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PelicanLahontan Audubon Society P.O. Box 2304 Reno, Nevada 89505 www.nevadaaudubon.org 775-324-BIRDMission 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 month
Time: Social at 6:30 p.m. Program starts at 7 p.m.
Location: South Valleys Library
15650A Wedge Parkway, Reno
Exterior door, west side of building
Directions to South Valleys Library: Take Hwy 395 to the Mt. Rose Hwy. Head west
on the Mt. Rose Hwy and take the rst right turn onto Wedge Parkway, just past Raleys
shopping center. Go about one mile on Wedge Parkway and look for the boldly
designed, mustard yellow library on the right. For carpooling see page 9.
May 26, 2009 - Dan Taylor, Audubon California - Renewable Energy and
Wildlife Protection: How to Promote Both
The possibility of wind farms in the Truckee Meadows has recently generateda lot of discussion and concern. Join us for a special program that will focus on
the issues surrounding wind power and other renewable energy projects and their
potential effects on wildlife populations. Dan Taylor serves as director of public
policy for Audubon California and coordinates Audubons state policy work in
Sacramento, as well as federal efforts on climate and energy policy, grassroots
outreach, public education, and communications related to global warming and
energy issues pertinent to the West. In this very relevant presentation Dan will
discuss (1) Audubon Californias work that models bird distribution as a function of
climate change; (2) the importance of wind power and other renewables to address
climate change; (3) projected growth in renewable energy and new transmission
demand in the West; (4) National Audubons policy and work on wind power and
other renewables; (5) the Western Governors Association process to map newenergy and transmission; and, (6) Senator Reids legislation on Renewable Energy
Zones and Green Transmission. Dan will also offer suggestions on how Audubon
members can get involved.
Note: Prior to the May meeting, our annual elections will be conducted. Please
refer to the article on page ve.
There are no meetings during the summer months of June, July, and August.
The next meeting will be Tuesday, September 22.
MAY/JUNE2009
vol. 46, no. 5
Inside This Issue
1 Monthly Meetings
2 Ask a Birder
3 Backyard Habitat
4 Field Trips
6 Birds and More
7 Important Bird Areas
8 Of Note from thePresident
9 The Avid Birder
10 Birds In Town
11 LAS Sales/Membership
Submissions for the July/August issue
are due June 1, 2009
The Pelican may be viewed on the LAS
website at www.nevadaaudubon.org,
click on the Newsletter tab.
The Pelican 1
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Pelican is the ofcial newsletter of the Lahontan AudubonSociety 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 specied or, if unspecied, 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 ofcials and
tell them how you feel:
Senator Harry Reid Senator John Ensign
400 S. Virginia St. #902 400 S. Virginia St. #738
Reno, NV 89501 Reno, NV 89501
Toll-free: 1-866-736-7343 Reno phone: 775-686-5770
Representative Dean Heller Governor Jim Gibbons
400 S. Virginia St. #502 101 N. Carson St.
Reno, NV 89501 Carson City, NV 89710
Reno phone: 775-686-5760 775-684-5670
ASK A [email protected]
In this space, the LAS Bird Brain
will answer your questions about
birds and birding in Northern
Nevada.
Dear Bird Brain,
How do I tell the difference between
a crow and a raven?
Confused in Carson
Dear Confused,
First of all, let me
point out that thestandard common
names for the two
species we see in
Northern Nevada are American
Crow and Common Raven. We
birders are lucky because the
American Ornithologists Union
(AOU) established these standard
common names so we all know
which bird we are speaking about
without being forced to rememberthe Latin names. The American
Crow and Common Raven are most
easily distinguished from each other
when you have them sitting side
by side; however, I realize that this
rarely occurs. Whether perched
or ying, rst notice the size of
the bird. The Common Raven is
bigger, bulkier, and has a much
larger, very stout bill. In general,
it is more the size of a hawk. The
Common Raven will also appeardisheveled; its feathers do not lie
as smoothly over its throat, breast,
and belly as an American Crow.
The American Crow is closer to the
size of a pigeon and appears very
smooth along its underside. If the
bird is ying overhead, look at the
tip of the tail. An American Crows
tail is fan-shaped, while a Common
Ravens tail is much longer and
wedge-shaped. If you just cantidentify what you are seeing, listen
for a call. If you hear a nasal caw
sound, its an American Crow, but
if you hear a low croak, its a
Common Raven. Good luck!
Happy Birding,
The Bird Brain
Do you have a question about birds
or birding in Northern Nevada? Ifso, please email the LAS Bird Brain
Your question mightbe selected for
the next issue ofThe Pelican. And
remember, the only silly question is
the one that isnt asked!
Bird I.D. Classes
It is time for LASs popular
Birds of the Truckee Meadows
series of ve classes in basic birdidentication. Each session is
presented by a different local expert
This is an excellent opportunity
for new birders, birders new to our
area, or birders seeking a review.
