The Binocular Site
Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, Nebraska
Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, owned by the Fontenelle Nature Association, is located in Bellevue, Nebraska, just south of Omaha, near the state's eastern border. It sits along the Missouri River's flyway, and is contains 1,300 acres of forest, wetlands, and marshlands. Efforts to preserve this area of land began in 1910, but it wasn't until 1966 that the Nature Center officially opened. Through a series of construction projects over the years, the Nature Association has acquired more land and expanded its facilities to include the Neale Woods Nature Center, and the Wetlands Learning Center.
Fontenelle Forest boasts 26 miles of marked hiking trails, allowing visitors to view numerous species of plants and animals. There is also a one-mile, wheelchair accessible Riverview Boardwalk. The Nature Center also hosts several summer day camps, and offers an astronomy program at the Millard Observatory, located on the premises. Nature Center facilities can also be rented for events ranging from business conferences to weddings.
Birder's World magazine named Fontenelle Forest one of the top ten spots to view warblers in the United States because of the 35 warbler species found there. In all, 246 species of birds have been recorded in Fontenelle Forest. It is the only place in Nebraska where red-shouldered hawks nest, and one of the few locations that supports pileated woodpeckers. Other birds found in the forest include the grasshopper sparrow, whippoorwill, cerulean warbler, and the bald eagle.
The state bird of Nebraska is the Western Meadowlark and you can find a checklist for birding activities in Nebraska here.
The photo above was taken at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center. You can learn more about the forest park by visting the official website here.
If you've visited Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, please take the time to share your experience and any tips or insight you have about this Nebraska birding location below.
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Neale Woods (also run by Fontenelle) is another great bird watching location:
http://omaha.net/neale-woods
This is where I started birding, and though the association's construction of the many buildings is a reflection of a severe change in emphasis from conservation to entertainment, it remains one of my favorite birding sites anywhere.
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