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.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER MONTHLY MEETINGS

Date: Fourth Tuesday of the month
2010 Time: Social at 6:30 p.m. Program starts at 7 p.m.
Location: South Valleys Library
vol. 48, no. 1 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 first right turn onto Wedge Parkway, just past
Raley’s shopping center. Go about one mile on Wedge Parkway and look for the boldly
Inside This Issue designed, mustard yellow library on the right. Carpooling is encouraged.
NOTE: the October Meeting ONLY will be at Moana Lane Nursery; directions
1 Monthly Meetings follow the October program description.

2 Birds and More September 28 – Robin Powell – Saving Nevada’s Birds, Acre by Acre
Some of them live here, some just pass through, some spend only the summer or the
3 Field Trips winter here. But all of them—Nevada’s birds—share one common need: habitat. And
that’s the focus of Nevada’s IBAs. An IBA is an Important Bird Area, and Nevada
4 LAS News presently has 39. They are managed and monitored by Robin Powell, Nevada’s Director
of Bird Conservation. Join us for a fun and informative look at the IBA Program, with
5 Avid Birder photographs of several priority areas and a discussion of the many conservation projects
underway at several IBAs. Come share the successes and the challenges Robin faces as
she continues to try to bring public awareness to the needs of these areas. You’ll also
6 Birds in Town find out how YOU can volunteer to help save YOUR birds at one or more of these areas
of critical concern near you.
7 LAS Sales/
Membership October 26 – Kenn Rohrs – Symbolic Birds
Kenn Rohrs, founder and facilitator of our “Birds and Books” group, will present
an informative and interesting program exploring birds as icons and symbols. Many
different birds have inspired our stories, poetry, and music. The Bald Eagle and the
Submissions for the November/ Mountain Bluebird symbolically represent the United States and the State of Nevada,
December issue are due October 1, respectively. Blue Jays, Cardinals, Eagles, Falcons, and Ravens, are some of the
2010 birds that give their names to sports teams, cars, airplanes, and wine. Join us for this
entertaining look at birds as symbols.
The Pelican may be viewed on the LAS
website at www.nevadaaudubon.org,
Only the October meeting will be held at Moana Nursery Educational Workshop
Building at the usual time (see above). Directions: Moana Nursery is on the
click on the Newsletter tab.
southwest corner of Lakeside Drive and Moana Lane, at 1100 West Moana Lane. The
Educational Workshop is a separate building, located on the west side of the parking lot
(not in the nursery shop itself). Many thanks to Moana Nursery for agreeing to let us
use their facility again.

