november-december 2006 pelican newsletter lahontan audubon society

8/9/2019 November-December 2006 Pelican Newsletter Lahontan Audubon Society

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The Pelican 1

the

PelicanLahontan Audubon Society P.O. Box 2304 Reno, Nevada 89505 www.nevadaaudubon.org 775-324-BIRDMission statement: To preserve and improve the remaining habitat of birds and other wildlife, restore historical habitat, and educate

the public, with emphasis on children, providing vision to all about our unique Nevada environments.

MONTHLY MEETINGSDate: Fourth Tuesday of the month

Time: Social at 6:30 p.m. Program starts at 7 p.m.

Location: South Valleys Library

15650A Wedge Parkway, Reno

Exterior door, west side of building

Directions to South Valleys Library: Take Hwy 395 to the Mt. Rose Hwy. Head west

on the Mt. Rose Hwy and take the first right turn onto Wedge Parkway, just past Raleys

shopping center. Go about one mile on Wedge Parkway and look for the boldly

designed, mustard yellow library on the right.

November 28 -- Greg Scyphers -- Birds and Wildlife of Northern Tanzania

Join us for a photographic journey through northern Tanzania. Greg will show

pictures of scenery and wildlife, with a strong emphasis on birds, taken during a

safari he and his wife were on in this past March. One of Africa s most popular

destinations for ecotourists is Tanzania, a country that has preserved many of its

important wildlife areas to capitalize on tourism. Highlighted in this presenta-

tion will be Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara Park,

Ngorongoro Crater & Conservation Area, and Serengeti National Park.

Note: There is no meeting in December. The next meeting after

November is Tuesday, January 23, 2007.

Birds and Books Reading Group

Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 9, and December 14, 7-8:30 p.m.,

location to be announced. For November, we will discussRavens in Winterby

Bernd Heinrich. In December we will discuss which books to read in 2007. For

a list of bird-related books and bird book group meeting locations, check the

LAS web site or contact Kenn Rohrs at [email protected] or 775-849-9530.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER2006

vol. 44, no. 2

Inside This Issue

1 Monthly Meetings

2 Field Trips

3 Important Bird Areas

4 From the Presidents

Perch

5 Conservation Corner

6 Birds In Town

7 LAS Sales/

Membership

Submissions for the January/February

issue are due December 1, 2006


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The Pelican 3

MPORTANT BIRD AREAS PROGRAMn McIvor 775-882-2597

[email protected]

Swan Song

By the time this edition ofThe Peli-can reaches your hands, I expect to

be in Washington. The western state,

not the eastern morass. My wife and I

bought a small remnant of a farm up

here with lots of water (a reaction to

Nevada, probably), lots of birds, and

ots of projects that need attention.

m already behind.

I have been serving as the Nevada

Director of Bird Conservation for

five years and two months, longer

han Ive ever stayed in one job in

my life. It would be easy to say itsime to move on, but Id have to

convince myself of that first before I

could convince you. As some sort of

cairn by which to measure progress

thought about making this edition

of this column a summary of what

ve accomplished in five years. But

he thought of a 1,000 words of self-

aggrandizement made me break out

n a rash that made typing difficult.

Those who know me know I stink at

elf congratulation.

Photographer Philip Hyde said,

there is no limit to what a man can

do as long as he does not care who

gets the credit. I keep this quote

pinned above my desk where I can

occasionally glance over and read it,

and it has been my modus operandi

and the reason Ill probably never

make it in corporate America. But I

hink it explains a lot of the success

of the IBA Program in Nevada, andelsewhere.

From the day I started here I

ecognized that I would never be

able to accomplish alone all the tasks

before me. So I set about developing

partnerships. The dividends of

hose partnerships have kept the

program going and graced me with

priceless colleagues and friends.

