September-October 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 MEETINGS

Date: 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 Park-

way, just past Raleys shopping center. Go about one mile on Wedge Parkway

and look for the boldly designed, mustard yellow library on the right.

Carpooling is encouraged.

September 22 - George Baumgardner, Curator of Natural History,Nevada State Museum - John James Audubon: Artist and Naturalist

John J. Audubon dedicated most of his life to making images of nature

in the Americas of the early 1800s. His most recognized work, Birds

of America, featured all avian species known from the United States

of that time. Using images from this work, George will discuss how

Audubons art developed, how it differed from similar work of the

period, and how it still has impact today. When possible, emphasis will

be placed on birds living in the current day western United States.

October 27 - Mary Gaspari - The Amazing Birds of Prey

Mary, a licensed master falconer here in Reno, will discuss the history

and biology of falconry and bring a couple of her birds for us to see. She

currently owns two silver Gyrfalcons and a Coopers Hawk, which she

often takes to various locations for presentations. Mary will also teach

us how to identify different birds of prey and discuss current issues

pertinent to falconry. Join us for a fun and informative evening and a rare

chance to get up close and personal with these marvelous animals.

Bring your cameras!

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2009

vol. 47, no. 1

Inside This Issue

1 Monthly Meetings

2 Ask a Birder

3 Field Trips

4 Of Note from thePresident

5 Birds and More

9 The Avid Birder

10 Birds In Town

11 LAS Sales/Membership

Submissions for the November/

December issue are due October 1, 2009

The Pelican may be viewed on the LAS

website at www.nevadaaudubon.org,

click on the Newsletter tab.

The Pelican 1


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2 The Pelican

In this space, the LAS Bird Brain

will answer your questions about

birds and birding in northern Nevada.

Dear Bird Brain,

I saw a very strange looking dove

in my yard. At rst I thought it was

just another Mourning Dove, but it

had a black stripe across the back

of its neck and its tail didnt come

to a point like a Mourning Doves

tail. What could it bea mutated

Mourning Dove?

Sincerely,

Frazzled in Fallon

Dear Frazzled,

You most likely

observed a Eurasian

Collared-Dove

and not a mutant

Mourning Dove.

The Eurasian Collared-Dove, as its

name implies, has a black collar

(which is the black stripe you saw on

the back of its neck) and a rounded

tail. The Mourning Dove does not

have a collar, has a denite pointed

tail (as opposed to the Eurasian

Collared-Doves rounded tail),

and is noticeably smaller than the

Eurasian Collared-Dove. Also a bit

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]

obvious from its name, the Eurasian

Collared-Dove is not native to

North America; its origins extend

from southeastern Europe to Japan.

It expanded across Europe in the

1900s and was introduced to NorthAmerica, via the Bahamas, in the

mid-1970s. It then made its way to

Florida in the early 1980s. Since its

introduction, it has rapidly colonized

North America and, according to

the NVBIRDS Listserv archives,

appeared in southern Nevada in

2001, and over the next couple of

years, made its way to northern

Nevada.

The Eurasian Collared-Dove is

obviously highly opportunistic and

does well in urban areas where

there is a consistent supply of food

in backyard feeders and plentiful

planted trees for nesting and

roosting. And keep your ears open

too, not only are their calls a bit

different (a four-syllable ooAAH

cooo coo coo for the Mourning Dove

vs. a three-syllable coo COOO cup

for the Eurasian Collared-Dove), the

Mourning Doves wings produce a

whistling sound on takeoff and the

Eurasian Collared-Dove can sneak

away without a sound.

Happy Birding,

The Bird Brain

The Bird Brain required a little

assistance and found various tidbits

of information at the followingwebsites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Eurasian_Collared-dove

http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/

species/630

http://list.audubon.org/wa.exe

Do you have a question about

birds or birding in northern

Nevada? If so, 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!

Photo by M. Weinstein, Alabaster, AL (www.bird

cornell.edu) showing the size difference between

the Mourning Dove (left) and the Eurasian

Collared-Dove (right).


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The Pelican 3

Saturday, October 10

Taylor Creek, South Lake Tahoe

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Leaders: Sheryl Ferguson, 530-541-

8462, [email protected] andJim Woods

Meet Sheryl and Jim at the Taylor Creek

Visitor Center kiosk. From Reno or

Carson City, take Hwy 50 to South Lake

Tahoe. Follow Hwy 50 South and turn

right onto 89 (Emerald Bay Rd.) at the

Y intersection in South Lake Tahoe,

shortly after Staples. Drive 2.9 miles

from the Y. After Richardsons Resort,

look for the U.S. Forest Service Lake

Tahoe Visitor Center sign on the right

side of the road. Turn in at the sign and

park in the parking lot. This easy half-daybird walk will follow a nature trail (with

handicap access). We will enjoy lunch at

a local burger stand, but you may bring

your own lunch if you prefer. Since this

is a fall trip, added bonuses include looks

at the Kokanee Salmon spawning run and

gorgeous fall colors. After lunch, Sheryl

will also point out places of interest for

birders who wish to continue afternoon

birding on their own.

