BS: Las Vegas birds

Subject: BS: Las Vegas birds
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 11:26 AM

Thanks to advice from Mudcatters, we went on a successful birdwatching trip during our recent trip to Las Vegas. Many people thought we were nuts, but five of us went to Floyd Lamb State Park, and we saw 18 kinds of birds. It was the first bird-watching trip ever for my brother-in-law, and he was very pleased, taking lots of pictures.

A few seconds after paying our entrance fee, we saw a roadrunner in the brush. Everybody was very excited, and my other brother-in-law said it was so great to see "an iconic bird". (I can't help it if he thinks and talks like that.) I didn't tell them that the State of Nevada probably pays that roadrunner to hang around the entrance.

(In the Midwest where I live, the states pay redheaded woodpeckers to fly around campgrounds and thrill the little kids.)

Birds I recall seeing: pipit of some kind, red-tailed hawk, western kingbird, myrtle warbler*, coots, mallards, grebe of some kind, flicker, marsh wren, kestrel, teal, ruby-crowned kinglet, raven.

* I know that the American Ornithological Union says that the myrtle warbler is now the yellow-rumped warbler, but I have a deal with the birds. I won't talk about their rumps if they won't talk about mine.

So thanks to everyone who suggested places to go.

Subject: RE: BS: Las Vegas birds
From: Raptor
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 02:01 PM

Good for you

Subject: RE: BS: Las Vegas birds
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 02:12 PM

So, Raptor, what kind of raptor are you? Eagle, falcon, hawk?

Subject: RE: BS: Las Vegas birds
From: open mike
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 12:53 AM

osprey?

Subject: RE: BS: Las Vegas birds
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 01:38 PM

Hi, open mike. I believe it was you that gave me the tips about where to go.

By the way, a worker at the park said that in July and August, it is alive with hummingbirds.

In addition to Floyd Lamb, we went into the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time there. I hear that there is a "hidden forest" there somewhere, and I'd like to see it sometime.

We were in Vegas for a family reunion and couldn't spend too much time away from the group. After all, if people have travelled across the nation to get together, it's unseemly to head off into the backcountry for too long.

Subject: RE: BS: Las Vegas birds
From: Raptor
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 03:27 PM

I'd say an acciptor!

Subject: RE: BS: Las Vegas birds
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 09:13 PM

Oh man, I've heard that term. Got to go look it up.

By the way, my in-laws are fond of Vegas. Last March, I walked in the palms between the Luxor and the Mandalay Bay and located six kinds of birds in there. I was surprised. I enjoyed the way the grackles hide themselves in the hearts of the palms and do a stand-up comic routine, chattering, whistling and singing snatches.

Subject: RE: BS: Las Vegas birds
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 12:04 AM

Avian Influenza - appears much closer the the USA west coast - than the spotted occurance in Germany and France.

Subject: RE: BS: Las Vegas birds
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 11:08 AM

Spotted occurrence? Is that anything like a palmated plover?