If anyone ever finds that work issues force them to travel to Vegas, I
highly recommend a visit to the Clark County Wetlands Park at the end of
Tropicana Ave, about 30 minutes drive east of the centre.

http://www.co.clark.nv.us/parks/wetlands/Wetland's_Homepage.htm

The visitor centre's open 9am-3pm, but the trails are open dawn to dusk,
and at 8am, the entire place was a mass of birds, singing and chattering
from every reed bed and bush. Abert's towhees, with their limited
geographic range, were common enough that I saw three in an hour, along
with many other local species. Even some of the familiar birds such as
brown-headed cowbirds were much more common in there, so I got far
better views and photos of them then I've ever had the chance at in
Washington.

Just about every desert canyon in the area seemed to turn up
black-throated sparrows and Lucy's warblers, but the Valley of Fire
State Park is apparently the place to go for phainopepla. Standing near
the atlatl rock, I watched five of these glorious crested flycatchers
darting from bush to bush, and never saw another anywhere else.

Louise Rutter
Kirkland

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