2024 Great Backyard Bird Count

February 16-19, 2024

Twenty-seven Chapter members and guests took on the role of citizen-scientists as they participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) this past weekend. Twelve teams monitored feeders or took to the field locally while a 13th team surveyed near Reno, NV.

In all, 79 species of birds were identified and their numbers counted. The local observers recorded 54 species, while the Nevada team located 49, including 25 not seen here. Teams entered their findings and counts directly into eBird, the vast avian database housed at Cornel University. There, these species and their abundance will be analyzed for population trends, range expansions or contractions and changes due to habitat change and climate.

The biggest surprise to local counters was the early influx of waterfowl. In addition to the expected wintering Canada Geese, Mallards, Common Goldeneyes and Common Mergansers; Trumpeter Swans, White-fronted, Cackling, Ross’s and Snow Geese, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, American Wigeon, Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks and Hooded Mergansers were recorded, many for the first time on our GBBC. Local birders appreciated finding Northern Shrike, Belted Kingfisher, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, White-throated and Harris’s Sparrows.

Locals will also appreciate some of the findings in Nevada of our itinerant Bill and Dotty Zales, who led by their daughter Amy Marincic, a resident of Reno, recorded such species as California Quail, Black Phoebe, California Scrub Jay, Stellar’s Jay, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Bewick’s Wren, Cassin’s Finch and Lesser Goldfinches, all species never seen in Siouxland.

Thank you to all our volunteers who counted birds and entered their data into the eBird database for inclusion in the Loess Hills Audubon GBBC.

Siouxland Group

BIRD	BIRD	BIRDER
Trumpeter Swan	Barred Owl	2 DPNC guests from Des Moines
Greater White-fronted Goose	Belted Kingfisher	Jeanne Bockholdt
Snow Goose	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Bill Huser
Ross's Goose	Downy Woodpecker	Kevin Kerr
Canada Goose	Hairy Woodpecker	Marla Kerr
Cackling Goose	Northern Flicker	Bob Livermore
Green-winged Teal	Horned Lark	Leesa McNeil
Mallard	Blue Jay	Pam Miller-Smith
Northern Pintail	American Crow	Mariah Myers
Gadwall	Black-capped Chickadee	Bob Nickolson
American Wigeon	White-breasted Nuthatch	Phyllis Nickolson
Redhead	Brown Creeper	Jan Null
Ring-necked Duck	American Robin	Jon Nylen
Common Goldeneye	Cedar Waxwing	Pam Pfautch
Hooded Merganser	Northern Shrike	John Polifka
Common Merganser	European Starling	Sharon Polifka
Bald Eagle	Northern Cardinal	Jerry Probst
Northern Harrier	American Tree Sparrow	Kari Sandage
Sharp-shinned Hawk	White-throated Sparrow	Rob Towler
Cooper's hawk	Harris's Sparrow	Jerry VonEhwegen
Red-tailed Hawk	Dark-eyed Junco	Randy Williams
Rough-legged Hawk	Red-winged Blackbird	Vickie Williams
Merlin	Western Meadowlark	.
Peregrine Falcon	House Finch	.
Wild Turkey	Pine Siskin	.
Rock Pigeon	American Goldfinch	.
Eurasian Collared-Dove	House Sparrow	.

Nevada Group

BIRD	BIRD	BIRDER
Pied-billed Grebe	Downy Woodpecker	Amy Marincic
American White Pelican	Northern Flicker	Bill Zales
Great Blue Heron	Black Phoebe	Dotty Zales
Great Egret	Steller's Jay	.
Canada Goose	California Scrub Jay	.
Green-winged Teal	American Crow	.
Mallard	Common Raven	.
Northern Pintail	Black-billed Magpie	.
Gadwall	Mountain Chickadee	.
Ring-necked Duck	Bewick's Wren	.
Bufflehead	American Robin	.
Hooded Merganser	Northern Mockingbird	.
Common Merganser	European Starling	.
Ruddy Duck	Yellow-rumped Warbler	.
Sharp-shinned Hawk	Spotted Towhee	.
Cooper's Hawk	White-crowned Sparrow	.
Red-tailed Hawk	Dark-eyed Junco	.
American Kestrel	Red-winged Blackbird	.
California Quail	Western Meadowlark	.
American Coot	Brewer's Blackbird	.
Greater Yellowlegs	Cassin's Finch	.
California Gull	House Finch	.
Rock Pigeon	Pine Sinkin	.
Mourning Dove	Lesser Goldfinch	.
Belted Kingfisher	.	.

Snyder bend county park — thursday, 15 February 2024

Migrating Geese at Snyder’s Bend (left)
Geese on the Ice at Snyder’s Bend (center)
A Bald Eagle keeping watch (right)

Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center — Friday, 16 February 2024

Top Row: Snowy Trails, left and center by Randall Williams; Snowy Stairs, right by Marla Kerr

Bottom Row: All by Kevin Kerr, Deer (left) and Barred Owl (center and right)

great backyard bird count — saturday, 17 February 2024

A Surprise Peregrine Falcon!
A lonely Horned Lark.

Little Sioux Park — saturday, 17 February 2024

blue lake — sunday, 18 February 2024

Geese at Blue Lake.
Trumpeter Swans clearing the trees!
Red-tailed Hawk in the woods.
Ring-necked Pheasants showing their colors!

snyder bend county Park — sunday, 18 February 2024

Top Row: All images by Kevin & Marla Kerr, left and center, Red-winged Blackbirds; right, White-throated Sparrow

Bottom Row: left, White-throated Sparrow by Kevin & Marla Kerr; center and right images by Randall D. Williams, Trumpeter Swans and Snow Geese Overhead