Birding 3-20-2011 Willow Creek: Pahrump: Nye County

March 20, 2011, birding started at 7:15a.m. with a strong wind,blowing spitting rain and tumbleweeds around. Lots of activity in parking lot with Cooper's Hawk nestled in the fir tree overseeing everything. Slate-colored Junco's along with Western Bluebirds, flitting from tree to tree. An American Kestrel was hovering with the wind blowing it around. A woodpecker flattened itself against the tree motivating me to get out of the vehicle. This was a female.

After conversation yesterday with a birding group in California, I was alert to looking at the woodpeckers more closely. Was able to get pictures, but she flew before I could get a look at her forehead. Had a wider black band at base of neck and appeared to have more black in the face. After looking for an hour at home on the computer,at the four pictures I took I came to believe it was a Ladder-backed and that the wind was giving the woodpecker the appearance of a wider solid black than what I am use to seeing.Thank you Richard and Carol for coffee and the pancakes after my birding. It sure did warm me up. Also thank you Richard for the instructions on the GPS.

1.Slate colored Junco's (3) at clubhouse and (2) at Carol&Richard's feeders.
Orgeon Junco's (2)(took pictures)(also at Carol and Richard's)
2.Golden-crowned Sparrow (1) at Carol&Richard's feeders. This sparrow comes
into their feeders when the White-crowned Sparrow's come in to feed.(Took
pictures)
3.Ring-billed Gull's at Richard and Carol's pond. (3)
4.Cinnamon Teal's (3) 1 male and two females. Pond (2) Richard and Carol's
5.Black-crowned Night Heron's building nest in Willow Tree second pond at
Richard and Carol's I was surprised at the size of the limbs that the
Black-crowned Night Heron's were tearing off & carrying to the nest site.
6.Northern Shoveler's spinning around on the ponds.
7.Red-shouldered Hawk sitting in nest.
8.Anna's Hummingbirds
9.House Finch
10.House Sparrow's
11.Black Phoebe's
12.Say's Phoebe
13.Lesser Goldfinch
14.Ladder-backed Woodpecker
15.Western Bluebirds
16.Cooper's Hawk
17.American Kestrel
18.Yellow-rumped Warbler's
19.Common Raven's
20.Rock Dove's
21.Northern Pintail (female) with male Mallard (think she may be a hybrid
between Northern Pintail and Mallard)
22.Gambel's Quail (1) swaying on a tumbleweed bush trying to stay upright
with the wind blowing.
23.Red-winged Blackbird's
24.Brewer's Blackbird (1)
25.Great-tailed Grackle's
26.American Wigeon's
27.Mallard's
28.Eurasian-collared Dove's calling
29.Western Meadowlarks, on a fence trying to withstand the wind.
30.Pied-billed Grebe's

Submitted by
Darlene Feener
Pahrump, Nevada