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2004 RENO CONFERENCE REPORT

12-17 September 2004

Visiting a relatively unbirded area that had never hosted an ABA meeting before, the ABA headed to Reno, Nevada, 12-17 September 2004, for its annual Regional Conference. At first glance, the expansive Great Basin desert appeared as bleak as a sagebrush ocean. Yet amid the basin and range topography lay myriad aquatic habitats to investigate, including the region's crown jewel, Pyramid Lake. On the Paiute Indian Reservation, this Pleistocene lake is a magnet for migrant birds; it's fed by the Truckee River, which emerges from Lake Tahoe in eastern California and flows through Reno. A field trip to Pyramid Lake scored many of the highlights of the Conference, including Pacific Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Parasitic Jaeger, Baird's Sandpiper, Sanderling, and a hatch-year female Blackpoll Warbler, unusual in the region. All field participants were able to study the differences between Clark's and Western Grebes, as thousands of these large grebes were seen rafting on the lake.

To the east of Reno, the expansive Lahontan Valley wetlands were combed for waterbirds. The surprise of the Conference, however, was an adult male Vermilion Flycatcher, a species almost unheard of this far north. At Soda Lake, a southbound Sabine's Gull made an appearance, and the lake's hypersaline waters also attracted numbers of Red-necked Phalaropes. In nearby sage habitat, Sage and Black-throated Sparrows lingered. In all, 155 bird species were recorded during the four-day Conference.

The Lahontan Audubon Society provided expert local field trip leaders, and Conference participants were privileged to enjoy a wide range of presentations by members of northern Nevada's very active birding community. Dr. Allan Gubanich answered the question, "Are there really any birds in Reno?", as he gave us a visual tour of the Reno area. Murrelet Halterman told attendees about her twenty years of research on Yellow-billed Cuckoos and showed photos of young cuckoos, looking more like echidnas than birds. Dr. Elisabeth Ammon, from the Great Basin Bird Observatory, explained how the role we citizen scientists play in monitoring bird populations is especially crucial in states (like Nevada) that have huge land areas. Nancy Bish took us with her on her travels to many of the most remote areas of Nevada, amazing Conference attendees with photos of spectacular Nevada scenery and birds. In most western states, water is the most valuable resource, and Larry Neel showed us how water levels affect the Reno area's colony-nesting waterbirds. Former ABA board member Dr. Ken Able told attendees how birds use a host of interacting compasses and senses to migrate, while world-renowned shorebird expert Dr. Lewis Oring shared his research on Killdeer, American Avocets, and Willets. Reno's Ray Nelson displayed his stunning oil paintings at each evening's social.

The Conference location, away from the usual ABA-area hotspots, appealed broadly to the ABA membership. More than 40 percent of the 93 attendees were first-timers at an ABA meeting. Twenty-two states and one foreign country were represented. Newcomer Etta Cosey, from Seattle, Washington, led all participants by tallying a whopping 92 life birds. At the end of the first day, Etta thought she had mistaken Marine boot camp for an ABA meeting, but by the end of the week she was all smiles, albeit tired. Traveling the farthest, Horacio Matarasso flew in from Martin de los Andes, Argentina, and although he had only the second highest total of lifers (74), his wide smile told everyone that he was having a great time seeing North American birds. Wondering how much fun it is to attend an ABA meeting? Just ask Horacio or Etta. "I just came to [Reno] to look for birds and I found GREAT PEOPLE! I'm happy to be a member of the ABA!", writes Horacio.

– Bill Maynard

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