the

PelicanLahontan Audubon Society • P.O. Box 2304 • Reno, Nevada 89505 • www.nevadaaudubon.org • 775-324-BIRD

Mission statement: To preserve and improve the remaining habitat of birds and other wildlife, restore historical habitat, and educate the public, with emphasis on children, providing vision to all about our unique Nevada environments.

MONTHLY MEETINGSDate: Fourth Tuesday of the monthTime: Social at 6:30 p.m. Program starts at 7 p.m.Location: Usually at the South Valleys Library, but note new location below for May meeting only!

The May LAS meeting will be at the Moana Nursery’s Educational Workshop Building, at the Moana Lane/Lakeside Drive location, 1100 West Moana Lane, at the usual time (see above). Directions: Moana Nursery is on the southwest corner of Lakeside Drive and Moana Lane, at 1100 West Moana Lane. The Educational Workshop is a separate building, located on the west side of the parking lot (not in the nursery shop itself). Many thanks to Moana Nursery for agreeing to let us use their facility again.

May 25 – Tony Wasley, Nevada Department of Wildlife – General History, Biology, and Behavior of the Himalayan Snowcock in NevadaBirders travel from all over the country to try to see this bird. And a difficult job it is. The Himalayan Snowcock, a native of Asia, was introduced into the Ruby Mountains of eastern Nevada in 1963. Today that is the only location in North America where the bird can be found, and many birders (and hunters alike) consider it a trophy bird to add to their list. It resides on rocky slopes above 10,000 feet and blends in so well with its environment that you’d swear it was a moving rock, if you saw one move at all. Tony Wasley has studied this bird for several years, and he will delight us with an informative and entertaining presentation about this intriguing species.

There are no meetings during the summer months of June, July, and August. Meetings will resume on September 28. Have a great summer!

MAY/JUNE2010

vol. 47, no. 5

Inside This Issue1 Monthly Meetings

2 Volunteer Opportunities

3 Birds and More

4 Field Trips

7 LAS News

8 Avid Birder

10 Birds in Town

11 LAS Sales/ Membership

Submissions for the July/August issue are due June 1, 2010

The Pelican may be viewed on the LAS website at www.nevadaaudubon.org, click on the Newsletter tab.

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2 The Pelican

SUBSCRIPTIONS

The Pelican is the official newsletter of the Lahontan Audubon Society and is published six times annually. Subscriptions are paid for as part of the dues of LAS or the National Audubon Society. LAS welcomes gifts, donations, and bequests in gen-eral, or gifts in honor or memory of relatives and friends. Such donations will be used as specified or, if unspecified, will be used to support LAS education and conservation projects. All donations are tax deductible.

WHERE TO WRITE:Keep conservation to the forefront. Write your elected officials and tell them how you feel:

Senator Harry Reid Senator John Ensign400 S. Virginia St. #902 400 S. Virginia St. #738Reno, NV 89501 Reno, NV 89501Toll-free: 1-866-736-7343 Reno phone: 775-686-5770

Representative Dean Heller Governor Jim Gibbons400 S. Virginia St. #502 101 N. Carson St.Reno, NV 89501 Carson City, NV 89710Reno phone: 775-686-5760 775-684-5670

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESConservation Chair SearchThe LAS Board of Trustees is seeking to fill the important position of Conservation Chair. If you have a deep interest in efforts to protect and reestablish bird habitat and protect wildlife in general, then please consider lending us some of your time and talent.

What you and your committee may do:Evaluate communication that comes to the Board seeking comment on particular issues relating to birds.•Write letters to public officials and organizations expressing the concerns or desires of LAS on various topics.•Attend public meetings on land use issues that may both positively or negatively impact bird habitat.•Work with other organizations in the community to help organize conservation projects.•Participate in on-the-ground projects such as tree plantings, weed removal, and clean up activities.•

If you don’t feel like you would want to take on the position of Committee Chair, we also need volunteers to serve on the Conservation Committee. Maybe you have a bird-related conservation issue that is near and dear to your heart and you would like to follow it for LAS. This is an opportunity for you to become involved in LAS in a very meaningful way. Please contact Alan Gubanich at renopopop@pyramid.net or 775-857-0191 if you would like to discuss the Conservation Chair or serving on the Conservation Committee in more detail.

Volunteers Needed for Elementary School Field TripsThe LAS Education Committee will be leading birding and ecology field trips for elementary school children at Washoe Lake beginning in mid-April and continuing through May. If you are interested in helping, contact Alan Gubanich at 857-0191 or renopopop@pyramid.net for details.

