Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Water and vegetation in the desert provide good habitat for waterfowl, hawks, migrants, and desert species. The area was set up to protect several species of endemic fish, so check the springs and running water for pupfish. Be sure to visit Devils Hole too, the only spring in the world with Devils Hole Pupfish. This fish has the smallest geographic range of any vertebrate species on earth.

Cactus Spring. Cottonwood trees and a spring pool surrounded by dry Mojave Desert scrub and mesquite thickets. The BLM is restoring this site, so it will be fun to watch the avian community develop. This is not a destination; it's just one of several birding sites to visit while driving on Highway 95.

Death Valley National Park. The floor of Death Valley is an extremely dry place with little vegetation. Concentrations of birds can be found around springs, thickets, palm trees, meadows, and other places (e.g., the golf course) that provide water or cover. Death Valley is good for migrants and desert species. Be sure to visit Badwater, the lowest point in North America.

Indian Springs Sewage Treatment Ponds. Sewage treatment ponds with cattails and shrubs surrounded by low-elevation Mojave Desert scrub habitat. Not the most pleasant place, but it is a bird magnet. This is not a destination; it's just one of several birding sites to visit while driving on Highway 95.

Tecopa Marsh. Ponds and marshes around Tecopa Hot Springs. This isn't a birding destination, but it is a good place to stop and bird while traveling through the area. Be sure to bring your bathing suit.

Torrance Ranch. This Nature Conservancy area north of Beatty was established to protect springs and riparian areas at the headwaters of the Amargosa River. This is a good place to stop and look for migrants and summer residents while driving on Highway 95.