When people think of Nevada, they picture dry desert, cactus, cattle and cowboys, not mountains and forest. When I was first driving out there in 1993 from Colorado to spend the summer as Jim Younk's field assistant, I found it hard to believe there were goshawks anywhere near the state. Goshawks have historically been thought to be a secretive species dependent upon extensive tracts of mature forest. Nevada is mostly desert. I was sceptical.

Northern Nevada is on the edge of the Great Basin Desert and is a harsh, mountainous environment of volcanic origin. However, despite its barren appearance, the area supports a variety of wildlife and is, as desert environments can be, very beautiful when viewed carefully.

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