The Pelican 1
BIRDS AND MORE
Kathy Oakes 775-747-5446 oakesy@sbcglobal.net

Clark’s Nutcrackers seed caches. Nutcrackers have a unique

Hiking the Mount Rose trail this July,
my husband and I were entertained by
several groups of Clark’s Nutcrackers
calling to each other. They were
extracting seeds from the cones of
whitebark pines, a familiar tree in open,
sunny groves around the high meadows
of the Sierras and other western
mountains. I was reminded of the close
evolutionary relationship between the
nutcrackers and whitebark pine, a story
that is entertainingly told in Ronald
Lanner’s 1996 book Made for Each
Other.
The Clark’s Nutcracker, a member
of the crow family, has a distinctive
gray body with black wings and tail
tipped in white, and a stout black bill.
The bird is a permanent resident of
the upper montane forests of the West,
and is often located first by its guttural
squawking call, kraaaaak. Conifer
seeds (mostly pines) comprise over 80
percent of the nutcracker’s diet. They
eat the seeds throughout the year and
store large quantities in fall for later
consumption. Nutcrackers even raise
their nestlings, which hatch in late
winter, exclusively on conifer seeds
that they retrieve from stored caches.
Clark’s Nutcrackers have evolved
several adaptations for harvesting,
transporting, eating, and storing pine
seeds. The bird’s heavy bill is used
for opening green closed cones, for
efficiently extracting seeds from open
cones, for cracking thick-hulled pine
seeds, and for digging in soil to bury
pouch located in the floor of the mouth
that can hold a large number of pine
seeds for transport. The birds have
evolved strong flight capabilities, which
aid them in searching large areas for
cone-bearing trees and in transporting a
pouch-full of seeds that may weigh up
to 20 percent of the bird’s weight over
several miles to communal cache sites
in meadows and on open south-facing
slopes.
Nutcrackers show a remarkable
memory of where they have stored
their seed caches. Experiments have
shown that they accomplish this by
memorizing the locations of objects
surrounding the caches. This is
especially remarkable considering that
nutcrackers may store between 34,000
to 80,000 seeds in thousands of caches
each season. Nutcrackers have been
observed flying directly to a cache site
and immediately locating the seeds
by tunneling through several feet of
snow. Researchers report that Clark’s
Nutcrackers remember the exact
location of their many stores very well
for 180 days, with a bit less accuracy
after 300 days.
Although Clark’s Nutcrackers don’t
depend solely upon whitebark pine for
food, there is strong evidence that the
pine depends upon the nutcrackers for
successful seed dispersal. Whitebark
pines have evolved several features that
facilitate seed harvest by nutcrackers.
The seeds are held in cones that remain
closed on the tree and can only be
opened by nutcrackers. The seeds are
Clark’s Nutcracker, Deschutes National Forest,
Oregon. Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
wingless, which enables the birds to
more rapidly harvest and transport
seeds. The cones of whitebark pine
are borne conspicuously at the ends
of upswept branch, readily visible
to nutcrackers flying overhead. The
large seeds represent an attractive
food source for the birds, but more
likely evolved to support the seedlings
developing in the harsh environments
of the high meadows and slopes
on which they are buried by the
nutcrackers. Researchers estimate that
the birds retrieve about 70 percent
of their stored caches, so 30 percent
are available for potential seedling
germination.
This September, venture up to the
whitebark pine stands near the Mount
Rose pass (only 1.0 to 1.5 miles of
fairly easy hiking from the Mount
Rose trailhead) and spend some
time watching Clark’s Nutcrackers.
Whitebark pine cones start ripening in
late August, and the birds will be busy
in their harvest throughout September.

