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10 Oct Pahranagat Valley (Winter Wren) [Greg Scyphers ] 9 Oct Long-eared Owl in Sparks ["Nancy A. Hoffman" ] 9 Oct Whites Creek Trail, Reno ["Allison J. Chaney" ] 9 Oct Ash Meadows BLACKPOLL WARBLER, Etc. [Carl Lundblad ] 8 Oct Re: Christmas Bird Count Leader for Fallon Area [Daniel Rabbers ] 8 Oct Greater white-fronted geese at Lake Mead [Joe Kahl ] 8 Oct Christmas Bird Count Leader for Fallon Area [Karen Kish ] 8 Oct Red-shouldered Hawk, Oxbow (10/8/08) [Fred Petersen ] 7 Oct GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at Sparks M.S. ["Nancy A. Hoffman" ] 7 Oct GWFG at Idelwild [] 7 Oct Re: Cooper's Hawk kill, NW Reno (10/6/08) [Kathy Oakes ] 7 Oct Cooper's Hawk kill, NW Reno (10/6/08) [Fred Petersen ] 5 Oct PROTHONOTARY WARBLER & Black-and-White Warblers in the Desert [Greg Scyphers ] 5 Oct Mogul - West Reno ["John G. Anderson" ] 5 Oct One addition to Nevada State Checklist [Martin Meyers ] 4 Oct North Reno [Bob Goodman ] 4 Oct Re: Ash Meadows American Redstart [Carl Lundblad ] 4 Oct Ash Meadows MAGNOLIA WARBLER [Carl Lundblad ] 4 Oct Burrowing and short-eared owls [David Worley ] 3 Oct Virginia Lake, Reno (10/3/08) [Fred Petersen ] 3 Oct Ash Meadows BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER [Carl Lundblad ] 2 Oct Miller's (10/2/08) [Fred Petersen ] 2 Oct Ash Meadows This Week 10/2/08 [Carl Lundblad ] 2 Oct No Subject [Martin Meyers ] 1 Oct Fw: eBird Report - Wheeler Peak trail , 9/28/08 [Melissa Renfro ] 1 Oct Varied Thrush @ Porter Springs [Greg Scyphers ] 1 Oct Pyramid Lake [Serdehely ] 1 Oct Oasis Valley [Laura Cunningham ] 30 Sep Pyramid Lake delta [Alan de Queiroz ] 29 Sep Varied Thrush at Millers [Don Molde ] 29 Sep Pyramid Lake Water Bird Count [Serdehely ] 28 Sep DICKCISSEL & SABINE'S GULL in Dyer [Greg Scyphers ] 28 Sep Nye/Esmeralda 9/25-9/28: No. Parula, Etc. [Carl Lundblad ] 28 Sep Fw: HENDERSON BIRD VIEWING PRESERVE LOCATED NEAR LAS VEGAS [Je Anne ] 28 Sep Burrowing owl, Turkey Vultures [David Worley ] 27 Sep FW: DICKCISSEL, B-T BLUE, PROTHONOTARY & MAGNOLIA WARBLER on the Desert Loop [Greg Scyphers ] 27 Sep DICKCISSEL, B-T BLUE, PROTHONOTARY & MAGNOLIA WARBLER on the Desert Loop [Greg Scyphers ] 27 Sep Oxbow Park [Kirk Hardie ] 27 Sep Tule Springs --Floyd Lamb City Park, Las Vegas [Rita Schlageter ] 27 Sep Dyer, NV [Rita Schlageter ] 26 Sep DICKCISSEL, PAINTED BUNTING, B-T BLUE WARBLER & CARACARA @ Circle L Ranch [Greg Scyphers ] 26 Sep Spooner Lake yesterday [Harold Peterson ] 26 Sep Oasis Valley [Laura Cunningham ] 26 Sep Spam and the NV bird listserv [Alan Wallace ] 26 Sep Fraud Alert [SAMARENO ] 25 Sep Desert Loop,Esmeralda Co (9/25/08) [Fred Petersen ] 25 Sep Pyramid Lake (trying again) [Martin Meyers ] 25 Sep Pyramid Lake, 9/25/08 [Martin Meyers ] 25 Sep Pahranagat Valley [Serdehely ] 24 Sep Ash Meadows NWR BIrds [Carl Lundblad ] 24 Sep Ethel M Garden, Las Vegas NV September 23, 2008 [Richard Titus ] 24 Sep Least Flycatcher at Porter Springs [Don Molde ] Subject: Pahranagat Valley (Winter Wren) From: Greg Scyphers <scyph AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:10:39 -0700 Yesterday (10-9-08), Jim Holmes and I birded Pahranagat Valley. The birding was a little slow with not much to note. There were some large flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers (with a number of Myrtle types) Orange-crowned Warblers and Townsend's Warblers. In one of these larger flocks at Crystal Springs there was one potentially very good bird that got away before we could positively identify it (possible Philadelphia Vireo?). Here are the limited highlights: Crystal Springs -Townsend's Warblers (at least 2) -Summer Tanager (bright male) -Mountain Chickadee Frenchy Lake, Key Pittman WMA -Dunlin (2) -Red-necked Phalaropes -Marbled Godwit -Sandhill Crane (4) Pahranagat N.W.R. -Townsend's Warblers (at least 2) -WINTER WREN (in the deep woods area at the north end of the upper lake (dry)) -Sandhill Cranes (~65) -Mountain Chickadee -Juniper Titmouse (seen by Jim) Greg ScyphersSubject: Long-eared Owl in Sparks From: "Nancy A. Hoffman" <nhoffman775 AT CHARTER.NET> Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 18:14:21 -0700 I was out canvassing in a residential neighborhood in Sparks for a presidential candidate this afternoon and came across several Scrub Jays mobbing something in a tree. It was a Long-eared Owl. I checked again at 6 and it was still there minus the mob. 525 Sawyer Way, Sparks There are 2 tall trees in the front yard and it was 3/4 of the way up the western most tree. Visible from the street. Nancy HoffmanSubject: Whites Creek Trail, Reno From: "Allison J. Chaney" <achaney AT HERITAGE.NV.GOV> Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 11:44:16 -0700 Greetings. On a beautiful hike yesterday up Whites Creek in southwest Reno, my dad and I enjoyed a number of birds. Northern Flickers were numerous to say the least. Every time we looked up there were flickers. Also, a number of Clark's Nutcrackers were busy seeking out seeds amongst the pine cones. The usual, chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Hairy Woodpecker, an occasional Yellow-rumped Warbler and of course Steller's Jays. The highlight bird of the hike was a Varied Thrush! The aspen at the head of Whites Creek are blazing yellow right now. Absolutely beautiful! Cheers, Ali Chaney PS: A few of the board members of LAS will be participating in The Big Sit at Stillwater Point Reservoir on the observation platform this Sunday, October 12th between 9am-5pm. Come out and join us if you'd like, or just stop by to say hello!Subject: Ash Meadows BLACKPOLL WARBLER, Etc. From: Carl Lundblad <carl.lundblad AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 11:23:46 -0700 This morning I found a fall-plumaed BALCKPOLL WARBLER at Bradford Spring on Ash Meadows NWR. Photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/Carl.Lundblad/AshMeadowsBlackpollWarbler# Bradford Spring is along the main refuge (Spring Meadows) road, south of Crystal Reservoir and the turnoff to Devil's Hole, immediately west of the turnoff to Point of Rocks. Look for the small log cabin, the bird was foraging in the willows and mesquite immediately south of the small parking area. There was a definate surge of late migrant warblers there today with 10+ Orange-crowned and 25+ Yellow-rumps. Also a few kingelts, a Red-naped Sapsucker, and a calling Virginia Rail. Sunday evening a CASPIAN TERN made a stop at Crystal Reservoir. Yestrerday a pair of SNOW GEESE stopped by with a late flock of ibis. Last night I flushed 2 late POORWILLS of Longstreet Road north of headquarters. An Anna's Hummingbird still puts in very ocassional visits to my headquarters feeder. Good Birding Carl Lundblad Amargosa Valley, NVSubject: Re: Christmas Bird Count Leader for Fallon Area From: Daniel Rabbers <dcrabbs52 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 17:04:02 -0700 Actually...that phone number is not correct... But email is a better way to get a hold of me, and this email (DCRabbs52 AT yahoo.com) is the best way to get a hold of me. And as my other emails here have said, I'll be gone (most likely), so I won't really be able to help that day at all, just helping get things moving ahead of time, so whomever takes over is as prepared as I can help them be! Dan Rabbers --- On Wed, 10/8/08, Karen KishSubject: Greater white-fronted geese at Lake Mead From: Joe Kahl <jkahl AT LC.USBR.GOV> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 13:45:11 -0700 While looking for