Las Vegas - January 2011

I made my annual visit to Las Vegas for the CES trade show this past week and managed to do a bit of birding too. Though may people don't think of it, Las Vegas has some good birding to be found in the area. Some of my highlights.

Sunset Park
One Greater White-fronted Goose was mixed in with the domestic geese. Two Ross’s Geese were swimming in the pond and the five Snow Geese were eating the grass on the ballfield. One Red-breasted Merganser was on the pond swimming separate from the 36 Common Mergansers.

Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
A solo Horned Grebe was the first bird that I noticed as I walked out of the visitor’s center. One each Ross's Goose and Snow Goose were swimming in a pond with loads of Northern Shovelers and other docks.. One Orange-crowned Warbler was eager to investigate pishing 100 yards from the visitor’s center. This is one of my favorite places to go birding in the Las Vegas area.

Floyd Lamb State Park
Yet another Greater White-fronted Goose was sleeping with the domestic geese. Among all the Canada Geese I found one that was tagged and was able to read the numbers through multiple photos. I reported the bird and found out that it had been originally tagged Lincoln County, Nevada on 6/17/09 when it was still young to fly.

Corn Creek at Tule Spring
A previously reported Harris's Sparrow was difficult to find. This species of sparrow is rare this far west. I looked through a flock of White-crowned Sparrows and Horned Larks without any success. I walked the trails a bit and come across a single Townsend's Solitaire and a few American Robins among the trees. As I was leaving I found a flock Dark-eyed Juncos very near my truck. and the Harris Sparrow was mixed-in with them. Of the Juncos there were Oregon’s, three Slate-colored’s and one that I can’t decide if it is Pink-sided or Oregon.

Photos of many of these birds (along with the mystery morph Junco of which I would love responses) are at the following link:

http://tinyurl.com/46a4lpq

I didn't get to bird as much as I would have liked due to work but I still managed to have a good time and see some nice birds.