Description

Duck Creek Trail is part of the Clark County Wetlands Park on the east side of the Las Vegas Valley and right along Las Vegas Wash. In recent years, Clark County, in partnership with Duck Unlimited, has dredged out and sculpted six ponds near the wash. The ponds are attracting large numbers of ducks, shorebirds, and other wetland species (e.g., grebes, herons, and rails), plus a few oddities such as Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Red-throated Pipit. The 0.4-mile walk out to the edge of the ponds is paved and nearly level. Dirt roads run along the west edge of the ponds and along the south end, although high water, creeks, and dense vegetation prevent making complete loops in some cases. The area is being managed to prevent tall vegetation from taking over and crowding out the birds and bird watchers.

Location

From downtown, drive south on Highway 93/95 to Tropicana. Exit the highway, turn left onto Tropicana, and drive east. Cross Boulder Highway and continue east until Tropicana bends to the right in a broad, 45-degree turn to the right (south). At the curve, Tropicana turns into Broadbent Blvd. On the outside of the curve, about halfway through the curve, Tropicana continues eastward, but the name changes to Wetlands Park Lane, and runs out to the Wetlands Park Visitor Center.

Link to Overview Map or Detailed Trails Map.

To get to the Duck Creek trailhead, continue around the big 45-degree curve to the right onto Broadbent Blvd. Just past the cinder block wall on the east (left) side of the road, the Duck Creek parking lot is marked by a wooden fence and a large "Duck Creek Trail, Wetlands Park" sign. Park here; this is the trailhead (Site 711).

Restrooms (outhouses) are located by the Wetlands Park Visitor Center.

From the trailhead, walk east on the paved Duck Creek Trail (the Quail Run Loop Trail runs north and can be used to connect with the Wetlands Park, proper. Look for sparrows and such in the screwbean mesquite thickets planted along the trail. About 250 yards out, the trail forks. The better birding seems to be at the southern pond, so stay to the right. After a total of about 0.4 miles, the paved trail ends at the edge of a very wide dirt road (Dragonfly Divide). The ponds are across the road. Note that all paved trails end at Dragonfly Divide.

Start birding the ponds as you work your way south along Dragonfly Divide, then swing around the south side of the southern pond and head east towards Las Vegas Wash, which is another 0.4 miles from the end of the paved trail.

After birding along the wash (given conditions in October 2009), turn around and walk back to Dragonfly Divide, then continue birding the west side of the ponds and walk up the dirt roads between the ponds.

Hours

Always open, dawn to dusk.

Fees

None.

Specialties

This is a good place to find waterfowl, shorebirds, grebes, cormorants, herons and other species associated with water, such as Osprey.

Check the mud flats for dowitcher, Least Sandpiper, various sparrows (e.g., Vesper Sparrow and Savannah Sparrow), and the occasional Pectoral Sandpiper. Keep an eye out for Sora too. The open water attracts ducks and wading birds.

The birding can be good, as evidenced by the list of birds seen by Las Vegas birder Randy Michal on September 27, 2009: Eared Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Least Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, White-faced Ibis, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Gambel's Quail, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Verdin, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Marsh Wren, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Abert's Towhee, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle.

Also that day: Pectoral Sandpiper, Black-necked Stilt, Sora, Brewer's Sparrow, Red-throated Pipit, Common Merganser.