By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

This Lesser Goldfinch was one of the many birds that was tallied during the 12th Annual Muddy River Bird Count held on New Year’s Day.

Eighty-two species of birds were identified during the 12th Annual Christmas Bird Count on the Muddy River this year encompassing a 15-mile circle with Warm Springs in Moapa at its north end and Bowman Reservoir in Logandale at its southern boundary.

The local bird count, which was conducted New Year’s Day by 13 volunteers — two from Moapa Valley, three from Alamo and eight from Las Vegas – was part of the National Audubon Society’s 112th Christmas Bird Count. Statistically the Muddy River count of 82 species was fairly normal, but there were some unusual elements and sightings that made the 2012 special.

In the Muddy River count, compilers focused on several different locations including the ponds at the NV Energy Reid Gardner Power Plant, the Moapa River Paiute Indian Reservation, Hidden Valley, the Muddy River narrows, the Warm Springs Natural Area and Bowman Reservoir, according to David Syzdek, local Audubon compiler who led this year’s count.

“This year Bowman Reservoir was a complete bust,” said Bruce Lund, a 2012 compiler from Moapa and the man who actually started the local count in 2000. “While we expect it to be different every year, it was a little surprising this year in that there were very few ducks, water fowl, on the water. The diversity of species around the reservoir was unusual as well – it just wasn’t that great. You sort of expect any place there’s water in the desert to draw a large variety of species, but that just wasn’t the case this year.”

Lund, a biologist and botanist from Moapa, explained, however, that it was “probably just one of those things where the birds just weren’t there when we were. It may have been totally different the next day. It fluctuates.”

Additionally, Lund said the Warms Springs area seemed to be down in numbers.

“I walked around the area where the (July 1, 2010) fire was in Warm Springs and while we saw the same kinds of birds, the same species, they seemed to be reduced in numbers,” he said. “It may be that the reduced cover and lower availability of food is having an impact.”

Syzdek, a biologist with Southern Nevada Water Authority, said there were some surprising sightings that made this year’s count unique.

“A poorwill was counted this year which is a very rare sighting in Southern Nevada this time of year,” Syzdek said. “Poorwills are summer birds that migrate south to Mexico or other warm climates for the winter. Those that don’t migrate usually enter a hibernation- or sleep-like state called torpor.”

The poorwills will hunker down under rocks or bushes during torpor and are rarely seen. A poorwill was found in Ash Meadows in February 2008.

“We also counted a barn owl this year which is highly unusual,” Syzdek said. “The bird itself is common in the area, but it’s normally nocturnal. You don’t see them during the day. It’s the first one ever for this count (locally).”

Two Turkey vultures were counted this year in the Muddy River Narrows. Syzdek said. Again, a common bird during the summer, but they usually migrate south for the winter. This is the second time Turkey vultures have been found on the count.

“The purpose of the annual count is a scientific effort to understand bird numbers in given areas and how they change over time,” Syzdek said. “It helps scientists determine what’s happening to our bird population.”

Syzdek said compilers were seeing a lot fewer mourning doves and a lot more European collared doves this year.

“The European collared-doves began showing up in significant numbers in 2005-2006 and mourning doves began disappearing by 2007,” he said. “We also saw a lot fewer European starlings this year. Normally we see them in the thousands, but we only saw 698 this year.”

“Each of the citizen scientists who annually brave snow, wind, or rain, to take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation,” the Audubon Society said. “Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations – and to help guide conservation action.”

Species counted this year in the Muddy River Circle: American Wigeon, 25; Mallard, 79; Northern Shoveler, 1; Northern Pintail, 2; Green-winged teal, 12; Canvasback, 3; Redhead, 1; Ring-necked duck, 80; Lesser Scaup, 35; Common Merganser, 1; Ruddy Duck, 10; Gambels Quail, 495; Pied-billed Grebe, 10; (Clark or Western) Grebe, 2; Great Blue Heron, 2; Great Egret, 1; Turkey Vulture, 2; Northern Harrier, 25; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 3; Cooper’s Hawk, 17; Red-tailed Hawk, 46; Ferruginous Hawk, 6; American Kestrel, 13; Peregrine Falcon, 3; Prairie Falcon, 2; Virginia Rail, 1; Sora, 1; American Coot, 116; Killdeer, 11; Least Sandpiper, 1; Common Snipe, 1; Rock Pigeon, 124; Eurasian Collard-Dove, 239; Mourning Dove, 8; Greater Roadrunner, 15; Barn Owl, 1; Great Horned Owl, 3; Common Poorwill, 1; Belted Kingfisher, 1; Red-naped sapsucker, 1; Ladder-backed Woodpecker, 4; Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker, 22. Black Phoebe, 15; Say’s Phoebe, 45; Vermillion Flycatcher, 3; Loggerhead Shrike, 23; Western Scrub-Jay, 6; American Crow, 246; Common Raven, 89; Horned Lark, 36; Verdin, 9; Cactus Wren, 4; Rock Wren, 10; Canyon Wren, 2; House Wren, 1; Marsh Wren, 5; Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 12; Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, 40; Western Bluebird, 64; Mountain Bluebird, 25; American Robin, 94; Northern Mockingbird, 28; Crissal Thrasher, 17; European Starling, 698; American Pipit, 19; Phainopepla, 53; Orange-crowned Warbler, 2; Yellow-rumped Warbler, 21; Abert’s Towhee, 112; Brewer’s Sparrow, 1; Sage Sparrow, 34; Song Sparrow, 14; White-crowned Sparrow, 1,464; Dark-eyed Junco, 29; Red-winged Blackbird, 733; Western Meadowlark, 62; Brewer’s Blackbird, 89; Great-tailed Grackle, 7; Brown-headed Cowbird, 85; House Finch, 21; Lesser Goldfinch, 141, and House Sparrow, 78.