​On April 28th several RRAS members volunteered at Clark County Wetlands Park Bioblitz! This annual family friendly event let participants be field biologists for the day. Stations were set up around the park to help people identify everything from plants to fish, birds, mammals and reptiles. Many organizations set up fun, educational activity tables, too.

Clark County Wetlands Park celebrated International Migratory Bird Day on March 28, 2018. Red Rock Audubon was there helping kids learn about birds in the area. The game was designed by Nancy Chang and kids have to put their hands or feet on the food a particular species of bird eats.

Bristlecone Audubon (Elko based) hosted the Nevada Audubon chapter’s field trip in the Elko area. Bristlecone Audubon led a field trip to the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge where we explored the ponds and many breeding bird species. On the Lamoille Canyon – Island Lake field trip Lois shared with us her extensive knowledge of plants and wildflowers in the area while some of us looked for the elusive Himalayan Snow cock and the Black Rosy Finch. Other members (led by Bill Grossi) explored Lamoille canyon. Other members chose to stay in Elko and participated in various Basque Day events. We especially appreciated backyard get together at Lois’ backyard. A wonderful opportunity for Nevada Audubon members to connect, make new friends and explore beautiful Nevada together. Thank you Bill Grossi, Jane Burnham and Lois Ports for making this trip happen.

Red Rock Audubon teamed up with BirdAndHike.com, and six birders headed three hours north to Basin and Range National Monument, one of the new national monuments in Nevada. Our goal was to go camping and do a bit of birding, but mainly to knock down a bunch of illegal, abandoned, bird-killing hollow-pipe mining claim markers. These hollow-pipes act as traps for cavity nesting birds and other creatures that seek hollow cavities (e.g., old woodpecker holes in a Joshua tree, rotten holes in old cottonwood trees, etc.). Birds go into the pipes to inspect the “cavity” for nesting, but then can’t get out. Birds, lizards, chipmunks, bats, and insects of all kinds become trapped in the pipes and die from thirst or starvation. Read more...