Nevada wetlands teeming with birds after another wet winter

FALLON - One of the most important stops for migratory birds in the West is teeming with life after two straight wet winters broke a five-year drought.

The Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge now features 20,000 acres of wetlands, compared to the usual 8,000 or 9,000 acres, said Mike Goddard, refuge manager.

It's the most water in the refuge since 1997, and up from only about 2,000 acres in 2000. The refuge is near Fallon.

"This nesting season looks to be one of the best in 25 years," refuge biologist Bill Henry said. "If you're a wetland-dependent bird this year, you've got it made."

Insects and minnow populations skyrocketed in the wetlands, in turn attracting birds.

Birds usually found - mallard ducks, geese and American white pelicans - are swarming the refuge in huge numbers.

Others that haven't nested there for eight years or so, including green-winged teal, Franklin gulls and Wilson's phalaropes, also are flocking to it.

"It's pretty exciting to see all these birds that we don't normally see," Goddard said. "This is great for the refuge and great for the wildlife."

Duck hunter Dave Stanley of Reno said he also has noticed a huge increase in bird numbers.

"I've been hunting out here I don't know how long, and if I've ever seen any more baby ducks than this, I don't know when," he said. "It's amazing what a little water will do."

Some feathered visitors to Stillwater - including the long-billed dowitcher - come from far away.

The dowitcher is just arriving after nesting north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska and Asia.

Many of the shorebirds will stay at the refuge before continuing south to Mexico or South America.

Henry said he has seen all kinds of conditions at the refuge in his nearly 17 years there and this year's bounty of water is welcome.

"I've gotten to see the good, the bad and the ugly, and this is exceptional," he said.