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
FIELD TRIPS
Christiane Omer 775-354-2634 happycpo@aol.com
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Silver Saddle Ranch, Carson City
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Leader: Nancy Santos 775-884-1570,
nancylas@att.net
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 the
ranch 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 to
attend. Please contact Nancy Santos to
register or for more information.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Stillwater NWR
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Leader: Mike Goddard 775-423-5128
Meet at the refuge office, 1000 Auction
Road, just off Williams Avenue (US 50)
behind the Speedway gas station. We
will tour Stillwater NWR and walk the
new Tule trail, a 1.5 mile, level, gravel
trail with a restroom, benches, and a
photographic blind. Please RSVP to
Mike Goddard, Stillwater NWR Project
Leader.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Swan Lake/Lemmon Valley Marsh,
North Reno
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Leader: Bob Goodman 775-972-7848,
pandion36@aol.com
Meet Bob at the McDonald’s 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 prepare to 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.
The Pelican 3
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Taylor Creek, South Lake Tahoe
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Leaders: Sheryl Ferguson 530-541-
8462, s-sferguson@sbcglobal.net and
Sue Stevenson
We will meet 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
Richardson’s 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-day bird
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.
Field Trip Reports
Porter Springs, June 5
Leader: Don Molde
A baker’s dozen of birders traveled
to Porter Springs, about 30 miles
northwest of Lovelock, for an outing
on a beautiful day. At the site there
were numerous Western Tanagers,
Western Wood-Pewees, a couple
of Bullock’s Orioles, a Sora in the
big pond, Brewers and Red-winged
Blackbirds, and a few other species.
Other notable migrants were not
present, though the habitat conditions
were fairly impressive and water
was plentiful. While birding was the
primary focus, several of the group
new to the site commented favorably
on the vistas, solitude, greenness of the
desert vegetation, and the remoteness
of the location as additional attractants
of note.
ASK A BIRDER
LASBirdBrain@gmail.com
Dear Bird Brain,
What do I do if I see a hummingbird in
my yard after they’re supposed to have
migrated? Should I refill and hang my
hummingbird feeder to try and help it?
Or should I just trust Mother Nature
and hope that the confused creature
leaves before it is too late.
Signed,
Rattled in Reno
Dear Rattled,
It is difficult
to know why a
hummingbird
would be delayed
in migrating. If it
is sticking around later than normal it
may be sick or injured. However, it is
safe to refill and hang your feeder to
give the little guy (or gal) an energy
boost. Hummingbirds migrate in
response to physiological changes, and
the presence of your feeder will not
delay its trek south. Just remember to
use one part table sugar to four parts
water and avoid the red dyes found in
commercial hummingbird food, which
are known to be carcinogenic. And
watch the outside temperature; you
don’t want to risk your feeder freezing
solid overnight, cracking, and ruining it
forever. If you decide not to refill your
feeder, don’t worry, hummingbirds are
well-adapted creatures. During stressful
times, such as having to spend the night
in colder-than-normal temperatures,
they can enter a state of torpor (a type
of deep sleep) where they drastically
reduce their metabolic rate and almost
totally suppress all body functions. In
all likelihood, they will awaken and
either begin or continue their journey to
the warm south.
Happy Birding,
The Bird Brain
LAS NEWS
• Huge Thanks to Jen Martin
LAS gives a huge thanks to Jen Martin, who
is stepping down after this issue as The Pelican
Editor (actually, Jen wanted to retire with the
last issue, but graciously agreed to step up one
more time to complete this issue). Many of
you may remember the headlines on the front
page of the May/June 2008 Pelican: “Stork Battles Pelican
for Deadline Priority—Stork Wins.” Back then, Jen, very
pregnant with Matthew, had to suspend her efforts at getting
her first issue completed when Matthew came two weeks
early. Well, the Stork will once more beat out The Pelican.
Jen is expecting her second child and knows that the demands
of caring for two-year-old Matthew and the new baby will be
too much for her to continue with The Pelican. Jen has done
an unbelievably great job for over two years as our Pelican
Editor. Under her stewardship, The Pelican evolved to include
more photographs and graphics and added several regular
columns. The expanded 12-page edition has become more
the rule than the exception! Thank you Jen, you will be
sorely missed as Editor, but we hope to see you at meetings
and field trips!
• Avian Art and Vine a Success!
LAS’s first wine tasting and silent auction event, Avian Art
& Vine, was held on June 4 at Moana Nursery. It was a great
success, with almost 100 attending. Each guest received
a wine glass embossed with the LAS logo to sample the
wonderful wines provided and poured by Southern Wine
& Spirits. Chef Keith Sadanaga from John Ascuaga’s
Nugget provided and prepared gourmet food on site. Culinary
arts students from Sierra Nevada Job Corps prepared and
presented elegant desserts. The food and wine received
rave reviews. Almost 80 items were up for bid at the silent
auction; many guests went home with wonderful artwork, golf
packages, dinner certificates, etc. Raffle tickets were sold for
40 prizes including gift baskets and small artwork. A huge
thanks to Moana Nursery for providing the perfect venue.
Thanks to all our donors of food, wine, artwork, and other
items for the auction and raffle. It could not have happened
without you! Thanks to all the members who attended. LAS
is pleased to report that the event raised $5,000, enough to
purchase a mobile classroom trailer, which was our goal. The
trailer is on order and will be featured in the next issue of
The Pelican. Please contact Alan Gubanich at renopopop@
pyramid.net if you have any educational items that you would
like to donate for the mobile classroom, such as bird guides,
bird picture books, duck decoys, bird models, or pictures of
birds.
