Submitted by: Bruce Lund
Eight RRAS birders enjoyed a field trip led by Bruce Lund to the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Warm Springs Natural Area (WSNA) in the headwaters of the Muddy River in Moapa on Saturday, October 24. The weather was perfect with bright sun and temperature ranging from 50 to 65F. The group met at the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge which is now open to the public on weekends from 9 to 3 with a new spacious parking lot, restrooms, a shaded picnic pavilion, and walking trails.
It is well worth a trip with a picnic lunch just to see the amazing warm spring and stream habitat restoration done by the Fish and Wildlife Service. In contrast to the stark Mojave Desert habitat just a few feet away, visitors walk handicap accessible trails through groves of young cottonwoods, willows, mesquites, and palm trees. Birds flit about the year round and colorful dragonflies and butterflies are in abundance from April through October. The highlight is a 30 foot long viewing window where visitors can look at eye level into the side of a stream and see the sleek endangered Moapa dace, chunky White River spring fish, minuscule spring snails covered with green algae on the stream rocks and sliding up the viewing window.
The field trip birded at the Refuge for a half hour or so and crossed the road to spend the next couple of hours walking in the adjacent Warm Springs Natural Area where Bruce had permission to lead the walk (N. B. the WSNA will be open to the public in the future. It is not open at this time while visitation planning is underway). The WSNA is a premier bird and wildlife habitat – it is one of Nevada’s Important Bird Areas – where the group had a great time walking through the diversity of field, shrub land, wetland, and wooded habitats.
27 bird species seen or heard included (in taxonomic order) Gambel quail – flocks in shrubs, Ring-necked pheasant – by call, Sharp-shinned hawk – nice look at bird flying overhead, Cooper’s hawk – good look as one flew by group at Muddy River, Red-tailed hawk – soaring overhead, Belted Kingfisher – chattering in flight over Muddy River, Northern flicker – a common winter resident, Black phoebe – over Muddy River, Say’s phoebe – on dried sunflowers in field, Common raven – overhead flyby, Verdin – in saltbush shrub, Bewick’s wren – heard, Marsh wren – heard in cattails at Refuge, Rock wren – on desert slope at Refuge, Northern mockingbird – in mesquites with Phainopepla, Crissal thrasher – quick look at one on ground, American robin – flocks flying over and perched/calling from cottonwoods, Loggerhead shrike – in mesquites, European starling – flock flyby, Cedar waxwing – four birds in ash tree, Phainopepla – abundant in mesquites, Yellow-rumped warbler – abundant in palms at Refuge, feeding on fruits, Red-winged blackbird – feeding in pistachio grove along Warm Spring Road,White-crowned sparrow – scores of birds in multiple flocks, Song sparrow – 2 in cattails along Muddy River, Abert’s towhee – often heard but few seen in shrubs and on ground, Lesser goldfinch – in shrubs.
