Amargosa Valley
Overview
The community of Amargosa Valley is 5 mi/8km south of US 95 via NV 373. Development is located primarily off the west side of NV 373. The Amargosa Valley has visitor support services sufficient to serve as a hub for visiting nearby birding/wildlife viewing areas. These services include a bank with ATM on NV 373, gas station (at the junction of US 95 and NV 373 five miles north of the center of town), lodging (Longstreet Inn), three mini-marts, Post Office, public library (with Internet access), restaurants (Longstreet Inn, Ruby’s Store & Mexican Food), and tow service. The Longstreet Inn & Casino is located at the far south end of town, 1.4mi/2.25km south of the road to Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and 0.4mi/0.64km north of the California/Nevada border. It has a casino, 200-person capacity conference center, 59-room inn, mini-mart, restaurant, and 50-space RV park. Ruby’s Store has pay-for-use Internet service. Nevada Joe’s at Lathrop Junction (at the junction of US 95 and NV 373) has gas, a mini-mart, restaurant, and a bar. Lathrop Junction has an RV park immediately south of the rest area. The population of Amargosa Valley is 1154. The elevation is 2655′/809m.
Amargosa Valley is interested in enhancing birding and other wildlife viewing opportunities for visitors. Visits to nearby Death Valley National Park, only 40mi/64km from Amargosa Valley, often yield outstanding birding, making this internationally known national park a Flagship Site. The 23,000ac/7010ha Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is an increasingly known birding/wildlife viewing destination, attracting nearly 70,000 visitors annually, and making it ideal as a second Flagship Site. It is particularly well known for its 24 plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, presence of wetlands in the desert as a wildlife magnet, seven major springs (plus 24 others), and outstanding viewing of several pupfish species. Ash Meadows NWR is in the process of expanding its boardwalk system alongside riparian habitat to provide more viewing of pupfish found in its pools.
The 24,515ac/9,921ha Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Important Bird Area designation recognizes the importance of this area to birds migrating through the western Great Basin. “Two routes offer perennial surface water and cover for birds migrating though the western Great Basin. Ash Meadows and Oasis Valley form the southern end of one of those routes, while Pahranagat Valley Complex IBA to the east of Amargosa Valley forms the other route. Collectively these two valleys probably support a significant portion of the passerines (songbirds) migrating into or through the Great Basin…many thousands of warblers have been documented using Ash Meadows in migration” (Important Bird Areas of Nevada, McIvor, 2005).
Key species in this IBA include: waterfowl (up to 30,000), two federally endangered bird species: hard-to-find “Yuma” Clapper Rail and Willow Flycatcher (up to 10 individuals), resident Verdin, resident Crissal Thrasher, breeding/winter Phainopepla (up to 50 individuals), breeding Lucy’s Warbler (up to 100 individuals), Wilson’s Warbler (up to 10,000 individuals documented in migration), breeding Yellow-breasted Chat (up to 60 individuals), and breeding Blue Grosbeak (up to 100 individuals). The mix of agricultural, desert and rural residential habitats in the Amargosa Valley, outstanding riparian habitat at China Ranch, and higher elevation areas of the nearby Spring Mountains National Recreation Area add to the impressive diversity of birding/wildlife viewing opportunities.
Wildlife viewing sites reached from the Amargosa Valley Satellite Hub may be offer good to excellent viewing from fall through spring and during early mornings or at high elevations during summer or on hot days at other seasons. Spring Mountains National Recreation Area-West is particularly recommended during late spring and summer visits. The high elevation habitats found there offer relief from summer heat below, as well as species attractive to visiting birders including Plumbeous Vireo, Juniper Titmouse, Townsend’s Solitaire, Virginia’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Grace’s Warbler, and Green-tailed Towhee.
The best months for experiencing western spring migrant bird species are April and May with April 25-May 20 often being best. For vagrant bird species, it is May into early June. The three day Memorial Day weekend is often chosen by birders as a time to look for eastern vagrant birds (e.g. vireos, warblers).
Fall migration is at its height mid-August through September. Fall vagrants show up as early as late August through early October. The days centered on the third through the last weekend in September are often the best for finding vagrants.
Winter is the time of highest waterfowl numbers of several species on Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge with up to 30,000 individuals present.
Death Valley National Park is the best-known location for finding vagrant birds during both spring and fall. However, the Amargosa Valley (including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge) may be productive, too. Vagrants found in the Amargosa Valley in the past include: Ruddy Ground-Dove, Brown Thrasher, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Blue-warbler, Smith’s Longspur, and Orchard Oriole. Searching for raptors is encouraged, too, as 22 raptor species (17 diurnal, 5 nocturnal) have been observed in the Amargosa Valley.
