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Southwestern Utah, November 13-15, 2009

On the way to St. George, Utah on this frosty Friday morning, I stopped by Kolob Canyons and saw three subadult BALD EAGLES who rode the thermals all the way down the canyon calling to one another. I heard Scrub Jays and saw many birds flying across the road, but none stopped long enough for me to identify them.

I went down mainly for the Red Cliffs Audubon field trip to the Arboretum and Halfway wash. We saw Lincoln Sparrow, House Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Finch, Goldfinch, Lesser Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, Orange-crowned Warbler, Raven, Marsh Wren, Rock Wren, Bewick's Wren, Gambel's Quail, Killdeer, Verdin, American Kestrel, Killdeer, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, European Starling, Abert's Towhee,  Red-shafted Flicker, Waxwing, Raven, Ferrruginous  Hawk, Black Phoebe, Song Sparrow, and Cedar Waxwing.  On a side-trip home with my family, we stopped by Ivins Reservoir and saw a Great-blue Heron, Coots, Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeons, Redhead Ducks, Buffleheads, Canada Geese, Ruddy Ducks and Mallards.

The next morning my sister-in-law and I took a quick trip to Tonaquint and found a group of male Hooded Mergansers that were strutting and making loud noises that sounded like grizzlies on a bad day. They were really fund to watch as they tried to outdo one another and impress the few females that were there.  Wood ducks were trying to rise up the merganser ruckus by courting their ladies in a more subtle way. We saw a Spotted Towhee along with the regulars that frequent the area. Later on the same day we went to Zion and found many deer and one Wild Turkey, a Downy Woodpecker, and an American Dipper  It was a great weekend!











Strawberry Reservoir (Sunday, September 27, 2009)

It was another beautiful day at Strawberry with temperatures in the mid 70's.  There was a light wind and the birds were still plentiful with MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS crossing the road like mad.  I guess I was kind of surprised they were still there.  Not only were the bluebirds there but so were WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, a TURKEY VULTURE, OSPREY, MAGPIES, ROBINS, a large HAWK (either RT or Swainson's, I'd guess), and lots of LBB'S flitting from bush to bush.  Lots of ducks dotted the bays where the boats weren't encroaching including COOTS, GADWALLS, GREBES, and MANY OTHERS I should have taken the time to document.  The hills were covered with autumn foliage -- very beautiful!

It was like any normal summer day.  Some of the rabbitbrush were still blooming but most of the wildflowers were dead and gone and with them, most of the insects.  There were lots of people out for their last "summer" weekend since snow has been predicted for this next week.  I hate to see the summer end.  Good-bye insects and spiders.

Antelope Island (Wednesday, September 16, 2009)

It was an interesting day on the island.  I tried going to completely different places to look for insects and ended up finding more birds than insects.  The first thing I saw, though, was a creature standing in the road in the middle of the causeway.  At first I thought it was a baby pronghorn but then as I got closer I noticed it was much shorter, furry and had midget legs.  It was a befuddled Badger.  I drove up, stopped and stared, and it stared back and I decided right then and there it was not good to badger a badger so I just left him pondering things on the causeway.  He kind of had a look like "where the crap am I?"  He didn't move at all as I watched him become just a dot in my rear view mirror.  The next unusual thing I saw was a Pronghorn digging a hole in the ground like a cat to do its business in.  I didn't know they did that.  Maybe this was just an exceptionally neat pronghorn.
I saw lots of birds including CHUKAR, CALIFORNIA QUAIL, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE,  NORTHERN HARRIER, RED-TAILED HAWK, GREAT HORNED OWL, A HUGE RAFT OF PELICANS, KILLDEER, WILLET, AVOCET, CANADA GOOSE, MALLARD, EARED GREBE, BLACK-NECKED STILT, SORA (heard), RAVEN, TURKEY VULTURE, AMERICAN KESTREL, CHIPPING SPARROW, BREWER'S SPARROW, LARK SPARROW, SAGE THRASHER, HERMIT THRUSH, WESTERN TANAGER, GOLDFINCH, NASHVILLE WARBLER, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, a VIREO with a very strong eye ring (I couldn't get a good enough look at it to tell what it was), and lots of SWALLOWS (all kinds). What a great day!


Promontory Point (Sunday, August 30, 2009):

Going south from Promontory Point the roadside was alive with SAGE THRASHERS. I thought for sure I was going to hit one of them.  I didn't see any owls, which was very disappointing.  As usual, if you want to see LARK SPARROWS, anywhere around Promontory is the place to find them.  Also prevalent are BREWER'S SPARROWS.  Things are just starting to blossom up there but I still found some good insects and spiders.  This little spider can be found all over the place in Utah and no one seems to know what species it is (genus is phidippus). 


Stawberry Reservoir (Thursday, August 27, 2009):

Strawberry was beautiful with wonderful skies, blue water, light breeze, and lots of wildflowers.  There were MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS galore, lots of TURKEY VULTURES, SWAINSON'S HAWKS, a gorgeous COOPER'S HAWK with tail fanned in flight and little brown birds flitting from bush to bush--migration must be in full swing.  The rabbitbrush is in bloom so the insect photography was good. There were lots of PELICAN, WESTERN GREBE and waterfowl off all kinds.  I also saw, for the first time in my life, baby COMMON MERGANSERS. What a treat that was.  Mom didn't even want anyone looking at her babies.  They were beautiful!  Since they were so far out in the water by the time I could get my camaera on and a shot off, the picture isn't so great.
At the Jordanelle wetlands I found FLYCATCHERS and CEDAR WAXWINGS flying out over the water catching bugs and there were swallows everywhere.  I saw YELLOW WARBLER, CATBIRDS, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, WARBLING VIREO, DOWNY WOODPECKER, FLICKER, HUMMINGBIRDS, ORIOLES--all the usual birds you find up there.  Nothing unusual sighted.



