By Monica Macoubrie, Wildlife Education Specialist Hawks are some of the most commonly seen birds in Nebraska. Often, all you have to do to find one is look up. These raptors, or birds of prey, usually perch on fence posts, overlooking branches and sometimes, at your bird feeder — any elevated spot where they can scan the ground to look for food. While each species of hawk has its own unique characteristics, they all have several features in common, such …

By David L. Bristow, History Nebraska What’s the proper way to break ground for the new home of the Cornhuskers? With a team and a plow, of course! University officials broke ground on Memorial Stadium on April 26, 1923. An estimated thousand people showed up to hear speeches and watch Chancellor Samuel Avery ceremonially plow a furrow. There was a recent precedent for this. A year earlier, Governor Samuel McKelvie had plowed a furrow to break ground for the new …

By Grace Gaard, Aquatic Ecology Education Specialist Adventure: an unusual and exciting, sometimes hazardous experience. While rarely risky, the word “adventure” fairly sums up field-trip season for the Trout in the Classroom program across Nebraska. Although the in-field portion of the program took a hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic, this spring marked the second year since the program’s full reboot. Program offerings hit their stride during the 2022-2023 academic year, and since the pandemic, the number of participating schools have …

At-risk Species Spotlight is a monthly blog post that highlights one Nebraska animal that is at-risk of extinction, with the goal of bringing awareness to the incredible diversity of wildlife we have in the state and their conservation needs and efforts as outlined in the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. By Olivia DaRugna, Watchable Wildlife Biologist The inconspicuous, pale-brown, buff-breasted sandpipers (Calidris subruficollis), or “buffies” as some like to call them, are one of the more than 30 shorebird species that …

1,500 Miles and Going By Elsa Forsberg I zoom in again on my computer screen, just to make sure the image is of a small shorebird called a piping plover. Two plastic bands decorate the bird’s legs like bracelets, one gray and one blue. The combination of different colored bands serves as a coded name tag waiting to be deciphered. Squinting at the blue band, I read the white engraved text. 56A. I sit back and gape at my computer …

What makes a wetland a wetland? In Nebraska, a wetland is defined by three characteristics. One, a wetland must have a prevalence of water-loving plants adapted to grow in wet conditions. Two, the soil must be developed in these wet conditions. Three, a wetland must be saturated by water at some time during the growing season. In Nebraska, there are five types of wetlands that fit these characteristics: urban, playa, riverine, saline and sandhills, yet each of these do more …

By Jeff Kurrus The majority of the turkeys I’ve shot have come between 10 AM and 2 PM. Lunchtime is primetime, that time of the day when more than a few gobblers find themselves alone and insecurity begins to creep in. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to stay in the woods that long. From real-world obligations to simple impatience, it’s easy to leave the woods and re-enter normal life during some of the most productive turkey hunting hours of the day. …

By Monica Macoubrie, Outdoor Educator In the United States, biologists recognize three snapping turtle species — the common snapping turtle, native to Nebraska, the alligator snapping turtle and the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, which is native to the southeastern portion of the United States. Both species of alligator snapping turtle are not found in Nebraska, yet common snapping turtles and the two alligator snapping turtles are distant cousins and look oddly similar to each other. Upon further inspection, however, you’ll …

  By Olivia DaRugna, Watchable Wildlife Biologist May in Nebraska is a bird watcher’s paradise. Endless birding opportunities abound, from colorful warblers, to unique shorebirds, to interesting breeding behaviors. It is no wonder May is Nebraska Bird Month. No matter where you are located in the state, you can bet that there will be variety of birds to spot. Shorebirds Late April to mid-May is peak shorebird migration as 30 species and about 300,000 to 500,000 shorebirds stopover in the …

By Olivia DaRugna, Watchable Wildlife Biologist We are kicking off Nebraska Bird Month (May) with a new event: The Nebraska Birding Bowl! This free event is open to anyone who enjoys observing birds in Nebraska. Whether you just started birding, are an avid backyard birder or a competitive lister, you can participate in the Nebraska Birding Bowl and win prizes. That’s right — win prizes just for observing birds! Enter in one of several categories: Fledgling Flock is for youth …