Classes are at the Nevada Division
of Wildlife at 1100 Valley Road
(north end of building), Reno, 7-9
p.m. on Tuesdays beginning May
12. The cost is $40 for ve classes
or $10 per class (payable at the door arrive early to pay).
The classes are:
Introduction to Birds and Birding,
May 12
Backyard Birds, May 19
Mountain Birds, May 26
Birds of Prey, June 9
Birds of Lakes and Marshes,
June 16
An instructional eld trip will also
be offered during the course. For
further information or to register,
contact Bob Goodman at 775-972-
7848 or [email protected].
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BACKYARD HABITAT
Water Features
The sound of a gently owing stream
on a summer afternoon is soothing
to humans; however, for birds it is
a fundamental need. Water servesas a source of hydration and also
provides bathing opportunities for
our avian friends. The inclusion of
water in any habitat is a surere way
to attract common, and occasionally,
uncommon birds. A strong attractant
for most any type of wildlife,
particularly birds, water brings
species that do not visit conventional
feeders, such as thrushes, warblers,
and tanagers. Also, birds that
generally would be high overhead orhidden in a tangle of branches will
come into clear view to partake of
this important resource.
Water can be provided in many
different ways, from a simple
birdbath to a large, synthetic wetland.
Bath designs can range from simple
and homemade to extravagant and
boldly sculpted, but the birds dont
seem to prefer one over the other.
Homemade baths can be fashionedout of plant saucers, pie tins, old
frying pans, or even a trash can lid
turned upside down. It is important
that the birds have sure footing so
rocks or other rough materials should
be added. Water depth is also of the
utmost importance as deep water
can pose a signicant drowning risk
for many backyard birds, as well
as for other members of the local
fauna. Different species have varied
preferences in regards to depth, butone to three inches suits most needs.
Furthermore, moving water is an
even greater magnet for our feathered
companions. The reections and
sounds of owing water can beckon
birds often from a great distance
away. Moving water can be attained
in a variety of ways and comes in
many forms, such as from a gurgling
fountain or a rushing waterfall.
However, most birds prefer slowly
moving water. A rushing waterfall
is not conducive to bathing and caneven frighten birds. Some species, on
the other hand, delight in showers.
Hummingbirds can often be seen
uttering about the spray of a
waterfall, wetting their feathers
and, according to some humans,
enjoying themselves.
The subject of moving water can
often be intimidating even to the most
skilled gardeners and landscapers;
however, much of this is unwarranted.
Following is an example of a simplewater feature that I made in my own
yard. This feature requires minimal
materials and can be made in one or
two hours. It has seen great success
and has attracted many species. You
will need multiple (six or more)
large waste bags for the liner and
a small fountain pump with a few
feet of tubing for the moving water.
Rocks can be added as decoration and
footing for the birds.To begin, dig a small hole about one
foot deep and one foot in diameter;
this will be the location of the pump.
Use the soil that was excavated from
the hole to form a small, gently
sloping mound that runs back into
it. The mound should be about three
to four feet long and one foot wide.
A depression should be made down
the center of the mound to insure that
the water does indeed make its way
back to the pump. Also a small basinmay be made in the upper part of the
mound; this will be the outlet of the
pump and a bathing area for the birds.
Take a large waste bag and place it
in the hole, leaving it folded. Repeat
this process with two more bags to
insure that there are no punctures in
the lining. Now take another waste
bag, again leaving it folded, and place
it over the mound, aligning it with
the mounds contours. Again, add
two more bags to the mound. The
bags on the mound should be set ontop of their counterparts, inside the
hole, and with six inches of overlap
to insure that there will be no leaks.
Now place the pump in the lower
basin, make sure to leave the intake
exposed, and run the tubing to the
top of the mound. Place several rocks
over a few areas of the liner and
then ll with water. Once lled with
water, make sure that there are no
gaps in the liner and that the pump
runs properly. You may now nishdecorating the feature with rock. On
a larger scale this would simply be
called a pond, but the materials
used limit you to this smaller water
feature.
If you are feeling ambitious, pursuit
of a larger project such as a pond or
waterfall might be in the planning
stages. The construction of these,
however, is beyond the scope of this
article. But a good website to get youstarted is http://watergarden.com/
pages/build_wg.html. A good book is
All About Building Waterfalls, Ponds,
and Streams, part of Orthos All
About Gardening Series.
Warm summer evenings are
enjoyable in and of themselves, but
the addition of water and the variety
of life it brings make them all the
more pleasurable.
Jonathan Heywood, who is 15 yearsold, has been birding for ve years.
He began creating bird habitat at his
home four years ago and has done
extensive research on the topic.