Sunday, October 18

Oxbow Park, Reno

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Leader: David Jickling, 775-848-0069,

[email protected]

Meet at the Oxbow Park parking lot

for this easy nature trail walk. To get

there, take I-80 West, turn south off the

Keystone Exit, and turn right on Second

Street which turns into Dickerson Road,

then follow it until it ends at the park.

This park is a great local hotspot to nd

fall migrants and to learn about Renos

backyard birds. Plan to spend a fewhours, so bring your binoculars, a scope if

you have one, and water. A great walk for

beginner and experienced birders alike.

FIELD TRIPSChristiane Omer 775-354-2634 [email protected]

Saturday, September 12

Silver Saddle Ranch, Carson City

Time: 7:30 a.m.

Leader: Nancy Santos, 775-884-1570,

[email protected]

Co-sponsors: Lahontan Audubon Society

and Friends of Silver Saddle Ranch.We will meet in the ranch parking lot

located on Carson River Road, off East

5th Street. Plan to spend the morning

exploring the ranch for birds and learning

a little about its history. Habitat at the

ranch includes sagebrush, agricultural

lands, and a riparian corridor adjacent

to the Carson River. The variety of

habitat allows for a diverse number of

bird species to be observed at the ranch.

All levels of birders are welcome and

beginning birders are encouraged toattend. Please contact Nancy Santos to

register or for more information. The

annual Friends of Silver Saddle Ranch

Breakfast will follow the bird walk. All

eld trip attendees are encouraged to stay,

eat, and visit. Donations for the breakfast

are appreciated.

Saturday September 19

Red Lake, California (Hwy 88)

Time: 8:00a.m.

Leader: Jim Woods, 775-265-3914,

[email protected]

Come on south and bird a nice little

lake in the Sierras. We will be hikingalmost around the lake following an easy

trail (1.5 miles). The likely birds will

be Tree and Cliff Swallow, Dark-eyed

Junco, Yellow Warbler, White-headed

Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker,

Downy Woodpecker, nuthatches,

Mountain Chickadee, Western Wood-

Pewee, ycatchers, sandpipers, ducks,

hawks, and with a lot of luck, Northern

Goshawk, Osprey, and/or Bald Eagle.

To get there: Take 395 south to Minden,

turn onto Hwy 88 (Woodfords/Jackson),

and go 14 miles south to the junctionwith Hwy 89 (Markleeville). Continue

on Hwy 88 for 14 miles to the Red Lake

turn off. Time from Reno is about two

hours. Please call for reservations; space

is limited to 12.

Saturday, September 26

Stillwater NWR

Time: 7:30 a.m.

Leader: Mike Goddard, 775-423-5128

Meet at the refuge ofce, 1000 Auction

Road, just off Williams Avenue (US

50) behind the Speedway gas station.We will tour Stillwater NWR and/or

Carson Lake and Pasture depending upon

wetland conditions. Due to the shortened

irrigation season, some wetland areas

may not have water yet. Refuge staff

will bring two spotting scopes. The new

refuge tour loop is open and staff will

brief you on pending construction of the

Duffs Pond Environmental Education

facility. Please reserve your space with

Mike Goddard, Stillwater NWR Project

Leader.

Saturday, October 3

Swan Lake/Lemmon Valley Marsh,

North Reno

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Leader: Bob Goodman, 775-972-7848,

[email protected]

Meet Bob (look for his van) at the

McDonalds parking lot off Exit 74,

Lemmon Valley on Hwy 395 north of

Reno. We will carpool the short distance

to Lemmon Valley Marsh. Bring a

spotting scope if you can, and prepareto be out until mid-day. It is a good time

to see fall migrants and winter resident

birds on the marsh and wetlands. This

is an easy bird walk and birders of all

experience are welcome.

Photo of a male Yellow Warbler courtesy

of Alan Gubanich.

