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Great Basin Regional Report

<Forwarded by the webmaster>



\From Ted Floyd

Subject: Great Basin Regional Report


Hello, birders.

Here is the spring 2001 (March-May) Great Basin regional
report that will appear in vol. 55 no. 3 of the journal
North American Birds.

- ---------------------------------------------------------

The spring weather differed dramatically between the
northern and southern parts of the region. Dry weather
in the north created concern about water shortages and
forest fires, while precipitation was well above normal
in the south. The rainfall in the south was probably
responsible for a massive emergence and northward
dispersal of Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui) and
definitely the cause of a magnificent spring wildflower
show. It was difficult, however, to know whether the
spring weather had any real effect on the region's bird
life. The shorebird flight was decent, and passerine
vagrants made a nice showing at area oases; but both
of these phenomena surely were due, in part, to events
elsewhere on the migratory routes, on the wintering
grounds, or even last year on the breeding grounds.

Abbreviations: A.I.C., Antelope Island Causeway (Davis,
UT); A.M.N.W.R., Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
(Nye, NV); B.R., Bodyfeldt Ranch (Nye, NV); C.C., Corn
Creek (Clark, NV); L.V.S.C., Lahontan Valley Shorebird
Count (Churchill, NV), held 23-26 Apr; L.M., Lake Mead
(Clark, NV); L.V.M., Lemmon Valley Marsh (Washoe, NV);
L.R., Lytle Ranch (Washington, UT); M.R.S., Miller's
Rest Stop (Esmeralda, NV); O.N.W.R., Ouray National
Wildlife Refuge (Uintah, UT); P.N.W.R., Pahranagat
National Wildlife Refuge (Lincoln, NV); P.L., Pyramid
Lake (Washoe, NV); Q.L., Quichapa Lake (Iron, UT); R.V.,
Ruby Valley (Elko, NV); T.R., Torrance Ranch (Nye, NV);
W.S.R., Warm Springs Ranch (Clark, NV). Records marked
with an asterisk (*) are subject to review by the
appropriate state records committees.

Loons Through Falcons

     A Pacific Loon at L.M. 3 Mar (RS) was the only report.
The 152 Common Loons at Quail Creek Res., Washington, UT
21 Apr (RD & RF) were a high count for spring. Single
Horned Grebes were at the Logan sewage treatment ponds,
Cache, UT 29 Apr (BD & JD) and at A.I.C. 19 May (KB &
JB). Least Bitterns were found at two s. Nevada locations:
A.M.N.W.R. 31 Mar (MC & JC) and P.N.W.R. 29 May (JH & GH).
Green Herons were reported from: Moab, Grand, UT 25 Apr
(DF), St. George 13 May (KB & JB), and three Nevada
locales 23 Apr - 27 May (v.o.).
     Two Trumpeter Swans remained at South Fork Res.,
Elko, NV until 30 Mar (MP & LP), and a Mute Swan of
undetermined provenance was at L.M. 3 Mar (RS). Five
Greater White-fronted Geese lingered at Reno until 12
Mar (LW), and a good count of ca. 450 Ross's Geese came
from Gunnison Bend Res., Millard, UT 23 Mar (SS). Wood
Ducks numbered 1-2 at four Nevada locales 11 Mar - 5
May (v.o.). An exotic Ringed Teal in Reno 3 Mar (TF)
was about one mile from where another was found one
year earlier. Blue-winged Teal numbering 1-3 at five
Nevada locales 14 Apr - 20 May (v.o.) were about average.
A Eurasian Wigeon (*) was at Deseret Ranch, Rich, UT 19
May (MS et al.). Greater Scaups numbered 1-2 at: L.V.M.
18 Mar (TF et al.), Reno 21 Apr (TF & JW), and three
Utah locales 18 Mar - 29 Apr (v.o.). A Long-tailed Duck
at Overton W.M.A., Clark, NV 14 Apr (JCo) was the only
report. Three Barrow's Goldeneyes were at L.V.M. 18 Mar
(TF et al.), and a pair remained at this site until 24
Mar (FP). Hooded Mergansers are uncommon in the region
away from w. Nevada, so it was nice to get reports of
1-3 birds at four Utah locales 14 Mar - 14 Apr (v.o.).
Red-breasted Mergansers were found at P.L. 14 Mar (TF
et al.) and at Carson L., Churchill, NV 26 Apr (LN & TF).
     It was a good spring for Common Black-Hawks (*):
from Nevada, there were sightings of single birds at
W.S.R. 29-30 Mar (SG et al.), C.C. 12-15 Apr (CT et al.),
and Meadow Valley Wash (Lincoln) 5 May (JW); in Utah,
breeding was documented at L.R. 25 Mar - 14 May (RD et
al.) and in the town of St. George 19 May (RF et al.).
Red-shouldered Hawks were noted at three Nevada locations
9-18 Mar (v.o.) A Broad-winged Hawk (*) was noted at
the Jordanelle Res., Wasatch, UT hawk watch 25 Apr (v.o.
fide LWy). A Zone-tailed Hawk (*) was at P.N.W.R. 4 Apr
(JW); this was the site of one or two birds during much
of the summer of 2000. A Merlin at Reno 3 Mar (TF) was
the only report. Peregrine Falcons were reported from
four Nevada locations and from South Shore Preserve,
Salt Lake, UT 13 May (BR et al.) and O.N.W.R. 28 May
(KB & JB).