Join us on Facebook!
LAS is happy to announce its new Facebook Fan Page. Please join us on Facebook and suggest our
page to all of your birding friends. We can be found at http://www.facebook.com/lahontanaudubon.
4 The Pelican
• Welcome to new faces and familiar faces in new positions.
Kristin Szabo was elected to Seat #7 on the Board of
Trustees. Kristin has lived in Reno for three years and works
full-time as a biologist for the Nevada Natural Heritage
Program, a state agency in the Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources. Prior to her position with the
State, Kristin worked for 10 years as a biologist with an
environmental consulting firm in southern California. She
enjoys nature and the outdoors and likes to spend her free
time hiking, birding, and snowshoeing. Kristin has been
volunteering with LAS as the copy-editor on “Team Pelican”
and writing the Ask a Birder column, as well as creating
and maintaining a Facebook page for LAS. We are looking
forward to her input on the Board of Trustees.
Jim Eidel is another familiar LAS face now in a new
position—he will be taking over as Conservation Chair this
fall. Jim has been active in LAS for many years, having served
as a past President of LAS. He ran a MAPS bird-banding
station with Alan Gubanich in Little Valley for 11 years, and
also ran other banding stations at the Carson River, and along
the Truckee River. Jim is a retired exploration geologist and
traveled extensively during his career. Jim and his wife have
lived in the Reno/Carson City area for several years; they have
two grown children and many grandchildren.
Carol Coleman, a new face in LAS, has volunteered to
be our new Pelican Editor. Carol has experience editing
newsletters for the Reno-Sparks Newcomers, the Historic
Reno Preservation Society, and the Historical Society’s
Docents. She is completing writing and layout for a book
titled Early Reno. Carol and her husband Sam retired from
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1999 and moved
to Reno. They have four grown children, 10 grandchildren and
one great-grandson. Carol chairs a group called “Learn about
Nevada” with the Reno-Sparks Newcomers and both Carol
and Sam are active with Reno Little Theatre.
Laura Gibson, an LAS member for some years, will be
taking over as our new Recording Secretary in Fall. Look for a
longer introduction to Laura in the next issue of The Pelican.
• Board of Trustees Seat # 5 Remains Open
Anyone interested in becoming a member of the LAS Board
of Trustees please contact either Jacque Lowery or Alan
Gubanich. The remaining term for this seat runs through June,
2012. Serving on the Board requires attending about 10 Board
Meetings per year and a time commitment of five to six hours
a month. It’s a rewarding position and presents an opportunity
to learn more about Audubon, both LAS and National. You
don’t need to be an expert on birds or any other topic to serve;
just bring your enthusiasm.
THE AVID BIRDER
Kenn Rohrs 775-849-9530 karohrs@charter.net
Rewilding the World:
Dispatches from the
Conservation Revolution
by Caroline Fraser
In 1998, Michael
Soule and Reed Noss published a
paper, “Rewilding and Biodiversity:
Complimentary Goals for Continental
Conservation.” They set forth three
requirements for enhancing biodiversity
and promoting rewilding: “Cores,
Corridors, and Carnivores.” Caroline
Fraser, in this very readable and thought-
provoking book, explores and discusses
the significant changes in biological and
environmental sciences that this paper
has generated.
Cores – think national parks and
wildlife refuges – have long been the
distinguishing conservation design.
Many of theses “cores” are small in scale
and do not maintain intact ecosystems.
Corridors – think necklace of pearls
– are necessary to reestablish links
between cores because isolation and
fragmentation of wilderness areas erode
biodiversity. Corridors allow wildlife to
migrate and disperse. Carnivores – think
grizzles, wolves, panthers, and eagles –
are crucial to maintaining the regulatory
mechanism keeping the ecosystem
healthy. Large carnivores regulate other
predators and prey; their protection and
reintroduction is crucial in enhancing
biodiversity and promoting rewilding.
LAS General Meeting Topics 2010 - 2011
September 28 – Robin Powell – Saving Nevada’s Birds Acre by Acre
October 26 – Kenn Rohrs – Symbolic Birds
November 23 – Sharon Shafer – The Art of Nature: Images from the
Wildlands of Southern Nevada
January 25 – Doug & Lu Canham – Birds of Midway Atoll
February 22 – To Be Announced
March 22 – Bird ID Panel Round 4
April 26 – To Be Announced
May 23 – To Be Announced
The Pelican 5
Fraser’s introduction: “The Predicta
Moth” is a great introduction to current
scientific thinking regarding biodiversity,
fragmentation, and the concept of
rewilding. She tells the story of Charles
Darwin predicting that the white
night-blooming orchid, found only in
Madagascar, necessitated the existence
of a night-flying pollinator, probably
a moth equipped with a foot-long
proboscis. No one had ever seen such a
creature, yet 40 years later such a moth
subspecies was found feeding on this
orchid. Fraser uses this story to illustrate
the interconnectedness of our world.
She argues, persuasively, that for us to
survive we need a world as complex,
biodiverse, and interdependent as the one
that created us. Biodiversity is a vital
indicator of the well-being of our planet.
The remainder of the book is divided
into four parts, each addressing and
examining the issues and challenges
confronting biologists and environmental
scientists around the world involved
in rewilding and biodiversity projects.
Fraser gives us on-the-ground accounts
of rewilding projects in the United
States, Costa Rica, Africa, Nepal, and
Europe, where the former “Iron Curtain”
is now the world’s largest “green belt.”
She shares compelling stories about
the exciting people who have a vision
of a diverse and interdependent world.
These “dispatches” make fascinating
reading. Best of all, Fraser’s book gives
us HOPE!
Birds & Books
LAS Birds & Books is a flock of readers
interested in nature, especially birds
and birding. The group meets 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. 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.
September 21
Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and
Other Ways to Start the Day by Diane
Ackerman
October 19
Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family
and Place by Terry Temple Williams
November 16