Please Join the Nevada Important Bird Areas Volunteer Listserv!Would you like to participate in various conservation-oriented projects within Nevada’s Important Bird Areas to help protect, conserve, or enhance key habitats?

Would you like to receive up-to-date notices regarding volunteer opportunities and other volunteer-based information?

Then join the new NV IBA Volunteer Listserv!Visit http://groups.google.com/group/nv-iba-volunteers for current information or send a blank email to: nv-iba-volunteers@googlegroups.com to receive notifications via email.

Only volunteer-related information will be emailed. All incoming email from outside sources will be filteredto prevent spamming.

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BIRDS AND MOREKathy Oakes 775-747-5446 oakesy@sbcglobal.net

The Marsh Wren

The Marsh Wren is one of my favorite wetland birds. Marsh Wrens can be found in cattail and bulrush habitats almost anywhere in our area, reliably at the Swan Lake Nature Study Area and at the Damonte Ranch wetlands. They are usually heard before being seen. The wrens spend a lot of time foraging down in the cattails, but if you are patient, eventually one will pop up to the top of a stem to sing or scold. The Marsh Wren is a small wren, about five inches long, with rufous-brown wings and tail, a white eye-stripe, and a dark brown and white streaking on its upper back (which can be hard to see). The males and females look alike. Only the male Marsh Wrens sing, but they sing incessantly—day and night in the breeding season. Year-round resident wrens also sing during periods of warmer weather in winter. The Marsh Wren’s song is sort of a gurgling trill and has mechanical quality to it; according to Sibley, it sounds like tek-tuk-t-jejejejejeje. You can listen online at: www.seattleaudubon.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=342. Although the Marsh Wren’s song doesn’t sound very musical to our ears, it is complex. Research has shown that the males learn 50 to 200 song variations. Males in adjacent territories come to know each other’s songs and engage in bouts of intricate counter-singing. The abundant and varied songs are most likely related to strong competition for females associated with the Marsh Wren’s polygamous mating behavior. Males may mate with two or three females at the same time in their territory.

Marsh Wrens are famous for their many dummy nests. The male may build 10 such nests for each female he attracts to his territory. They are called dummy nests because most will not be used for egg-laying. A successful “macho” male who mates with two or three females may build 20 to 30 dummy nests. It is a wonder that males have time at all for eating, much less singing day and night! The numerous dummy nests are thought to serve several possible functions: 1) to demonstrate the superior fitness of the males as mates, 2) to provide shelter for newly fledged young and for adults in winter, 3) to serve as decoys to foil predators, and/or 4) to provide a ready new nest site for the female if a nest is destroyed during egg-laying. To construct each nest, the male lashes supporting cattail or reed stems together with sedges to form a cup and then weaves the nest up from the cup with strips of water-soaked cattail leaves or grass stems, incorporating the supporting upright stems. Nests are an oval about 5 x 7 inches, with inch-thick walls and an inner cavity about 3 x 5 inches, and set at least three feet above the water surface. The male escorts an interested female around to inspect each nest. If she chooses one, she will complete lining the cavity with soft grasses and feathers before laying eggs. After a female is settled into egg-laying, the male moves to another site in his territory and starts another series of courting dummy nests to attract another female. The female incubates the eggs by herself and usually feeds the young without much help. However, during the later part of the breeding season, the male may help with feeding

(because he is less likely to attract new females). The young fledge in about 12 days, often before they can fly well. They may use some of the dummy nests for shelter and will continue to be fed for another two weeks after fledging. Many females produce a second brood. This spring, take some time to enjoy the little Marsh Wren when you are in our wetland habitats. The birds are a marvel of activity and are fun to watch and hear. Look around through the cattails and see how many nests you can find.

Sources: Kroodsma, D. E. and J. Verner. 1997. Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris), “The Birds of North America Online” (A. Poole, Ed.): Cornell Lab of Ornithology. http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/308; BirdWeb@seattleaudubon.org; Sibley, D. A. 2003. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Marsh Wren, San Rafael, CA, April 2009. Photographed by Len Blumin.

