Nebraska Sandhills counties (1 Viewer)

Went out to our twice a year NOU meeting. Not a lot of cost, just two days motel in a small town, Burwell. The sparrows are much the same as here in Eastern NE, but more Vespers and lots of Savannahs. Some people saw more of the pipits, we had one or two. One group had a prairie falcon. First groups of juncos seen as well.

I was out near Valentine in June and it was very good birding then. Summer months not so much, very hot and dry.

We get the same sparrows here in Lincoln but a few weeks later. Clay colored and vesper were in the Loup list, will have to see why I missed listing it.

Brown County
1 Trumpeter Swan - Cygnus buccinatorUS-NE-Johnstown-69214 - 42.2342x-100.0862US-NE01 Oct 2016
2 Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podicepsUS-NE-Johnstown-69214 - 42.2342x-100.0862US-NE01 Oct 2016
3 Western Grebe - Aechmophorus occidentalisUS-NE-Johnstown-69214 - 4 2.2342x-100.0862US-NE01 Oct 2016
4 Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritusUS-NE-Johnstown-69214 - 42.2342x-100.0862US-NE01 Oct 2016

Lots of pelicans in the Calamus reservoir, as well as a ton or Franklin's gulls. Not a one tern that I could find.
5 American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhynchosUS-NE-Johnstown-69214 - 42.2342x-100.0862US-NE01 Oct 2016
6 Turkey Vulture - Cathartes auraUS-NE-Johnstown-69214 - 42.2342x-100.0862US-NE01 Oct 2016
7 Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus846 Rd close to NE7US-NE01 Oct 2016
8 Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensisUS-NE-Johnstown-69214 - 42.2342x-100.0862US-NE01 Oct 2016
9 American Coot - Fulica americanaUS-NE-Johnstown-69214 - 42.2342x-100.0862US-NE01 Oct 2016
10 American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos846 Rd close to NE7US-NE01 Oct 2016
11 Field Sparrow - Spizella pusilla846 Rd at Calamus river bendUS-NE01 Oct 2016
12 White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys846 Rd at Calamus river bendUS-NE01 Oct 2016
13 Harris's Sparrow - Zonotrichia querula846 Rd at Calamus river bendUS-NE01 Oct 2016

Garfield county had more sparrows
16 Orange-crowned Warbler - Oreothlypis celataUS-NE-Burwell-46690-46698 Pebble Creek Rd - 41.8056x-99.1262US-NE02 Oct 2016
17 White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrysMirdan Canal WMAUS-NE01 Oct 2016
18 White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollisMirdan Canal WMAUS-NE01 Oct 2016
19 Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodiaMirdan Canal WMAUS-NE01 Oct 2016
20 Lincoln's Sparrow - Melospiza lincolniiMirdan Canal WMAUS-NE01 Oct 2016
21 Western Meadowlark - Sturnella neglectaMirdan Canal WMAUS-NE01 Oct 2016
22 American Goldfinch - Spinus tristisUS-NE-Burwell-46690-46698 Pebble Creek Rd - 41.8056x-99.1262US-NE02 Oct 2016

Also Loup County. We had sparrows first thing Saturday, near Taylor. Sunday we got there late, but lots of sparrows on Drycreek road on East side of Calamus reservoir

American Pipit - Anthus rubescens Taylor WTP US-NE 01 Oct 2016
Dickcissel - Spiza americana US-NE-Taylor-Dry Creek Ave - 41.8856x-99.2416 US-NE 02 Oct 2016
Savannahs and song and the rest.

I've started to use the West version of the Princeton guide, as it has nearly all the warblers and has the sparrows much better covered, all the way to Wyoming and beyond. The East is good if you are East of the Mississippi

https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Wester...8&qid=1475500505&sr=8-1&keywords=sterry+small

ADD
Ok, I've missed Rock county. We had lots of sparrows. Twin Lakes is the place to go there, but we got the sparrows on a dirt road thru cattle country instead. We headed to a lake in the West, in Brown County. Here is the Rock County hot spots list
http://ebird.org/ebird/subnational2/US-NE-149/hotspots?yr=all&m=
My oddest county life list
1Northern Harrier - Circus cyaneus
2House Wren - Troglodytes aedon
3American Robin - Turdus migratorius
4Yellow-rumped Warbler - Setophaga coronata
5Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis
6White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
7Vesper Sparrow - Pooecetes gramineus
8Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis
9Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia
10American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis

We had about 9 birders, here along the Calamus river. A low flat river, outfitters will rent canoes for it.

I'm in blue cap with no binoculars held. Our leader is Bill, second from right, our president is Dan, far right.