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FIELD TRIPSChristiane Omer 775-354-2634 [email protected]
Saturday, May 2
Swan Lake NSA Clean-up Day and
10th Anniversary Celebration
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Clean-up Leader: Bob Goodman,
775-972-7848, [email protected]
Here is a chance to contribute to thebeauty of Nevada. Well 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 McDonalds 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.After the clean-up (around noon), we
will celebrate the 10th anniversary of
the dedication of Swan Lake NSA with
speakers, tours (Swan Lake and Silver
Lake), food, and drinks. It will be a great
morning, come join the fun!
Saturday, May 9
Silver Saddle Ranch
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Leader: Nancy Santos, 775-884-1570,
Sponsored by LAS and Friends ofSilver 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 elds, 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 contactNancy to register for the trip.
Saturday, May 30
Virginia Lake for Beginning Birders
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Leader: Jacque Lowery, 775-771-
7390, [email protected]
Come join Jacque Lowery from Wild
Birds Unlimited for an easy birding
stroll around Virginia Lake. Youll
learn to identify the lakes resident and
nesting birds and those that might be
migrating through. Jacque can also ll
you in on some of the behavior and
feeding questions you might have.
Meet at the north end of the lake in theparking 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 6
Porter Springs
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Leader: Don Molde, 775-857-3111,
This is your opportunity to visit a smalldesert 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. Well spend the
morning searching the trees and learning
a few ycatchers along the way. Bring
food, water, folding chairs if you have
them, scopes, etc. If theres time, well
take a side trip to Soda Lake on our wayhome. 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.
Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21
Sheldon NWR Workday and
Field Trip
Leader: David Von Seggern,
[email protected] or MikeGoddard, 775-423-5128,
In this years work weekend and eld
trip, LAS will be participating with
several other conservation organizations,
including Friends of Nevada Wilderness
and our traditional work partner, the
Sierra Club.
Activities are expanded, and Virgin
Valley Campground will serve as the
base location.
Saturday: Service trip including fence
removal, placing signs on the refuge
boundary, fencing springs, and camp
cleanup. Saturday night program:overview of the Sheldon. Sunday:
Refuge tour of old homesteads and opal
mine, plant identication, and bird and
other wildlife sightseeing.
Virgin Valley Campground has a
warm spring pool and outhouses.
Bring camping gear, including a cook
stove, table and chairs, food, plenty of
water, including your own main dish
and something to share with others on
Saturday night. Pack a lunch to eat in
the eld on Saturdays service trip. ForSaturdays 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 but will not be needed for the
Sunday eld trip. Bring gloves, wire
cutters, pliers, buckets, WD-40, and
sunscreen. Fuel up in Winnemucca.
Directions: Take Interstate 80 to
Winnemucca. From Winnemucca, take
Hwy 40 for 106 miles to the Sheldon
National Wildlife Refuge turnoff. Virgin
Valley Campground is about a mile offthe road.
Saturday, June 20
Paige Meadows, Tahoe City
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Leader: Kirk Hardy, 775-220-8785,
The Tahoe Rim Trail Association
(TRTA) and LAS are sponsoring this
easy hike through verdant meadows.
Enjoy a profusion of birds and
wildowers as the group searches forsuch species as Mountain Bluebird,
Willow Flycatcher, Red-breasted
Sapsucker, McGillivrays Warbler,
Black-backed Woodpecker, and Pine
Grosbeak in Tahoes ower-covered
alpine meadows. Bring water, sunscreen
and insect repellant and plan to nish
before lunchtime.
(Field Trips continued on page 5)
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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.
Friday-Sunday, June 26-28
Unionville Birding and B&BLeader: Alan Gubanich, 775-857-
0191, [email protected]
Join 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,Bullocks 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 at, 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 eld trip AND
phone the B&B for reservations (775-538-7585). There may be a limit to the
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The May meeting of LAS is the usual time for nomination and election of LAS ofcers and Board of Trustees members, and
it will soon be here! 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. So 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 themselves
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 26 meeting to help elect next years slate of Ofcers and Board members. Were always looking for new
blood! This year we are especially looking for a replacement for Recording Secretary. Bonnie Wagner, who has done a super
job for several years, has decided to step down.
Contact Alan ([email protected]; 857-0191) or Jacque ([email protected]) if you wish to submit your name or
the name of a colleague for any of the positions below. Nominations will remain open until the election is held the evening
of May 26, 2009 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 #3 and #5, end this year, so they will also be placed on the ballot. The
term of service for Board members is three years.
number of people we can accommodate
this year.
Please visit the Field Trips page of the
LAS website for more details on this
weekend event. In addition, the Reports:
Trips & Events page on the LAS website
contains details on last years trip and aphoto gallery of the trip.
For further information on any trips
that may be added or changed after
publication of our newsletter, please
look us up on the LAS website. You can
nd us at http://www.nevadaaudubon.
org/eldtrips.html.