A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by
Nicholas Drayson
December 21
No Meeting
Donors
American White Pelican $100-$499
Dale and Linda Sanderson
Jane Bowden
American Avocet $50-$99
Le Roy S. Pendleton
Penny Kelley
Carol Coleman
Mountain Bluebird $20-$49
Curt Orthel
Dan Westermeyer
Ruby-crowned Kinglet $10-$19
John Mitchell
Crystel and Marco Montecinos
Birds in Town
Alan Wallace wallacealan@sbcglobal.net
It’s amazing what a little water will do. As summer baked
northern Nevada towns, sprinklers and ditches kept everything
green and shaded, a striking contrast to the dry surrounding
hillsides and valleys. We don’t normally think of an American
Robin or a Yellow Warbler as a waterbird. But the lawns from
which robins yank worms and the bugs that the warblers pluck
from the leaves of a backyard tree, not to mention the non-native
trees and shrubs that provide nest sites for Bullock’s Orioles
and House Wrens, are all there because of the water that we’ve
provided. So, although robins and warblers aren’t waterbirds in
the sense of the Mallards and American Coots that frequent
our city and town ponds (yet more human additions of water),
they definitely are secondary beneficiaries of the water that we
provide to keep everything green. We’ve all heard of the need to
have a bath in our yards for the birds to drink and bathe, but how
many of us think of the well-watered lawns, trees, and shrubs
(and the food generated therein) as “providing water” for the
birds?
The list of in-town birds and the water-created habitats that
they use is endless, but the nice benefit is that the greenery
provides us with a bounty of birds. This June and
July, those birds finished their migrations and
plunged into the breeding phase of their yearly
cycle. As turf was staked out, Northern Flickers
chased European Starlings from nest holes,
and even Downy Woodpeckers drove off Hairy
Woodpeckers from their occupied holes. In
early June, Western Tanagers, which migrated
through in spectacular numbers in May, finally
finished their push through towns, as did the
Olive-sided Flycatchers, MacGillivray’s and
Townsend’s Warblers, and Cassin’s Finches
that normally breed at higher elevations or farther
north. A pair of Blue Grosbeaks, which isn’t Male Downy Woodpecker, photo-
uncommon in rural areas, was a new addition graphed by Wolfgang Wander, New
to a Dayton yard in early June, and a Costa’s York, 2007.
Hummingbird drifted into southwestern Reno.
By late June, it seemed like fledged young were everywhere, the
products of the first round of breeding. This was most evident on
and near the local water bodies, where the youngsters were most
visible, and included young Gadwalls, Redheads, Northern
Shovelers, and Cinnamon Teal on the water and miniature
American Avocets, Killdeer, and Black-necked Stilts in the
adjacent mudflats. At Virginia Lake in Reno, the island hosted
abundant young Double-crested Cormorants and gulls, and
the Snowy Egrets had four nests. Wilson’s Snipe winnowed in
the marshy areas (many the product of irrigation), and fledged
Marsh Wrens and Yellow-headed Blackbirds began to appear
in late June.
In the terrestrial world, the first round of Hairy Woodpecker,
Mountain Chickadee, Black-headed Grosbeak, House Finch,
and goldfinch fledglings appeared in late June, and the sudden
reappearance of female Black-chinned Hummingbirds at
feeders signaled that the first egg-brooding cycle had ended.
Near Baker, the Wild Turkeys added to their numbers, as did the
6 The Pelican
Western Kingbirds, Western Scrub-Jays, and Pinyon Jays.
A few large coveys of California Quail chicks were reported
(notably along the Carson River), but many paired-up quail spent
much of the summer without the usual retinue of chicks, possibly
due to predation or the erratic weather in late May and June. The
Mountain Chickadees in Galena began rebuilding their nest
immediately after the first brood fledged, portending a second
batch in that area. Second-round Black-headed Grosbeaks and
House Finches appeared in late July, and other species were
on nests, with young expected in early August. Overhead, the
skies were filled with numerous first-year Red-tailed Hawks,
freshly fledged American Kestrels screeched near downtown
Winnemucca, and Common Nighthawk flocks at dusk surged
in size to several dozen, undoubtedly as fledged young joined
the ranks.
Late July brought hints of the end of the breeding season and
the start of migration. Many species, after being fairly quiet
after the initial din of territorial and mate-catching singing,
began to sing again as their hormone levels dropped back into
the “singing” range (it’s sort of a bell curve for some species,
with the hormonal arc passing up past and then
back down through the song-inducing level).
The late July arrival of Wilson’s Phalaropes
on some local lakes signaled the beginning of
southward migration, as did the appearance
at the Wells sewage ponds by a Sanderling.
Rufous Hummingbirds, with their usual
two-step southerly migration, arrived at some
feeders in early July, and, by the end of the
month, they and the locally breeding Black-
chinned and Broad-tailed (in central and
eastern Nevada) Hummingbirds resumed their
annual mid-summer feeder battles. The Rufous
prefer to migrate through the higher-elevation
wildflowers, dropping to lower elevations as
the flowers wane, but the robust late wildflower
season in the Sierras may have accounted for
the fewer numbers of Rufous than normal at western Nevada
feeders in late July. As southern species began to disperse, a few
vagrants drifted into northern Nevada, notably a Hooded Oriole
and an Indigo Bunting in the Carson City area. Fall is coming.
The contributors who braved the heavy, cold rain and searing
heat in June and July reported 133 species. These intrepid birders
included Elisabeth Ammon, Meg Andrews, Ali Chaney, Jim
Eidel, Mary Jo Elpers, Peter Fairley, Bob Goodman, Janet
Helton, Gerrad Jones, Karen Kish, Ed Kurtz, Rob Lowry,
Susie Marshall, Martin Meyers, Ann Murphy, Fred Petersen,
Kris Pizarro, Melissa Renfro & John Free, Melissa Robards,
Georgia & Kenn Rohrs, Greg Scyphers, Dennis & Becca
Serdehely, Jean Sherman, Zach Smith, Kristin Szabo, Myra
Ulvang, 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!
 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. 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________________________________________________________________
Email_______________________________________ o Include on LAS-only email list