Cranes Through Terns

     Some 200+ Sandhill Cranes were at R.V. 13 Mar (KV),
and westerly birds were noted at Washoe L., Washoe, NV
17 Mar (v.o.) and at Sheldon N.W.R., Washoe, NV 22-25
Mar (KM). The 52 Snowy Plovers at Q.L. 29 Mar (RD) were
a high count for transients, especially in the southern
part of the state. The L.V.S.C. yielded 13,641 American
Avocets (LN et al.). Solitary Sandpipers were seen at
four locations in Nevada 21 Apr - 21 May (v.o.) and at
three in Utah 29 Apr - 11 May (v.o.). A Wandering Tattler
(*) appeared at A.I.C. 25 May and remained into June
(ph. TS; MS et al.); this was the third state record
for the species. Whimbrels at three Utah locales were
led by 5 at A.I.C. 19 May (KB & JB); the only Nevada
report came from Carson L. (Churchill) 13 May (RH et
al.). A Hudsonian Godwit (*) at Bear River Migratory
Bird Refuge, Box Elder, UT 6 May (KB & JB) was one of
fewer than ten confirmed state records. Red Knots peaked
at 20 at A.I.C. 17 May (KB & JB).
     An amazing 793 Sanderlings staged at A.I.C. 21 May
(EC). More mundane counts of 1-4 birds came from: Q.L.
23 Apr (RD); Moapa, Clark, NV 5 May (MC & JC); and Soda
L., Churchill, NV 26 Apr - 12 May (TF et al.). The
L.V.S.C. produced 28,905 Western Sandpipers (LN et al.).
At least 9 White-rumped Sandpipers (*) were at O.N.W.R.
28 May (KB & JB et al.); the birds remained into June.
Two Baird's Sandpipers on the L.V.S.C. and one at Q.L.
8 May (SS) were the only reports. The only Pectoral
Sandpiper was a single bird at Q.L. 4 Apr (RD). Utah's
third Curlew Sandpiper (*) was at A.I.C. 6-8 May (ph.
TS; KB & JB et al.). Short-billed Dowitchers numbered
1-8 at three locales each in Nevada 4 Apr - 5 May and
Utah 21 Apr - 10 May (v.o.). The Long-billed Dowitcher
max. was 14,465 on the L.V.S.C.
     The top Bonaparte's Gull count in Nevada was 16 at
L.V.M. 28 Apr (TF et al.), and the top count in Utah was
35 at Quail Creek Res. (Washington) 21 Apr (RD & RF).
Single Thayer's Gulls (*) at L.M. 3-9 Mar (RS) and Bear
River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder, UT 28 Apr (MS
et al.) were the only reports. An "Olympic" Gull (Western
X Glaucous-winged) remained at P.L. until 14 Mar (ph.
SSa; TF et al.). Common Terns were reported from
A.M.N.W.R. 11 May (RS) and from Soda L., Churchill,
NV 13 May (LN et al.); the springtime status of this
species in the Great Basin is essentially unknown.

