The location of a proposed personal and RV storage project off Airport Road, the third storage project heard by the Planning Commission in as many months.
If the new hatches in Paradise Valley and the surrounding Santa Rosa mountains are any indication, it’s an incredible year for birds. After decades of decline in pheasant and other game bird populations, it’s great to see them rebound. I guess Mother Nature and the Weather Gods finally got together and decided to give the tweeties a break.
I’ve been heartened to see great bird hatches all over our Valley and mountains. Quail and dove are abundant, chukar and Hungarian partridge flush when you drive up mountain roads, Turkey are everywhere, pheasant are improving their numbers in fields and meadows, and there are even a few sage grouse down in the Valley. Our local waterfowl look to be thriving with ducks and geese filling every pond, creek and irrigation ditch around. All that adds up to a pretty remarkable year.
I love seeing all this beauty because it says something is going right. It’s hard to stomach the nonstop barrage of negative news about climate change affecting everything, and I guess when you can see good news with your own eyes in your own backyard, it just feels like maybe things aren’t quite as dire as the experts claim.
I’ll also add that our non-game bird populations are looking great too. While I could sure do with fewer magpies and crows, I’m very happy to see more birds of prey. I’ve talked about my love for our local owls, and they all seem to be hatching out new families. I’ve loved watching the Great Horned Owlets here on the ranch as well as the adorable burrowing owls along our roads and on edges of fields and meadows. I spotted a new family of Barn Owls perched up in the rafters of our big old horse barn over the weekend and I can’t wait to sneak back over for another look in the coming days.
Our eagles, hawks and buzzards seem to be on track as well. I have to admit a big soft spot for the local buzzards. Their habit of sitting atop fences in the mornings and spreading their wings to warm up, freak out many unsuspecting visitors; but, I love the weird looking sight. Fred and I used to love sitting in the back yard after work, sharing a beer and watching the buzzards soar and play on the wind before roosting for the night. When we lived over in town before we built our house, we had a neighbor who swore they roosted above the skylight in his roof, just to look at him sleeping and startle him.
Whether you like the buzzards or not, they are remarkable creatures who serve an invaluable purpose here, and generally when you live around them, you gain an appreciation for them as part of our Northern Nevada family.
Another group of birds that I enjoy seeing thrive are our heron, crane, egret and auks. The ranch has been alive with a big assortment of these beautiful water birds. Seeing big ol heron and crane is like having dinosaurs fly around your house each day.
And finally, I’ve been delighted by the songbirds and hummingbirds this year. I found three hummingbird nests in my lilacs this year and I’ve done my best to protect them from my local kitty assassins. I can’t get enough of seeing those tiny hatchlings no bigger than bumble bees.
If you get a chance, take a day trip out to some of our local farm, ranch and mountain country, slow down, roll down your windows and enjoy the sights and sounds of a remarkable year for birds. Each time I slow for a big covey of quail or flock of turkeys along the road, it sure puts a big smile on my face.
Kris Stewart is a rancher in Paradise Valley, Nevada.