black rails at the Overton Beach launch ramp on Lake Mead, I saw 4 greater white-fronted geese. The geese were in shallow water adjacent to marshland upstream of the launch ramp. No black rails were found. Joe Barnes had heard 6 calling last week ( I think Thursday). Virginia rails and soras were plentiful and there were also 4 American white pelicans Joe Kahl LC-8223 Biological Science Tech Wildlife Group LC River MSCP Office Lower Colorado Regional Office U.S. Bureau of Reclamation P.O. Box 61470 Boulder City, NV 89006-1470 (702) 293-8568, (702) 293-8384fax jkahl AT lc.usbr.govSubject: Christmas Bird Count Leader for Fallon Area From: Karen Kish <klkish AT PYRAMID.NET> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 13:32:55 -0700 Hello, birders. A new leader is needed for the Fallon area Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Dan Rabbers is available to train the new leader, help compile data, and otherwise assist in transition. The Audubon CBC depends on a constant flow of bird observation data from one year to the next. We need to support the continuity of the Fallon area count. Please contact Dan Rabbers at 775-423-4980 or dan_rabbers AT fws.gov for further detail or to volunteer. Karen L. Kish, Communications Chair Lahontan Audubon SocietySubject: Red-shouldered Hawk, Oxbow (10/8/08) From: Fred Petersen <fugle AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 15:30:59 -0400 Oxbow Nature Reserve, Reno, Washoe Co (10/8/08) There was a Red-shouldered Hawk at Oxbow this morning, the FOS. I first heard it calling and then spotted it at the top of a tall tree. It's a juvenile (bird of the year) so cannot be the same individual which frequented Oxbow and environs last winter. Other birds Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1 Lincoln's Sparrow--1 Golden-crowned Sparrow--1 After finishing at Oxbow, I drove over to Idlewild to see if the White-fronted geese reported yesterday were still around. They weren't, but then there weren't many Canadas either, so the White-fronts could still be in town somewhere. Ditto for the Idlewild Cackling Goose which I last saw on Sept 13th. Fred PetersenSubject: GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at Sparks M.S. From: "Nancy A. Hoffman" <nhoffman775 AT CHARTER.NET> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 20:55:07 -0700 I was driving by Agnes Risley E.S. on the way to Sparks M. S. (10:30 a.m.) and could not stop to get a definitive look, but there were 6 geese that were clearly not Canadas and appeared to be Greater White- fronted Geese. There were not any Canada Geese in the vicinity. They were on the lawn near the fence along Byrd between Sullivan and 18th in Sparks. Nancy H. Sparks, NVSubject: GWFG at Idelwild From: chartman AT UNR.NEVADA.EDU Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 17:38:40 -0700 I was walking the dog in Idlewild Park this afternoon and spotted 2 adult GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE mixed in with the army of Canada Geese. They were near the smaller pond (the one without the fountain). -Alex Reno, NVSubject: Re: Cooper's Hawk kill, NW Reno (10/6/08) From: Kathy Oakes <oakesy AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 12:02:15 -0700 I live in west Reno in the Caughlin Ranch area. I'm convinced that the Coopers know all about using windows to kill birds. We have one that chases birds into our windows, pulls up before it hits and then perches in a nearby tree to check if the bird is dead or disabled and then swoops down and retrieves it. Just two days ago the Cooper's hawk ran a pigeon into our front storm door. When I went out to check the impact a few minutes later, the pigeon was hiding behind a broom in corner by the door, with the hawk watching from a tree on the opposite side of the driveway. I could swear that the pigeon peaked out from behind the broom and put its wing to its beak and said shhh. When I flushed the pigeon, the hawk didn't chase it, but stayed put in the tree and gave me a dirty look. Kathy Oakes --- On Tue, 10/7/08, Fred PetersenSubject: Cooper's Hawk kill, NW Reno (10/6/08) From: Fred Petersen <fugle AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 00:24:10 -0400 Northwest Reno, Washoe Co (Oct 6th, 2008) There was a spectacular bird-of-prey kill in my backyard today. I was sitting at lunch watching a couple of flickers probing the bark at the base of a dead cherry tree, when there was a blur of motion followed by a loud thump as a largish bird closely pursued by a accipitrine hawk hit the kitchen window, leaving a grapefruit-sized smudge on the glass and a scatter of downy breast feathers on the ground below. I didn't see the actual impact, but judging from the speed with which things happened, the hawk must have caught its prey on the bounce, immediately flying off with it to an elm along the S fence. It stayed here for a short while, moved to another tree for a few seconds, and then left the yard all together. The hawk was an adult, probably a male Cooper's--though I didn't see it as well as I would have liked; the prey judging from its size and the feathers below the window was probably a California Quail. Fred PetersenSubject: PROTHONOTARY WARBLER & Black-and-White Warblers in the Desert From: Greg Scyphers <scyph AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 20:09:01 -0700 The following are the limited highlights I had from Saturday and Sunday. Satruday(10-4-08) Cemetery, Tonopah -Western Kingbird (Late) Hartmann Farm (next to Arlemont Ranch) Dyer -Black-bellied Plover - I was excited when I saw this bird in the field with about 40 Killdeer. I was sure it was a Golden-Plover until I got my scope out. Oh well. Pond, Dyer -Black-and-White Warbler - female Sunday (10-5-08) Corn Creek -Red-shouldered Hawk -Gray Flycatcher Ash Springs (Pahranagat Valley) (Lincoln County) -PROTHONOTARY WARBLER - I know, I know, another one. My fourth this fall. At least it is new for me for the county. I found this bird along the HWY in town where the small pond (spring) can be seen through the fence on the East side of the HWY. The bird responded to pishing and posed for a few photos. -Black-and-White Warbler - female. I found this bird across the highway (West side) on a little trail that goes down into some spectacular habitat. The trail starts where the water from the spring appears from under the highway (opposite the pond area). This area seems to be open with no fences or signs. Also, there are some trails in the area. Eventually you get to some fences for private property. The habitat was great and definitely worth checking. -Summer Tanager - bright male seen on same trail -Townsend's Warbler Key Pittman -Baird's Sandpipers (4) Pahranagat NWR -Hammond's Flycatcher Otherwise a rather slow day for migrants. Greg ScyphersSubject: Mogul - West Reno From: "John G. Anderson" <jgax1 AT NETSCAPE.NET> Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 13:44:42 -0400 It has been a while since I have had time to send an update.? Here are some highlights. 1. The Golden Crowned Sparrows had returned to our yard by Sept 20.? 2. On Sept 21, there was a mixed flock of Vaux's Swift and swallows above the Truckee River in Mogul.? At least 10 swifts. 3. At least 2 Anna's Hummingbirds are still coming to our feeder today. 4. Today our yard had a Western Tanager besides the usual birds. 