Doves Through Jays

     Extralimital White-winged Doves were found at R.V.
20-26 Apr (JM) and at Monticello, San Juan, UT 7 Apr
(KB & JB). Inca Doves are quite local in the southern
part of the region; one at Overton W.M.A., Clark, NV 5
May (SS) and two at the Hurricane Sewage Ponds, Washington,
UT 14 Apr (RD & SS) were away from the expected locales.
The season's first Yellow-billed Cuckoo was at W.S.R.
30 May (JW). A Vaux's Swift at Oxbow Park, Washoe, NV
3-4 May (DT et al.) was the only report. Anna's
Hummingbird is uncommon in Utah, so single birds at
Red Cliffs Campground (Washington) 18 Mar (RD & RF)
and at St. George 31 Mar (RD & RF) were notable; in
Nevada, a northerly individual was at Spooner L.
(Douglas) 21 May (LW). A Rufous Hummingbird at C.C.
21 Mar (RS) was the only report of this species whose
status as a spring transient through the region is
poorly understood. Notable woodpeckers included: 3
Lewis's migrating through C.C. 4 May (MC & JC); an
Acorn at Devil's Canyon, San Juan, UT 17 Apr (MS et
al.); and a Downy at Mesquite (where uncommon), Clark,
NV 17 Mar (SS).
     A singing Least Flycatcher (*) at Dyer, Esmeralda,
NV 26-27 May was well documented (ph. MM; GS et al.);
this difficult species is possibly annual in Nevada,
but sightings are rarely documented. Black Phoebes
wandered to two n. Nevada locales: Rancho San Rafael
Park (Washoe) 29 Mar (FP) and Oxbow Park (Washoe) 14
Apr - 3 May (TF et al.). Utah's only Vermilion Flycatcher
was a single bird at St. George 12 May (KB & JB), but
the species was noted at four s. Nevada locales (v.o.).
A northerly Cassin's Kingbird was at Magna, Salt Lake,
UT 21 May (KC), and 1-2 birds were found at three s.
Nevada locales. An Eastern Kingbird was at Willard Bay
S.P., Box Elder, UT 17 May (KB & JB), and five were at
O.N.W.R. 28 May (KB & JB).
     A Northern Shrike remained at P.L. until 14 Mar
(TF et al.). Notable vireo records included: a singing
White-eyed (*) at P.N.W.R. 29 May (JH & GH); a good count
of 8 Bell's at L.R. 21 Apr (RD & RF); easterly Cassin's
at L.R. and St. George, both 21 Apr (RD & RF); a possible
Blue-headed (*) at Tonopah 22 May (JBr); a well-studied
Yellow-throated (*) at C.C. 8-29 Apr (RS et al.); and
Red-eyed (*) at Lida, Esmeralda, NV 19 May (JBr et al.)
and W.S.R. (JW). Western Scrub-Jay at three lowland
Nevada locations 10 Mar - 16 Apr (v.o.) were remnants
of last autumn's corvid irruption.