4 The Pelican

FIELD TRIPS Christiane Omer 775-354-2634 happycpo@aol.com

Saturday, May 1Swan Lake NSA Clean-up DayTime: 8:30 a.m.Clean-up Leader: Bob Goodman, 775-972-7848, pandion36@aol.comHere is a chance to contribute to the beauty of Nevada. We’ll help our birds and other animals by cleaning up their home at The Swan Lake Nature Study Area. Please meet us at the Lemmon Valley McDonald’s parking lot off 395 (Exit 74) north of Reno. We will organize from there. If folks have a pickup we can use for hauling junk to the transfer station, it would be helpful. Rubber boots for working in the marsh is advised for those that have them, and gloves are essential for pulling thistle. It will be a great morning, come join the fun!

Saturday, May 8Silver Saddle RanchTime: 7:30 a.m.Trip Leaders: Nancy Santos 775-884-1570, nancylas@att.netSponsored by LAS and Friends of Silver Saddle Ranch (FOSSR), this spring trip to Silver Saddle Ranch is the annual FOSSR May general meeting. The trip includes a walk along riparian habitat adjacent to the Carson River. Other habitats along the way include agricultural fields, sagebrush, and willows. The diversity of habitats provides for a diversity of bird species to be observed. All levels of birders are welcome, and beginning birders are encouraged to attend. Please contact Nancy to register for the trip.

Friday-Sunday, May 14-16Spring Wings Bird Festival, FallonInfo: www.springwings.orgJoin us as we celebrate the spring migration through the Lahontan Valley. LAS is one of the many sponsors partnering to present the 13th annual Spring Wings Bird Festival

in Fallon. This year’s festival will be based out of Oats Park. It is a weekend filled with great birding trips, children’s activities, art, vendor booths, environmental information, and keynote speaker, Ted Floyd! Last year’s festival logged 147 bird species. It is a wonderful festival and should really be on everyone’s must-do list. Hope to see you there.

Saturday, May 22Virginia Lake for Beginning BirdersTime: 8:00 a.m.Leader: Jacque Lowery, 775-771-7390, nevadabird@charter.netCome join Jacque Lowery for an easy birding stroll around Virginia Lake. You’ll learn to identify the lake’s resident and nesting birds and those that might be migrating through. Jacque can also fill you in on some of the behavior and feeding questions you might have. Meet at the north end of the lake in the parking lot. Please call Jacque to reserve your space. Bring your binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one. This would be a great outing with your children or grandchildren.

Saturday, June 5, 2010Porter SpringsTime: 8:30 a.m.Leader: Don Molde, 775-857-3111, skyshrink@aol.comThis is your opportunity to visit a small desert oasis near Lovelock. Porter Springs is a great migrant trap that regularly provides fuel and rest to a variety of birds. It also attracts other critters such as coyotes and wild burros. Bird species seen here include Gray Catbird, Long-eared Owl, Chukar, Sage Sparrow, and more. We’ll spend the morning searching the trees and learning a few flycatchers along the way. Bring food, water, folding chairs if you have them, scopes, etc. If there’s time, we’ll

take a side trip to Soda Lake on our way home. Expect to be out all day, and to drive about 40 miles of good dirt roads. Meet at the rest area off exit 83 at the intersection of I-80 and U.S. 95. Call or email Don for more information and to reserve your space.

Friday-Sunday, June 11-13Unionville Birding and B&BLeader: Alan Gubanich 775-857-0191, renopopop@pyramid.netJoin us for a wonderful weekend in the West Humboldt Mountains birding in Buena Vista, Wilson, and Straight Canyons surrounding the historic mining town of Unionville. Located south of I-80 about halfway between Lovelock and Winnemucca, Unionville is rich in history and bird life. Over 60 species have been seen here in spring and summer including Lazuli Bunting, Bullock’s Oriole, and Western Tanager. We will stay Friday and Saturday nights and return to Reno on Sunday. Most of us will stay in the Old Pioneer Garden Country Inn, a beautiful bed & breakfast dating from 1864. People can camp if they wish instead of staying at the B&B. There is a flat, grassy area up the road from the B&B, referred to as the Girl Scout Camp, where port-a-potties are available, but no showers. Contact Alan to register for the field trip AND phone the B&B for reservations (775-538-7585), ask for Dave or Mitzi, the best times to call are before 8:30 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. There may be a limit to the number of people we can accommodate this year. Please visit the Field Trips page of the LAS website (www.nevadaaudubon.org) for more details on this weekend event. Also, the Reports: Trips & Events Tab on the website contains details on last year’s trip and a photo gallery of the trip.

