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BIRDING ADVENTURES ABOUND ALONG NEBRASKA’S “CHICKEN DANCE TRAIL”
HOLDREGE, NE – March 6, 2007 – Even if you can’t tell a waxwing from a warbler or a cardinal from a coot, there’s fun to be had along the Chicken Dance Trail.
Named for the unique mating dance of the Greater Prairie Chicken, the Chicken Dance Trail is a new Web site dedicated to bird watching adventures in Southwest and South Central Nebraska at www.chickendancetrail.com . Divided into four “adventures”, the site features interactive maps of the region along with an engaging narrative leading visitors to the best sites for viewing some of the 257 different varieties of birds that live in this part of Nebraska or pass through the region during their annual migrations. Nebraska is at the narrowest part of an hourglass-shaped migration pattern called the Central Flyway, and an area called the Rainwater Basin in Central Nebraska is a popular rest and recovery spot for sandhill cranes as well as scores of other species in the spring and fall.
According to the site, “The purpose of the Chicken Dance Trail is to recommend some of our finest birding habitat – places we know personally – as well as to suggest some of the non-birding activities, restaurants and lodging in the area that will make your stay easier and more enjoyable.”
Chickendancetrail.com is the brainchild of Angus Garey and Don Brockmeier, both avid birders and members of the South Platte United Chambers of Commerce (SPUCC), a major sponsor of the site, along with the Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism. The site was brought to life by sisters Nancy Herhahn and Betty Sayers who also host a Web site dedicated to promoting rural Nebraska lifestyles called Nebraska Rural Living ( www.nebraskaruralliving.com ). “We were eager to create a Web site that would encourage bird watchers from all over the world to discover the unique birding habitats we have here in Nebraska,” said Sayers. “Our approach was to describe birding adventures like a travelogue, with detailed maps to wonderful places to look for birds, but with suggestions for plenty of stops at our favorite local restaurants, coffee shops and B&B’s thrown in.”
The site features a birding chart with pictures of many of the birds that can be seen along the Chicken Dance Trail as well as links to more in-depth resources.
“We tried to strike a balance, so there would be enough technical information to satisfy serious birders but still present the kind of fun adventures a family could have together over a weekend,” Sayers said.
So grab your binoculars and field guide, choose an adventure and head on out. Even if you don’t spot a Wilson's phalarope or a pie-billed grebe, you’re certain to have a good time along the Chicken Dance Trail.
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Contact: Betty Sayers, 308-995-4601
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Agency contact: Phil Soreide, 308-991-4753
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