Nuthatches Through Warblers

     A Red-breasted Nuthatch at C.C. 23 Mar - 21 Apr (RS)
was at an unusually low elevation. American Dippers bred
in downtown Reno, and the young were fledged by the rather
early date of 10 Apr (TF et al.). A Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
was at Beaver Dam Wash, Washington, UT 14 May (KB & JB);
the species is very local in southern Utah, but it is
widespread in southern Nevada. Two Swainson's Thrushes
at B.R. 27 May (MM et al.) were off the beaten path. A
Varied Thrush was banded at T.R. 9 May and remained until
14 May (KV); another was seen at Tonopah 17 May (JBr).
The Gray Catbird is rare in Utah, so reports from Willard
Bay S.P. (Box Elder) 17 May (KB & JB) and Jordanelle
W.M.A. (Wasatch) 28 May (KB & JB) were noteworthy. A
Brown Thrasher (*) was at M.R.S. 30-31 May (JBr), and
a northerly Phainopepla was at this same locale 28 May
(DS & BS).
     The spring warbler flight seemed a little below
average. Northern Parulas were found at: Capitol Reef
N.P., Wayne, UT 15 Apr (LNs); Maple Grove Campground,
Millard, UT 17 May (TS); C.C. 10-19 May (RS & JCo); and
Tonopah 22 May (JBr). Single Magnolia Warblers (*) at
Tonopah 26-27 May (ph. MM; GS et al.) and T.R. 28 May
(MM et al.) were well described and seen by many observers.
A Black-throated Blue Warbler (*) was reported from Tonopah
18 May (JBr). "Myrtle" Warblers numbered 1-4 at six Nevada
locations 23 Apr - 19 May (v.o.). A male Hermit Warbler
at Fernley, Churchill, NV 30 Apr (DT) was somewhat
easterly, and a Palm Warbler (*) at C.C. 4 May (SG)
was a good find. Black-and-white Warblers were noted
at four Nevada locales 12-27 May (v.o.), and American
Redstarts were found at Yerington, Lyon, NV 4 May (CR)
and B.R. 19-27 May (MM et al.). Prothonotary Warblers
(*) included a singing male at Las Vegas 6-8 May (RSc)
and a mist netted individual at T.R. 18 May (KV). An
Ovenbird at B.R. 19-20 May (MM et al.) was the only
report. Northern Waterthrushes were found at C.C. 10
May (RS), at M.R.S. 31 May (JBr), and at four Utah
locations 27 Apr - 27 May (v.o.). Hooded Warblers (*)
were found at four Nevada locations 14 Apr - 31 May
(v.o.). A Painted Redstart (*) at Zion N.P., Washington,
UT 22 Apr - 12 May (RD et al.) was the fifth state
record and first since 1973.

Tanagers Through Finches

     Northerly Summer Tanagers were at: M.R.S. 10 May
(WW); Kanarraville, Iron, UT 16 May (SS); and Capitol
Reef N.P., Wayne, UT 27 May (PS & SS). A singing Cassin's
Sparrow (*) at Gandy, Millard, UT 23 May (TS) was well
described. An American Tree Sparrow remained at R.V.
until 8 Mar (KV). Lark Buntings at four Utah locations
were led by 7 at Hurricane (Washington) 5 May (RF).
Grasshopper Sparrows are seldom reported in the region,
so the three at Antelope Island, Davis, UT 17 May
(KB & JB) were noteworthy. Single White-throated Sparrows
at the Carson R. Diversion Dam, Churchill, NV 24 Mar
(DS) and at Elk Ridge, Utah, UT 3 May (DSh) were the
only reports. Single Harris's Sparrows were found at
Tonopah 23 Mar (JBr) and A.M.N.W.R. 31 Mar - 19 Apr
(v.o.), and three remained at the Jordan River Parkway,
Salt Lake, UT until 8 May (TS). The season's last
Golden-crowned Sparrow was at Washoe S.P., Washoe,
5 May (NB). "Pink-sided" Juncos numbered 1-3 at three
Nevada locales 1-23 Mar (v.o.), and "Slate-colored"
Juncos were at R.V. until 8 May (KV) and at Tonopah
until 23 Mar (JBr).
	It was a good spring for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks,
with records from four locations each in Nevada and Utah
(v.o.). Indigo Buntings, too, were widely noted, with
reports from: Moab, Grand, UT 7 May (DF); Yuba Res.,
Millard, UT 21 May (TS); and five Nevada locales 20
Apr - 31 May (v.o.). A female Dickcissel (*) was
reported from M.R.S. 27 Apr (JBr). Single Bobolinks
were seen at: Scipio Res., Millard, UT 16 May (KB & JB);
Heber, Wasatch, UT 27 May (KB & JB); Indian Springs,
Clark, NV 28 May (MM); and M.R.S. 29 May (JBr). The
Tricolored Blackbird Colony in Minden, Douglas, NV
has apparently declined in recent years, so it was
gratifying to find numerous individuals of both sexes
at this site 6 May (BC & BeC). A Common Grackle was
seen at Deseret Ranch, Rich, UT 19 May (MS et al.).
A singing male Orchard Oriole (*) was at Indian Creek
Crossing, Esmeralda, NV 19 May (JBr & DT), and a
possible female was at M.R.S. the same day (DT et
al.). Northerly Hooded Orioles were found at: Cedar
City, Iron, UT 19 Apr (SS); M.R.S. 27 Apr (JBr); and
Fallon, Churchill, NV 5 May (BH).
     Fifteen Gray-crowned, 3 "Hepburn's", and 11 Black
Rosy-Finches remained at Tonopah until 23 Mar (JBr et
al.). A Pine Grosbeak was back at the Ophir Creek Trail,
Washoe, NV 22 May (TL); the non-summer status of this
species in the local area is not known. An unidentified
redpoll (*) visited a Minden, Douglas, NV feeder 8 Mar
(WS fide MM). There were two reports of Lawrence's
Goldfinch (*) this spring: a briefly described male
seen in the presence of Lesser Goldfinches at Rancho
San Rafael Park, Washoe, NV 17 Mar (ZS); and an
undocumented sighting at Tonopah 22 May (JBr). Migrant
Evening Grosbeaks numbered 1-3 at four Nevada locales
14 Apr - 31 May (v.o.).