FIELD TRIPS(continued from page 4)
Education Committee
Call for Volunteers
With spring just around the corner,
the Education Committee will soon
be busy leading eld trips again forlocal elementary school kids at Washoe
Lake. In the last three years, with the
help of several volunteers and some
staff from the Washoe Lake State Park,
LAS led 35 birding and natural history
eld trips for hundreds of Washoe
County school children and teachers.
With anywhere from 25 to sometimes
60 children per trip, one person cannot
do it all. If you have any available time
we would welcome your help either as
an assistant or a trip leader. You do notneed to be a birding or natural history
expert, just a willing and enthusiastic
worker. Most trips will be held on
Mondays and Wednesdays, from mid-
April through late May. LAS will
provide binoculars and spotting scopes,
but feel free to bring your own.
Last years group in attendance for the Union-
ville adventure. Photo by Alan Gubanich.
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Friday-Sunday, May 8-10
Spring Wings Bird Festival, Fallon
Info: www.springwings.org
Join us as we celebrate the spring migration through the Lahontan Valley. LASis a principal sponsor of the 12th annual Spring Wings Bird Festival in Fallon.
This years festival will be based out of Oats Park. It is a weekend lled with
great birding trips, childrens activities, art, vendor booths, and environmental
information. Keynote speakers include author, naturalist, and artist Frances L.
Wood on Friday and UNR Emeritus Faculty Member and Vice-President of
LAS, Alan Gubanich, Ph.D., on Saturday. Last years festival logged 147 bird
species! It is a wonderful festival and should really be on everyones must-do
list. Hope to see you there.
BIRDS AND MOREKathy Oakes 775-747-5446 [email protected]
On the rst day of spring, I was
musing on a subject for the nextBirds
and More. My thoughts were on
sweet harbingers of springrobins,
bluebirdswhen I heard an awful
racket, like a jackhammer, coming frommy woodstove. My harbinger of spring
turned out to be a Northern Flicker,
who was drumming my metal chimney
cap.
In spring, male songbirds sing sweet
melodies to attract mates. Woodpeckers
arent songbirds, but they make their
own music by drummingrapidly
pounding on a hard surface. Both sexes
drum, and they select surfaces that
will make the loudest sounds, usually
hollow tree branches. Northern Flickers
particularly love to use man-made
surfaces such as pipes or rain gutters.
The ickers use several drumming
perches within their breeding territory,
from which they alternate bouts of
drumming with their long, laughter-like
call that sounds to me like yuck yuck
yucka yucka yucka.
Northern Flickers have black-barred
brown backs, spotted bellies, a black
necklace, and a conspicuous white
rump-patch that is obvious in ight.
There are two subspecies of Northern
Flickers (once separate species). The
red-shafted, more common in the West,
has salmon-red shafts on the ight and
tail feathers and ashes bright salmon-
red in the under wings in ight. Males
differ from females by having a bright
red moustache on either side of the
face. The yellow-shafted form, which is
more common in the East, has yellow
feather shafts and under wings, red on
the back of the head, and males have
black moustaches.Flickers show all the woodpecker
adaptations for their drilling lifestyle.
They have stiff tail feathers and strong
tail muscles to brace the bird. The
tail functions like a third leg during
climbing. Their strong feet have
two toes pointing forward and two
backward for extra support (other birds
have three toes forward with one back).
Flickers have sturdy chisel-shaped bills
and, like all woodpeckers, amazingly
long, sticky, barbed tongues for snaring
insects from drilled holes. Flickers
have some of the longest tongues of all
woodpeckers and can extend them ve
inches beyond their bill.
Uncharacteristic of woodpeckers,
ickers often forage for insects on the
ground, probing in the soil with their
strong beaks. They especially love ants,
which can make up 40 percent of their
diet. I have seen ickers feasting on ant
mounds, repeatedly probing into the
mound to snag ants.
Northern Flickers may be seen doing
courtship dances, which involve two
males ritually bobbing and swinging
their heads, giving short wicka
calls, often with a female watching.
Like all woodpeckers, ickers nest in
holes excavated in trees. Researchers
have shown that icker holes are a
major resource for cavity nesting birds
that dont do their own chiseling,
such as bluebirds, and mammals,
including ying squirrels. Flickers
often select dead or diseased trees fornest excavation. Nest building is done
by both sexes, as is incubation and
feeding. Flickers tolerate other species
using separate holes in the same tree.
At Fort Churchill one spring, I found a
dead tree that housed a pair of Northern
Flickers in one hole, a pair of Western
Bluebirds in another, and a pair of
Bewicks Wrens in yet another.
If you have any dead trees in your
yard, dont remove them. If youre
lucky, a pair of Northern Flickers
may take up residence and start a
family. My ickers are spending
lots of time in my dead cottonwoods;
Im hoping for a baby announcement
soon. However, this morning, I heard
one of my ickers drumming on
my neighbors chimney capckle
ickers!