Nevada is blessed with a lot of highly

competent people who do care deeply

about the resource, and I got to work

with many of them. Every day they

navigate a labyrinth of bureaucracy

and do battle with the petty, the self-

interested, and the narrow-minded in

order to accomplish good things for

wildlife and habitat. Conservationists

come in a lot of different forms. Ive

also learned that another set of those

fine folks start their days on the back

of a horse or other piece of heavyequipment and then go about managing

their land. Though I value what we

have accomplished for birds, it is those

conversations in halls and over fences

and the relationships they fostered that

I will value most, and it is really those

people who deserve a loud thanks.

If I had waited until the future

of Nevadas birds was assured and

secure before leaving, Id never get

to leave. Those of us who choose to

care about and work for the naturalworld have assumed a Sisyphean task.

Every morning we get up and start

pushing that boulder up the hill, take

a 30 minute break for lunch, resume

pushing, and knock off around 5 and

watch the boulder roll back to the

bottom of the hill. It can be depressing.

The challenges we are facing are

monumental and some transcend

the boundaries of land owners and

watersheds to encompass entirelandscapes. Think invasive species,

fire, and climate change. Read a book

by Tim Flannery called The Weather

Makers; it will change your life. In

the end it doesnt matter whether

someone drives a Prius or a horse, we

need to find common ground and work

together. And as Ed Abbey pointed out,

dont forget to occasionally take a break

and enjoy what youre fighting for.

I am gratified that the LAS Board has

agreed to continue the IBA Program and

is now looking for my replacement. I

dont know who that person will be, but

I hope you will support them and help

them move the program forward. Over

the past year Ive been working with

our partners to shape the future of the

IBA Program in Nevada and hopefully

set my replacement up for wild success.

Im excited about the opportunities that

lie ahead in Nevada, so excited that Iam trying to replicate this job and these

opportunities in Washington. But as has

happened before, Nevada may be the

first to shape the mold and set a standard

for the rest of the country to follow.

After years spent identifying

Nevadas IBAs and more years spent in

conservation planning, it istime to getout on the ground and start to improve

habitat for birds and wildlife. We are

looking at a program that will develop

local, grass roots partnerships, develop

grant opportunities, pull together

institutional partners, and actually start

to put projects on the ground. Its the job

Ive always wanted and now Im leaving

it for someone else.

What Ive most wanted to say here is

thanks. I deeply appreciate the efforts of

all who have supported and lent a hand

to the IBA Program.

Keep up the good fight.

Don McIvor

NV Director of Bird Conservation

NV Important Bird Areas Program


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4 The Pelican

Steadfast Stewardship

The evening of August 21st was bright

with late afternoon sun but balmy and

surprisingly calm for that time of day in

Reno. Several representatives of LAS

joined some 90 representatives of variouspublic agencies at a recognition and

dedication ceremony for the boardwalk,

now doubled in length, at Swan Lake

Nature Study Area. A couple sat for a

photograph on one of the eight new,

integrated benches, between them

a plaque reading, Come sit, relax,

and enjoy the sight and sounds of the

marsh. The boardwalk benches are

provided by a personal donation from

F. Kirk and Annaliese Odencrantz,

Lahontan Audubon Society, lovers of all

things wild. Longtime LAS memberswith a long-term commitment to the

environment, Kirk and Annaliese made a

donation to LAS a number of years ago

designated for use at Swan Lake. What

a pleasure to see that donation come to

fruition.

The photographer was Bob Goodman,

our man at Swan Lake. LAS,

principally through Bob, has been there

from the beginning of a sustained effort

to restore what was an historic wetland

serving nesting and migratory birds since

prehistoric times. In the early 1990sLAS President Ken Pulver exchanged

comments with another birder. There are

a lot of birds out there. We ought to do

something about it. Ken and Bob, then

Conservation Chair, met over breakfast:

What can we do? Ken started working

through his various contacts in Reno city

government. Bob used his photography

talents to assemble and present a slide

show to bring awareness of the wetlands

to a number of groups. Audubon

got excited about it. Who owned the

land? What about water? How to keep

momentum going and iron out the

wrinkles in a project involving a number

of public agencies? Arrange to take then

Senator Richard Bryan on a canoe trip on

the marsh.