(Field Trips continued on page 6)


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4 The Pelican

OF NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT Conservation Chair Search:

The LAS Board of Trustees is

seeking a Conservation Chair for

LAS. The focus and job duties

of the Conservation Chair can

vary considerably depending on

specic ad hoc situations, cycles ofconservation issues, conservation

project opportunities that arise, and

the background and interests of the

individual serving in the position. We

concentrate on projects and issues at

the local level, where we feel we have

the best opportunities and a realistic

ability to achieve effective outcomes.

We defer to National Audubon Society

as the most effective, powerful

channel for national and global issues.

You can nd information aboutConservation Committee activities in

the Conservation Corner column

in The Pelican Newsletterand the

Conservation section of our annual

reports. Both are available on our

website under the Newsletter and

Chapter Info (end of page) tabs,

respectively. If you wish to explore

serving in this position, please contact

me at [email protected] or 775-841-

1180. LAS needs your help.

Welcome to Our Second New

Board Member: As previously

reported, we elected two new Trustees

to the Board. Mary Jo Elpers, our

new Secretary, was introduced in our

last issue. Here is a personal note

from Stephanie Sander: Having

dabbled in birding all my life, I was

happy to nd a home in birding with

Lahontan Audubon Society. I moved

to Nevada two and a half years ago

to be near my folks in Carson City.

Prior to that, I lived in Santa Cruz,

California, for 27 years, where I was

married for 16 years. My career was

as a public health nurse and pediatric

nurse practitioner. Though I have no

children, I make an effort to have

them in my life. I have two indoor cats

and enjoy gardening, music, reading,

and the good ol outdoors. I am able

to enjoy watching many birds at my

feeders and feel blessed to be in such

a beautiful spot. I am an avid recycler

and environmentalist and have loved

being part of such a great group of

people as Ive found in LAS. I willdo my best to be a vital contributor to

the Board.

LAS Well-Served: With our May

chapter elections, two of our Board

members stepped down from positions

in which they had really given it their

all. Bonnie Wagner became a Trustee

in July 2004. She subsequently added

Volunteer Coordination to her work

for LAS. In 2006 Bonnie became our

Recording Secretary. Later on she alsohelped coordinate and give human

resources guidance in our search

for a new IBA Director. This spring

she stepped in for Alan Gubanich to

serve as master of ceremonies for

our second Bird I.D. Panel program.

Bonnie will continue as an LAS

member. We understand that she and

husband Rusty may be spending a

bit more time shining and showing a

classic Chevy. Ali Chaneybecame a

Trustee in 2003 and quickly involved

herself in a variety of activities in

conservation, her passion as well

as her education and employment

background. Ali served as Advocacy

sub-committee chair, Conservation

Chair, and LASs representative in

groups such as the Governors Sage

Grouse Committee and Conservation

Priorities for a Sustainable Nevada.

Ali coordinated a Birdathon dedicated

to funding conservation projects. She

secured National Audubon Society

Collaborative Funding Grants for

reseeding critical hummingbird habitat

in northeastern Nevada, replanting

the Hawken Fire damaged area, and

purchasing binoculars for children

visiting Oxbow NSA. Last issue, you

read about the passage of S.B. 108 /

Mine Claim Markers. Even though

Ali has stepped down as Trustee

and Conservation Chair, she plans

to follow through with projects in

progress ... and who knows what

else? Bonnie and Ali, for your service

and dedication to LAS, always

delivered with good humor, we thankyou very much.

Summer Planning Retreat: The

Board of Trustees and committee

representatives met July 12 for short-

and long-term planning. Morning

sessions included a very productive

Visioning Exercise followed by small-

group work on three specic areas

of opportunity. In the afternoon, we

reviewed plans and budgets for scal

year 2009-2010. We gave some initialconsideration to planning for future

special projects. Participants felt that

it was a very good day. At least thats

what they told Gene Hansel and me,

the coordinators of the day, before we

would let them leave for home!

LAS Annual Report: Our annual

report for July 1, 2008, through

June 30, 2009, has been submitted

to National Audubon Society.

Satisfactory ling of this report leads

to our re-certication as a chapter of

NAS and approximately $3,000 in an

annual baseline payment. The report

is posted at the end of the Chapter

Info section of our website. Besides

the business end of this report, it

provides an excellent opportunity

for all of us to recall and review

our varied activities in birding,

conservation, and education. All is

the fruit of the quality and generosity

of those who volunteer as well as the

moral and nancial support from our

entire membership. Its been another

very good year. Thanks to one and all.

