By Bonnie Wood
When deepest winter and rainy season is upon us in the Pacific Northwest, many think of heading south: to sun, to warmer drier air, to blue skies. While I am no snowbird nor gambler, I would recommend a visit to Las Vegas once in one’s life, simply to see what over-the-top spectacles look like. Don’t miss the light show at the Bellagio fountains. It makes me laugh, its pairing of dancing lights with classic Sinatra hits.
With that said, Las Vegas and adjoining town Henderson are surprisingly good winter and spring birding destinations…because of their water-treatment parks. I explored the area’s birding sites this April, 2021. All were open to the public. Paths are wide and level.
Birders know that water-reclamation ponds, treatment ponds, or less euphemistically, sewage ponds, are excellent bird magnets. The water has a higher nutrient level for birds than ordinary fresh water. Savvy towns have also done a great job planting attractive riparian borders with native vegetation around the ponds. In Olympia, we have our own water-reclamation birding site: the Hogum Bay Water Reclamation Ponds and Recharge Basins. They can boast good birding or not, depending on the season and water (and red algae) levels.
In deserts, of course, water is critical for both resident and migrating birds. Henderson/Las Vegas boasts three birdy locations that are open to the public and easily accessible. During migration especially, waterfowl and shorebirds flock to these sites.
A decade ago, when I first visited the Las Vegas area, I birded the “Henderson Sewage Ponds.” I laughed when I learned during a visit this spring their name is now the more alluring “Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve.” In early April, Avocets, Black-Necked Stilts, Eared Grebes, Long-Billed Dowitchers, Common Moorhen, Canada Goose, and ducks of all kinds relaxed in the ponds. In native trees and shrubs, Verdin, Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Greater Roadrunner, Abert’s Towhee, Costa’s and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Western Kingbirds, and other land birds foraged. The preserve has a website now: https://www.cityofhenderson.com/government/departments/parks-and-recreation/facilities/other-venues/bird-preserve.
The Las Vegas Wash runs treated water from the city’s main treatment plant into the Las Vegas River. Its strong flow attracts waterfowl of all kinds. American Coots are abundant…in fact I think they may be taking over every body of water in North America. White Pelicans, White-Faced Ibis and egrets hang out in the wash, too. Great-Tailed Grackles are common.
The Clark County Wetlands, a broad riparian preserve along the Las Vegas River, offers a couple of miles of meandering paved (wheelchair-accessible) and unpaved walking paths. Gambel’s Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Say’s Phoebe, Western Kingbirds, flycatchers, sparrows, warblers and others all find congenial vegetation and water here. See their website at https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/parks___recreation/wetlands_park/index.php
For those who want to escape the city entirely, a day at Red Rock State Park is a must. Hiking trails of all lengths promise desert quiet and dramatic rock vistas. While desert birds hide extremely well and quickly, one will hear peeps, chirps, and songs during a hike. There is also a 13-mile auto tour. For more information about this park, see https://www.redrockcanyonlv.org.
Finally, shout-outs are due to other superb desert water-reclamation parks. In Gilbert, a town east of Phoenix, Arizona, visit Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch. On the edge of Tucson, Sweetwater Wetlands’ diversity of species is remarkable.