In April 1999 representatives of local,

state, and federal agencies officially

dedicated Swan Lake Nature Study Area.

In 2003 Swan Lake was recognized by

National Audubon Society as a Nevada

Important Bird Area. Ahead are plans

for an outdoor classroom environmental

education center and a structured

schedule of school class visits.All the while Bob leads one group after

another onto the marsh, works with all

manner of entities, and dramatizes the

vibrant life of Swan Lake through his

photography. Asked why he chose Swan

Lake, Bob says, Its my backyard.

That seems a good way to look at it. A

conservation effort is not an abstraction.

Steadfast efforts by individuals with the

will to do it make all the difference. In

this fashion we feather rather than foul

our collective nest.

Karen L. Kish

FROM THE PRESIDENTS PERCH

Kirk and Annaliese at Swan Lake August 21 with

a plaque reading, Come sit, relax, and enjoy the

sights and sounds of the marsh. The boardwalk

benches are provided by a personal donation

from F. Kirk and Annaliese Odencrantz, Lahontan

Audubon Society, lovers of all things wild.

Photo is by Bob Goodman, who also designed

the plaque.

IBA Nevada Looking

for New Director

LAS is looking for a new directo

for the Nevada Important Bird ArProgram (IBA). Long time direct

Don McIvor is moving to Washin

State (see story, page 3) and LAS

needs a director to continue what

has done so ably over the past fiv

years.

LAS has posted a complete pos

description on several empolyme

search web sites. After a formal

screening process, finalists will b

interviewed in structured format

a panel selected by the LAS Boar

While the position reports to LASdirector will be an employee of th

National Audubon Society.

Candidates should be graduates

accredited college or university w

a degree in a relevant environme

field, as well as relevant experien

in the non-profit, governmental o

education sectors.

For more information, contact D

McIvor at [email protected]

or visit the LAS web site at www

nevadaaudubon.org.

DONORS

Golden Eagle

Anonymous gift of $1,000 to be spent on conservation projects

American Avocet $50 - $99

Kathy Oakes

Mountain Bluebird $20 - $49

Carol Coleman, Jonathan Heywood, George and Judy Johnson, Carole Terry

Ruby-crowned Kinglet $10 - $19

Jennifer Francis, Jim Gallagher, Ralph Hoke, Jacque Lowery, Stan Miller, John Mitch


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The Pelican 5

Lahontan Valley

Wood Ducks

Our first general meeting of the season wasa very interesting presentation on wood

ducks in Lahontan Valley by avid waterfowl

enthusiast Chris Nicolai, a PhD student at

UNR. When he was first approached by Bill

Henry, the supervising Wildlife Biologist at

Stillwater Refuge, about developing a project

to better understand the Wood Ducks seen

along the Carson River in Lahontan Valley,

Chris was skeptical, but nonetheless intrigued.

Fallon doesnt strike one as the place to go to

see Wood Ducks, let alone develop a research

project. But, thats changing and for the past

four years Chris has been doing just that,

researching many aspects of this population.Chris, with help from a number of

volunteers and private landowners, has

been able to place 132 nest boxes along the

river. While his major emphasis has been on

banding birds in hopes to gather recapture and

hunter return data, hes been able to collect

information on nest and hatching success rates

as well as causes of predation. Chris has also

been able to gather nest box temperature data

that shows when a hen is sitting on her nest in

hopes of learning how hens allocate energy to

producing eggs and to incubating them.

Collecting this type of information wouldnt

be possible without the help of volunteersand sponsors. If you are interested in learning

more about Wood Ducks or contributing

to this valuable conservation project, Chris

mentioned a few ways you can get involved.

For $40 you can Adopt a Wood Duck

box. They will install a box on your behalf,

maintain it and provide you with a map of its

location and a summary of the activity of your

box. Another fundraising effort they created

has been to auction off Be a Biologist

for the Day packages at recent waterfowl

association dinners. This is a fun-filled day

where you can spend time checking boxes,

taking measurements, handling and banding

these beautiful birds. Chris monitors nests in

the spring, but also bands Wood Ducks along

the river during the winter, which provides

additional volunteer opportunities. For

more information on this project, volunteer

opportunities or sponsorships mentioned

above, contact Chris Nicolai at nicholai@unr.

nevada.edu.

