Memories of Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve

Map - n/a — *Map of the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve*

Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria — The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson Nevada is comprised of nine ponds owned by the city’s Waste Water Treatment Facility, but managed by nature lovers. It is the premiere birding location in southern Nevada.

Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes — *Lesser Yellowlegs – Tringa flavipes*

The first time I visited the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve was on 2015-05-05. I was starting out a long expedition of the western USA states and driving my Suzuki Samurai. I didn’t know it at the time, but long drives in such a small vehicle, no matter how much fun, put me at risk for DVT and pulmonary embolism. Later, in December, I would succumb to these ailments. (I caught a blood clot in my lungs that almost killed me.)

The preserve in Henderson located near Las Vegas Nevada, is a converted water treatment facility that now serves as a bird sanctuary. It is located north of Henderson and adjacent to the Las Vegas Wash. Depending on the time of year, visitors can find a variety of shorebirds, waterfowl, waders, and passerines there.

The preserve consists of nine ponds spread over 140 acres, intertwined with trails weaving their way along the levees between the ponds. Some ponds are quite large. Originally developed as a water treatment facility, it is now a prime birding habitat. The city operated the wastewater treatment plant, not knowing it would evolve into the marvelous bird habitat we know today. After first becoming popular with birders in the 1960s, in 1995 the City of Henderson initiated policies that reflected a cooperative sensitivity to the birds that thrived here. They restricted the draining and filling of the ponds and the clearing of brush to times when it would not disturb the breeding and migratory needs of the birds. Both the birds and the birders have benefitted from this foresight, It’s a lesson that other municipalities could heed.

It being late spring on my visit, I found American Avocets, American Coots, Black-Tailed Gnatcatchers, Canada Geese, Crissal Thrashers, Eared Grebes, Mallards, Ruddy Ducks, Snowy Egrets, Verdins and Wilson’s Phalaropes.

My second visit to this location was on 2017-08-13, as I headed into Idaho to experience the solar eclipse. Many of the morning’s birds were on their way south after breeding further north on this continent. There are nine ponds on the property, all are relatively shallow, but Pond #8 was five feet below its full line and only a few inches deep in most places. Shorebirds loved this pond, and I found a bench near the southwestern corner and contented myself with those brave birds who minded little that I was there.

From my perch on the bench I saw: Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson’s Phalarope, Western Sandpiper, White-Faced Ibis, American Avocet, Long-Billed Dowitcher, Killdeer, Black-Necked Stilt, Cinnamon Teal, Red-Winged Blackbird, Yellow-Headed Blackbird, Solitary Sandpiper, and Spotted Sandpiper. On those occasions where groups of peeps, dowitchers and phalaropes would pick up and take their wheeling flights over the water, I’d chase them with my lens.

Later, while on my way back to the visitor’s center, I found a half-dozen Greater Yellowlegs. The most pleasing bird for me was the Solitary Sandpiper that landed in front of me and remained long enough for some pictures. Several times near San Diego I’ve chased this bird, but was too late for the meeting. The morning’s meeting with this elusive shorebird was a first for me.

My third visit here was on 2020-11-09, while I headed east with Texas on my mind. I first drove north on US-395 through some of my favorite locations in the eastern Sierra-Nevada region. After driving all day from Ely Nevada, I felt tuckered out. But I didn’t want to boondock camp in Las Vegas, so I booked a night at an RV park in Henderson. The stay at the RV park was a good idea. It was only five minutes from the Bird Viewing Preserve, and Monday morning I was the first guest to arrive at the preserve just after 6am and I stayed until noon. I visited nearly every pond and trail. I took a ton of pictures, and a few of the images in the collection pleased me.

Waterfowl were the stars of the show here. Ducks and grebes abound, but I put in the effort to get passerines and shorebirds when I could. When I arrived at the preserve, the wind was calm, but it kicked up as the morning progressed, giving the morning chill an extra bite and making me wish I’d brought my mittens. Calm water early allowed me to capture reflecting images of the birds on the water, but when the wind picked up, the reflections were not so easy to get.