Tag Archives: Birds

Many of us who enjoy Nebraska’s great outdoors do so as a result of flora and fauna that we see there. But, I am reminded today, that wildlife is, after all, all around us, even in urban Omaha’s Metcalfe Park neighborhood! I think it’s really neat when we have to go no further than our own homes to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate wildlife, especially in late spring and early summer! Case in point: The mourning dove nest at our Wagner abode. Look! On the ledge of our fireplace chimney we have a …

Fish and fishing are my thing, that is what I blog about most of the time.  The life and interactions between predator and prey that occurs below the surface fascinates me, and understanding those interactions are an important key to finding and catching fish.  A few weeks ago I shared a video where brown trout were jumping out of the water to eat damselflies ( Damselflies ).  Well, now I want to kick that up a notch, watch this, watch …

If you live in southwest Nebraska there is no way that you should ever say you are bored. Our glorious state has never-ending outdoor experiences that everyone can take part in. There is so much to do in southwest Nebraska like viewing the vast number of birds migrating through our state at this very moment. Get out and enjoy hiking, biking, tours, chickens on the leks, the return of the cranes and of course fishing on open water and who …

For a moment, while in my deer hunting stand the last couple evenings as the sun was setting and the wind was blowing out of the south/southwest, I thought I was reliving an old black-and-white, Alfred Hitchcock horror movie I saw as a child, entitled: The Birds! That flick did cross my mind somewhat as I watched dozens of turkey vultures overhead from my tree stand in northeastern Douglas County, NE. I had the best time watching these large nongame …

Cases of leucism have been reported in Nebraska birds at each end of state over the past few weeks.  Before taking cover in your bunker with concerns about the next avian-related pandemic, it might be useful to define leucism.  Leucism is a type of abnormal coloration in a bird’s plumage.  Specifically, it is variable amounts of either white or pale coloration in feathers that typically have pigment.  Even though leucism is rare, it is regularly observed.  I receive a few …

Discarded fishing equipment such as abandoned line, hooks, weights, etc. continues to be a major problem for the environment and a major threat to an array of wildlife in and around the water. It can maim and kill birds and other wildlife! Look what happened to this cormorant! Just yesterday at Carter Lake in northeast Omaha, avid birder Jim Ducey of Omaha, NE brought to my attention yet another graphic incident involving birds getting tangled up with discarded fishing tackle. This …

If you live in or around the Omaha-metro area, you don’t have to travel very far to experience the spring migration of waterfowl. I took these shots today along the Elkhorn and Platte Rivers in western Douglas and Sarpy Counties. The rivers were busy places with ducks and geese here and there! I caught the tail end of a bald eagle that was pursuing waterfowl, too! Here is a broad shot of the eagle in pursuit-mode after some flocks of …

On this week’s edition of my Weekly Outdoor Report on Omaha’s WOWT-TV/Channel 6 and online at www.wowt.com, we’re heading to Nebraska’s central Platte River valley between Grand Island and Kearney to view the spectacular spring migration stopover of sandhill cranes and other wild fowl. It’s quite a sight to see! Check out these great photos of the cranes taken by co-worker Katie Stacey of our Game and Parks Omaha-Metro Office. Experience the movement and sounds of the world’s largest gathering …

I received a phone call yesterday from a woman who lives in a neighborhood just north of Zorinsky Lake in west Omaha concerning problematic wild turkeys. We have a lot of wild turkeys in and around Omaha, and, as some of you know, they are not wary of us humans. In fact, as neat as they are to see, turkeys may become a nuisance by roosting on roofs, in trees near homes, and on decks, and they are known to …

My family and I are counting birds amid the old-growth trees in our Metcalfe Park neighborhood in north-central Omaha. We are counting birds for The Great Backyard Bird Count www.BirdSource.org This is a fun, very worthwhile citizen science project for the whole family to do! As you’ll note by clicking the link to the website for the count, it’s in full swing and it’s not too late to get involved where you live! Here are a few of the birds we …