Karen L. Kish


5/12

The Pelican 5

BIRDS AND MOREKathy Oakes 775-747-5446 [email protected]

Todays subject is not a bird, but an

insect, the Mormon cricket (Anabrus

simplex), which is not a true cricket,

but a long-horned grasshopper,

or katydid. They occur in western

sagebrush lands, usually in fairlylow numbers. However, at times,

Mormon crickets come together

in huge swarms that may cover

thousands of acres and can march

over a mile per day. In these swarms,

crickets can number up to100 per

square yard. There can be so many

crickets killed on roads that they

become a trafc hazard (eeewww,

hydroplaning on crickets guts).

I have encountered a few Mormoncricket swarms in the Nevada

outback (I almost ran out of gas on

Highway 50 when I didnt get gas in

Austin because crickets completely

covered the gas station, including the

pumps yuck), but have not seen

birds eating the insects. I got curious

about what birds are known to eat

Mormon crickets and found a great

paper by Dr. Ira La Rivers, who

taught biology at UNR from 1948

until 1977.

La Rivers observed 28 species of

birds feeding on Mormon crickets

in Nevada. Several hawk species

apparently relish the crickets. Red-

tailed Hawks may feed exclusively

on crickets in areas of big swarms.

La Rivers told an amusing story

about observing a Rough-legged

Hawk through binoculars feeding

on crickets on the ground, with the

crickets jumping away in alarm.When he approached, the hawk

became wary and stopped feeding.

The crickets soon started marching

again right across the hawks feet,

and then climbed up his legs. This

was too much the bird shook one

leg, jumped around, and then took

off (in disgust I bet).

La Rivers listed several songbird

species that he observed eating

crickets. He dubbed the Sage

Thrasher, Brewers Blackbird,

and Western Meadowlark as the

big three in cricket population

destruction because they ate so

many cricket eggs. Crickets lay

their eggs in the soil, as many as

50-100 eggs to a clutch. Boththrashers and meadowlarks dug

up cricket egg-beds to feast on

eggs. Brewers Blackbirds also

appeared to relish eggs, but got them

directly from female crickets. La

Rivers observed that the blackbirds

captured only female crickets, and

split their abdomens open to get the

eggs (cricket caviar?). Other birds

that regularly ate Mormon crickets

included the Black-billed Magpie,Horned Lark, Loggerhead Shrike,

and Greater Sage-grouse.

Smaller birds usually tackled

only immature crickets. However,

La Rivers watched one ambitious

Western Flycatcher that had seized

an adult cricket (they can be

over three inches long). The bird

struggled to subdue the cricket for

many minutes, but could not pierce

its hard shield. Each time the cricket

hopped on its strong hind legs, it

knocked the ycatcher off its feet.

The bird would struggle to its feet

only to be knocked over again and

again. When the cricket nallygrabbed one of the birds legs with

its forelegs, the matter ended with

the bird letting go and ying off.

The citation for the paper is La

Rivers, Ira, 1941, Condor, Vol. 43,

No.1, pages 65-69. A link to the

paper is found at http://elibrary.

unm.edu/sora/Condor. Click on

the appropriate volume and issue,

which will get you to the table of

contents from which the article canbe downloaded as an Acrobat pdf

le. The Sora is a database of older

issues of several ornithological

journals. You can search for a topic

of interest, or browse issues of each

journal.

Photo of a Mormon cricket by Alan Gubanich.


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6 The Pelican

FIELD TRIPS

Saturday, October 24

Wandering the Carson Valley

Time: 7:00 a.m.-noon

Leader: Jim Woods, 775-265-3914,

[email protected] will tour the Incline Village

General Improvement District Wetlands

in the north valley looking for the

resident and migrant water and wading

birds. Expect ducks, egrets, herons,

blackbirds, swallows, American Coot,

Sora, Virginia Rail, Marsh Wren,

American Kestrel, hawks, snipes, and

sandpipers. With any luck there will be

MacGillivrays Warbler, Golden Eagle,

Bald Eagle, falcons, and the sleepovers

of the migrating shore and song birds.Meet at the In & Out Burger in Carson

City (look for Jim in his red pick-up).

From Reno, take Highway 395 south

to Carson City, continue south past its

junction with Highway 50 West (the

road to Spooner/Lake Tahoe) to Topsy

Lane. Turn right and look for the In

& Out to your left. Bring a bag lunch,

plenty of water, and a scope if possible.

Space is limited to 12, so register early.