5. Today I spotted a Greater White-Fronted Goose in the pond behind the community center in the Somerset Development. John G. Anderson Reno, NevadaSubject: One addition to Nevada State Checklist From: Martin Meyers <nbrc AT GBBO.ORG> Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 00:18:37 -0500 The NBRC completed reviews on a set of records this evening, and within that packet was the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull that spent one short afternoon at Virginia Lake in Reno this past January. This first state record was accepted unanimously by the committee, so Lesser Black-backed Gull gets added to the state checklist. (I haven't had time to actually make the change to the checklist yet -- I probably will have it up on the web by tomorrow evening. The checklist total goes to 478 with this addition.) There are still two pending first-state records awaiting consideration by the committee, Crested Caracara and Baird's Sparrow. As of about ten minutes ago, I updated our website's list of all submitted records, which includes the disposition of all the records for which the review process has been completed. (And photos where available!) As always, I'll be sending out notifications in the next day or so to all of you who submitted records reviewed in this just-completed cycle. Thanks to all of you who have been submitting your rare bird sightings to the committee. The cooperation of the Nevada birding community has been great these past two years. Please keep it up. Martin -- Martin Meyers, Secretary Nevada Bird Records Committee (NBRC) email: nbrc AT gbbo.org website: www.gbbo.org/nbrcSubject: North Reno From: Bob Goodman <Pandion36 AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 22:42:24 EDT Saturday, October 4, 2008 Golden Valley, North Reno Returning from a birding trip to Swan Lake this morning, I discovered two Eurasian-collared Doves ground feeding on spilled sunflower seeds in my yard alongside the House Finches and House Sparrows. This is the first I've seen of these in this neighborhood in the nearly 34 years I've been here. They returned in the later afternoon for a short feeding period. Cheers, Bob Goodman **************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out! (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001)Subject: Re: Ash Meadows American Redstart From: Carl Lundblad <carl.lundblad AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 19:13:10 -0700 Late this evening I returned to Peterson Reservoir (Ash Meadows NWR) where I easily refound the American Redstart found earlier by Rita. This was another new refuge bird for me and one that is conspicuously absent from the soon-to-be-revised refuge checklist. I did not see the magnolia, but the black-throated gray was back in the same area. Increased scrutiny of the barn swallow flocks turned up at least 2 banks and some nrws for a total of 5 swallow species. I spent a little time in Amargosa Valley which turned up a pair of late Western Kingbirds and a Great Egret in a flooded field. A quick loop around Ponderosa Dairy with Greg Scyphers produced a handful of shorebirds including a few Baird's as well as a pair of Burrowing Owls. Carl Lundblad On Sat, Oct 4, 2008 at 2:19 PM, Carl LundbladSubject: Ash Meadows MAGNOLIA WARBLER From: Carl Lundblad <carl.lundblad AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 14:19:00 -0700 This morning I birded Ash Meadows NWR with Carolyn Titus, Rita Schlageter, and Marci Dvorak. Things were slow until we got to Peterson Resrvoir where a small flock of warblers feeding near the parking lot and along the south side of the reservoir included a fall-plumaged MAGNOLIA WARBLER, a Black-throated Gray Warbler, several Orange-crowned Warblers, a few other common migrants, and a female-type AMERICAN REDSTART which was seen by Rita only. Other birds at Peterson included a vocal Virginia Rail, a Belted Kingfisher, and tree, violet-green, and barn swallows. An American Bittern was near Horseshoe Reservoir. Good Birding Carl Lundblad Amargosa Valley, NVSubject: Burrowing and short-eared owls From: David Worley <daveworl AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 08:21:21 -0400 The burrowing owl I found north of Antelope Creek (north of Battle Mountain, Nevada) was still present on October 2, as was a short-eared owl that flushed from dense big sagebrush beside the creek. I found extensive whitewash and feathers near the spot from which the short-eared flushed, suggesting the spot was regularly used by the owl. Also seen in the area was the odd couple of a raven and a red-tailed hawk perched feet apart on the crossarm of a two pole transmission line structure. Dave Worley, Reno, NevadaSubject: Virginia Lake, Reno (10/3/08) From: Fred Petersen <fugle AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 18:33:44 -0400 Virginia Lake, Reno, Washoe Co (10/3/08) I walked around VL this morning hoping for an unusual gull or two, but no luck. Here's some of what I did find. Hooded Merganser--1 female/immature male Eared Grebe--7 Western Grebe--1 American White Pelican--3 roosting on island. The merganser's been at the lake since early August, the 3 pelicans for the last week or so. The most interesting animals at VL this morning, however, weren't wild birds but the diverse collection of domestic ducks (all Mallard derivatives) at the northern end of the lake. Some of these have been around for a while, but the majority must have been dumped fairly recently, presumably by a breeder who decided to get out of the business or had excess stock to dispose of. I counted 17 altogether of a variety of types: Crested Ducks (with or without crests), all-white Pekins, Cayugas (black or dark gray), bibbed ducks in various sizes and patterns, and (most bizarre) a single Indian Runner Duck. Photos (Crested & Indian Runner ducks): http://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/2909949351/in/set-72157607703835448/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/2909947407/in/set-72157607703835448/ Fred PetersenSubject: Ash Meadows BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER From: Carl Lundblad <carl.lundblad AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 12:19:08 -0700 This morning I found and photographed a male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER at Point of Rocks on Ash Meadows NWR. The bird was feeding in the large Gooding's Willows due southwest from the parking area. Twice I saw it chased off agressively by a Red-naped Sapsucker from whose wells it was perhaps drinking sap. Point of Rocks was otherwise fairly quiet. At Bradford Spring was a Cassin's Vireo. Walking along the outflow channel south I flushed my LONG overdue refuge first GREEN HERON. An Anna's Hummingbird was at my headquarters feeder this morning. Carl Lundblad Amargosa Valley, NVSubject: Miller's (10/2/08) From: Fred Petersen <fugle AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 23:35:54 -0400 Miller's Rest Stop, Esmeralda Co (10/2/08) It was a slow morning at Miller's, the highlights being a Western Kingbird and the (continuing) Northern Waterthrush. The kingbird was a surprise as I've never seen one this late in Nevada before. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7117259 AT N05/ (various photos, including the waterthrush just referred to and a Barn Owl entangled in a barbed-wire fence near Dyer last week. Fred PetersenSubject: Ash Meadows This Week 10/2/08 From: Carl Lundblad <carl.lundblad AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 13:01:15 -0700 Migration continue to taper on Ash Meadows this week. A few notable
sightings include:
Greater White-fronted Goose: 5 at Crystal Resrvoir on 9/29.