(continued on page 5)

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Friday-Sunday, June 25-27 (NOTE date change)Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge Workday/Field TripLeader: David Von Seggern, vonseg1@sbcglobal.net or Mike Goddard, 775-423-5128,Mike_Goddard@fws.govPlace: Virgin Valley CampgroundThe Saturday workday/service trip includes fence removal, placing signs on the refuge boundary, fencing springs, and camp cleanup. The Saturday night program will be an overview of the Sheldon NWR. On Sunday we’ll tour old homesteads and the opal mine. We’ll also do some plant identification, birding, and other wildlife sightseeing. Virgin Valley Campground has a warm spring pool and outhouses. Bring camping gear, including cook stove, table and chairs, food, water, including your own main dish, and something to share with others on Saturday night. Pack a lunch for Saturday’s service trip. Bring gloves, wire cutters, pliers, buckets, WD-40, sunscreen, and plenty of water. Plan to eat lunch in the field on Saturday. For Saturday’s service work, the USFWS and others will provide sturdy vehicles. Good tires, including a spare with good tread, are essential for driving on the Sheldon NWR but will not be needed for the Sunday field trip. Take I-80 to Winnemucca. Fuel up in Winnemucca. From Winnemucca take Hwy 40 for 106 miles to the Sheldon NWR turnoff. Virgin Valley Campground is about a mile off the road.

Saturday, June 26Page Meadows, Tahoe CityTime: 7:30 a.m.Leader: Kirk Hardie, 775-220-8785, kirk@tinsweb.orgThe Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS), the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA), and the Lahontan Audubon Society (LAS)

are sponsoring this easy hike through verdant meadows. Enjoy a profusion of birds and wildflowers as the group searches for such species as Mountain Bluebird, Red-Breasted Sapsucker, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Pine Grosbeak in Tahoe’s flower-covered alpine meadows. Bring water, sunscreen, and insect repellant and plan to finish before lunchtime. Free, but reservations are required. Call or email Kirk for the meeting place. This is a popular trip so please register early as space is limited.

Field Trip ReportsSierra Valley, March 27Leader: Alan GubanichThirteen of us headed to Sierra Valley on a cool morning but a temperate afternoon, characteristic of this time of year. It was the interim period; winter birds were either gone already or leaving soon, while spring migration was just getting underway. We saw only about five or six Red-tailed Hawks and no wintering raptors, with the exception of one of the highlights of the day – a textbook example of an immature Golden Eagle soaring right over our heads on A-24. Then a flock of what we later confirmed to be Long-billed Curlews flew close overhead (the second highlight of the day). They veered to the southwest where we eventually found 45 of them feeding in a flooded field on Poole Street amidst a flock of about 350 to 400 Ring-billed Gulls. Add at least 18 Sandhill Cranes to the total (mostly in pairs, but one group of four) and we all considered it a very nice day. The ponds west of the bridges on Heriot Lane added 14 species to the list including Barn, Cliff and Tree Swallows (sure signs of spring!), seven species of duck, a group of American Avocets, and a Pied-billed Grebe. A walk in the woods on the

west side of the valley after lunch netted a pair of American Kestrels (who mated in front of us!) and at least three Pygmy Nuthatches. Add the usual crows, ravens, magpies, singing meadowlarks, etc., and the group totaled 34 species for the day. Other highlights included one Prairie Falcon, a couple Northern Harriers, a Willet, and good looks at Horned Larks and singing Sage Thrashers, a life bird for some.

For more field trip reports, check the LAS website “Reports of Trips and Events” tab.

FIELD TRIPS(continued from page 4)

Bird I.D. ClassesIt is time for LAS’s popular “Birds of the Truckee Meadows” series of five classes in basic bird identification. Each session is presented by a different local expert. This is an excellent learning opportunity for new birders, birders new to the area, or birders seeking a review. This year, classes will be at a new location – the Hyatt Classic Residence, 3201 South Plumas Street (just north of Moana Lane), in Reno, 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning May 4. The cost is $40 for all five classes or $10 per single class (payable at the door – please arrive early to pay).

The classes are: Introduction to Birding, by Dave Jickling, May 4Mountain Birds, by Jim Eidel, May 11Birds of Lakes and Marshes, by Larry Neel, May 18Birds of Prey, by Bob Goodman, May 25Backyard Birds, by Alan Gubanich, June 1

For further information or to register, contact Bob Goodman at 775-972-7848 or pandion36@aol.com.