Female Northern Flicker (red-
shafted). Image Courtesy of Alan D.
Wilson, Naturespicsonline.com.
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IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS PROGRAMRobin Powell 775-247-2798 [email protected]
Volunteer Opportunities at the
Important Bird Areas!
By Robin Powell, NV Director of Bird
Conservation & IBA Manager
Saturday, May 2
Swan Lake Clean-up Day and
Thistle Pull
Swan Lake Nature Study Area
and IBA
Goal: To clean up debris and garbage
throughout the IBA and dig all musk
thistle rosettes along the trail, pastures,
and boardwalk. Noxious weeds are a
serious threat to the sensitive habitats
at Swan Lake. Noxious weeds, such
as tall whitetop and musk thistle, have
infested large portions of the upland,
riparian, and playa habitats, which
reduces the habitat quality for wildlife
and displaces native vegetation. Musk
thistle is easy to remove during the
rosette stage, and removing it at this
stage prevents the spread of the plant
and protects the habitat.
Saturday, May 16
Noxious Weeds Education Day
River Fork Ranch-
Carson Valley IBA
Goal: To demonstrate the multiplemethods of managing hoary cress (short
whitetop) and other noxious weeds.
We will be working on identication,
treatment methods, protection of
wildlife and other non-target plants,
and prevention. Hoary cress is one
of the dominant noxious weeds
in the Carson Valley and requires
specic treatment methods for proper
management or elimination from
residential and ranch properties.
Saturday, May 23
Washoe Valley Citizen Science Day
Winters Ranch-Washoe Valley IBA
Goal: To improve the understanding
with community residents on the
importance of monitoring for new
invasive plant species in the valley.
Training will include working with
GPS units, and learning proper
weed identication and how to be an
effective citizen scientist. One of the
greatest habitat threats to this IBA is
noxious weeds. It is critical to identify
new weed species and eradicate them
immediately, which requires active
volunteers!
Saturday, May 30 (tentative)Santa Maria Ranch Park
Restoration Project
Santa Maria Ranch Park, Dayton,
NV-Lower Carson River Delta IBA
Goal: To plant willows, Woods Rose,
Fremont cottonwood trees, and other
plants along the Carson River at Santa
Maria Ranch Park, managed by Lyon
County Parks and Recreation. Help
improve the vegetation within the park
to increase bird diversity and protect
the habitat from further degradation.A fall seeding volunteer project is also
planned in 2009.
Saturday, June 13
Carson River Weed and
Geocaching Workshop
Silver Saddle Ranch, Carson City
Goal: To learn to identify invasive
plants along the Carson River. Invasive
plants negatively impact wildlife
habitat throughout the Carson River
watershed. Learn how to identify the
different invasive plants (a.k.a. weeds)
along the Carson River while learning
to geocache (similar to a scavenger
hunt) and use a GPS unit. We will
also be discussing bird diversity in the
watershed. All ages are welcome!
Cottonwood Tree Planting
River Fork Ranch-
Carson Valley IBA
Postponed until Fall 2009
Within two weeks of each event, I
will be distributing more information
(i.e., times, meeting locations,
supplies, etc.) and posting to the www.
nevadaaudubon.org/iba webpage or
via the new Volunteer Listserv websitehttp://groups.google.com/group/nv-iba
volunteers. If you have any interest in
volunteering at the events or would like
more information, please feel free to
contact Robin Powell at 775-247-2798
Happy Volunteering!
Announcing the New
Nevada Important Bird Areas
Volunteer Listserv!!
Would you like to participate in various conservation-
oriented type of projects within Nevadas ImportantBird 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 notifcations via email.
Only volunteer related information will be emailed. All incoming email from
outside sources will be fltered to prevent spamming.
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8 The Pelican
OF NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT
We and the environment are one.
Robert E. Boone, founder of the
Anacostia Watershed Society
Reports on the State of Bird
Life: The 2009 State of the Birdsreport has been published under the
sponsorship of National Audubon,
the American Bird Conservancy,
and the Nature Conservancy, among
others. Overview information, a
video, a full download of the report,
and other items are accessible at the
website http://www.stateofthebirds.
org/. As you are well aware, birds
reect the overall health of our
environment. In addition, NationalAudubon reports, in an analysis of
40 years of Christmas Bird Count
data, that nearly 60 percent of the
305 species found in North America
in winter have shifted their ranges
northward by an average of 35
miles. More details can be found at
http://www.audubon.org/bird/bacc/
index.html,Birds and
Climate Change.
LAS at the Legislature:
Conservation Chair, Ali Chaney,
reported in the November/December
issue ofThe Pelican about our
anticipated activity at the 2009
session of the Nevada Legislature
(see the newsletter section of our
website). Ali testied on behalf
of LAS at the Senate Natural
Resources Committee hearing
on Senate Bill 108, requiring theplacement of solid markers on
lode mining claims in order to
reduce bird mortality arising from
hollow or uncapped markers. After
garnering the support of the Nevada
Mining Association, LAS was able
to bring this issue to the Legislative
Committee on Public Lands, where
Alis work and Bob Goodmans
testimony helped bring this issue
forward in amended S.B. 108,
which passed out of committee.
