​March, 2020, was a turning point for Red Rock Audubon Society.  The reality of living in a society with a deadly virus brought all our gatherings to a halt.  General meeting - cancelled. Bird walks - cancelled. Birds and Beers (or Beverages) - cancelled.  Community outreach programs - cancelled.  No Bioblitz at Clark County Wetlands Park or Children's Festival at the Winchester Dondero Cultural Center.  No field trips. And our fledgling Winchester Nesters program was grounded.  And while some of us managed to salvage a bit of Global Big Day as a Great Basin Bird Observatory Bird-a-Thon, this annual adventure with friends wasn't near the fun it used to be.

​Red Rock Audubon really, really wants people to support local bird populations by growing native plants.  Native plants are the best choice because they are adapted to survive our extreme weather conditions.   Local birds and insects have evolved alongside these plants that provide the specific nutrition they need.  So we are reaching out into the community by planting demonstration gardens to showcase our beautiful Nevada natives.

We often think about window strikes happening on buildings & homes. Any reflective surface can result in a window strike. Here you see a bird has struck a car window, parked outside, with the trees reflected very clearly. How can we prevent birds from striking car windows? ​

Worm-eating Warbler photo by Jennifer Dudek

By Jennifer Dudek

​If you know me, mornings are not necessarily my thing, so how I have found and stuck with birding as a hobby is sometimes baffling. Generally, birding requires setting the alarm and being out at the crack of dawn to witness the birds singing and feasting. On an early morning in May, I reaped the rewards of being the proverbial early bird catching the worm by witnessing a rare southern Nevada sighting of a Worm-eating Warbler.

BY NANCY JENNIS OLDS
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by Alex Harper

​Alex Harper and Brandon Miller woke up early on May 3 to spend a few hours birding from home for the 2020 Birdathon. With a golf course and small park with fruiting mulberries across the street, they were hopeful that the green spaces would help yield a good species list.

by Cathy Kozmary

​Masks, hand sanitizer, scopes, binocs and cameras ready to go, the Costaways headed out on May 16th at 6am at the Pabco trailhead. While social distancing was a priority, our eyes and ears were ready for every bird that we could possibly add to our checklist. It was the first birdathon for the 5 Costaways aka, birders (Andrea, Barbara, Jennifer, Troy and Cathy) not knowing how the day would evolve – it’s going to be hot, how many birds will we see, how many will we be able to identify, how long we will last…….. what an adventure ahead! 

Always ready to grab binoculars and enjoy some birdy time, ​Red Rock Audubon members recently formed wittily named teams to participate in the Great Basin Bird Observatory's 2020 bird-a-thon to raise money and birding awareness in Nevada.

​Many of us have a bit more free time on our hands while most of the state shut down due to the pandemic. It has been a good opportunity to get caught up on those projects around the house and maybe resume some hobbies that went along the wayside while we were busy with our lives or learn new skills.