Lahontan Audubon Society presents

Avian Art & VineA Wine Tasting and Silent Auction Event

Friday, June 4, 2010 • 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.Moana Nursery

1100 West Moana Lane, Reno

Join us for a gala evening of art, wine, and hors d’oeuvres bene�itting Lahontan Audubon Society’s Education Outreach

programs. Our silent auction will include wildlife photos, paintings, sculptures,

gift certi�icates, gift baskets, and so much more! Tickets are available for $35 in

advance or $40 at the door. To purchase tickets, please detach and mail the form below. This is a �irst time event that you

won’t want to miss!

Yes, I’d like to purchase tickets ($35 per ticket) to attend Avian Art & Vine on June 4, 2010 and support LAS Education Outreach. Enclosed is a check for $ .

I/We are unable to attend but would like to support LAS with a donation of $ .

Please make check payable to Lahontan Audubon Society, enclose with this form and mail in the return envelope provided.

Name:

Address: City: State: Zip:

Phone Number: Email:

Tickets and Donations are 100% tax deductible.

The Pelican 7

LAS NEWS

LAS welcomes Audrey HigashiLAS would like to introduce our newest Board Member, Audrey Higashi. Audrey is happily married to Happ Higashi, with whom she enjoys birding, cooking and biking. Audrey has been in Reno for 9 years, where she is presently Director of Sales for John Ascuaga’s Nugget. She was raised in Alabama and South Carolina, and moved to Reno from Portland, Oregon. She is excited about her new role with LAS and we are excited to have her working with us.

Our chapter has the good fortune to count nearly 1000 member house-holds. The Board, Committees, and various active members of our orga-nization try very hard to stay in touch with all of you through several av-enues. The LAS Email List sends reminders and late-breaking information to email subscribers about upcoming LAS field trips, meetings, and events. A recent success story is the Ivory-billed Woodpecker talk in February, scheduled on short notice after The Pelican was mailed. Almost 85 percent of the 60+ attendees came in response to an LAS email notice. Our email list is never sold, nor shared with other organizations or individuals. To subscribe to the LAS email list, please send an email request to Kathy Oakes at oakesy@sbcglobal.net.The LAS Web Site at www.nevadaaudubon.org, maintained by LAS Web Master, Steve Ting, is an excellent resource and worth a bookmark on your browser. The Home Page keys you in on late-breaking

CALL FOR NOMINATIONSThe May meeting of LAS is the time for nomination and election of LAS officers and Board of Trustees members. We are looking for enthusiastic and energetic (well, at least enthusiastic) people to step up to the plate and volunteer to become directly involved in the organization. If any of you are willing to take on a challenge, the LAS Nomination Committee (Alan Gubanich and Jacque Lowery) would love to hear from you! Anyone can nominate himself or anyone else for any of the positions listed below. We encourage you to think seriously about the nomination process and join us at the May 25 meeting to help elect next year’s slate of Officers and Board members. We’re always looking for new blood! This year we are especially looking for a replacement for the President. As you know, Alan Gubanich has done a great job as Acting President, but he would really like to give more attention to his Education Committee duties. We have been looking (and wishing and hoping) for interested people to step up, so far no comers. Also, we will be looking for a new Recording Secretary for next year. Contact Alan at renopopop@pyramid.net or Jacque, nevadabird@charter.net if you wish to submit your name or the name of a colleague for any of these two positions or for the other positions below. Nominations will remain open until the election is held the evening of May 25, 2010 at the General Meeting. Only LAS members are allowed to vote, but anyone can nominate.

Nominations are always open for the following positions:President Vice-President Treasurer Recording Secretary Board of Trustees:The terms for two seats on the Board of Trustees, Seat #6 and #7, end this year, so they will also be placed on the ballot. The term of service for Board members is three years.

items. Sections give you up-to-date information on upcoming field trips, meetings, and events. The “Birds and Books” Section is a resource for great book reviews and terrific reading lists. The “Important Bird Areas” tab has a ton of information on Nevada’s IBA Program, including some great volunteer opportunities coming up at various IBAs. In a separate article (see page 9), Alan Wallace, discusses resources on the website related to finding birds and birding spots. The Pelican is published and mailed bi-monthly. It is edited and compiled by Jen Martin, with assistance from Kristin Szabo, who also contributes a regular column (as do several other LAS members). Remember, anyone who would like to opt out of receiving The Pelican in the mail, please email me at oakesy@sbcglobal.net.The LAS Info Line at 775-324-BIRD (2473) is managed by Jacque Lowery and offers you the opportunity to leave a recorded telephone message request for information.

