In Search of the Himalayan Snowcock

The Ruby Mountains

It was hot. We had stopped for what we refer to as a’ Birding Lunch’ (sandwiches from the fixin’s in the ice chest) at an I-80 rest stop near Lovelock, Nevada. There was not a tree in sight and the only shade came from the metal awning built over the picnic table.  We were clearly in the desert as evidenced by the heat, the salt plain, the dry winds, and the lack of shade. This part of Nevada is right in the middle of the 40-mile waterless stretch that the emigrants on the California Trail had to cross in their heroic journey to a better life. Gazing around as we ate lunch, it is easy to see that we were in the middle of what is known as the Basin and Range Province, an area that includes much of the west from eastern California to western Utah. In the middle of this province sits the most mountainous state in the U. S. and in the middle of that our lunch spot. Most travelers in Nevada barely give this fact a second thought but it is true, there are over 120 named mountain ranges in the state and from where we sat we could see two of them, one on either side. I first became aware of the unique nature of this region from the book, Basin and Range by John McPhee. I say this because I discount a family vacation to Idaho in the early 70s which took us across the I-80 corridor. Back then these were just mountains and deserts that apparently couldn’t be fished. McPhee’s book, like all of his others, is a masterful work that makes it relatively easy for a layman like me to understand the basic principles of the topography and geology of the province.  In short, over the last 30 million years ongoing tension due to uplift is pulling the continental plate in an east-west direction which has led to the formation of parallel faults which are oriented north-south. As the plate stretches, fractures and thins, faulting causes mountains to rise and valleys to fall - the basins and the ranges. Jeff and I had come to the province on a mission, for in one of the highest and most scenic of the ranges, the Ruby Mountains, there lives a bird that can only be seen in North America within the confines of the higher slopes of the range - the Himalayan Snowcock. These birds were introduced into the Ruby’s in the early 1960s to provide sport for the region’s hunters and hopefully to draw some tourism dollars to the area. Snowcocks stay almost entirely above treeline and as a result few of them are actually hunted each year. Nevada Fish and Game officials in the 1960s probably had no inkling that the impact on the local economy from the introduction of these birds would not come from hunters but from birders traveling from all over to add them to their life lists. We were two such birders and, to our good fortune, we were joined by a third, Michael Morris who was traveling from his home in Eureka to Wyoming for a well-earned vacation from his life of retirement on the North Coast. Jeff and I left Napa early on the morning of August 17th and we took advantage of our crossing of the Sierra to go after his nemesis - the Mountain Quail. In the area of Yuba Gap (where I spent 2 summers at Boy Scout camp) is a road into a PG&E reservoir called Lake Valley Road. There had been recent reports of the quail so we took some time to check it out. This area appears to have been burned over a number of years ago and it proved to be a great birding spot. Highlights here included Williamson’s Sapsucker, Western Tanager, Townsend’s Solitaire, White-headed Woodpecker, and yes MOUNTAIN QUAIL!
Leaving the mountains of California behind we arrived in Lamoille Canyon in the Ruby Mountains which is just to the east of Elko.

Upper Lamoille Canyon

I really can’t say enough about the beauty of this canyon. Approaching on the highway it is visible as a slash or a crack in the range, very narrow and not too hard to miss. As you enter and move up the canyon it alternates between very narrow, steep (vertical) sides and more open sections covered in aspens. At road’s end you find trailheads up to Lamoille Lake and Island Lake, both about 2 miles long and in excellent condition. The following morning we would make the hike to Island Lake in our quest for the Himalayan Snowcocks. We found Michael at his campsite and continued birding our way up the canyon picking up Western Wood Pewee, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Mountain Bluebirds and a really nice pair of Golden Eagles to name a few. We then headed back down to Lamoille for dinner and to iron out our plan of attack for the morning. The alarm rang at 3 am the next morning and we crossed our fingers and hoped for good luck. Starting up the trail at 4:15, we really didn’t need our headlamps as the moon provided plenty of light. Most people who are lucky enough to spot the Snowcocks do so shortly after dawn as they move from the ridge tops down to feed. We were in position above Island Lake in time to enjoy a beautiful sunrise.

Ridgeline Above Island Lake

We scanned and we scanned, surprised to see a Mountain Goat and then shortly after 6 am we heard a few Snowcock calls. Unfortunately, that was going to be the best we could do. We stuck to it but after several hours neither of us had a glimpse of these birds. As we retreated we did pick up some nice birds including Lazuli Bunting, Yellow and MacGillivray’s Warblers, Mountain Chickadees, and a Rufous Hummingbird. The rest of the day would take us a few miles to the west and South Fork Reservoir. It was quite hot with occasional cloud cover relieving us. Here we added waterfowl species as well as Sandhill Cranes and a nice Cooper’s Hawk. As we left the area and headed back towards Lamoille it was quite clear that we were going to get some weather.  Driving across Nevada the last thing you think about is rain, however, it is a little known fact that the Ruby Mountains receive nearly 50” of precipitation in an average year. We were about to get a taste of one form this can take - the thunderstorm. Late afternoon in Lamoille was a show of thunder, lighting, and copious amounts of falling water, what a show!

The next morning we were up early again in hopes of getting a glimpse of the Snowcocks. We employed a different strategy this time, setting up our scopes in the valley below the large rock wall where we had heard them the morning before. But alas, not a whiff. Oh well, that just means we are going to have to come back to the Rubys to try again, not a displeasing notion.

Scanning the Cliffs

Ever since we arrived in the region and the locals discovered that we were birders we were asked if we had gone to “the marshes.” Even the Nevada highway patrolman who pulled me over to remind me of the speed limit asked me this question. We had no idea what they were talking about. It turns out that they were referring to what I can only describe as a crown jewel in the National Wildlife Refuge system - Ruby Lake. I had never even heard of this refuge and it is no surprise as it is known as perhaps the most remote refuge in the lower 48 states. Tucked along the east side of the Ruby Mountains and fed by springs and runoff, this place took our breath away. Miles of wetlands in the middle of the Basin and Range province, its beauty was sublime.

Pronghorn Antelope Grazing in the Refuge

Our list of birds in the refuge was not overly impressive but a return at the right time of year could be epic. Our best stop of the day came on the way over the mountains to the east side in the canyon a couple of miles up from the valley floor. Here we ran into a mixed flock that included Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Vesper Sparrow, Bullock’s Oriole, Western Tanager, Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Green-tailed Towhee, and Dusky Flycatcher to name a few.

The Birder's Lunch

Enjoying another Birder’s Lunch at the refuge headquarters we noticed a plaque by the side of the road commemorating a campsite used by the ill-fated Donner Party in 1846. It suddenly struck me, we were on the Hastings cutoff, the unreconnoitered but heavily promoted alternate route to California that cost many of that party their lives. Gazing at this landscape you could not help but to admire the courage and fortitude of the people who came overland to California in that great westward migration. We would return to the west side of the range by way of a pass called “Secret Pass” where a Badger bid us adieu as it darted across the road in front of us. Arriving back in Lamoille it was time to part ways with Michael, he would be off to Wyoming and Jeff and I would start our trip back to California. As Jeff and I traveled the interstate we had one more surprise in store for us. At a rest stop in Valmy we found a tree full of sleeping Common Nighthawks. I don’t think I have ever seen them at rest before, fitting it was at a rest stop.

Common Nighthawk

Even though we did not get our target bird we had a great time in an area of stunning beauty. I am sure we will be back next spring. To finish off our trip we stopped at a disc golf course outside of Truckee to decide who would own the bragging rights. I humbly bestowed them upon Jeff, I will get my revenge next time!