Observers: Kathy Beyer, Joel Beyer, Nancy Bish, John
Brack (JBr), K.C. Childs, Bill Clark, Beth Clark (BeC),
Jack Cochran (JCo), Ed Conrad, Marian Cressman, Jim
Cressman, Brian Dixon, Jean Dixon, Rob Dobbs, Damian
Fagan, Ted Floyd, Rick Fridell, Shawn Goodchild, George
Hardie, Joan Hardie, Rich Heap, Bill Henry, Tim Lenz,
Jeff Mackay, Kris McIntyre, Martin Meyers, Larry Neel,
Laurie Ness (LNs), Fred Petersen, Mark Ports, Lois
Ports, Chris Randolph, Bruce Robinson, Terry Sadler,
Scott Sady (SSa), Rick Saval, Greg Scyphers, Rita
Schlageter (RSc), Becca Serdehely, Dennis Serdehely,
Dennis Shirley (DSh), Wayne Sitton, Zach Smith, Mark
Stackhouse, Priscilla Summers, Steve Summers, Carolyn
Titus, Dennis Trousdale, Ken Voget, Jack Walters,
Walter Wejte, Larry Williams, Larene Wyss (LWy).

S.A. Even though the Great Basin is one of the driest
regions on the continent, it is home to three Western
Hemispheric Shorebird Reserves: Utah's Great Salt Lake,
Nevada's Lahontan Valley, and California's Mono Lake.
This spring was especially exciting at Great Salt Lake,
with sightings of Curlew Sandpiper, Hudsonian Godwit,
and Wandering Tattler. Good numbers of birds were
present, too, and a high count of 793 Sanderlings
was especially noteworthy. All of these birds, plus
a flock of White-rumped Sandpipers away from the Great
Salt Lake, were well documented with good photographs
and/or extensive written descriptions.

Photo captions:

This Wandering Tattler was found on the Antelope Island
Causeway, Davis, UT 25 May. It remained into June and
allowed extensive study by many observers. Photograph
by Terry Sadler.

A Curlew Sandpiper on the Antelope Island Causeway,
Davis, UT 6-8 May was the third state record for the
species. Photograph by Terry Sadler.

- ---------------------------------------------------------

Please visit the web site of the Great Basin
Bird Observatory: http://www.gbbo.org

Please visit the NVBIRDS searchable archives:
http://list.audubon.org/archives/nvbirds.html



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