The Nevada Birds Listserv offers up-to-the-minute reports of bird sightings throughout the state (see more information on the Listserv on page 9).

8 The Pelican

Diane Ackerman is a poet, an essayist, a journalist, and above all a naturalist with the ability to open our eyes, and minds, to

the world around us. Her point of view is that we are nature — that “no facet of nature is as unlikely as we, the tiny bipeds with the giant dreams.” She argues that we should be aware of our animal nature and our innate connection with other animals. Ackerman has a molecule named in her honor, dianeackerone, for her work with a research team that studies endangered alligators. It is a sex pheromone in crocodilians. A very interesting person! I first encountered Ackerman when I read her utterly delightful A Natural History of the Senses (1990). Her observations and accounts of our ability to smell, taste, hear, touch, and see make this one of the most important and influential books in the field of natural history. Rereading it, I was struck again by its freshness, its accessibleness, and its lyrical prose. She writes with intelligence, wit, and humor. In her new book, Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day, Ackerman gives us a witty, well-observed, and thoughtful collection of essays awakening us to the world at dawn. “Wake up!” she tells us, “Whatever

else it is, dawn is always a rebirth, a fresh start...” Moving through the seasons from spring dawns in Palm Beach, Florida through winter sunrises in Ithaca, New York, Ackerman explores and describes in lyrical language many subjects, including migration, bird watching, bird music, beekeeping, organic farming, art history, etymology, meteorology, and world religion. For Ackerman, the universe is full of marvels, such as birds. Her description of birds in many of these essays is informative and fascinating. In her essay “A Calamity of Cranes” Ackerman discusses the work being done to bring back the Whooping Crane from the brink of extinction. She also shares Greek and English legends of cranes being used as a sentry. She writes, “At night, the crane acting as a sentry would stand on one leg, clutching a large stone in the other. To signal danger all it had to do was drop the stone, whose clatter would wake the sleeping army.” In another essay, she discusses the druid bird of life, the wren. Reading her essays about birds, especially their songs at dawn brought to my mind’s ear the dawn chorus of songbirds in the spring. I learned something in each essay. This is a book that I will reread many times. It is a joy. Ackerman’s curiosity and her ability to communicate fascination and love of nature make all of her books — every one worth reading and rereading. Every page is a delight.

For more, check out Diane Ackerman’s website http://www.dianeackerman.com/.

THE AVID BIRDERKenn Rohrs 775-849-9530 karohrs@charter.net

Birds & BooksLAS Birds & Books is a flock of readers interested in nature, especially birds and birding. The group meets on the third Tuesday of the month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Sundance Bookstore, 1155 W. 4th Street, #106-Keystone Square Shopping Center. For a complete schedule and brief description of the selected books, go to the LAS website www.nevadaaudubon.org and check the Birds & Books Tab

May 18, 2010 My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir

DonorsAmerican Avocet $50-$99Elizabeth RiekeGene and Sue Hansel

Mountain Bluebird $20-$49Twyla GingerichDebra BrusKaren TraynorPat and John King

Ruby Crowned Kinglet $10-$19Raquel Armijo

OtherThanks so much to Moana Nursery for donating the use of their Education Workshop Center for two LAS functions in February (the Ivory-billed Woodpecker talk and the gull workshop) and for LAS’s upcoming May meeting. They will also be extending to LAS the use of their Nursery Shop at the Lakeside location for our upcoming Avian Art and Vine Auction Event.

The Pelican 9

With spring upon us, and summer approaching, many of you might be wondering where to go birding or where the best place might be to see a certain species near where you live. With a little use of the Internet, many of those answers are at your fingertips. The LAS website (http://www.nevadaaudubon.org) is a good starting point for northern Nevada locales and birds. LAS members have compiled a nice area birding guide, which points you to many good places in the Reno-Carson City areas, as well as some places that are a little farther afield. You can get to that guide by clicking on the “Area Birding Guide” link on the main page of the LAS website, or you can also buy the nice printed version from LAS (see page 11). Another link on the main page will take you to the “Birds in Town” page, which provides a list of all of the birds reported in northern Nevada towns since 2001, both as a complete list and as bi-monthly lists (such as April-May, etc.). If you really want to wander far afield, LAS sells a great “Nevada Birding Map”, which shows a huge number of good birding sites throughout the state. You can order that through the “LAS Sales” part of the website or on page 11. And don’t forget about LAS field trips: they’re a great way to visit different places with a convivial cadre of birders. The second birding resource is the Nevada bird listserv, which I summarized in the “Birds in Town” column of the September-October 2009 issue of The Pelican. In a nutshell, the listserv is a web-based system where Nevada birders report their sightings from throughout the state. The full archive of these