We are optimistic on passage at the
time of this writing. ConservationPriorities for a Sustainable
Nevada, a cooperative coalition of
conservation organizations, which
Ali also described in that earlier
issue ofThe Pelican, has proved
an effective, balanced approach to
legislation of conservation concern.
In conjunction with a luncheon
sponsored by Conservation
Priorities, as LAS President, I was
introduced in a Senate oor sessionby Senator David Parks, Chair of
the Natural Resources Committee.
LAS attended and offered support to
the Nevada Department of Wildlife
and Friends of Nevada Wildlifes
Conserve Wildlife breakfast, hosting
legislators and highlighting the
economic benets of hunting,
shing, and wildlife viewing to the
State of Nevada.
General Meeting Record-
Breaker: Our March 24th Bird
I.D. program broke attendance
records with at least 85 people
in an upbeat session of bird I.D.
analyzing, as well as kibitzing and
joking.
Behind the Scenes: We never
have enough opportunity to
describe and acknowledge someof our LAS volunteers who labor
for our organization largely
behind the scenes. One of those
is Kathy Oakes, our Membership
Chair. In addition to her ongoing
management of membership
processing, maintaining the rosters
of National Audubon records as well
as local records, Kathy has worked
throughout most of the year in
dealing with a number of challenges
that arose in Nationals change of
independent-contractor membership
processing. Jane Burnham, ourTreasurer, has diligently learned
the details of that ofce, analyzed
ways to organize data as it relates
to our operation, while doing all the
day-to-day work of issuing checks,
preparing nancial statements, and
on and on. Oh, by the way, she also
manages LAS Sales inventory and
orders for our publications. For
both of these positions, which are
vital to holding us together, we haveonly scratched the surface of their
volunteer activities on behalf of
our organization. They deserve our
considerable thanks.
Karen L. Kish
Donors
American White Pelican
$100 - $499
Jim and Sandy Lane/Incline
Veterinary Hospital
American Avocet $50 - $99
Bob and Janet Butler
Catherine Carlson
Mountain Bluebird $20 - 49
Deborah Fleischer and Thomas
Currence
Mary Anne Gibson
Sally Morgan
Larry and Phyllis Schmidt
Wendy Young
Ruby Crowned Kinglet $10 - $19
Shirley and Richard Duerr
George and Judy Johnson
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The Pelican 9
CarpoolingIf you are interested in carpooling to LAS
General Meetings, please contact BoardTrustee Linda Badzioch at 775-851-8353
or [email protected], who will share
your information with others in your area
who have expressed interest in carpooling.
Please provide (a) your name(s), (b) telephone
and e-mail (if you have it) contacts, (c) area
where you live, and (d) your choice of riding,
driving, or either.
Schedule of General Meetings
May 26 Dan Taylor, National Audubon Society Renewable
Energy and Wildlife Protection: How to Promote Both
There are no LAS meetings during the summer months. The next
meeting will be Tuesday, September 22.
THE AVID BIRDERKenn Rohrs 775-849-9530 [email protected]
In this space, Kenn Rohrs will
discuss books and other resources
for the avid birder.
The increasing popularity of
birding has encouraged the writingof an extraordinary number
of books, such as eld guides,
biographies, and general interest
studies of birds and birders. In the
past year, novelists incorporated
birds and birding into the world of
ction.
Book Review
In Hovering
Flightby Joyce
Hennefeld is a
beautiful novel,
one of best works
of ction of 2008.
The title comes
from Roger Tory
Petersons description of the
bobolinks song: in hovering ight
and quivering descent, ecstatic and
bubbling, starting with low, reedy
notes and rollicking upward.
The story takes place the morning
after the death of Addie Kavanagh
in a New Jersey shore cottage.
This is where Addie wanted to
die, surrounded by her family and
friends. Addies interest in birds,
art, and the environment frame
this story. The main characters,
Addie, her husband Tom, her
daughter Scarlet, and her friends
Cora and Lou are interesting,
realistic, complicated, evenannoying people. We get to know
them, to like them, to wonder
about them. The plot is driven by
Addies increasing passion for
environmental issues and ecology,
which makes for a convincing
story. Birds are ever-present, often
as new characters in the story,
especially the Cuviers Kinglet.
The conversations Scarlet (named
for the Scarlet Tanager) has on themorning after her mothers death
with her father, Cora, and Lou are
amazingly well-done. Addies life
was like the Bobolinks song
starting with low, reedy notes and
rollicking upward.
