Carson City, NV, May 2012 - 16 More NV Statebirds

With my recent birding trip to the Las Vegas area, and closing in on the ABA threshold in NV, I was definitely bitten by the NV statelisting bug.  Although it took some planning, and quite a bit of driving time (statebirding and a small carbon footprint aren't generally compatible), I was able to add a birding day in the Carson City area to a business trip to central CA.  It turned out to be a great day of birding, picking up 16 of my NV target birds, starting within minutes of arriving in NV.  Many thanks to the local birders for their advice to help me track down my targets!  Here’s a quick rundown of the highlights –

Along SR50 just E of the NV/CA Stateline -

• Goshawk –1 flyover – great way to start the day!
• Band-tailed Pigeon – flock of 6 as a flyover a minute later.  What a start!

Spooner Lake – North Canyon Trail – 7-10:30 - A great time – adding 7 more statebirds -

• White-headed Woodpecker – 1 right at the edge of the parking lot, 3 more along the trail
• California Quail – one calling (saw many more throughout the day)
• Red-breasted Sapsucker – 6 along the trail
• MacGillivray’s Warbler – 1 or 2 singing at each wet area with willows
• Mountain Quail - 2 walking along the trail – didn’t even flush – my best views ever of this species
• Sooty Grouse – 1 calling/booming a couple miles up the trail
• Pygmy Owl – 1 calling spontaneously close to Spencer Cabin.  With a few calls from the tape the bird flew right in and continued to call well after I left
• Plus saw 4 more Band-tailed Pigeons
• And had at least 10 Thick-billed Fox Sparrows (although not new for my NV state list, still a great bird and someday perhaps a new species)

Lake Tahoe – Just S of Sand Harbor State Park –

• Osprey – 1 on the nest

Then on to the Valley south of Carson City -

• Tricolored Blackbird – many in marsh on E side of SR88 - their only nesting location in NV
• Bald Eagle – 2 at nest site on Genoa Rd

Bently-Kirman Ranch –

• American Crow – saw 1 and heard 3 others.  Later saw 2 in Carson City at the MacDonald’s (1 was eating a French fry)
• Sage Thrasher – 1
• Swainson’s Hawk – 2 in a kettle of hawks just NE of the ranch (along with 2 Red-tails, 2 Vultures, 1 Harrier)

Carson City Reclamation Plant –

Nothing new for my list, but a good collection of ducks and shorebirds including a Willet

Carson River Park –

• Wood Duck – flyover pair a good 1 ½ miles upriver.
• No luck with Screech Owls there

Washoe Lake –

Nothing new for my statelist, but a few highlights – 6 Caspian Terns, 4 Forster’s Terns, 7 California Gulls, 1 Willet

Davis Creek Park –

Ended the day looking for Calliope Hummer but no luck

Ended up with 94 species on the day without trying for a big day.  That gives me 231 in NV - just 11 shy of of the ABA threshold.  Wonder when my next trip to NV will be.

Three of my statebird maps are inserted below -

• Tricolored Blackbird - I've now seen them in their little colonies in OR and NV in addition to central CA
• Band-Tailed Pigeon - I can now check them off in most all of their regular states
• Sage Thrasher - got this one in most of their western states (but I guess I need to boost up my NM list!)