Nevada - 1999

Thursday, June 10th Red Rock Canyon – continued

I crossed the road and went to the start of the Lost Creek Nature Trail. This trail was designed for children and a school bus parked there. A class had just finished walking the trail and the children seemed quite enthused. Some wanted to go back. One of the teachers or parents stopped to talk with me and gave me a copy of a booklet which contained questions which the children were to answer by making observations along the trail. Most were fairly easy for me. Naturally, the scenery along the trail was quite spectacular. I saw many butterflies and dragonflies and damselflies - one of which was a bright, iridescent blue. Hearing some bird song, I stopped to try and find the source. Couldn't find it, but while looking did come across several wrens. I tried making them into something else, but finally had to settle on House Wrens as the id. The time I spent in trying to make the change was worth it since I also saw a Canyon Towhee.

Towards the middle of the trail, I came to a waterfall which was mostly dried up, but standing in the shade watching the little trickle of waters was cooling. Watched a hummingbird sip water from the spray at the top. Stopped to talk with a couple of people who lived in Las Vegas. They said that they had never seen so much green in the area. Then I came upon a school class, and another, and another. The classes kept on coming. One of the teachers asked me if I had expected to find peace and quiet there. I smiled as I said it was all right. After, I got off the trail, I walked back to the Willow Springs picnic area which was now inundated with children, so I continued on my drive through the park. Again, wonderful scenery.

Along the Pine Creek Canyon Trail

I stopped at Pine Creek Canyon and walked on a trail there. The pines are Ponderosas which, in this area, are relicts of times past. I walked down the trail. It was HOT and that made the long trail seem even longer. The absence of birds did not help either. I saw only two unidentifiable birds as I approached the base of a cliff which the trail led to. One was a yellow bird which I took to be a female oriole, but I had no way of determining which species it was. When I can't find birds, I look at plants and admired the blooming cholla. I decided it did not pay to go all the way to the cliff as I had no intention of going up it. So I turned around and took a short walk to the pine area. It was much cooler there. I hoped that the running water in the little creek would attract birds, but didn't see any. I was planning on going back on a trail through the pines but heard a family asking where the main trail was. Seems that there was no real way through.

Went back to the main trail hoping that somehow or other the trail which went downhill when I first went on it, would also be downhill on the way back. It was hot (remember to take the water with you next time!). Then I spotted a hummingbird sitting on the top of a tree. It was most cooperative, sat there for a long time. I tentatively identified it as a Broad-tailed Hummingbird but couldn't be sure because the light was coming from the wrong direction. Then I heard and saw a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher squeaking among the bushes. Another hummer on a snag. This time it had a rather long bill – a Black-chinned Hummingbird. Other birds seen were Western Scrub-Jay, Black-throated Sparrow, and Rock Wren. Got back to the car, had a long drink of water, then another, and yet another. I made several stops to take photographs while driving to the park exit.

Red Rock Canyon Continues

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