Field Trip Reports

Strolling the Truckee River

Saturday, June 13, 2009

A group of 16 birders took a tour of

the evening birds on the Truckee Riverat Rock Park. The start of the tour

was delayed an hour, but it was time

well spent listening to the rain on a

tin roof while watching the swallows,

cormorants, and mergansers work the

river. The group welcomed a passing

family (including their deaf dog) to

the tour, and the birders recruited a

new member for LAS before it was all

over. For myself, I learned to bark in

American Sign Language. The birds

cooperated and carried on a lot ofnesting and feeding activity, as well

as singing their evening songs. We

had a total of 33 species. One of the

highlights was a recently edged Great

Horned Owl being mobbed by robins

and blackbirds. My thanks to Janet

Helton and the tour members that made

this a special evening. -Jim Woods

Paige Meadows

Saturday, June 20, 2009

We had a great group of 11 people,

and it was a beautiful morning at

Paige Meadows, albeit with many

mosquitoes. The highlights were a

Dusky Flycatcher, a singing Nashville

Warbler that was singing in the same

spot an hour later, Evening Grosbeaks,

and a MacGillivrays Warbler. We also

tried to nd the Pileated Woodpecker

nest that Richard Carlson found on

Barker Pass Road, but it appeared the

young had edged and there was no

sign of them after 30 minutes. We had

28 species for the day, with four of

them only heard. -Kirk Hardy

Porter Springs

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Twelve birders made it out to the

Porter Springs make-up day, previously

cancelled due to rain, and were greeted

by...well, almost nothing. We saw a

Western Wood-Pewee, a kingbird,

and a few Killdeer, but not much else.

However, there was cloudiness, wind,

a few raindrops, and a road that had

minor washout imperfections (but stillquite useable). Most of the folks had

not been there before, so at least they

now know where the place is and what

it looks like. We decided to visit S-Line

Reservoir in Fallon on the way home,

and the species total for the day jumped

to the low 40s with several duck

species, grebes, Spotted Sandpipers,

2-3 species of swallows, a Swainsons

Hawk, and others. After splitting up

for the day, part of the group headed

for Harmon Reservoir. I stopped at BigSoda Lake (just west of Fallon) and

added Long-billed Curlew, Wilsons

Phalarope, and Black-necked Stilt to

the days list. All in all...it would have

been nice if we could have made the

trip two weeks ago...but we do love the

rain! -Don Molde

Sheldon NWR

June 19-21, 2009

The total number of people was

near 60, mostly Friends of NevadaWilderness (FONW) members. FONW

provided dinner on Saturday and

breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

There was much discussion of the

new Comprehensive Conservation

Planning effort around the campre.

We had eight work teams out removing

fence, posting the refuge boundary, and

building fence around springs to keep

the wild horses from damaging them.

The refuge received a lot of spring

rain and looked exceptionally greenand lush. The work teams were rained

and hailed upon on Saturday but still

accomplished all the work that was

planned. -Michael Goddard

Donors

American Avocet $50 - $99Martis Camp Club

Mountain Bluebird $20 - 49Thomas and Jean Reeves

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

$10 - $19Toni and Bob Hamiltonin memory of Robin Jorgensen

Starnes

John Axtell

Penny Whalen

(Field Trip Reports continued on page 7)

(continued from page 3)


7/12

The Pelican 7

FIELD TRIPS

(continued from page 6)

Unionville

June 26-28, 2009

In 1997 Kenn Kaufmann published

his now-famous book KingbirdHighway. For the 14 of us who

traveled to Unionville, NV for a birding

weekend in late June, that title would

aptly describe our experience along the

Unionville road - Western Kingbirds

everywhere! Our group found at least

six Kingbird nests that weekend, plus

a Kingbird condominium (three

Kingbird nests in the same tree, but

not noticeably active) at the entrance

to the ofce of the Old Pioneer Garden

Country Inn. Throw in American

Robins, House Sparrows, House

Finches, Cassins Finches, Bullocks

Orioles, Brewers Blackbirds, and a

few Lark Sparrows, Mourning Doves

and Eurasian Collared-Doves, and the

road through Unionville was indeed a

birdy place. During our walks through

Wilson Canyon, Star Canyon, and

Straight Canyon, Yellow Warblers,

Lazuli Buntings, and Warbling Vireos

took center stage, along with Spotted

Towhees. An immature Eagle (Golden?

- but look at the photo - Bald?) being

chased by a Northern Harrier and

a Coopers Hawk provided a bit of

excitement on Saturday morning. In

all, the group saw 39 species and heard

a possible 40th (House Wren). And, as

usual, the hospitality, accommodations,

and food provided by the folks at the

Old Pioneer Garden Country Inn areunmatched - if youve never been there,

you must go! Its like stepping back in

time, and birding is simply icing on the

cake. We hope to make this an annual

event and hope more of you can join us

in future years. -Alan Gubanich

Birding and Batting

Saturday, July 11, 2009

A determined group of 12 adventurous

folks enjoyed the Nevada weather

(by waiting ve minutes) and had a

great time strolling the Truckee. The

dust storm at Rock Park literally blew

the crowds away and stopped just in

time for the tour to start. The weather

then treated us all to a re-fall sunset

through the departing rainstorm.