Least Bittern: 1 still vocal ("kek-kek-kek" call) at Horseshoe Reservoir on
9/29.
Sora: 1 at Lower Crystal Marsh on 9/29.
Vermilion Flycatcher: Pair still present.
Cassin's Vireo: 2 were at Bradford Spring on 10/1.
W. Scrub-jay: Various Locations.
Other migrants include still a small but steady trickle of Black Phoebes,
Warbling Vireos, and Orange-crowned Warblers. Shorebirds are getting scarce
at Crystal Reservoir with a large group of Greater Yellowlegs currently, a
few spotted sandpipers, an avocet, Etc.
Carl Lundblad
Amargosa Valley, NV
Subject: No SubjectFrom: Martin Meyers <martin AT SIERRABIRDBUM.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 11:06:45 -0700 This is a forward of a message I just received from Scott Barnes. (Scott, along with Linda Mack, were the original finders of the Little Gull at Key Pittman last November.) Hopefully it will provide a bit more incentive to go bird the northeast part of the state. Martin --------------- Martin Meyers email: Martin (...AT...) SierraBirdbum.com Photo website: http://SierraBirdbum.com Truckee, CA > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Reservoir Birding in Northeast Nevada > From: Scott Barnes > > Hi Martin and Greg, >  > Finally at a hotel with working internet access! Wanted to share with you some results of our birding in NE Nevada. Most importantly, Linda and I had an interesting crane (probably a hybrid, but with no field experience with Common Crane, who knows for sure?) at the fields at Halleck--the spot described in Paul's June message. When I can upload photos of the bird I'll send them to you all. >  > We had very quick looks at the snowcocks up in Lamoille Canyon yesterday. Otherwise not much of note there. >  > South Fork Reservoir 29-30 September was chock full of waterbirds: >  > Gadwall-600 > Am. Wigeon- 2000 > Mallard- 2000 > Blue-winged Teal- 20 > Cinammon Teal-20 > No. Shoveler- 4000 > No. Pintail- 100 > Green-winged Teal- 100 > Canvasback- 40 > Redhead- 430 > Ring-necked Duck- 320 > Lesser Scaup- 50 > Bufflehead- 5 > Ruddy Duck- 3500 > Common Loon-1 > Pied-billed Grebe- 18 > Eared Grebe- 850 > Western Grebe- 50 > Clark's Grebe- 8 > Am. White Pelican- 30 > Great Egret- 3 > Osprey- 2 > Prairie Falcon- 2 > Am. Coot- 10,000 >  > Shorebirds were: > Spotted Sandpiper > Greater Yellowlegs > Lesser Yellowlegs- 4 > Semipalmated Sandpiper- 1 > Western Sandpiper- 4 > Least Sandpiper- 1 > Pectoral Sandpiper- 2 > Long-billed Dowitcher- 65 > Wilson's Snipe > Red-necked Phalarope- 40 >  > Gulls: > Bonaparte's Gull- 3 > Ring-billed Gull- 30 > California Gull- 10 > SABINE'S GULL- 1 juvenile present 9/28-29 near dam. >  > Today (1 Oct) we headed north from Elko and birded Wild Horse Reservoir--what a cool spot! The upper end of the reservoir had extensive mudflats and the whole body of water was covered with waterfowl, pelicans, and grebes. Too bad this spot is so far from anywhere, as it seems like a locale worthy of more frequent visitation by birders. >  > Highlights: >  > Gadwall- 780 > Am. Wigeon- 600 > No. Shoveler- 890 > Canvasback- 14 > Redhead- 60 > Ring-necked Duck- 42 > Lesser Scaup- 20 > Bufflehead- 236 > Hooded Merganser- 1 fem. > Common Merganser- 129 > Ruddy Duck- 5050 > Common Loon- 3 > EARED GREBE- 2820 > Western Grebe- 65 > Clark's Grebe- 7 > Aechmorphus grebe sp- 38 > Am. White Pelican- 256 > Bald Eagle- adult > Merlin- female > Killdeer- 106 > American Avocet- 9 > Greater Yellowlegs- 4 > Lesser Yellowlegs- 13 > SANDERLING- 1 > Least Sandpiper- 13 > Baird's Sandpiper > California Gull- 29 > SABINE'S GULL- juvenile >  > A great couple of day's birding! Please feel free to forward to the NV listserve if appropriate. Any questions, please let me know. >  > Thanks again for all your help. >  > Good Birding, > > Scott Barnes > Sandy Hook, NJ >  >  >  > ÂSubject: Fw: eBird Report - Wheeler Peak trail , 9/28/08 From: Melissa Renfro <melsyurt AT WIRELESSBEEHIVE.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2008 18:50:18 -0700 Subject: Fw: eBird Report - Wheeler Peak trail , 9/28/08 > Location: Wheeler Peak trail (from trailhead to Wheeler Peak) (10,000 > feet to 13,063) > Observation date: 9/28/08 > Observers: John B. Free and Jeff Woodruff* > Time: 9:30 AM to 2:20 PM (summit) > Weather: 50 deg to 60 deg, wind 0 to 4, Cloudy with storm building up. Birds of note; Black Rosy-finch: Observed a flock of at least 30 flying close to ground off summit, flock swirled around within a few feet of us, got a good look at several males. Common Raven: Raven were flocking, 'playing' and flying around the peak summit. Cooper's Hawk: At least 3 seen swooping in from the North and gliding into the cirque. Northern Goshawk: Good a good look as it circled the summit. Prairie Falcon: Swooped in fast toward the peak. Hawk Migration route includes the North South ridges of the Snake Range. >> Number of species: 9 > >> Cooper's Hawk 3 >> Northern Goshawk 1 >> Prairie Falcon 1 >> Red-naped Sapsucker 1 >> Clark's Nutcracker 12 >> Common Raven 15 >> Mountain Chickadee 2 >> Dark-eyed Junco 5 >> Black Rosy-Finch 30Subject: Varied Thrush @ Porter Springs From: Greg Scyphers <scyph AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2008 18:43:49 -0700 Today I had the following birds at Porter Springs (Pershing County). The springs looked great today. The small pond under the trees had flowing water and the grass and trees were green and healthy. This was a change for me after last years experience up here. VARIED THRUSH - male Red-breasted Nuthatches (many) Yellow-rumped Warblers (Audubon's & Myrtle) Wilson's Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Am. Pipit American and Lesser Goldfinches Sharp-shinned Hawk (feeding on some sort of Pigeon) Red-tailed Hawks Starling Red-winged Blackbirds Brewer's Blackbird Horned Larks Ruby-crowned Kinglet Savannah, Song & White-crowned Sparrows No. Flickers and possibly a few I forgot. Greg ScyphersSubject: Pyramid Lake From: Serdehely <birders AT CLEARWIRE.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2008 16:43:01 -0700 I decided to bird Pyramid Lake again today, mainly to see what was at "the Willows", since I didn't get a chance to bird there after the water bird count on Monday. There were no land bird migrants there, only a Bewick's Wren, some starlings, and a couple of Mourning Doves. There were hundreds of Western/Clark's grebes and thousands of coots off shore however. I birded down the west shore stopping at Warrior Point. The first year Glaucous-winged Gull that was seen from the boat on Monday was still there. Also present was an adult Herring Gull (missing from Monday's count) and some California and Ring-billed Gulls. At the rawhide Lookout there were 8 Common Loons among the Western and Eared Grebes. I also stopped at the delta but the Pectoral Sandpipers and White-fronted Geese were gone. There were still Western and Least Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalaropes and Killdeer present. My last stop before heading home was at the Numana Wetlands north of Wadsworth. Like the Willows, there were few land birds present, only a hand full of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Dennis Serdehely Fernley, NVSubject: Oasis Valley From: Laura Cunningham <bluerockiguana AT HUGHES.