Date: 10/1/25 12:10 am From: Clayton Peoples <claypeoples...> Subject: Central and Southern NV Notable Birds Last Week
Hi All! I had work travel that took me from my hometown of Reno through central and southern Nevada last week. While on the journey, I stopped to do some birding (when possible). Lots of notable species were observed:
It began Sunday morning (9/21), when I met up with Carl Lundblad at Miller's Rest Stop outside Tonopah and he spotted—and helped me see—a beautiful LARK BUNTING.
From Tonopah, I took the "easterly" route to Las Vegas so I could visit Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, where I was fortunate to see the continuing REDDISH EGRET.
Upon arrival in Las Vegas, I visited Sunset Park. Although I was a day late for the Prairie Warbler that had been seen there, I was fortunate to see the continuing CLAY-COLORED SPARROW and DICKClSSEL. I ended that day in Primm, where someone helped me see the continuing NORTHERN PARULA.
After work kept me quite busy the first few days in Vegas, limiting my birding opportunities, I had a small break on Thursday and visited Corn Creek where I found a beautiful juvenile light-morph BROAD-WINGED HAWK.
On Friday, I was again in Primm, where I found a lovely hatch-year female BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (see photo in eBird link here: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/642515774).
On Saturday, before departing southern Nevada and heading north, I stopped at Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve (HBVP), where I came across a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (possibly continuing, as one had been seen there some weeks ago) and a pretty juvenile SABINE'S GULL.
Finally, on Sunday (9/28), before driving the rest of the way back to Reno, I found an AMERICAN REDSTART and a PALM WARBLER at Miller's Rest Stop, west of Tonopah.
In all, I was fortunate to observe 122 species along the way, including all the notable birds mentioned above. It was a great reminder of how amazing the birding can be in Nevada during migration season--and especially how all our Nevada "desert traps" seem to attract interesting birds!
