the

Lahontan Audubon Society •

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

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

MONTHLY MEETINGS
MAY/JUNE
Date: Fourth Tuesday of the month
2009 Time: Social at 6:30 p.m. Program starts at 7 p.m.
Location: South Valleys Library
vol. 46, no. 5 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
Inside This Issue on the Mt. Rose Hwy and take the first right turn onto Wedge Parkway, just past Raley’s
shopping center. Go about one mile on Wedge Parkway and look for the boldly
1 Monthly Meetings
designed, mustard yellow library on the right. For carpooling see page 9.
2 Ask a Birder
May 26, 2009 - Dan Taylor, Audubon California - Renewable Energy and
3 Backyard Habitat Wildlife Protection: How to Promote Both
The possibility of wind farms in the Truckee Meadows has recently generated
4 Field Trips a 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
6 Birds and More potential effects on wildlife populations. Dan Taylor serves as director of public
policy for Audubon California and coordinates Audubon’s state policy work in
7 Important Bird Areas Sacramento, as well as federal efforts on climate and energy policy, grassroots
outreach, public education, and communications related to global warming and
8 Of Note from the energy issues pertinent to the West. In this very relevant presentation Dan will
President discuss (1) Audubon California’s work that models bird distribution as a function of
climate change; (2) the importance of wind power and other renewables to address
9 The Avid Birder climate change; (3) projected growth in renewable energy and new transmission
demand in the West; (4) National Audubon’s policy and work on wind power and
10 Birds In Town other renewables; (5) the Western Governors’ Association process to map new
energy and transmission; and, (6) Senator Reid’s legislation on Renewable Energy
11 LAS Sales/
Zones and Green Transmission. Dan will also offer suggestions on how Audubon
Membership
members can get involved.
Submissions for the July/August issue
are due June 1, 2009 Note: Prior to the May meeting, our annual elections will be conducted. Please
refer to the article on page five.
The Pelican may be viewed on the LAS
website at www.nevadaaudubon.org, There are no meetings during the summer months of June, July, and August.
click on the Newsletter tab. The next meeting will be Tuesday, September 22.

The Pelican 1
ASK A BIRDER
LASBirdBrain@gmail.com

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 the
standard 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 remember
the 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 flying, first 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 appear
disheveled; 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 flying overhead, look at the
tip of the tail. An American Crow’s
tail is fan-shaped, while a Common
Raven’s tail is much longer and
wedge-shaped. If you just can’t
identify what you are seeing, listen
for a call. If you hear a nasal “caw”
sound, it’s an American Crow, but
if you hear a low “croak”, it’s a
Common Raven. Good luck!
Happy Birding,
The Bird Brain
Do you have a question about birds
or birding in Northern Nevada? If
so, please email the LAS Bird Brain
at LASBirdBrain@gmail.com.
Your question might be selected for
the next issue of The Pelican. And
remember, the only silly question is
the one that isn’t asked!
Bird I.D. Classes
It is time for LAS’s popular
“Birds of the Truckee Meadows”
series of five classes in basic bird
identification. Each session is
presented by a different local expert.
This is an excellent 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 five 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 field trip will also
be offered during the course. For
further information or to register,
contact Bob Goodman at 775-972-
7848 or pandion36@aol.com.

SUBSCRIPTIONS WHERE TO WRITE:

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

2 The Pelican
BACKYARD HABITAT
Water Features
The sound of a gently flowing stream
on a summer afternoon is soothing
to humans; however, for birds it is
a fundamental need. Water serves
as a source of hydration and also
provides bathing opportunities for
our avian friends. The inclusion of
water in any habitat is a surefire 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 or
hidden 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 don’t
seem to prefer one over the other.
Homemade baths can be fashioned
out 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 significant 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, but
one to three inches suits most needs.
Furthermore, moving water is an
even greater magnet for our feathered
companions. The reflections and
sounds of flowing water can beckon
birds often from a great distance
away. Moving water can be attained
The Pelican 3
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 can
even frighten birds. Some species, on
the other hand, delight in “showers”.
Hummingbirds can often be seen
fluttering 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 simple
water 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 basin
may 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 on
top 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 fill with water. Once filled with
water, make sure that there are no
gaps in the liner and that the pump
runs properly. You may now finish
decorating 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 you
started is http://watergarden.com/
pages/build_wg.html. A good book is
All About Building Waterfalls, Ponds,
and Streams, part of Ortho’s 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 years
old, has been birding for five years.
He began creating bird habitat at his
home four years ago and has done
extensive research on the topic.
FIELD TRIPS
Christiane Omer 775-354-2634 happycpo@aol.com
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, pandion36@aol.com
Here is a chance to contribute to the
beauty of Nevada. We’ll help our birds
and other animals by cleaning up their
home at The Swan Lake Nature Study
Area. Please meet us at the Lemmon
Valley McDonald’s parking lot off
395 (Exit 74) north of Reno. We will
organize from there. If folks have a
pickup we can use for hauling junk to
the transfer station, it would be helpful.
Rubber boots for working in the marsh
is advised for those that have them, and
gloves are essential for pulling thistle.
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,
nancylas@att.net
Sponsored by LAS and Friends of
Silver Saddle Ranch (FOSSR), this
spring trip to Silver Saddle Ranch
is the annual FOSSR May general
meeting. The trip includes a walk along
riparian habitat adjacent to the Carson
River. Other habitats along the way
include agricultural fields, sagebrush,
and willows. The diversity of habitats
provides for a diversity of bird species
to be observed. All levels of birders
are welcome and beginning birders are
encouraged to attend. Please contact
Nancy to register for the trip.
Saturday, May 30
Virginia Lake for Beginning Birders
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Leader: Jacque Lowery, 775-771-
7390, wbureno@sbcglobal.net
Come join Jacque Lowery from Wild
Birds Unlimited for an easy birding
4 The Pelican
stroll around Virginia Lake. You’ll
learn to identify the lake’s resident and
nesting birds and those that might be
migrating through. Jacque can also fill
you in on some of the behavior and
feeding questions you might have.
Meet at the north end of the lake in the
parking lot. Please call Jacque to reserve
your space. Bring your binoculars and
a spotting scope if you have one. This
would be a great outing with your
children or grandchildren.
Saturday, June 6
Porter Springs
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Leader: Don Molde, 775-857-3111,
skyshrink@aol.com
This is your opportunity to visit a small
desert oasis near Lovelock. Porter
Springs is a great migrant trap that
regularly provides fuel and rest to a
variety of birds. It also attracts other
critters such as coyotes and wild burros.
Bird species seen here include Gray
Catbird, Long-eared Owl, Chukar, Sage
Sparrow, and more. We’ll spend the
morning searching the trees and learning
a few flycatchers along the way. Bring
food, water, folding chairs if you have
them, scopes, etc. If there’s time, we’ll
take a side trip to Soda Lake on our way
home. Expect to be out all day, and to
drive about 40 miles of good dirt roads.
Meet at the rest area off Exit 83 at the
intersection of I-80 and U.S. 95. Call or
email Don for more information and to
reserve your space.
Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21
Sheldon NWR Workday and
Field Trip
Leader: David Von Seggern,
vonseg1@sbcglobal.net or Mike
Goddard, 775-423-5128,
Mike_Goddard@fws.gov
In this year’s work weekend and field
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 identification, 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 field on Saturday’s service trip. For
Saturday’s service work, the USFWS
and others will provide sturdy vehicles.
Good tires, including a spare with good
tread, are essential for driving on the
Sheldon but will not be needed for the
Sunday field 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 off
the road.
Saturday, June 20
Paige Meadows, Tahoe City
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Leader: Kirk Hardy, 775-220-8785,
krhardie@yahoo.com
The Tahoe Rim Trail Association
(TRTA) and LAS are sponsoring this
easy hike through verdant meadows.
Enjoy a profusion of birds and
wildflowers as the group searches for
such species as Mountain Bluebird,
Willow Flycatcher, Red-breasted
Sapsucker, McGillivray’s Warbler,
Black-backed Woodpecker, and Pine
Grosbeak in Tahoe’s flower-covered
alpine meadows. Bring water, sunscreen,
and insect repellant and plan to finish
before lunchtime.
(Field Trips continued on page 5)
FIELD TRIPS
(continued from page 4)
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&B
Leader: Alan Gubanich, 775-857-
0191, aag@unr.nevada.edu
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,
Bullock’s Oriole, and Western Tanager.
We will stay Friday and Saturday nights
and return to Reno on Sunday. Most of
us will stay in the Old Pioneer Garden
Country Inn, a beautiful bed & breakfast
dating from 1864. People can camp
if they wish instead of staying at the
B&B. There is a flat, grassy area up the
road from the B&B, referred to as the
Girl Scout Camp, where port-a-potties
are available, but no showers. Contact
Alan to register for the field trip AND Last year’s group in attendance for the Union-
phone the B&B for reservations (775-
538-7585). There may be a limit to the
number of people we can accommodate
this year.
Please visit the Field Trips page of the
LAS website for more details on this
weekend event. In addition, the Reports:
Trips & Events page on the LAS website
contains details on last year’s trip and a
photo 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
find us at http://www.nevadaaudubon.
org/fieldtrips.html.
ville adventure. Photo by Alan Gubanich.
Education Committee
Call for Volunteers
With spring just around the corner,
the Education Committee will soon
be busy leading field trips again for
local 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
field 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 not
need 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.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The May meeting of LAS is the usual time for nomination and election of LAS officers 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 year’s slate of Officers and Board members. We’re always looking for new
blood! This year we are especially looking for a replacement for Recording Secretary. Bonnie Wagner, who has done a super
job for several years, has decided to step down.
  Contact Alan (aag@unr.nevada.edu; 857-0191) or Jacque (wbureno@sbcglobal.net) 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.