--Ali Chaney

Henderson, NV

Contact: Huston Shoopman, (702) 614-9619

Muddy River, NV

Contact: Bruce Lund at (702) 865-2808,

[email protected].

Snake Valley (Great Basin National Park

and vicinity), NV

Contact: Melissa Renfro (775) 234-7154

[email protected]; or leave a message

at the Great Basin National Park (775) 234-

7331.

Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, NV

Contact: Refuge at (702) 361-1171.

Honey Lake, CA

Contact: Tim Manolis at [email protected]

or (530) 253-3283.

Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge,

Oregon

Contact: Rachelle at (541) 947-2731.

Field Trip Report

An ideal water flow from Lahontan Dam

provided the five kayakers a perfect start for

the birding trip down the lower stretch of the

Carson River on September 16. The seasonsfirst frost of the night before gave way to

ideal temperatures for the slow journey,

making it one of the better days on the river.

Birds were everywhere, and we witnessed

for the second year running the migration of

Lewiss Woodpeckers all along the route. Th

angle of light for the early part made some

identification difficult, but by the end of the

trip we had 45 positive species, with a few

more in the questionable column.

One of the highlights was an American

Osprey with its catch of the day firmly in its

grasp, heading downriver ahead of us for a

relaxed meal, but here we came again, andthere he went again. Tough way to dine.

Many Great Blue Herons and Black-crowned

Night-Herons bolted before our craft, and a

few Wood Ducks made fly-bys over them.

An elusive yellow flash in the cattails was

finally confirmed as a Yellow Warbler, and

the many Marsh Wrens kept distracting some

from the warbler.

All in all, a dry run in a good flow made for

a memorable trip.

--Bob Goodman, Trip Leader

(Christmas Bird Counts continued from

page 2)

Truckee Meadows

Date: TBA

Meet at the McDonalds on the corner of

Oddie and Silverado (two blocks east of Hwy

395) in Sparks at 7 a.m. All count areas will

be coordinated and teams dispersed from

this location. A potluck is planned for the

evening compiling session, time and place to

be determined. Call Dave McNinch for all the

exciting details at (775) 747-7545. Please do

not call after 9 p.m. in the evenings.

Carson City

Date: TBA

Contact: Greg Scyphers at [email protected].

South Lake Tahoe, CA

Date: TBA

Come and join us for this exciting ski/

snowshoe count. Numerous chickadees and

other resident mountain birds abound. Since

a large part of the count area is Lake Tahoe

well sea kayak to look for loons, alcids,

scoters, etc., provided the weather is good.

The date for this count may change due to bad

weather conditions. Contact Will Richardson

at [email protected].

Pyramid Lake

Date: TBA

Meet at 7 a.m. at the Sutcliffe Marina. Bring

warm clothes, water and lunch. Contact: Tom

Stille (775) 747-2222 (work), (775) 690-4261

(cell), or [email protected].

Walker Lake

Date: TBA

Contact: Dennis Serdehely at birders@gbis.

com or (775) 575-0319.

OUT OF AREA CBCS:

Ash Meadows, NV

Contact: Donn Blake at [email protected] or

(702) 645-7736.

Corn Creek (Desert NWR), NV

Contact: Hermi Hiatt at (702) 361-1171.

Elko, NV

Contacts: Lois Ports at (775) 738-4270 or

[email protected], or Jo Dean at (775) 753-

6657.