reports are available on the Nevada listserv website (http://list.audubon.org/archives/nvbirds.html), where you can click on “Search the archives” and draw upon more than 10 years worth of sightings, using either the species name or even the location, such as Carson Lake or Damonte Wetlands. If you just want to quickly see what has been seen and where in the last month or so, the reports are easily viewed at the Nevada part of birdingonthe.net (http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NVBD.html). Either way, you can get some good ideas of new birding locations or where someone has recently seen a Virginia Rail, for example. The third, and certainly not least, web-based resource is eBird (http://ebird.org). This bird database, with constant input from birders like us all over the country, was developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It covers all of North America and even beyond. The neat thing is that you can choose a species and then narrow the search down to whatever state, county, and range of dates (including just seasons) that are of interest. So, let’s say that you want to know where American Avocets have been seen in Nevada in the past few years. At the main page, click on View and Explore Data, choose Maps on the next page, and then type in American Avocet on the ensuing page. This will give you a North America map showing all locations since 2006 (the default starting point). Above the map, you’ll see a Change Location: click on that, scroll down to and select Nevada and Entire Region. The resulting map shows all of the places, highlighted with a little symbol, where avocets have been seen. Click on the symbol,

and you’ll see who saw it, when, and how many were seen. This process can be tailored down to the county level or even closer (or just use the zoom-in feature on the Nevada map), as you play with the various options. If you want to see only 2010 sightings, just change the date range in the box at the top. You’ll immediately get a map that shows this year’s avocet sightings in Nevada, which hopefully will propel you out the door to go see for yourself. Of course, we eBirders would love it if you added your sightings to the database, but that’s totally up to you. I get in a rut when it comes to places where I go birding. To yank myself out of my deep-seated routine, I like to use resources like these to point me in new directions. These invariably land me in new places (some surprisingly close to my normal rut), with different birds, and with a new perspective on that part of Nevada or even my home town. So, give these resources a try and start exploring. Who knows: you might find something that nobody has reported before!

WHERE ARE THE BIRDS?Alan Wallace wallacealan@sbcglobal.net

10 The Pelican

Cormorant colonies began to grow, American White Pelicans arrived on scattered local lakes, and a few migrant Sandhill Cranes paused in some local wetlands. Yellow-headed Blackbirds began to stake out their territories in the centers of cattail marshes, driving the year-round Red-winged Blackbirds to the margins. In Spring Creek, Western Meadowlarks were calling at the same time that Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches were feeding at the feeders, providing a great overlap of spring and winter birds. At the same time, the behaviors of resident birds reflected the hormonal awakenings in their bodies. Some species, California Quail, Common Mergansers, Mallards, and Northern Harriers, began to pair off in February, and the first downy Canada Goose goslings appeared in mid-March. Mid-March saw the annual spring influx of Cassin’s Finches to western Nevada feeders, and the American and Lesser Goldfinches gradually morphed from their drab winter plumages into much brighter breeding colors. About the only unusual early migrant was a Varied Thrush that

visited Kathy Oakes’ northwest Reno yard in the middle of March. Despite the slow plot, the annual mid-February Great Backyard Bird Count drummed up 105 late-winter species that reflected the diverse habitats of northern Nevada yards. Sierra Nevada yards had White-headed Woodpeckers, Pygmy Nuthatches, Band-tailed Pigeons, and even one Black-backed Woodpecker (great yard bird!). Wild Turkeys and Pinyon Jays drifted

through yards in Baker, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches came down