The Pelican 5
BIRDS AND MORE
Kathy Oakes 775-747-5446 oakesy@sbcglobal.net

On the first day of spring, I was
musing on a subject for the next Birds
and More. My thoughts were on
sweet harbingers of spring—robins,
bluebirds—when I heard an awful
racket, like a jackhammer, coming from
my 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
aren’t songbirds, but they make their
own music by drumming—rapidly
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 flickers 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 flight.
There are two subspecies of Northern
Flickers (once separate species). The
red-shafted, more common in the West,
has salmon-red shafts on the flight and
tail feathers and flashes bright salmon-
red in the under wings in flight. 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 five
inches beyond their bill.
Uncharacteristic of woodpeckers,
flickers 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 flickers 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, flickers nest in
holes excavated in trees. Researchers
have shown that flicker holes are a
major resource for cavity nesting birds
that don’t do their own chiseling,
such as bluebirds, and mammals,
including flying squirrels. Flickers
often select dead or diseased trees for
nest 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
Bewick’s Wrens in yet another.
If you have any dead trees in your
yard, don’t remove them. If you’re
lucky, a pair of Northern Flickers
may take up residence and start a
family. “My” flickers are spending
lots of time in my dead cottonwoods;
I’m hoping for a baby announcement
soon. However, this morning, I heard
one of “my” flickers drumming on
my neighbor’s chimney cap—fickle
flickers!

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. LAS
is a principal sponsor of the 12th annual Spring Wings Bird Festival in Fallon.
This year’s festival will be based out of Oats Park. It is a weekend filled with
great birding trips, children’s activities, art, vendor booths, and environmental
information. Keynote speakers include author, naturalist, and artist Frances L. Female Northern Flicker (red-
Wood on Friday and UNR Emeritus Faculty Member and Vice-President of shafted). Image Courtesy of Alan D.
LAS, Alan Gubanich, Ph.D., on Saturday. Last year’s festival logged 147 bird Wilson, Naturespicsonline.com.
species! It is a wonderful festival and should really be on everyone’s must-do
list. Hope to see you there.