Birders, and nonbirders, will nd
this novel to be a signicant, not
trivial, work of ction. Enjoy! The
book is available at the Washoe
County Library.
For fun, check out this new
website:
http://www.oliviagentile.com/
Birds & Books
LAS Birds & Books is a ock
of readers interested in nature,
especially birds and birding. The
group meets in Reno 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. You are
encouraged to attend a meeting to
see if this group is for you or to
contact Kenn Rohrs at karohrs@
charter.net or 775-849-9530 for
more information. For a complete
schedule and brief description of
the selected books, go to the LAS
website www.nevadaaudubon.
org and check the Birds & Books
section of the Meetings page.
May 19: Soaring
with Fidel: An
Osprey Odyssey
from Cape Cod to
Cuba and Beyond
by David Gessner
Note: There are no LAS Birds &
Books reading group meetings in
June, July, and August.
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10 The Pelican
BIRDS IN TOwNAlan Wallace [email protected]
Photo of a Long-billed Dowitcherprovided by
Steve Ting. For more of Steves images visit
www.stingphotography.com.
Watching the early part of the spring bird migration in northern
Nevada towns is like sitting in a train station and keeping
track of all of the passengers that are arriving, departing, and
continuing on to other destinations. The starting and ending
points for the avian travelers can be near or very distant, but
they give us a glimpse of the hemisphere as they pass through
our station. The Tundra Swans that recently left our area
lakes head for the far-distant, barren tundra of northernmost
Canada and Alaska. The Bufeheads dont go quite as far,
with breeding grounds across the central tier of Canada, where
they might encounter some of the White-winged Crossbills
that have wintered in Elko this year. Hooded Mergansers
and Golden-crowned Sparrows, both of which winter in
northern Nevada, take a somewhat more northwesterly route
to the Pacic Northwest of the U.S., British Columbia, and
southwestern Alaska. Other wintering birds migrate more
locally, such as the American Dippers, Hermit Thrushes, and
Townsends Solitaires that migrate to higher elevations. One
Northern Pintail found near Fallon will
have the longest migration: Chris Nicolai
reported that the bird originally was
banded in Japan.
On the arrival platform are migrants that
began their winged treks from as close
as California to as far as South America.
Some of the earliest arrivals this year
were the American Avocets, Long-billed
Dowitchers, and Cinnamon Teal that
came up from Mexico, Baja California,
and the U.S. southwest, as did the Yellow-
headed Blackbirds that began to noisilypopulate the marshes in late March.
The early Greater Yellowlegs probably
wintered in Mexico, but later arrivals
could be from South America. The
Sandhill Cranes that began to appear in Carson Valley and the
Spring Creek area in March didnt have as far to travel, with
probable starting points along the lower Colorado River and
Sacramento Valley. Overhead, the soaring Turkey Vultures
that arrived in mid-March called Mexico home for the winter.
Some of the smallest new arrivals the Cliff Swallows
embarked on their journeys in South America, and the other
swallows (Northern Rough-winged, Barn, Violet-green, andTree) that arrived as early as March 3 started somewhat closer
in Central America and the southwestern U.S.
Decidedly non-migratory birders throughout northern
Nevada participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count in mid-
February. Combined, they reported 98 species, with results as
varied as the yards. Wild Turkeys foraged near Baker, more
than a hundred Gray-crowned and a few Black Rosy-Finches
descended on feeders in Spring Creek, American Dippers
bobbed and warbled along the Truckee River in Verdi, and a
few Mountain Quail drifted into a west-Reno yard along the
Carson Range. Pine Siskins were more universally present
than in years past, paralleling the continent-wide irruption of
this species.
February and March provided a few highlights and additional
early signs of migration and the breeding season. The earlier-
reported Yellow-billed Loon remained at the Sparks Marina
until it left in late February for its breeding grounds along
the coast of British Columbia. Greater White-fronted,
Rosss, and Snow Geese (the latter two at a small pond in
Battle Mountain) resisted the urge to migrate into late March.
Eurasian Wigeons, at least one of which usually winters in
Reno, possibly doubled their numbers with one each in east
Reno and at Swan Lake north of Reno; nobody, however,
tried to see both in one day to conrm this apparent surge
in numbers. In early March, newly arrived ock ofMountain
Bluebirds passed through Lamoille and near Jean Shermans
home northwest of Reno, and the UNR eld ornithology class
saw a few Western Bluebirds and Red
Crossbills in Verdi. The Rusty Blackbird
and its host ock ofGreat-tailed
Grackles continued in Winnemucca to
the end of March. In Austin, after a dearth
ofCassins Finches this winter, Frank
Whitman reported a sudden increase in
their numbers (back to normal levels) in
March, and the American Robins arrived
on February 2. Hybrid (yellow- and red-
shafted) Northern Flickers are very
uncommon in northern Nevada, yet Myra
Ulvang reported two at her feeders inDayton (the closest pure yellow-shafteds
are in Oregon, so their gene pool likely
drifts south through a few hybrids). In late
March, a male Red-breasted Merganser
stopped at Virginia Lake in Reno, stoking up for the long ight
to the Yukon or Alaska.