CONSERVATION CORNER


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6 The Pelican

BIRDS IN TOWNby Alan Wallace

What with the continued warmth into late September, following what was the hottest summer on record in manynorthern Nevada towns, it hardly seemed time for the autumnal equinox, much less the fall migration. Yet, something

triggered the urge to move in the birds, and sizzling August produced the first hints of the southerly avian flow to

come. Perhaps the first clue in towns was the appearance of mountain-nesting Western Tanagers, along with a few

Black Phoebes, in a couple of Reno locations in mid August. Warbler numbers and diversity picked up as the monthprogressed, with a bevy ofOrange-crowned, Yellow, Wilsons, and MacGillivarys Warblers, joined by a couple of

Yellow-breasted Chats, a Nashville Warbler, a Northern Parula, and Gray,Willow, and Olive-sided Flycatchers.

On the waterfront, Long-billed Dowitchers lined exposed spits with Western, Lesser, and Semipalmated Sandpipers,

and abundant Red-necked Phalaropes joined the Wilsons in their busy feeding dance in the water. Several Ospreys

prowled the Truckee and Humboldt Rivers in search of migration-fortifying fish, and the Dippers began their altitudinal

migration to the lower reaches of the rivers. Still, August did not deter a few species from giving the breeding season one

last try. Common Mergansers had young along the Truckee, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds were mating, on their

nest, and fledging young.

The migration continued into September. Most of the swallows were gone by the first week of the month, but a

few Barn and Cliff Swallows were still nabbing late-season bugs over lakes and ponds several weeks later. Likewise,

most of the hummingbirds, save for a few hardy Annas Hummingbirds, took the mid-month cold snap to heart and

headed south. Several people noted that hummingbird numbers seemed to be down this summer in northern Nevada, incontrast to one set of yard feeders in southern Arizona where those tiny birds were going through gallons (!) of sugar

water daily. Warblers continued to move through, including a Hermit Warbler from the northwest passing through

Tonopah and a late-SeptemberBlack-throated Gray Warbler in Reno. As usual, the migration was a combination of

a gradual passage and short bursts of movement. Sue Anne Marshall happened into a fall of birds one mid-September

day, with a short-lived but lively influx of various warblers, kinglets, and vireos. Not all warblers head south: Yellow-

rumped Warblers winter here, and the first ones arrived on September 21. That also was the day that the White-

crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows arrived in a big way. The white-crowneds were right on time, according to

John Anderson, but the golden-crowneds were very early. Several Fox Sparrows scratched around in a couple of Reno

yards, a rare sighting in town, and the first Dark-eyed Juncos arrived in late September, ready to spend the winter in the

lowlands. In Paradise Valley, the hawk migration in mid September must have had the rodents shaking in their burrows:

along one stretch of road through the pasturelands, nearly every other telephone pole for several miles had a perched

Red-tailed Hawk. Adult and first-yearGreat-tailed Grackles in Winnemucca and Battle Mountain staked out their

winter feeding sites by congregating in what must be their favorite in-town haunts: motel and grocery-store parking lots.

Breeding groups ofCalifornia Quail merged into large coveys in September, accompanied in places by equally large

symbiotic retinues ofHouse Sparrows. By aggregate weight, Canada Geese probably are our largest over wintering

bird species, and their numbers increased greatly in September. One banded goose that Harold Peterson identified had

been banded in Reno three years ago, was released in eastern Nevada that same year, and three years later calls Reno

home once again.

Last year, roosting birds were reported from inside cars and the curtained backdrop at outdoor amphitheatres.

Well, now come the California Quail in the soda section at Wal-Mart, as discovered by Harold Peterson. According to

the customer service manager, their presence isnt all that uncommon. Add to that the House Finches in the rafters at

many Home Depots and the occasional Western Scrub-Jay orBewicks Wren that wanders into my house, and one

really doesnt need to go outside to watch the birds.In August and September, 131 outdoor species were reported from northern Nevada towns. Sources of

information for this column included John Anderson, Jessi Brown, Richard Brune, Ali Chaney, Jim Eidel, Mary Jo

Elpers, Clare Engeseth, Bob Goodman, Linda Hiller, Sue Anne Marshall, Don McIvor, Don Molde, Kathy Oakes,

Fred Peterson, Harold Peterson, Melissa Renfro, Greg Scyphers, Pam Straley, Jane Thompson, Steve Ting, John

Woodyard, and me. Contributions are welcome, so send a postcard/note to 1050 Sumac St., Reno, NV 89509 or an

email to [email protected], or continue to post items on the Nevada Birds List Server. The deadline for the next

column is November 25. Good birding!