6 The Pelican
IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS PROGRAM
Robin Powell 775-247-2798 rpowell@audubon.org
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 multiple
methods of managing hoary cress (short
whitetop) and other noxious weeds.
We will be working on identification,
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
specific 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
The Pelican 7
Announcing the New
Nevada Important Bird Areas
Volunteer Listserv!!
Would you like to participate in various conservation-
oriented type of projects within Nevada’s Important
Bird Areas to help protect, conserve, or
enhance key habitats?
Would you like to receive up-to-date notices regarding
volunteer opportunities and other
volunteer-based information?
Then join the new NV IBA Volunteer Listserv!
Visit http://groups.google.com/group/nv-iba-volunteers
for current information.
Or send a blank email to: nv-iba-volunteers@
googlegroups.com to receive notifications via email.
Only volunteer related information will be emailed. All incoming email from
outside sources will be filtered to prevent spamming.
weed identification and how to be an plants negatively impact wildlife
effective citizen scientist. One of the habitat throughout the Carson River
greatest habitat threats to this IBA is watershed. Learn how to identify the
noxious weeds. It is critical to identify different invasive plants (a.k.a. weeds)
new weed species and eradicate them along the Carson River while learning
immediately, which requires active to geocache (similar to a scavenger
volunteers! hunt) and use a GPS unit. We will
also be discussing bird diversity in the
Saturday, May 30 (tentative) watershed. All ages are welcome!
Santa Maria Ranch Park
Restoration Project Cottonwood Tree Planting
Santa Maria Ranch Park, Dayton, River Fork Ranch-
NV-Lower Carson River Delta IBA Carson Valley IBA
Goal: To plant willows, Wood’s Rose, Postponed until Fall 2009
Fremont cottonwood trees, and other
plants along the Carson River at Santa Within two weeks of each event, I
Maria Ranch Park, managed by Lyon will be distributing more information
County Parks and Recreation. Help (i.e., times, meeting locations,
improve the vegetation within the park supplies, etc.) and posting to the www.
to increase bird diversity and protect nevadaaudubon.org/iba webpage or
the habitat from further degradation. via the new Volunteer Listserv website
A fall seeding volunteer project is also http://groups.google.com/group/nv-iba-
planned in 2009. volunteers. If you have any interest in
volunteering at the events or would like
Saturday, June 13 more information, please feel free to
Carson River Weed and contact Robin Powell at 775-247-2798
Geocaching Workshop or rpowell@audubon.org
Silver Saddle Ranch, Carson City
Goal: To learn to identify invasive Happy Volunteering!
plants along the Carson River. Invasive
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 Birds
report 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
reflect the overall health of our
environment. In addition, National
Audubon 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 of The Pelican about our
anticipated activity at the 2009
session of the Nevada Legislature
(see the newsletter section of our
website). Ali testified on behalf
of LAS at the Senate Natural
Resources Committee hearing
on Senate Bill 108, requiring the
placement 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
8 The Pelican
Ali’s work and Bob Goodman’s
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. Conservation
Priorities for a Sustainable
Nevada, a cooperative coalition of
conservation organizations, which
Ali also described in that earlier
issue of The 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 floor session
by Senator David Parks, Chair of
the Natural Resources Committee.
LAS attended and offered support to
the Nevada Department of Wildlife
and Friends of Nevada Wildlife’s
Conserve Wildlife breakfast, hosting
legislators and highlighting the
economic benefits of hunting,
fishing, 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 some
of 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 National’s change of
independent-contractor membership
processing. Jane Burnham, our
Treasurer, has diligently learned
the details of that office, analyzed
ways to organize data as it relates
to our operation, while doing all the
day-to-day work of issuing checks,
preparing financial 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 have
only 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
THE AVID BIRDER
Kenn Rohrs 775-849-9530 karohrs@charter.net

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 extraordinary number
of books, such as field guides,
biographies, and general interest
studies of birds and birders. In the
past year, novelists incorporated
birds and birding into the world of
fiction.
Book Review
In Hovering
Flight by Joyce
Hennefeld is a
beautiful novel,
one of best works
of fiction of 2008.
The title comes
from Roger Tory
Peterson’s description of the
bobolink’s song: “in hovering flight
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. Addie’s 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, even
annoying people. We get to know
them, to like them, to wonder
about them. The plot is driven by
Addie’s 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 Cuvier’s Kinglet.
The conversations Scarlet (named
for the Scarlet Tanager) has on the
morning after her mother’s death
with her father, Cora, and Lou are
amazingly well-done. Addie’s life
was like the Bobolink’s song –
starting with low, reedy notes and
rollicking upward.
Birders, and nonbirders, will find
this novel to be a significant, not
trivial, work of fiction. 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 flock
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.

Carpooling

Schedule of General Meetings If you are interested in carpooling to LAS

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.
General Meetings, please contact Board
Trustee Linda Badzioch at 775-851-8353
or lbadzioch@pyramid.net, 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.