The birds were in short supply and

consisted mostly of the expected

species, but nonetheless, the birds

provided the adventure of seeking

them out and identifying them via their

calls and songs. The second part of

the tour was to meet Bob Goodman

at the McCarran Bridge to watch the

Brazilian Free-tailed Bats take off

Fun Plants for Birds

The basis for this article is to provide you, the reader, with plant ideas to attract

birds to your garden. Each bi-monthly featured plant will be suggested based onits performance in Renos harsh climate.

It seems there are just certain plants and owers that birds will go crazy for in

the garden. This issues featured plant is California Fuchsia. The scientic name

for this plant has recently been changed toEpilobium cana fromZauschneria

californica. California Fuchsia is a favorite of hummingbirds. Its a tidy perennial

that reaches up to 18 inches high with a spread of 2 to 3 feet. This plant hassilvery foliage and bright red owers that light up in late summer through the

rst frost here in northern Nevada. If youre looking for a way to get those

hummingbirds to make a stop in your yard during the fall migration, then give

California Fuchsia a try.

Jen Martin

An immature eagle being chased by a

male Northern Harrier. Is it a Golden

Eagle (most probably) or a Bald Eagle?

The underwing pattern is ambiguous.

Photo by Alan Gubanich.

for the nights feeding. Bob gave a

very good presentation on bats in

general and led a fun and informative

discussion on everything else about

the McCarran bat colony. Under the

bridge in the narrow joints, we got to

see hundreds of roosting bats. Hard to

observe, but we learned that along with

the Brazilians there were Little Brown

Bats and Big Brown Bats (really). The

sight of thousands of bats departing

into the fading sunset over the Truckee

is a sight we all need to see. Thanks to

Bob Goodman and LAS for another

great tour. -Jim Woods

This California Fuchsia was in bloom up

until the rst frost last year. Photo was taken

by Jen Martin in her south Reno yard.


8/12

8 The Pelican

OTHER BIRD BUSINESS

Education Committee

Call for Volunteers

LAS has been blessed with a group of enthusiastic members who volunteer for numerous projects throughout the

year. Usually a phone call or an email to the membership has been the method by which weve recruited such

people. However, LAS would now like to establish a formal Education Committee, with several subcommittees,so we can more efciently administer and organize our educational outreach efforts. We are looking for people like

you who would be willing to serve in such a capacity. Our Vice-President, Alan Gubanich, has agreed to serve as the

overall Chair of the committee, but he is looking for volunteers to staff several possible subcommittees: In-House

Education subcommittee (for educating our members about conservation issues); Outreach Education subcommittee

(for adults in the community); Classroom Visits subcommittee (for school kids); Classroom Field Trips

subcommittee (trips for school kids at places such

as Washoe Lake, Swan Lake, and other locations);

Special Events subcommittee (Spring Wings; Tune-

In-To-Kids; Earth Day; talks at various nurseries;

etc.). If you are interested and willing to chair or

serve on any of these subcommittees, please contactAlan at [email protected] or 775-857-0191. Your

participation will be greatly appreciated. The more

volunteers we have the more outreach we can provide

to our local community and especially to our youth,

our hope for the future.

SWAN LAKE

NATURE STUDY AREA

As testimony to the dedication of the partners involved

with the Swan Lake Nature Study Area, this May 2, 2009

a 10-year anniversary celebration was held at the new

classroom shelter. President Kish has written about this,

but there is still much work to be done by the partners

involving a number of different fronts.

We are trying to acquire the land that lies between Horse

Ravine, the stream that feeds the western portion of Swan

Lake, and the warehouses. If, or when, this happens, the

plan is to use this land to improve the ow of the stream,

creating meanders to help reduce the amount of sedimentreaching the lake. Another possibility here is the creation of

a storm water catchment basin to slow any ood stage.

For the long-term plan, a trail will encircle the entire lake,

but in the short-term, the trails leaving the interpretive area,

and the one at the end of Ramsey Road, will be improved

this year. We are all aware of the nancial shortcomings

Washoe County is experiencing this year, and since they

These children were able to bird and explore the Oxbow Nature Study

with the help of Ali Chaney, an LAS Volunteer. Photo courtesy of

Aaron Keller.

have the lead in the construction and maintenance of Swan

Lake, we feel fortunate to have any construction done at all

There is an ongoing discussion concerning the 10-acre

parcel at the end of Pompe Lane. It is a desirable piece of

land that would eventually help with the trail encircling

the lake. However, there are a few problems affecting its

purchase, such as the amount of undesirable materials

presently on the land as structures, debris, and a berm made

of asphalt that extends out into the lake area.