from the higher elevations to feed in Austin. Cassin’s Finches, although seen in a few western Nevada yards, were much more common in the eastern half of the state, as were Pine Siskins. Overall, the winter avian turnout wasn’t too shabby. Northern Nevada birders reported 120 species in February and March, with considerable overlap with the species reported by the Great Backyard Bird Count. Contributors included Carol Amos, Mary Anderson, Meg Andrews, Sally Bates, Jim Cooper, Alan de Queiroz, Cynthia Goddard, Bob Goodman, Linda Hiller, Nancy Hoffman, Ed Kurtz, Lisa Lister, Jacque Lowery, Rob Lowry, Carl Lundblad, Sue Anne Marshall, Martin Meyers, Kathy Oakes, Andrea Oddo, Fred Petersen, Judy Phoenix, Kris Pizarro, Debbie & Randy Pontius, Lois & Mark Ports, Melissa Renfro, Melissa Robards, Georgia & Kenn Rohrs, Nancy Santos, Greg Scyphers, Dennis Serdehely, Jean Sherman, Steve Ting, Jamie Trammell, Frank Whitman, Jim Woods, John Woodyard, Dave Worley, and me. The deadline for the next column is May 25. Send reports to 1050 Sumac St., Reno, NV 89509 or wallacealan@sbcglobal.net, or post sightings on the Nevada bird listserv. Good birding!

BIRDS IN TOWNAlan Wallace wallacealan@sbcglobal.net

Varied Thrush bathing in a Reno backyard pool, March 10, 2010. Photograph by Ed Oakes

Some early spring migrations can be really exciting, just like an intense mystery thriller that captures your attention on the first page and never lets go. And then there are the early spring migrations that are like the novels that take forever to set the stage and introduce the characters, at which point you jump to the last page, find out who did it, and then wonder if you should read the middle part. This year’s early migration was definitely a page turner...to the last page, that is. So, what happened in the closing pages of this year’s early spring migration? An intense late-March storm thrust clouds of swallows, Cliff, Barn, Violet-green, and all the others northward, with the swallows coming in waves along with the snow flurries. In the balmier days just before, American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, and Greater Yellowlegs were poking the mud around area lakes and ponds, and brightly rust-colored Cinnamon Teal and Ruddy Ducks, the latter with their contrasting blue bills, stood out from the usual collection of ducks. On the fringes of town, the nearly iridescent Mountain and Western Bluebirds flitted through the sage and pines. Some of the Ring-billed Gulls gained their early-breeding pinkish cast, and all of the adult gulls (and there were hundreds) were stunning in their crisp gray-and-white breeding plumages. The early mornings were filled with the melodious songs of the American Robin and White-crowned Sparrow and the trilling calls of the Spotted Towhee in the brush. Even the early Turkey Vultures were soaring tippily through the skies of northern Nevada, as far north as Elko. Spring was here. Well, the ending was good, but what about the chapters leading up to it? If you were watching closely, you might have noticed that some winter birds suddenly were gone. Hooded Mergansers, Tundra Swans, and Barrow’s Goldeneyes disappeared from lakes and rivers, and the Canada Goose flocks were missing the few Snow, Cackling, and Greater White-fronted Geese that joined the wintering masses. Rough-legged and Ferruginous Hawks departed, leaving the Red-tailed Hawks as the nearly sole buteos in towns and nearby fields. The latter were sitting on nests by mid-March, wasting no time. The numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Golden-crowned Sparrows, and Dark-eyed Juncos dwindled to nearly nothing (although the late-March storm brought some of them back), and most of the American Dippers migrated upstream for the breeding season. In Austin, the Cooper’s Hawks moved elsewhere in March, a departure that undoubtedly was noticed by the smaller feeder birds (as Frank Whitman there noted, Pine Siskins are the equivalent of popcorn shrimp for the neighborhood accipiters). Akin to the many changing characters in a Russian novel, new species (besides the late-March arrivals) gradually arrived as the winter birds departed. The Double-crested

The Pelican 11

LAS SALES FORM Price Postage TOTAL

Important Bird Areas of Nevada $19.95 $4.60 _____Published by Lahontan Audubon Society, 2005

A Birding Guide to Reno and Beyond--Second Edition $10 $2 _____Published by Lahontan Audubon Society, 2007

Nevada Birding Map--Second Edition $ 4 $1 _____Published by Lahontan Audubon Society, 2007

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THE PELICANLahontan Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 2304Reno, Nevada 89505

LAHONTAN AUDUBON SOCIETYOFFICERS President Vacant Vice President Alan Gubanich renopopop@pyramid.net 857-0191 Treasurer Jane Burnham jane.burnham@sbcglobal.net 677-4178 Recording Secretary Mary Jo Elpers mjelpers@aol.com 747-6270 TRUSTEES Seat #1 to 2011 Dave Straley dbstraley@gmail.com 832-9222 Seat #2 to 2011 Gene Hansel renohansel@hotmail.com 354-2150 Seat #3 to 2012 Audrey Higashi nenemaka@yahoo.com 250-5500

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