The Pelican 9
Birds in Town
Alan Wallace wallacealan@sbcglobal.net
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 Buffleheads don’t 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 Pacific Northwest of the U.S., British Columbia, and
southwestern Alaska. Other wintering birds migrate more
locally, such as the American Dippers, Hermit Thrushes, and
Townsend’s 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 noisily
populate the marshes in late March.
The early Greater Yellowlegs probably Photo of a Long-billed Dowitcher provided by
Steve Ting. For more of Steve’s images visit
wintered in Mexico, but later arrivals www.stingphotography.com.
could be from South America. The
Sandhill Cranes that began to appear in Carson Valley and the
Spring Creek area in March didn’t 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, and
Tree) 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
10 The Pelican
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,
Ross’s, 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 confirm this apparent “surge”
in numbers. In early March, newly arrived flock of Mountain
Bluebirds passed through Lamoille and near Jean Sherman’s
home northwest of Reno, and the UNR field ornithology class
saw a few Western Bluebirds and Red
Crossbills in Verdi. The Rusty Blackbird
and its host flock of Great-tailed
Grackles continued in Winnemucca to
the end of March. In Austin, after a dearth
of Cassin’s 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 in
Dayton (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 flight
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, Ed
Kurtz, 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 wallacealan@sbcglobal.net, or
post sightings on the Nevada bird listserv. Good birding!
 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. o LAS Renewal o New Membership o Send me a National Audubon application

2. o Individual/Family - $20/year o Full Time Student/Senior (over 62) - $15/year

LAS Donations: Please select level:

o Ruby-crowned Kinglet - $10 o Mountain Bluebird - $20 o American Avocet - $50
o American White Pelican - $100 o Golden Eagle - $500 or more

Volunteering: I am interested in receiving information about volunteering for LAS: o

NAME (please print)______________________________________________________
ADDRESS_ ____________________________________________________________
CITY__________________________ STATE_ ________ ZIP CODE_____________
PHONE________________________________________________________________
E-MAIL_______________________________________ o Include on LAS-only e-mail list

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $__________ May/June 2009 issue

Make check payable to Lahontan Audubon Society and mail this form to:
Kathy Oakes, LAS Membership, 4120 Plateau Road, Reno, NV 89519

LAS SALES FORM

Price Postage TOTAL

Important Bird Areas of Nevada $19.95 $4.60 _____

Published by Lahontan Audubon Society, 2005

A Birding Guide to Reno and Beyond--Second Edition $10 $2 _____

Published by Lahontan Audubon Society, 2007

Nevada Birding Map--Second Edition $ 4 $1 _____

Published by Lahontan Audubon Society, 2007

TOTAL ORDER _____

NAME (please print)______________________________________________________

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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

The Pelican 11
 Printed on Recycled Paper
THE PELICAN NonProfit org.
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If your mailing label is highlighted, please

renew your local LAS membership now.

LAHONTAN AUDUBON SOCIETY

Officers President Karen Kish klkish@pyramid.net 841-1180

Vice President Alan Gubanich aag@unr.nevada.edu 857-0191
Treasurer Jane Burnham jane.burnham@sbcglobal.net 677-4178
Recording Secretary Bonnie Wagner bwagner@hyattclassic.com 829-6311
Trustees Seat #1 to 2011 Dave Straley dstraley@nvbell.net 832-9222
Seat #2 to 2011 Gene Hansel renohansel@hotmail.com 354-2150
Seat #3 to 2009 Ali Chaney ali_chaney@hotmtail.com 813-3494
Seat #4 to 2011 Kathy Oakes oakesy@sbcglobal.net 747-5446
Seat #5 to 2009 Jacque Lowery wbureno@sbcglobal.net 853-1302
Seat #6 to 2010 Linda Badzioch lbadzioch@pyramid.net 851-8353
Seat #7 to 2010 Kenn Rohrs karohrs@charter.net 849-9530

IBA Director Robin Powell rpowell@audubon.org 247-2798

Committee Activity/Program Alan Gubanich aag@unr.nevada.edu 857-0191

Chairs Birding Classes Bob Goodman pandion36@aol..com 972-7848
Birds & Books Reading Group Kenn Rohrs karhors@charter.net 849-9530
Communications Karen Kish klkish@pyramid.net 841-1180
Conservation Ali Chaney ali_chaney@hotmail.com 813-3494
Education Alan Gubanich aag@unr.nevada.edu 857-0191
Field Trips Christiane Omer happycpo@aol.com 354-2634
Hospitality Linda Badzioch lbadzioch@pyramid.net 851-8353
LAS Sales Jane Burnham jane.burnham@sbcglobal.net 677-4178
Membership Kathy Oakes oakesy@sbcglobal.net 747-5446

Publication and The Pelican Editor Jen Martin jensieb@gmail.com 742-2582
Information The Pelican Distribution Connie Douglas nevadaconnie@sbcglobal.net 425-1305
“Birds in Town” Alan Wallace wallacealan@sbcglobal.net 786-5755
LAS Info Line Jacque Lowery 324-BIRD
Web Master Steve Ting scting@charter.net 849-3725