Columnist Susan Snyder: The bald truth about bird-spotting

Monday, Dec. 15, 2003 | 8:24 a.m.

The snow birds are back.

The ones with feathers, rather than RVs.

Large numbers of raptors -- eagles, hawks, falcons and other birds of prey -- come to Southern Nevada in the winter, which makes for great bird-watching not far from town.

And probably the most notable celebrity on this annual playbill is the bald eagle.

Want to see one or 10? Find water, said John Hiatt of the Red Rock Audubon Society.

"Bald eagles are more concentrated where there's water because they live on fish and water fowl," Hiatt said.

Bald eagles don't nest here, but they migrate here in winter when the lakes farther north (Canada north, not Reno) freeze over. Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge are among the best places to see the nation's symbol in winter.

Viewing is best along Lake Mead's shoreline between Echo and Overton bays, Roxanne Dey, park spokeswoman, said. But you'll need a boat.

People without boats can find good eagle-spotting at Stewart's Point, off North Lakeshore Drive, and sometimes along Boulder Beach, she said. On Lake Mohave, check out Cottonwood Cove.

Eagles are among the birds Hiatt and other spotters hope to see during their annual Christmas bird counts.

Christmas counts performed by National Audubon Society members since 1901 are believed to be the oldest ongoing annual collections of bird data in the world, Hiatt said.

"They come from the tradition of going out on Christmas Day and shooting birds for the Christmas Day feast," he said. "In 1901 a group in Florida thought of just going out and looking at birds instead of shooting them."

They recorded what they saw and started a new tradition that has stretched into a period starting Dec. 14 and ending with the last counts on Jan. 6.

"It's kind of a big deal," Hiatt said. "We look for everything that flies, with the exception of domestic chickens."

And they see plenty. They use four major spotting sites (dates and contact information are listed below), and see some 60 to 100 different species of birds at each one, he said.

In addition to bald eagles, those with a keen eye for raptors can see golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, Coopers hawks, sharp-shinned hawks and kestrels, along with merlins, peregrine and prairie falcons, Hiatt said.

A lucky few may even catch a glimpse of the more rare ferruginous hawk, which is the largest hawk found in North America. These thick-bodied birds have broad, powerful wings that span up to 54 inches. They have short, dark, hooked beaks and legs feathered to their talons.

Red Rock Audubon is leading four Christmas bird counts. The first was Sunday in the Desert National Wildlife Range's Corn Creek area. The others:

Lake Mead, Saturday, call 363-6615.

Moapa Valley/Muddy River, Dec. 27, call 865-2808.

Ash Meadows, Jan. 3, call 645-7736.

Have visiting relatives who have run out of patience and money for the casinos? Take them out to watch some birds.

It beats watching each other.