A Survey of Winter Birds at the Atchison State Fishing Lake and Benedictine Bottoms

Poster/Exhibit Presentation
8:30-9:35 a.m. CDT on April 14, 2021

The greater Atchison area has a natural wealth of wildlife, particularly with regards to birds. As such, the purpose of our project was to compare and contrast non-breeding bird communities across two different locations: the Atchison State Fishing Lake (SFL) and the Benedictine Bottoms (BB). Multiple habitat types exist at each site. The area around the SFL includes upland forest, grassland, and shoreline habitat for birds. The BB property contains restored riparian floodplain with areas of grassland, shrubland, and riparian forest. We established transect routes at both the SFL and the BB to survey species present in the grassland portions of both properties. Each transect consisted of eight points spaced 150-200 meters apart. From late-January to late-March, two observers walked the transects, spending five minutes at each point, recording the numbers and species for all observed birds detected by sight and sound. We surveyed transects 2-3 times per week in the mid-morning or the late afternoon. We limited observations to days without precipitation or winds above 20 kmph. Thus far, based on a Simpson index calculation, the SFL has been slightly more diverse. While we have seen 14 species at the BB and 15 species at the SFL, we detected higher abundances of redwing black birds, dark-eyed juncos, and common grackles at SFL, thus increasing its Simpson index value. Recently, the grassland portion of the BB underwent controlled burning. Our project will analyze any changes in diversity, as well as observe the processes of recolonization. In doing this, we hope to show how two superficially similar habitats may have differing ecological factors leading to varying levels of biodiversity. By understanding these factors, those who manage properties, such as the BB and SFL, as well as those who use such properties, might make conscious efforts to preserve them.

Richard Hernandez, Luke Schawe, Virginia Winder, Terrence Malloy, Biology

Location