May-June 2009 Pelican Newsletter Lahontan Audubon Society

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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.

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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

at [email protected].

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,

[email protected]

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,

[email protected]

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,

[email protected]

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,

[email protected]

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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The Pelican 5

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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The Pelican 7

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

or [email protected]

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.


8/12

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


9/12

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.


10/12

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!


11/12

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)_____________________________________________________

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CITY _________________________ STATE ________ ZIP CODE ____________

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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


12/12

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.

Printed on Recycled Paper

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

RENO, NEVADA

PERMIT NO. 181

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

May-June 2009 Pelican Newsletter Lahontan Audubon Society

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