock ledges, or caves. They will also nest on the ground amid rocks, logs or under vegetation. Almost no nest building is done. Sites are used as they are found.

The great horned owl can be found throughout North and South America and nests as far north as the tree line in the arctic. In Europe and Africa, other species of the genus, Bubo, will be found in its place.

Eagle Watching

Wherever there is a lake with open water, there will likely be ducks and geese present...and eagles. The eagles, both bald and golden, come to this area every year in hopes of getting an easy meal from the sick or injured waterfowl that congregate this time of year. They will also eat the fish that are washed up along shore or on the edges of the ice.

If you are interested in viewing eagles, you might check your local lake. Immature and sub-adult members of both species do not look like the adults and it can be confusing to identify them. It is best to have a field guide with you and a pair of binoculars to spot the birds far off.

One of the best eagle-viewing sites in this area is at Kingsley Dam, north of Ogallala. The enclosed viewing facility is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. until noon and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. It will be open for the next several weeks. The eagles begin to leave wi th the approach of warmer weather and the opening of the water farther north.

The golden eagle is a resident of this area. The bald eagle is not a regular nester in this area, though there are records of nestings in Nebraska. Paul Johnsgard, in his book "Birds of the Great Plains", cites a record of a bald eagle nesting in Cedar County in 1973. In Minnesota, the nests are constructed in the tops of living red and white pines. So, keep your eyes open this spring, if you are in a likely area.

Red Wings

In mid to late February, the red-winged black birds will be returning. You have heard of the swallows returning to the mission Capistrano on a certain day each year and perhaps you have also heard of the return of the buzzards to Hinkley, Ohio. Most all bird species return to their nesting areas at the same time each year. The red-winged black birds are no exception.

Many years ago, I worked outdoors most all year round. The singing of the red-winged black birds in late February was more than welcome after weeks of cold weather -- a sure sign that spring was just around the corner. Although most common in marshes and along rivers, they are also abundant in hedgerows and windbreaks. The first to return are the immature males, then the adult males arrive to establish territories. Weeks later, the females return. The immature males do not have the familiar red and yellow shoulders that the mature males have, but the cheerful song ("okalee") sung from a bare branch or cattail is unmistakable.

Cranes on the River

They are still on their wintering grounds; but by the end of February, the vanguard will arrive on the slush-choked Platte River. Out of the winter sky, the grey wings of cranes will descend on the Platte as they have done for eons. They stay about a month, then travel farther north. Some go to the high arctic and Siberia to nest. Now is the time to begin thinking about a trip to the Platte to observe them. This annual migration draws people from all over the country and homebound birders follow the cranes through Nebraska via Internet newsgroups where they are discussed.

My next article, in about two weeks, will be about the Sandhill cranes and their migration through Nebraska.

And so, we begin the new year with winter barely underway. It has been a rather mild winter here so far; in fact, very warm on some days. The days are getting longer, though we have only gained about 15 minutes of daylight so far. A day spent out-of-doors will go far to dispel the winter blahs. Tramp through the woods, along the lakeshore, or just sit and watch the sunset over the lake. It does wonders for the soul.

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