Observations on a 40-Year January Bird Census in Boone County Nebraska 1978-2017

For 40 years Wayne Mollhoff conducted a personal bird census every January. He explains:After having run several Breeding Bird Survey routes and participated in several Christmas Bird Counts I became curious to see what might be found on a winter count under the more tightly controlled parameters of a census as contrasted with Christmas counts done with variable numbers of observers. The count was set up similarly to the USGS Breeding Bird Survey routes with 50 stops one-half mile (800 meters) apart all birds counted for 3 minutes with birds counted at one stop not counted again at following stops. The census route ran from the northwest corner of Boone County along Beaver Creek to a point outside Albion. Counts began at local sunrise. A total of 73 species were recorded during the 40-year census. This paper records those results and offers observations on patterns of occurrence or absence and changes in frequency.A Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Occasional Paper