[jfkIII]

If you can't find squirrels in Las Vegas, maybe you're looking in the wrong places...



Are those acorns...or testicles...or ebony boobs?

[jhiker1o]

This past year I did not see much wildlife out in the wild, a few bighorn and a few burros while hiking in the desert. A week before Christmas 2010, late night in Spring Valley around the Southern part of Durango I saw a gray fox in the middle of the road. Nice!!! There is still a wide expanse of undeveloped land in that area. Over at Red Springs while hiking late in the afternoon this past summer I have seen a gray fox as well sneaking around the scrubs.

[Buzz123]

Look around folks. Anybody see any nuts? Squirrels eat nuts, ground squirrels, or chipmunks, eat seeds. You have to go way up in northern Nevada to see squirrels. Reno has lots of them. Not sure if Ely does, but I don't think so; although I believe I've seen them around Elko.

The birds native to this area weren't chased off by pigeons either. They were run off by the State bird ...the construction crane. Wherever you live in the Valley you are living on what was formerly habitat for Quail, Ravens (no crows around here either), Red Tail Hawks, Killdeer, and Burrowing Owls. When we first moved west of U.S. 95, we saw lots of killdeer, although it was pretty pathetic since they were sleeping and nesting in the middle of the streets where their washes that they loved used to be. Same for Burrowing Owls. They would be in the street, or a fake landscaping dry wash feature, looking for food that had been run off too. Sometimes we'd see them hanging around a supermarket under the eves or on a light pole. If you live on the edge of town you'll probably see some of the native species before their natural homes are built upon.

We do have a 1000 times more birds here than when it was all native desert, and no trees had been planted yet, but they are new to the area just like most residents. There were only a few native cotton woods, and mesquite trees into the 80's when the boom started. Around the homes here then, most imported trees were still pretty small. Now you would have a hard time finding any native trees except in the older parks.

It's really sad to see what Marnell Corrao has done by destroying all the mesquite forests, which were natural quail habitat, killing off all the quail, and then having the audacity to name their lousy projects Quail this and Quail that.

Whats strange is how well the doves have thrived. Used to only see a few doves during their migration/hunting season. Now they are almost as prolific as the pigeons.

[Exaday]

Do you think the Doves are being released by out of work Magicians?

This is what I like to think.

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by jhiker1o

This past year I did not see much wildlife out in the wild, a few bighorn and a few burros while hiking in the desert. A week before Christmas 2010, late night in Spring Valley around the Southern part of Durango I saw a gray fox in the middle of the road. Nice!!! There is still a wide expanse of undeveloped land in that area. Over at Red Springs while hiking late in the afternoon this past summer I have seen a gray fox as well sneaking around the scrubs.

Plenty of grey foxes over at Sun City.

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by Exaday

Do you think the Doves are being released by out of work Magicians?

This is what I like to think.

Nah...out of work magicians experience hunger...those doves are usually transformed into dinner...with a snap of the fingers.

[momofcrawler]

Thanks Buzz123...it's great to know the natural history around here, however sad. I saw a quail sneaking into the bushes on Nellis the other day.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by momofcrawler

Thanks Buzz123...it's great to know the natural history around here, however sad. I saw a quail sneaking into the bushes on Nellis the other day.

Actually Sun City Summerlin is loaded with quail. Virtually every house with any reasonable cover has a family. I suspect way more quail there now then before the construction occurred.

[jasper12]

We did have a road runner in our yard, we fed him scraps of meat, he stayed in our yard for years.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by jasper12

We did have a road runner in our yard, we fed him scraps of meat, he stayed in our yard for years.

That is a great idea. If I get one to flit past I shall try bribery. A Las Vegas road runner has to go for the comp.

We had a feral cat on the patio where we fed it and it stayed for 12 years.