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2008 18:42:30 -0400 October 1 --Birding has been rather quiet here lately, but this morning we had a GRAY CATBIRD hit our window, and unfortunately it didn't make it. I will post photos when I get my website running. Parker Ranch, Oasis Valley, north of Beatty on Hwy 95, Nye County, NV. --Laura CunninghamSubject: Pyramid Lake delta From: Alan de Queiroz <alandqz AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:38:34 -0700 This morning (Sept 30) I took a quick trip up to Pyramid Lake, mostly birding the delta area with a quick stop at Sutcliffe. At the delta there were five Pectoral Sandpipers (maybe the same ones Dennis Serdehely saw yesterday), Least and Western Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalaropes, two American Pipits, and an unusually large flock (for Nevada) of Greater White-fronted Geese, at least 60 of them and probably more like 70 or 80. Thousands of other birds too. At Sutcliffe there were three Common Loons, all in transition between breeding and winter plumage. Alan de Queiroz RenoSubject: Varied Thrush at Millers From: Don Molde <skyshrink AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:26:22 -0400 Hi birders....There was a male Varied Thrush at Millers yesterday afternoon, late, along with the N. Waterthrush. The Varied Thrush was not present this morning. Birding today along the Desert Loop, was variable, with a few warblers other than Yellow-rumped: Orange-crowned, Townsend, Yellow-breasted Chat. Other birds of interest: Peregrine Falcon eating lunch at Circle L, Red-shouldered hawk along the road in north Fish Lake Valley. Also several Red-naped Sapsuckers along the way. Saw two Belted Kingfishers....well away from any fishable waters.Subject: Pyramid Lake Water Bird Count From: Serdehely <birders AT CLEARWIRE.NET> Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:28:20 -0700 Today I spent a beautiful day at Pyramid Lake participating in GBBO's annual fall water bird count. Highlights included 2 Sabine's gull at the north end of the lake, a first year Glaucous-winged Gull at Warrior Point, and 4 Pectoral Sandpipers at the river delta. The lake also had dozens of Common Loons, tens of thousands of coots and thousands of Western and Clark's Grebes. Other species included Eared Grebes, Red-necked Phalaropes, Ring-billed and California Gulls, Western and Least Sandpipers and several species of ducks. Conspicuously absent were any terns or jaegers. Dennis Serdehely Fernley, NVSubject: DICKCISSEL & SABINE'S GULL in Dyer From: Greg Scyphers <scyph AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:13:36 -0700 Hello All, Rose Strickland, Dennis Ghiglieri and I started the day in Tonopah. The only bird of note was at Miller's Rest Stop, a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. We then went on to Dyer and met up with Carolyn and Dick Titus at Circle L Ranch. They had already relocated the female DICKCISSEL. I first reported that the Dickcissel was probably a male, but when I compared photos I took on Saturday with some book and online references it appears the bird is an adult female. We were unable to locate any of the other rarities previously seen at Circle L Ranch. I had an interesting bird that may have been a Swamp Sparrow in the water area under the trees in front of the ranch house, but I never got good enough looks to be sure. The other good bird of the day was a juvenile SABINE'S GULL at the Dyer Pond. Dennis first spotted the bird sitting on the water in the small front pool area where the stream enters the pond. It hung around for good photos then flew to the middle of the pond. A little later it flew off into the desert (unprompted) and did not return during the hour we were around the area. Sabine's Gull is a very good bird for Esmeralda County, in fact it probable has never been recorded in this county. Other birds of interest at the various stops: McDonald's, Tonopah -Chukar (resident birds seen almost every weekend) Arlemont Ranch, Dyer -Ferruginous Hawks (6 birds in one field) -Western Grebe -Wood Duck (m) -Belted Kingfisher Circle L Ranch, Dyer -Townsend's Warbler Pond, Dyer -Greater Yellowlegs (2) -Canvasback (unexpected) -Wood Duck (f) Walker Lake -Common Loons (at least 10 birds) Greg ScyphersSubject: Nye/Esmeralda 9/25-9/28: No. Parula, Etc. From: Carl Lundblad <carl.lundblad AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:41:38 -0700 I spent a long weekend in Esmeralda and central Nye counties with good results. Most of the best birds here have already been posted, but some have not. Here's a quick summary of the entire weelend: *9/25* Chukar (~25) Devils's Hole, Ash Meadows NWR Pectoral Sandpiper (2-3) Ponderosa Dairy, Amargosa Valley *9/26* *TONOPAH CEMETERY* Lewis's Woodpecker 2 WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER female WINTER WREN-my NV first *MILLER'S REST* Belted Kingfisher American Redstart-young male *CIRCLE L RANCH* CRESTED CARACARA BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER male (Thanks, Rita) PAINTED BUNTING DICKCISSEL *ARLEMONT RANCH* Osprey Wilson's Snipe 2 Fox Sparrow *9/27* *CIRCLE L RANCH* BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER PROTHONOTARY (Thanks, Greg. Again....) DICKCISSEL *LIDA* MAGNOLIA WARBLER (Thanks, Greg) *9/28* I camped Saturday night in Peavine Canyon (Toiyabe Mtns) and birded the campground area in the morning. Birds were numerous and the highlight was a female NORTHERN PARULA. A complete list is provided below to give a sense of the potential this site has for migrants and other birds: N Flicker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 my Nye first HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER 1 Warbling Vireo 7 Pinyon Jay 16 Western Scrub-Jay 8 Mt. Chickadee 10 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Rock Wren Orange-crowned Warbler 6 Townsend's Warbler 4 Black-throated Gray Warbler 2 NORTHERN PARULA 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler 60+ MacGillivray's Warbler 1 Spotted Towhee 5 White-crowned Sparrow 40+ Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Lesser Goldfinch 4 Stops at the town of Belmont and the Tonopah Sportsman's Park produced a few common migrants each (orange-crowned, yellow, yellow-rumped warblers, warbling vireos). A Lewis's Woodpecker was in Manhattan. Torrance Ranch was pretty quiet but produced my second HAMMOND'S (and 2nd empid) FLYCATCHER of the day. Happy Birding Carl Lundblad Amargosa Valley, NVSubject: Fw: HENDERSON BIRD VIEWING PRESERVE LOCATED NEAR LAS VEGAS From: Je Anne <gann2 AT COX.NET> Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:00:50 -0700 The following birds were seen or heard by the staff and visitors from September 22, 2008 thru September 28, 2008. We had Eighty-eight (88) species recorded this week. With the cool mornings birding is great!!!!!! Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard Cinnamon Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Ring-necked Duck (# increasing) Ruddy Duck Gambel's Quail Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Eared Grebe Western Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Least Bittern (heard) Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron White-faced Ibis Turkey Vulture Osprey Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk (im) American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Sora (heard) Common Moorhen American Coot Killdeer American Avocet Greater Yellowlegs Spotted Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Long-billed Dowitcher Red-necked Phalarope Sabine's Gull Forster's Tern Black Tern Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Greater Roadrunner Black-chinned Hummingbird Anna's Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Western Wood-Pewee Black Phoebe Say's Phoebe Willow Flycatcher (#259 specie seen at the Preserve) Western Kingbird NORTHERN SHRIKE (9/22 juvenile seen near pond 10 by Je Anne, last seen 9/23&10/8/2006 Loggerhead Shrike Warbling Vireo Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Verdin RED-BRESTED NUTHATCH (9/24 seen by Jim & Jim, #260 specie seen at the Preserve) Marsh Wren Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Crissal Thrasher Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow Warbler Audubon's Warbler Common Yellowthroat (female seen 9/25) NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (9/22 at vc seen by Je Anne, last seen 9/15/2000) Wilson's Warbler Yellow-brested Chat Abert's Towhee Brewer's Sparrow VESPER SPARROW (9/25 by Je Anne being chased by a Im. Black Phoebe, last seen 9/27/2007) Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark Yellow-headed Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle House Finch Don't forget your hat, water and sunscreen, it's still warm so come early. OPEN 6:00 AM TO 3:00 PM. Last entry is at 2:30 pm. You need about two hours to bird the Preserve Directions from the I515 (US93 & 95), take exit 64, Sunset Road east. Follow the signs (blue signs with white letters) to Moser, turn left (north). Key in #100 at the gate for entrance to the Preserve. For more information call 702-267-4180. BEST IN BIRDING, JE ANNE BRANCASubject: Burrowing owl, Turkey Vultures From: David Worley <daveworl AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:03:01 -0400 Working in north-central and eastern Nevada this week, I flushed a burrowing owl near Antelope Creek north of Battle Mountain on the 24th. Still in the area in later September. Other birds in that area included an adult golden eagle, many white-crowned sparrows in the heavier sage and rabbitbrush along the creeks, western meadowlarks, which were still singing during the morning hours, rock wrens, chukar, a single yellow- rumped (Audubon's) warbler, magpies and ravens, and at least five deer, five antelope and two coyotes. Driving through McGill on the evening of the 25th, at least 20 turkey vultures were circling low over town, apparently coming in to roost. In a slightly dated note, I work on one of the pylons for the Reno Air Races at Stead. This year as usual, we have small groups of barn swallows that pass through the area, generally heading southeast, low over the sagebrush and rabbitbrush. Other birds noted at Stead during the week of September 8 were an adult golden eagle, northern harriers, red-tailed hawks, and horned larks.Subject: FW: DICKCISSEL, B-T BLUE, PROTHONOTARY & MAGNOLIA WARBLER on the Desert Loop From: Greg Scyphers <scyph AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:32:06 -0700 Sorry, I accidentally hit the send button on the message before I was done. Here is the rest: In Lida at the old residence, I found a first fall male MAGNOLIA WARBLER. We were able to get documentation photos of this bird for the NBRC. Another bird of lesser note is the continued presence of a first fall male American Redstart at Miller's Rest Stop near Tonopah. Observers today: Martin Meyers, Carl Lundblad, Dennis Ghiglieri, Rose Strickland, Hugh and Linda Judd and myself. What will tomorrow bring? Greg Scyphers _____ From: Greg Scyphers [mailto:scyph AT sbcglobal.net] Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2008 9:25 PM To: NVBIRDS Subject: DICKCISSEL, B-T BLUE, PROTHONOTARY & MAGNOLIA WARBLER on the Desert Loop The rarities continue on the Desert Loop. Today we relocated the DICKCISSEL at the southeast corner of the north pasture along the entrance road into Circle L Ranch. Also at Circle L, the BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER continued around the main ranch house. We were unable to relocate the Painted Bunting. We also did not see the Caracara, but it is probably still around. I did manage to find another PROTHONOTARY WARBLER in front of the ranch house. As hard as it is to believe, it appears that this Prothonotary is a different individual than the one that was here last week. The bird last week had a large scar or injury on its forehead above its left eye. From the views we got of this bird we could not see this injury. If this is a different bird then there was possibly three Prothonotarys in Dyer in a single week.Subject: DICKCISSEL, B-T BLUE, PROTHONOTARY & MAGNOLIA WARBLER on the Desert Loop From: Greg Scyphers <scyph AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:24:57 -0700 The rarities continue on the Desert Loop. Today we relocated the DICKCISSEL at the southeast corner of the north pasture along the entrance road into Circle L Ranch. Also at Circle L, the BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER continued around the main ranch house. We were unable to relocate the Painted Bunting. We also did not see the Caracara, but it is probably still around. I did manage to find another PROTHONOTARY WARBLER in front of the ranch house. As hard as it is to believe, it appears that this Prothonotary is a different individual than the one that was here last week. The bird last week had a large scar or injury on its forehead above its left eye. From the views we got of this bird we could not see this injury. If this is a different bird then there was possibly three Prothonotarys in Dyer in a single week.Subject: Oxbow Park From: Kirk Hardie <krhardie AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:54:02 -0700 Hello NV Birders, I made my first venture to Oxbow since it burned (a bum knee has limited me until now). It is much more open these days and a volunteer group was out there with NV Dept. of Wildlife removing the invasives that have moved in. Things were relatively quiet on the bird front. Mostly there were a large number of house finches and lesser goldfinches. I did pick a juvenile SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW in part of a more vegetated area. I expected some woodpeckers, but I didn't even see a