Raptors are visible in Carson City, too

The annual Eagles and Agriculture event kicks off this week in the Carson Valley, a wildlife viewing exhibition that attracts hundreds of visitors to the area to see birds of prey feeding and nesting below the eastern slopes of the Carson Range.

But Carson City residents don't have to leave the Eagle Valley to catch glimpses of raptors. We've got them in our own backyards.

Jane Burnham of the Lahontan Audubon Society in Reno said two key areas in and around Carson City to see raptors are Washoe Lake State Park along Eastlake Boulevard, and also along the Carson River in East Carson City.

"In my experience, Washoe Lake is terrific," Burnham said. "Red-tail hawks nest all around Washoe Lake."

There is also the Silver Saddle Ranch Recreation Area below the east slope of Prison Hill off Carson River Road, she said.

"Silver Saddle Ranch has got some great viewing," Burnham said. "You'll see hawks...and owls nest along the Carson River."

The most common nesting owl along the Carson River is the Great Horned Owl, Burnham said, but there are also long-eared and barn owl varieties seen in the area, too.

In fact, owls have already started nesting, Burnham added, and the red-tailed hawks are just about to this time of year.

Nancy Santos, president of the Board of Directors for Friends of Silver Saddle Ranch, agrees.

"The great horned owls are on the nest already and the red tails are just now pairing up," Santos said.

She said the same kind of birds found in the Carson Valley can be found in Carson City, too, just in smaller numbers, because of the vast expanses of agricultural fields to the south of the state capital.

"All along the riparian corridor," Santos said. "Anywhere there are open fields, open marsh lands, and large trees."

This includes Bald and Golden Eagles, she said, which prefer being near major water sources.

"The river corridor is the best place to see eagles," she said. "And they all like to sit in tall trees."

This time of year, the raptors are plentiful while wintering below the eastern Sierra Nevada, feeding on fish, rodents and other small mammals, other birds, as well as on the after-birth of cows.

Calving season usually begins in February, and the larger birds of prey -- like eagles and hawks -- are attracted to the placentas left behind when a new calf is born in area cattle fields and pastures.

Any open field areas, Burnham and Santos agree, are good spots to view raptors hunting and feeding; even areas away from water sources.

Raptors also like to roost on tall objects so that they can better survey the landscape and use their sharp eyesight to its full potential, both Burnham and Santos said.

Power poles are ideal, and even fence posts along pasture land provide birds of prey good roosts for spotting food.

In fact, some raptors -- hawks in particular -- may be spotted near roadways, Burnham said.

"They're not above eating road-kill," Burnham said, "so they do tend to hang around the roads."

Large trees like poplars and cottonwoods, which tend to grow thick along the Carson River, are ideal nesting habitats for the larger raptors -- such as eagles and hawks -- Burnham and Santos said, because they are big and strong enough to handle the large nests.

"Look for big nests while the trees are still bare," Burnham said.

Nests are typically located near the top of tall, large trees, Santos advised. "This time of year they will be easier to spot because there aren't any leaves on the trees yet."

The riparian corridor along the Carson River in Carson City extends from about the Mexican Dam and the Sierra Vista Lane areas through Silver Saddle Ranch, north to Buzzy's Ranch, River View Park at the end of East Fifth Street, the length of the Mexican Ditch Trail, and along the east side of Empire Ranch Golf Course, Santos said.

It is the best viewing area for raptor habitat any time of the year, she said.

The Carson River attracts an assortment of raptors, Santos said, including Bald and Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, smaller Cooper's Hawks, Northern Harriers (marsh hawks), American Kestrel, and even the Prairie Falcon is possible, "but kind of rare," Santos said.

Other less common raptor species include Ferruginous, Rough-legged and Red-shouldered Hawks. But even some of these seem to be more visible these days than they used to be, Santos said.

"They seem to be hanging around and nesting in some parts of this area," she said. "They seem to be expanding their range, and some are actually staying here during the spring and summer months."

Unlike other wildlife, raptors are out all day long, Santos said, either roosting, hunting or feeding.

But regardless of what time of day you choose to view them, it's important to respect their space, Santos said.

"Stay away from wherever the nest trees are," she said. "They're kind of flighty anyway, so respect the nesting territory."

Chris Healy of the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) office in Reno agrees.

"Enjoy them from a distance," he said, recommending a good pair of optics, such as binoculars or a high-powered camera lens. "Respect their right to be there."

Healy said raptors are more skittish when humans approach on foot, so if possible, try viewing them from your car. The closer humans get to the birds, the more stress it puts on them, he added.

"Winter is a difficult time for them," Healy said, as the raptors are nesting and feeding to keep warm.

That brings up one more important point about being around birds of prey.

"Don't feed them," Healy cautioned. "They've been very successful without your help."

Between the after-birth of calves, small mammals, fish and other birds, the raptors have plenty of food sources during the winter here, Healy said.

For more information about birds of prey that make their homes in the Carson City area, visit the NDOW web site at www.ndow.org/species/birds. You can also visit the Lahontan Audubon Society web site at www.nevadaaudubon.org, or visit Cornell University's online Orinthology Lab at www.allaboutbirds.org for a complete North American birding guide.