Including the 98 species seen on the Great Backyard
Bird Count, northern Nevada birders reported 142 species
from northern Nevada towns during February and March.
Contributors to this total included Willis Allen, Wendy
Broadhead, Ali Chaney, Alan de Queiroz, Jon Dunn, Clare
Engeseth, Bob Goodman, Kirk Hardie, Nancy Hoffman, EdKurtz, Martin Meyers, Jim Mitchell, David Nelson, Chris
Nicolai, Kathy Oakes, Gary Peebles, Fred Petersen, Lois &
Mark Ports, Melissa Renfro & John Free, Georgia & Kenn
Rohrs, Greg Scyphers, Dennis Serdehely, Jean Sherman,
Rose Strickland & Dennis Ghiglieri, Jamie Trammel,
Myra Ulvang, Frank Whitman, Desna Young, and me. The
deadline for the next column is May 25. Send reports to 1050
Sumac St., Reno, NV 89509 or [email protected], or
post sightings on the Nevada bird listserv. Good birding!
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The Pelican 11
LAS SALES FORMPrice 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
TOTAL ORDER _____
NAME (please print)_____________________________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________
CITY _________________________ STATE ________ ZIP CODE ____________
PHONE _______________________________________________________________
E-MAIL_______________________________________________________________(in case of a question regarding your order)
Make checks payable to Lahontan Audubon Society and mail with this form to:
Jane Burnham, LAS Sales, 8071 Big River Drive, Reno, NV 89506
LAS MEMBERSHIP/DONATION FORM
Lahontan Audubon Society Membership: All funds remain in the community. Members receive The Pelican
newsletter and may elect to receive e-mail activities notices. Please complete and mail this form with payment.
1. oLAS Renewal o New Membership o Send me a National Audubon application2. oIndividual/Family - $20/year oFull Time Student/Senior (over 62) - $15/year
LAS Donations: Please select level: oRuby-crowned Kinglet - $10 oMountain Bluebird - $20 oAmerican Avocet - $50 oAmerican White Pelican - $100 oGolden Eagle - $500 or moreVolunteering: I am interested in receiving information about volunteering for LAS: o
NAME (please print)_____________________________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________
CITY _________________________ STATE ________ ZIP CODE ____________
PHONE _______________________________________________________________
E-MAIL_______________________________________o
Include on LAS-only e-mail list
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $__________ May/June 2009 issue
Make check payable to Lahontan Audubon Society and mail this form to:
Kathy Oakes, LAS Membership, 4120 Plateau Road, Reno, NV 89519
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THE PELICANLahontan Audubon Society
P.O. Box 2304
Reno, Nevada 89505
LAHONTAN AUDUBON SOCIETY
OFFICERS President Karen Kish [email protected] 841-1180Vice President Alan Gubanich [email protected] 857-0191
Treasurer Jane Burnham [email protected] 677-4178
Recording Secretary Bonnie Wagner [email protected] 829-6311
TRUSTEES Seat #1 to 2011 Dave Straley [email protected] 832-9222Seat #2 to 2011 Gene Hansel [email protected] 354-2150
Seat #3 to 2009 Ali Chaney ali_chaney@hotmtail .com 813-3494
Seat #4 to 2011 Kathy Oakes [email protected] 747-5446
Seat #5 to 2009 Jacque Lowery [email protected] 853-1302
Seat #6 to 2010 Linda Badzioch [email protected] 851-8353
Seat #7 to 2010 Kenn Rohrs [email protected] 849-9530
IBA Director Robin Powell [email protected] 247-2798
COMMITTEE Activity/Program Alan Gubanich [email protected] 857-0191CHAIRS Birding Classes Bob Goodman [email protected] 972-7848
Birds & Books Reading Group Kenn Rohrs [email protected] 849-9530
Communications Karen Kish [email protected] 841-1180Conservation Ali Chaney [email protected] 813-3494
Education Alan Gubanich [email protected] 857-0191
Field Trips Christiane Omer [email protected] 354-2634
Hospitality Linda Badzioch [email protected] 851-8353
LAS Sales Jane Burnham [email protected] 677-4178
Membership Kathy Oakes [email protected] 747-5446
PUBLICATION AND The Pelican Editor Jen Martin [email protected] 742-2582INFORMATION The Pelican Distribution Connie Douglas [email protected] 425-1305
Birds in Town Alan Wallace [email protected] 786-5755
LAS Info Line Jacque Lowery 324-BIRD
Web Master Steve Ting [email protected] 849-3725
If your mailing label is highlighted, please
renew your local LAS membership now.
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U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
RENO, NEVADA
PERMIT NO. 181
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