So far the construction of two warehouses close to

the interpretive area is still on hold due to the economicsituation. The lack of water throughout the area has turned

the playa into a sea of green with waves of foxtail plants.

All in all, things are looking good for Swan Lake.

Bob Goodman

LAS Committee Representative


9/12

The Pelican 9

THE AVID BIRDERKenn Rohrs 775-849-9530 [email protected]

LAS General Meeting Topics 2009/2010

November 24 - Chris Briggs Survival, Parasites, and Oedipus: Why SoMany Morphs in Hawk Populations?

January 26 - Pat Kelly and Elmer Bull The Future of Carson LakeWetland

February 23 - Tom Howell Birding in Malawi and Zambia

March 23 - Bird Identication Panel Round 3

April 27 - Robin Powell The IBA Program: Habitat Conservation and

Rehabilitation Projects

May 25 - Tony Wasley, NDOW The Himalayan Snowcock in Nevada

Flyaway: How

a Wild Bird

Rehabber Sought

Adventure and

Found Her Wings

by Suzie Gilbert

A fantastic memoir: humorous,

intimate, intelligent, deeply

moving, and yet wonderfullyinformative. Suzie Gilbert

struggled to nd her lifes work.

After she and her husband moved

from New York City to the Hudson

Valley, she got a job in an animal

hospital and then volunteered at a

local raptor rehab center. After 11

years, she jumped in and started to

rehab birds in her home. This book

is about Gilbert nding compassion

and meaning in her life by workingwith injured birds. In engaging

prose, Gilbert not only teaches

us about rehabbing injured birds,

she also explains animal behavior,

biology, and natural history.

InFlyaway, Suzie Gilbert

describes how she started

rehabbing wild birds in her home.

Once Gilbert decided to rehab

injured birds at her home, she was

required to become licensed by the

State of New York and the federal

government. She built ight cages

on her property and made contacton the Internet with other bird

rehabbers. Yet, most of the birds

were cared for in the house.

Can you imagine the bedlam

in that house? In a household

that included her husband John,

son Mac, daughter Skye, as well

as Mario and Zack, her rescued

African Grey and Yellow-Collared

Macaw, Gilbert started rehabbing

injured birds and not just one or

two. Are you out of your mind?

was a frequent reaction to her

rescue Jones disorder her need

to try to save every injured bird.

Merlin, her curly-coated retriever,

joined the circus later. Gilbert

shares some very laugh-out-loud

anecdotes involving her extended

family and the injured birds and

their choice of food.

Gilbert could chant the bird

rehabbers mantra bring them

back, then let them go. Her

willingness to describe her mixed

feelings caused by the need tofulll that mantras pledge to let

the birds y away makes this

a special story. The beauty of

Gilberts memoir is her coming to

understand her passion for helping

birds. Her statement that wildlife

rehabbers see more death than most

of us, helps explain her constant

struggle between holding on and

letting go.

I love this book intelligent,

fascinating, compelling, and

witty and highly recommend it.

For more about Suzie Gilbert and

Flyaway, Inc. check out www.

suziegilbert.com.

In this space, Kenn Rohrs

will discuss books and other

resources for the avid birder.

The increasing popularity of

birding has encouraged the

writing of an extraordinarynumber 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


10/12

10 The Pelican

BIRDS IN TOwNAlan Wallace [email protected]

June and July saw the usual transition from the last

stages of spring migration, through the various nesting

and edging stages of the local breeders, into the early

hints of the fall migration. Urban birders also transitioned

into the more rural parts of the state, including many of

the smaller towns. Small towns are great for birding asresidents of those places can attest. Every town or city

has a fringing transition zone between town and non-

town birds, and that transition zone in small towns can

encompass the whole town. So it really doesnt matter if

youre in town or in the surrounding hills: the birds can

be the same. This June and July, birders found a Blue

Grosbeakin Eureka, a Black-throated Gray Warbler at

a bird bath in Elko, a Blackpoll Warbler in Fallon, and

Rose-breasted and Black-headed Grosbeaks in beautiful

downtown Unionville. Still, it doesnt hurt to have a rural

yard to begin with, as shown by anotherRose-breasted

Grosbeakthat showed up at Linda Hillers JacksValley yard, the Yellow-breasted Chats, Wild Turkeys,

Mountain Bluebirds, and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds

at the Yurt near Baker, and the Sandhill Cranes close

to Marty Coxs small enclave 30 miles north of Reno.