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $__________ September/October 2010 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)______________________________________________________

ADDRESS_ ____________________________________________________________
CITY__________________________ STATE_ ________ ZIP CODE_____________
PHONE________________________________________________________________
EMAIL_______________________________________________________________ (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 7
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P.O. Box 2304 paid
Reno, Nevada 89505 reno, nevada
permit no. 181

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

If your mailing label is highlighted, please

renew your local LAS membership now.

LAHONTAN AUDUBON SOCIETY

Officers President Jacque Lowery nevadabird@charter.net 853-1302
Vice President Alan Gubanich renopopop@pyramid.net 857-0191
Treasurer Jane Burnham jane.burnham@sbcglobal.net 677-4178
Recording Secretary Laura Gibson gibsonrosen@sbcglobal.net 887-5614
Trustees Seat #1 to 2011 Dave Straley dbstraley@gmail.com 832-9222
Seat #2 to 2011 Gene Hansel renohansel@hotmail.com 354-2150
Seat #3 to 2012 Audrey Higashi nenemaka@yahoo.com 250-5500
Seat #4 to 2011 Kathy Oakes oakesy@sbcglobal.net 747-5446
Seat #5 to 2012 Vacant
Seat #6 to 2013 Linda Badzioch lbadzioch@pyramid.net 851-8353
Seat #7 to 2013 Kristin Szabo krs4242@gmail.com 846-0129

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

Committee Activity/Program Alan Gubanich renopopop@pyramid.net 857-0191

Chairs Birding Classes Bob Goodman pandion36@aol..com 972-7848
Birds & Books Reading Group Kenn Rohrs karhors@charter.net 849-9530
Communications Kathy Oakes oakesy@sbcglobal.net 747-5446
Conservation Jim Eidel grja9@sbcglobal.net 841-6543
Education Alan Gubanich renopopop@pyramid.net 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
Volunteer Coordination Gene Hansel renohansel@hotmail.com 354-2150

Publication and The Pelican Editor Carol Coleman carol@GalenaForest.net 849-3380
Information “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