flicker in there. Here's the whole list: Sharp-shinned Hawk Mourning Dove Belted Kingfisher Western Scrub-Jay Bewick's Wren American Robin Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird House Finch Lesser Goldfinches Kirk Hardie Reno, NVSubject: Tule Springs --Floyd Lamb City Park, Las Vegas From: Rita Schlageter <ritamschlag AT COX.NET> Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 08:38:50 -0700 September 25, 2008 I lead a field trip for our Red Rock Audubon chapter on Thursday at Tule Springs. Even though the park is being groomed within an inch of it's life, we still had a good morning of birding. A group of about 12 hummingbirds produced Costa's (M & F), Anna's (M & F), and Rufous One busy group of 'flitty' birds produced Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, Wilson, Townsend's, Black-throated Gray Warblers, Warbling Vireos, and a Red-Breasted Nuthatch. Sparrows in the park were; Chipping, Lark, Brewers, Lincoln's, Savanah, White-crowned and a Lazuli Bunting. Other birds included; Belted Kingfisher, Red-naped Sapsucker, Red-shafted Flicker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-pewee, Gray and Dusky Flycatcher. A young Red-shouldered Hawk, Amer Kestrel and resident Red-tailed Hawk. In the park is a Greater White-fronted Goose that I have been watching (off and on) throughout the summer that was hatched in the park and is being raised by the park Chinese geese. When some Greater White-fronts went through in the spring could they have laid an egg before going north?? A total of 51 species seen for the morning in the park. Rita SchlageterSubject: Dyer, NV From: Rita Schlageter <ritamschlag AT COX.NET> Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:54:05 -0700 September 26, 2008 JeAnne Branca, Marci Dvorak and I went to Dyer. Lots of bird activity. Birds of Note. CRESTED CARARACA Prairie Falcon American Kestrel Red-tailed Hawk Says Phoebe Black Phoebe BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER Townsend's Warbler Orange-crowned, Wilson and Yellow-rumped Warblers (good numbers of them) Black-headed Grosbeak Sparrows: White-crowned, Lincoln, Brewers and Chipping (good numbers of them) Torrance Ranch at Beatty NV FOX SPARROW - Rocky Mt. Schistacea variety In the town of Beatty was a beautiful adult Red-shouldered Hawk Good birding in Nevada Rita SchlageterSubject: DICKCISSEL, PAINTED BUNTING, B-T BLUE WARBLER & CARACARA @ Circle L Ranch From: Greg Scyphers <scyph AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:44:59 -0700 Hello All, I am posting this message for Carl Lundblad, Martin Meyers and others that do not have internet access tonight. Today, Carl Lundblad found a 1st fall female PAINTED BUNTING and a male DICKCISSEL at Circle L Ranch in Dyer. Martin Meyers was fortunate to make it down in time to see the Painted Bunting and was birding with Carl when he found the Dickcissel. Also, Rita Schlageter, who was with Je Anne Branca, found a male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER at Circle L Ranch earlier in the day. They also relocated the CRESTED CARACARA that has been hanging around the property. A number of birders who could not make it down before dark, including myself, will be trying to relocate these birds in the morning. I hope they hang around. This fall keeps on producing some quality rarities in Nevada and I can't wait to see what's next. Greg ScyphersSubject: Spooner Lake yesterday From: Harold Peterson <peter188 AT UNR.NEVADA.EDU> Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:48:09 -0700 Hello all, this is Harold. Quite a few birders at Spooner Lake yesterday afternoon, so I'm surprised to be the first to post on it (unless I missed one). Nice day to be up there- the trees are starting to change, and the weather was neither cool nor hot. The highlight was a White-headed Woodpecker near the trailhead, and both Osprey and a young Bald Eagle flying over the lake at separate times. The eagle was after some of the numerous coots on the lake, though it didn't catch any (I was rooting for the coots). There were some ducks in the middle of the lake that I couldn't identify for sure, but that appeared to be Ruddy Ducks. Partial list: Osprey (told there was a nest spotted on the west side of the lake) Bald Eagle American Coot Mallard Gadwall Ruddy Duck (?) White-headed Woodpecker Flicker Mountain Chickadee Clark's Nutcracker Stellar's Jay White-crowned Sparrow (lots) Fox Sparrow (one on the north end) Audubon's Warbler unidentified warbler (possibly an Orange-crowned) For birders not in the area (and for those who are), Spooner Lake is on the east side of Lake Tahoe, just northeast of the junction of U.S. 50 and NV 28. Several parking lots in the near vicinity, including at the summit of 50 (Spooner Summit). -Harold Peterson Reno, NVSubject: Oasis Valley From: Laura Cunningham <bluerockiguana AT HUGHES.NET> Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:28:26 -0400 Oasis Valley, 4 miles north of Beatty on Hwy 95, Nye County September 25: BROWN THRASHER- a beautiful red-brown one jumped out of a branch pile at my house, looking at me in a tree. I went back for my camera and stalked it as it ran through rabbitbrush and weeds, but then I lost it. Orange-crowned warbler-2 MacGillivray's warbler-1 Yellow-rumped warbler-6 Warbling vireo-1 House wren-1 Rock wren-1 Bewick's wren-1 Marsh wren-1 singing Loggerhead shrike-1 Cedar waxwing-2 Western scrub jay-1 Dusky flycatcher-1 Black phoebe-1 Say's phoebe-1 Ladder-backed woodpecker-1 Northern flicker (red-shafted)-1 Barn swallow-20 plus Mourning dove-4 Black-headed grosbeak-1 Red-winged blackbird-10 Yellow-headed blackbird-3 Brewer's blackbird-8 Lincoln's sparrow-2 Savannah sparrow-6 White-crowned sparrow-40 or 50 all over now. Brewer's sparrow-3 Song sparrow-1 Lesser goldfinch-7 House finch-10 Western meadowlark-2 Turkey vulture-1 Red-tailed hawk-1 immature Great-horned owl-1 Gambels quail-20 or so. House sparrow-12 --Laura Cunningham, Parker RanchSubject: Spam and the NV bird listserv From: Alan Wallace <wallacealan AT SBCGLOBAL.NET> Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:35:18 -0700 Hi everyone, Susie Marshall's email is a good warning to everyone about spam. The listserv server automatically replaces the AT symbol in everyone's email address with "AT" for the archive, which also is visible on birdingonthe.net. Spammers typically search databases for email addresses that include the AT symbol, so its removal hampers their search. However, this doesn't prevent any intrepid spammer from gleaning individual email addresses from the archives, replacing the AT with a AT , and sending out spam. That usually is more work than they want. For subscribers only, which means everyone who has received this email directly, the AT symbol is retained in the postings that you receive: the server assumes that we all are trustworthy. The database of subscribers is password protected and available only to me and the person who runs all of the Audubon listservs. The server (which