Even the sewage ponds on the edge of Austin had a nice

Franklins Gull and several Green-winged Teal. As July

came to close, Dennis Serdehelys yard on the fringes of

Fernley produced a couple ofIndigo Buntings and several

Western Tanagers, presaging the coming migration.

Birders commented on several, possibly unusual, events.

In Stateline, Helga Strong has observed a real declinein the numbers of chickadees and nuthatches around

her house over the past year. In contrast, Mountain

Chickadees and all three nuthatches were common

this summer in lower-elevation towns and yards, with

successful chickadee edging reported in several places.

House Wrens appear to be having a banner year, at least

in Reno. Normally, they arent nearly as common as

Bewicks Wrens in Reno (although theyre very common

in other places), but former strongholds of Bewicks Wrens

are now replete with House Wrens. FourWhite-winged

Crossbills wintered in Elko this year, and everyone

expected them to migrate northward in the spring. Well, atleast one (a female or an immature) was still being seen in

late June; if it was an immature, is that a new one and an

indication of breeding?

Many birders in western Nevada noted a general dearth

of hummingbirds this summer. Most people had one or

two Black-chinned Hummingbirds instead of the usual

half dozen or more. Until late July, when the southward-

migrating Rufous Hummingbirds showed up in full

force, only two had been reported, the rst of which was

on July 10. There were some exceptions, though: the

Rohrs in the Galena area of Reno had ample hummers,

with Black-chinneds as well as Rufous and Costas,

Martha Jones in Unionville called to say that her cloud

of miniscule nectar suckers were draining the feeders ona daily basis, and both Black-chinned and Broad-tailed

Hummingbirds frequented feeders near Baker. The wet

May and June produced abundant owers, and the Reno

newspaper reported that there were far more bugs this

summer than in years past. Since insects constitute an

important food source for hummingbirds, perhaps the

surfeit of natural oral and insect food diminished the

need for our sugar water, leading to a shortage of hummers

only at the feeders. The Rufous follow the Sierran

wildowers on their ways south, and their late-July deluge

into lower towns might indicate the fading of higher-

elevation blooms.Some of you may have wondered about the Nevada bird

listserv listed at the end of each column. Its a free, for-

subscription service run by the National Audubon Society,

with me as the moderator. Basically, subscribers can send

in their Nevada bird reports, and the server automatically

forwards them to the other subscribers as emails. Many

people dont report birds and just like to get the reports

from others. Non-subscribers and subscribers alike can

see the same reports on the website www.birdingonthe.net

(click on Regional/Specialty, then scroll down to Nevada),

which eliminates all of the incoming emails. If youreinterested in just seeing the reports, try that option; if you

want to subscribe, let me know. Either way, its a good

way to keep up on Nevada bird sightings.

Northern Nevada birders reported 128 species from

small to large northern Nevada towns during June and

July. Contributors to this total included Mary Anderson,

Melody Asher, Je Anne Branca, Laura Cunningham,

Marty Cox, Bob Goodman, Kirk Hardie, Janet Helton,

Linda Hiller, Dave Jickling, Martha Jones, Ed Kurtz,

Jacque Lowery, John Luther, Sue Marchi, Sue Anne

Marshall, Martin Meyers, Chris Nicolai, Kathy Oakes,

Fred Petersen, Melissa Renfro & John Free, Georgia& Kenn Rohrs, Dennis Serdehely, Rose Strickland &

Dennis Ghiglieri, Helga Strong, Jim Woods, and me.

The deadline for the next column is September 25. Send

reports to 1050 Sumac St., Reno, NV 89509 or wallacealan

at sbcglobal.net, 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 _____

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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 email 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

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Make check payable to Lahontan Audubon Society and mail this form to:

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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 Mary Jo Elpers [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 2012 Stephanie Sander [email protected] 813-3494

Seat #4 to 2011 Kathy Oakes [email protected] 747-5446

Seat #5 to 2012 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 Vacant

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

Volunteer Coordination Gene Hansel [email protected] 354-2150

PUBLICATION AND The Pelican Editor Jen Martin [email protected] 742-2582INFORMATION Birds in Town Alan Wallace [email protected] 786-5755

LAS Info Line Jacque Lowery 324-BIRD

Web Master Steve Ting [email protected] 849-3725

If your mailing label is highlighted, please

renew your local LAS membership now.

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September-October 2009 Pelican Newsletter Lahontan Audubon Society

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