Subject: Las Vegas area birding?
Date: Apr 4 11:41:46 2003
From: Brian Pendleton - brianpen at expedia.com


Although there are probably better areas, one of the places I've enjoyed birding is the area around Willow Springs picnic ground on the loop road in Red Rocks Canyon recreation area. There's some water there, cliffs, riparian habitat and open desert scrubland (mostly blackbrush) transitioning to pinon-juniper woodland so you get a variety of habitats in a small area. I think the loop road opens around 6AM in May, and temperatures could be pretty reasonable until 9 or 10AM.

For some spectacular hikes, get a copy of Hiking Las Vegas (I think it's called). The Bridge Mountain hike involves some lscrambling but is one of the most stunning hikes I've ever done. You can get there from the Willow Springs picnic ground - I can give you more details if you want. Wilson peak is another difficult but dramatic hike. An easier hike (6 mi RT, 2000' vertical) is Turtlehead peak, also in the Red Rocks Recreation area. Hiking tends to be hot so start early, take lots of water, and dress lightly. There are a few potential hazards when you get off the beaten paths - snakes, bees, prickly bushes, cacti and loose rocks come to mind - but I've hiked most of the peaks in the Red Rocks area without encountering any problems other than occasional difficulty finding my way back down through the sandstone cliffs. The trail up Turtlehead is well marked and well used and the first half mile or so (in the Sandstone Quarry area) is fairly bird-rich as well.

For montane forest birding, I found the trail up Charleston peak quite rich. I could probably come up with a species list if you want, although I was there in August, not in May.
Brian Pendleton
Auburn,WA
brianpen at expedia.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Grace & Ed Kane [mailto:kane3d2001 at yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 6:33 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Las Vegas area birding?


My wife & I are heading to Las Vegas, NV for four days
in early May (9-12). We plan to spend our days
birding and hiking as the hot weather permits (We are
rather early risers).

Does anyone have any suggestions for in/around Las
Vegas for birds?

I do have the booklet "Southern Nevada Birds - A
Seeker's Guide". It seems a bit out of date, but
still very useful. We will have a rental car, so
anyplace within about a hundred miles is potentially
fair game.
We've never been to that part of the country, so the
local specialties will be prized!
Replies privately or to list.

Ed Kane

kane3d2001 at yahoo.com
360-862-0213
Snohomish, WA

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