Date: 6/3/26 9:30 pm From: Joel Geier <clearwater...> Subject: Sheldon NWR Eastern Kingbird, Bald Peak BBS route
Hi folks,
Just back from two nights and two days on Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge: one "tune-up" day yesterday, and then this morning I ran the Bald Peak Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) route.
Probably the rarest bird of the trip, for NW Nevada, was an EASTERN KINGBIRD in the "oasis" at Virgin Valley Campground, around 11:00 AM today. Interestingly, there was also a territorial pair of Western Kingbirds who must be nesting in there, and were chasing other birds. But the Eastern Kingbird was just perched up high, basically "minding its own business," and the Western Kingbirds left it alone. I assume the Eastern Kingbird is just a migrant -- I looked for but didn't see any sign of a mate, nor any territorial behavior.
In the category of "strange birds to see in an oasis situation," a LARK SPARROW seemed very committed to the spot, coming back after I spooked it when I walked in. I usually think of Lark Sparrows as desert birds that do fine in xeric, sagebrush/juniper situations -- so why was this one so intent on staying in that little grove of poplars?
Yesterday as part of my tune-up, I hiked a stand of old-growth juniper on the far west end of the refuge, above Calcutta Lake (which is dry lakebed this year). I found two pairs of JUNIPER TITMOUSE (one pair carrying food to a presumed nest). Also one pair of CHIPPING SPARROWS (not supposed to be there), several pairs of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS (looks like someone's been putting up nest boxes to supplement the natural cavities), and oodles of Gray Flycatchers, Brewer's Sparrows, and Green-tailed Towhees. Alas, no Scrub-Jays, and no Black-throated Gray Warblers (which have nested here in past years).
Up at the "Little Sheldon" old refuge headquarters, which has an isolated stand of ponderosa pines, once again there's a DUSKY FLYCATCHER pair that seem to be nesting, and also a stray pair of CASSIN'S FINCHES, but I didn't pick up any sign of Plumbeous Vireo (there last year) or Orange-crowned Warbler (using a seep across the meadow for the past two years).
The biggest surprise was a BARN OWL screeching overhead while I was sitting out on Monday evening, listing to the Poorwills. I searched all of the nearby human-built structures without finding any possible nesting sites. However, there are some cavities on rock cliffs that might serve as natural nesting cavities.
After dark on Tuesday evening I also heard the "song" of a male SHORT-EARED OWL. That was a new experience for me -- I've heard their "barks" etc. but this is very different, a series of rapid, low "poo-poo-poo" sounds, I counted seven.
The Bald Peak BBS route was established by Terry Rich, however many years ago. It's a great route, running through some truly remarkable habitat. There are places with big sagebrush and rabbitbrush where it's hard to sort out how many Sage Thrashes and Green-tailed Towhees are singing all at once, since they're just putting up a "wall of sound."
Running the route today, as I was approaching one stop there were five GREATER SAGE-GROUSE standing in the road. When I crept up to the stop and they just moseyed down the road ahead of me, so yay, I was able to record them for the stop!
The most unusual bird for the route was a wayward FRANKLIN'S GULL soaring near Catnip Reservoir. WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS were present for the second year in a row, in the canyon below the reservoir. After seeing them last year, now I know when and where to look!
One unusual non-bird sighting was an ELK cow at Little Sheldon on Tuesday morning. I thought that might be a first record for the refuge, but a USFWS technician who I ran into later in the day said he'd also seen a couple recently.