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The Pelican 7

LAS SALES FORMPrice Postage TOTAL

Important Bird Areas of Nevada $19.95 $3.50 _____Published by Lahontan Audubon Society, 2005

A Birding Guide to Reno and Beyond $10 $1.50 _____Published by Lahontan Audubon Society, 2000

Nevada Birding Map $ 4 $1 _____Published by Lahontan Audubon Society, 2004

TOTAL ORDER _____

NAME (please print)_____________________________________________________

ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________

CITY _________________________ STATE ________ ZIP CODE ____________

PHONE _______________________________________________________________

E-MAIL_______________________________________________________________(in case of a question regarding your order)

Make checks payable to Lahontan Audubon Society and mail with this form to:

Jane Burnham, LAS Sales, 8071 Big River Drive, Reno, NV 89506

LAS MEMBERSHIP/DONATION FORM

Lahontan Audubon Society Membership: All funds remain in the community. Members receive The Pelican

newsletter and may elect to receive e-mail activities notices. Please complete and mail this form with payment.

1. LAS Renewal New Membership Send me a National Audubon application

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

LAS Donations: Please select level:

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - $10 Mountain Bluebird - $20 American Avocet - $50

American White Pelican - $100 Golden Eagle - $500 or more

NAME (please print)_____________________________________________________

ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________

CITY _________________________ STATE ________ ZIP CODE ____________

PHONE _______________________________________________________________

E-MAIL_______________________________________ Include on LAS-only e-mail list

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $__________ November/December 2006 issue

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

Lahontan Audubon Society, P.O. Box 2304, Reno, NV 89505


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8 The Pelican

Printed on Recycled Paper

THE PELICANLahontan Audubon Society

P.O. Box 2304

Reno, Nevada 89505

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

RENO, NEVADA

PERMIT NO. 181

LAHONTAN AUDUBON SOCIETY

OFFICERS President Karen Kish [email protected] 841-1180Vice President Alan Gubanich [email protected] 857-0191

Treasurer Dave Straley [email protected] 832-9222

Recording Secretary Bonnie Wagner [email protected] 829-6311

TRUSTEES Seat #1 to 2008 Jane Burnham [email protected] 677-4178Seat #2 to 2008 Judy Kretzer [email protected] 826-6891

Seat #3 to 2009 Ali Chaney [email protected] 813-3494

Seat #4 to 2008 Jim Lytle [email protected] 577-9641

Seat #5 to 2009 Jacque Lowery [email protected] 853-1302

Seat #6 to 2007 Nancy Bish [email protected] 884-1570

Seat #7 to 2007 Kenn Rohrs [email protected] 849-9530

IBA Director Don McIvor [email protected] 882-2597

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 Jim Lytle [email protected] 577-9641

Education Alan Gubanich [email protected] 857-0191

Field Trips Nancy Bish [email protected] 884-1570

Fundraising Dave Straley [email protected] 832-9222

Hospitality Jane Burnham [email protected] 677-4178

LAS Sales Jane Burnham [email protected] 677-4178

Membership Judy Kretzer [email protected] 826-6891

Volunteers Kenn Rohrs [email protected] 849-9530

PUBLICATION AND The Pelican Editor Mike Greenan [email protected] 322-0707INFORMATION The Pelican Distribution Connie Douglas [email protected] 425-1305

Birds in Town Alan Wallace [email protected] 786-5755

LAS Info Line Jim Lytle 324-BIRD

Web Master Jim Lytle [email protected] 577-9641

Postmaster: Please send change of

address to The Pelican, P.O. Box

2304, Reno, NV 89505.

If your mailing label is highlighted, please

renew your local LAS membership now.

november-december 2006 pelican newsletter lahontan audubon society

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