I was in Las Vegas for work for a week and wanted to get some birding in. I had arranged a trip to the Preserve early in the week but was, unfortunately, unable to attend, so the only other time I had was 2 hours on the Friday morning to pop over and have a wander around.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnBp8FZnZldalkjgYuYG-YGELjmO51OEbbWSpfsehyIaAGCtuDPAlut5PwfDzVxAN4q82gB0KQ3MeGLVuoW9snVPQ6ETEz85hG1jiQU7m3ZHHsw7qgu-rQ5a3om_MU1oqddGZyGXhuLtl/s400/IMG_2735.JPG) |
White-crowned Sparrow |
The second I got out of the taxi I was in a happy place! The Preserve is beautiful, the people there very helpful and there are so many birds! I failed miserably in the first instance though - I had completely forgotten to charge my camera and despite trying to learn the birds I might see before I went to the US, 70% of the birds I was seeing I couldn't ID and I only had a small amount of battery to take photos of said birds. Doh!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMusG6DbWNO2rPPJmw0wad97X2vnqiTZk1fL24SK4Nj06PAKX8os5_AEc0ob0Kk5Tjfa6HFUZDdqkLWu-93zFIr00JckHAH8UMke4sfAlkU2FKvZI7-cc7Ep9BSJgQd7W8BtyqyKH7Mny/s400/IMG_2740.JPG) |
First Bufflehead! |
The first bird I saw was actually one I could ID - a
Verdin. Super pretty (and tiny!) bird and the only one of my visit. There were lots and lots of
Yellow-rumped Warbler, a bird I luckily already knew from my trips to Florida. I had been hoping to see
Gambel's Quail and there were plenty around, very quirky little characters. A
Northern Harrier spent most of the time I was there seemingly following me around and over that period of time it had a kerfuffle with both a smaller falcon type bird and a larger raptor, neither of which I could ID.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA33JAjpm7zdDjCsdZMa4KmsV_ViPHpgrFJ4l3UnPdNq78Xe8s3zgHmw5UnYbZ8Uzun8EqMv_wrpBapowDCmHM6Q3lSlhbeRl2W5IO6jAHIdf7OpKtY4GhiJO7sORhAJRVhF6el47N4NPX/s400/IMG_2751+%25282%2529.JPG) |
Northern Flicker |
A few of the other birds had stuck in my mind as they were a bit more obvious - so I instantly recognised the
White-crowned Sparrow as it hopped around on the ground near me, a
White-faced Ibis that flew past and the
Bufflehead swimming everywhere. The speedy trip was finished with a pair of
White Pelican sat in one of the pools.
I say finished, but whilst out in the car park waiting for my taxi I was suddenly surrounded by the tiny whirring wings of 6 or so hummingbirds (not sure if Anna's or Costa's - probably Anna's?). I was so happy when I got in the taxi I completely bored the poor driver talking about them for the duration of the ride back to the hotel!
Not at the preserve but a quick bird of note actually in Vegas - two
Nighthawk flying down the Strip, which was a bit cool! I wouldn't have had a clue what they were if I hadn't seen my first ones in Florida a month or so before.
I'll be back in both November of this year and Februrary of next, so I look forward to a few more trips to the Preserve where I can hopefully take a charged camera and also try to ID a few more!
I've stuck on a few awful photos of the ones I couldn't ID either at all or for sure - if anyone feels like assisting me, that would be excellent, thanks!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tXmLPcgfVr9a2cypY2V6DDpi7F0EGasaRTi5ZTJ4wPTGYGlvaas_2y6vxTNarwM7QcFuQ99qTFhjzML3JPvAj64TN8bGWCZWAtT7syzWNeo0KZwVxeF5AlMxSU3DkGS7PU7uegjcBk2E/s400/IMG_2594+%25282%2529.JPG) |
House Finch? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFiYDD1C64xxQ1VdRvBpdr2cY38osBaDBkadIzVhkLIWZgUy-g0AxT5RK2X4Epr1RrP8y2LxTmk3AINqeqXR1fjhYHsj68Hj6Hu_bTboFE5vdXVDADdVX0YOQf3CUc78gWP4LVte8LG1o/s400/IMG_2726+%25282%2529.JPG) |
Yellow-rumped Warbler? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Kr8SxjX0il071ztfcUVmhrn3ukmsKBhniaCJlIPx6BC_hqSctBuTCTN2JfABZJmxpgr-fg61b9UZNnGUxQvikBitqNhzS8s22XeBMY2VHEMnJuX5BVIUsjCOjxNR1Uipj9JiBNy2zVDw/s400/IMG_2733+%25282%2529.JPG) |
Suggestions for this on social media have been both Nashville Warbler and
Orange-crowned Warbler, but no idea how common they'd be around Vegas in November? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tiMnQ4PzRT5KTrdzmnhk4mCZbafCjQpliNNYjQQgzcHkkBDEQ36j6TyI9lpbWS_SY1NjcqWn3PEs2uqnRUaN93gW-fkt8cEjgp2pbR5dEjJyAYAtmjIQ1bry7ixyveRkYBVXBGEUp_EE/s400/IMG_2744+%25282%2529.JPG) |
Some sort of flycatcher? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FaaLnSnVh2y_3GSQQYruieVlPZyJNOON_CUdlsmHVeBdlwuLgM1_6amnoemhQKCAyHu-BJAJ1UNIqzVFvH6YChJMO9C1SLHs0Zto3e6qraipuygGrcRPRAAN4GXx8JEJ7dSHHcFwY1rv/s400/IMG_2752+%25282%2529.JPG) |
This was rustling round in the undergrowth for a long time, quite chunky. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktNoyx_DxceP4PG0ZScYeHINARDYjdalIFEo8fe8rYMRuaO8LWibQiB5OHoQft8HPxpE7_-HlUi3FIX15PEl_0dd-Y5M8AIbW4YbdXC0tkHgdajE-6L6dCn1uLkkQQjnpI5wUpbDrCI4z/s400/IMG_2746+%25282%2529.JPG) |
Also no idea. Some sort of sparrow? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLJEtYAfIFMkxR1QQI5_ZvFr5eVYaMJq6DkpKeTzVMk5b2dVwy95yFv6xzaJ4XV7q8CxgOIXrm8hdAFFZbUXyjhOXgPE_mKIVRdFGi_BsuRDD2O6kMogOnPe-SaYMkqMT0iEeDIxmr14-/s400/IMG_2754+%25282%2529.JPG) |
Yellow-rumped Warbler? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBfhtBBc0KGkfeqwWEbkNjAD8m6X73Wr962Wf6WG6EbVnBn9OIhnn60D201I_XUFzDWK53h8KLuqmY9yeIIwYuqYNMXEt-Dw6V2QsA4QGBYnr98PF5OTFQXOOhSS-I4-Rcopg_Ud51mzl/s400/IMG_2756+%25282%2529.JPG) |
Say's Phoebe? Was more orange in real life |