is run by Audubon) also screens all incoming emails with a spam filter. From what I've seen, the server's various functions and features does a really good job of preventing spam. Following the usual advice that we all hear about spam, the best course of action is to just delete it (especially if it has an attachment), . Also, do not reply to it or ask to be removed from that mailing list, which can trigger further spam (it tells the spammers that they've reached an active user). Just practice safe email useage and hit the delete button if you're unsure about something. Alan Wallace NV Bird Listserv moderator Reno NVSubject: Fraud Alert From: SAMARENO <samareno AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:41:13 -0700 Not exactly birding but I just wanted to let you know that I have been getting a lot of FRAUDULENT email saying it is from my service provider. I would not normally post but several of the other recipients in some of the emails are other NVBIRDS names that I recognize and I feel like I know. This email requests to verify account information. I just wanted to let everyone know that the RSVP address of this emil is a personal anonymous account. Report it to your provider ASAP so they can stop the messages and shut down the accounts before anyone is adversely affected. This is usuallySubject: Desert Loop,Esmeralda Co (9/25/08) From: Fred Petersen <fugle AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:59:24 -0400 Desert Loop,Esmeralda Co (9/25/08) Today's highlights: Torrance Ranch Red-naped Sapsucker--1 Fox Sparrow--1 Lida Gray Flycatcher--1 (pond) Vermilion Flycatcher--1 (immature male) continues in the yard of the old residence Circle L Red-shouldered Hawk--1 flying over cow pasture N of driveway Willow Flycatcher--1 in trees W of ranch house American Redstart--1 dto Prothonotary Warbler--1 dto Leidy Creek Olive-sided Flycatcher--1 We made a cursory search of the cow pastures on both sides of the Circle L driveway and N of Leidy Creek for the Crested Caracara but didn't find it. Miller's Rest Stop American Redstart--1 Fred PetersenSubject: Pyramid Lake (trying again) From: Martin Meyers <martin AT SIERRABIRDBUM.COM> Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:12:00 -0700 Geez, these computer thingies are touchy! Sorry about that last (non)message. Anyway, I birded Pyramid Lake today, and have a few odds and ends to report. I started at The Willows, which had a fair number of birds, but only a few different species, none out of the ordinary. There were a lot of Orange-crowned, Yellow, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, plus one Warbling Vireo. As usual, there were a few Great Horned Owls, plus several Bewick's Wrens. I stopped at numerous locations along the shoreline, hoping that perhaps a Sabine's Gull or jaeger might be around. I did not find either. (A bit surprising, considering the amazing number of Sabine's Gulls in the west recently, including a half-dozen at Tahoe City last week.) I did have my first Glaucous-winged Gull of the season, a second-cycle bird. At least 10 Common Loons were spotted, as well. And a Golden Eagle flying over the shoreline was nice. The only tern I saw the whole day was one Caspian. At the delta, there were still a fair number of shorebirds around, including three Pectoral Sandpipers. The rest were the usual suspects, Killdeer, Least and Western Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalaropes, and Greater Yellowlegs. I did not see the Semipalmated Sandpiper that was around for awhile earlier in the season. Martin --------------- Martin Meyers email: Martin (...AT...) SierraBirdbum.com Photo website: http://SierraBirdbum.com Truckee, CASubject: Pyramid Lake, 9/25/08 From: Martin Meyers <martin AT SIERRABIRDBUM.COM> Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:01:58 -0700 --------------- Martin Meyers email: Martin (...AT...) SierraBirdbum.com Photo website: http://SierraBirdbum.com Truckee, CASubject: Pahranagat Valley From: Serdehely <birders AT CLEARWIRE.NET> Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:50:41 -0700 I have just returned from the Pahranagat Valley where I was doing some water bird surveys for GBBO. Some highlights of the trip are as follows: Crystal Springs (at the junction of US 93 and NV 375): American Redstart Hammond's Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Road Side Rest near Lower Pahranagat Ladder backed Woodpecker Frenchy Lake (Key Pittman WMA) 2 Baird's Sandpipers 6 Sandhill Cranes Nesbitt Lake (Key Pittman WMA) Osprey In addition there were numerous ducks of several species both at Key Pittman WMA and Pahranagat NWR. Lower Pahranagat is the only unit of the refuge that has water and water fowl. Middle Marsh and the Upper Lake are both dry. Land bird migrants were scarce. The trees were very quiet in sharp contrast to the birding a few days ago at the desert loop. DennisSubject: Ash Meadows NWR BIrds From: Carl Lundblad <carl.lundblad AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:53:54 -0700 The volume of migrants moving across the refuge has come down significantly this week, though Orange-crowned Warblers continue to be common. Notable sightings this week have included: Sanderling: At least one has continued at Crystal Reservoir all week Common Tern: 3 were at Crystal Reservoir on 9/21 Red-naped Sapsucker: Another at Rogers Spring on 9/24 Cassin's Vireo: 1 at Bradford Spring on 9/24 Plumbeous Vireo: 1 on 9/23 W. Scrub-jay: Increasingly conspicuous with sightings every day this week Carl Lundblad Amargosa Valley, NVSubject: Ethel M Garden, Las Vegas NV September 23, 2008 From: Richard Titus <titus AT SCSV.NEVADA.EDU> Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:52:14 -0700 Observed at Ethel M garden, Henderson, NV, 4:30-6:15 PM, 9/23/08, by Toby Sulenski Sunny, calm, 90's Highlights: Vermilion Flycatcher, immature female. (First Vermilion I've seen there) Black-crowned Night Heron, adult. (Saw immature many years ago) Townsend's Warbler 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 posted for Toby by: Carolyn Titus Las Vegas NVSubject: Least Flycatcher at Porter Springs From: Don Molde <skyshrink AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:55:48 -0400 Hi birders.......Today, at Porter Springs, there was a Least Flycatcher which perched nicely in the sun at close binocular distance and was even a few inches away from a Dusky flycatcher...also perched on the same branch for a few seconds during the viewing. The bird was using the cottonwoods at the upper end of the riparian area. The field marks of note include a very distinct narrow circular white eye- ring, a pale mandible, and very short primary projection. (The tips of the folded wings while perched did not quite reach to the base of the tail.) Otherwise....with a couple of Cooper's hawks cruising the area, the only birds brave enough to be out and about a bit were several Red-breasted Nuthatches, Red-naped Sapsucker, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. |