North Arm Viewing Area at Pineview Reservoir (Sunday, August 2):

What a great day for birding Weber County.  Even the mosquitoes weren't too bad as long as I kept myself slathered in bug spray.  The CATBIRDS were calling and we had fun talking back and forth to one another (mew! mew! jerri!).  I have never seen so many LAZULI BUNTINGS in one place. They were scouring the trees and bushes for insects with their babies.  CHICKADEES were out in large numbers instructing their babies on the art of insect gleaning. Black-headed Grosbeaks are the one bird that you can be sure of finding at North Arm and its fun to hear them call from high in the canopy. I heard some woodpeckers in a large evergreen but wasn't able to see them.  Below the hill in the marshy area there was a GREAT BLUE HERON fishing and lots of WESTERN GREBES and CANADA GEESE.  I didn't hear any FOX SPARROWS yesterday and that's usually one species you can be guaranteed to find or at least hear. I also saw CHIPPING SPARROWS, RED-WINGS, HUMMINGBIRDS AND OSPREY. It was a great day for insect and spider photography, too.  I was disappointed when I drove up to the top of Powder Mountain and found they had ruined one of the best lookouts down into that beautiful valley.  They've carved a road down that side. That was the first place I ever heard an Olive-sided Flycatcher.  Butterflies and moths were out of control on the road up to Powder Mountain and as I stood in the creek bed watching the butterflies,  Police Car Moths flew by every 10 seconds.  I didn't know there were that many of them on the planet.  Amazing place. If you want to see a lot of birds, go to North Arm.

Payson Lakes ( Sunday, July 19, 2009):

As usual, it was beautiful at Payson Lakes on the Nebo Loop.  It was baby day and all the fledglings were flapping around through the trees playing with each other.  I saw a fledgling flycatcher being chased by a little tiny fledgling that could have been a yellow warbler or even a ruby-crowned kinglet.  They were having fun!  Other birds I saw at the lake or on the loop were Western Tanager, Western Wood-Pewee, Red-naped Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Warbling Vireo, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Spotted Sandpiper, MacGillivray's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Lazuli Bunting, Townsend's Solitaire, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Black-capped Chickadee, Scrub Jay, Plumbeous Vireo, Northern Flicker, Turkey Vulture, Golden Eagle, Pine Siskin, Yellow, Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Red-tailed Hawk.  I stopped at the Woodpecker Tree and they were there but I was unable to tell what woodpeckers or sapsuckers were residing there since they flew into the sun and remained in the trees across the road until I left. 

Bear River MBR (Sunday, July 12, 2009):

Western and Clark's Grebes with babies stole the day with little ones riding on their parents back or paddling around in the water being taught how to fish.  There were tons of pelicans and cormorants.  Other bird sightings include:  black-crowned night heron, great blue heron, coot, mallard, western kingbird, eastern kingbird, red-tailed hawk, long-billed curlew, cattle egret, snowy egret, spotted sandpiper, turkey vulture, cliff and barn swallows, ibis, Canada goose, terns, song sparrow, house sparrow, pied-billed grebe, grasshopper sparrow, cowbirds, Brewer's blackbird, magpie, starling, meadowlark, Savannah sparrow, marsh wren, yellow-headed blackbird, red-winged blackbird, killdeer, doves, etc. etc.
I was looking more closely at the insects and had fun photographing those.  It's a great time for butterflies and insects of all kinds!

My house in Taylorsville:  this morning at 5:30 am I could hear what sounded like WARBLING VIREOS outside my window.  I got out the old tape and played a vireo call and sure enough, a couple of them popped into view.  I had heard them one day at my neighbor's across the street and it threw me for a loop even then. These little songsters have been in my locust tree all morning -- 5 hours so far.  What a treat!  Also, have had chickadees at the feeders.

May 31, 2009

Antelope Island:  I found the usual birds today but was thrilled to come upon a LONG-BILLED CURLEW CHICK and its two parents.  I got the whole business from Mom and Dad while the baby disappeared into the tall grasses.  I would have loved to have a picture, but those curlew parents are good at protecting their young! At Garr Ranch their was a WILLOW FLYCATCHER calling.  I finally got to see it.

May 24, 2009

Today I birded Bear River MBR and it was very nice even though it was drizzling a little and overcast most of the time.  I saw a WILSON'S SNIPE right off the bat in the farm area and then just before I reached the Canadian Gun Club building that looks like a barn, I spotted a SHORT-EARED OWL hunting the grasses.  Also in those grasses were many singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS and SAVANNAH SPARROWS.  Along the same route into Bear River were lots of HORNED LARK, SANDHILL CRANE, LONG-BILLED CURLEWS, HOUSE SPARROW, CANADA GEESE, MAGPIE, COWBIRDS, RING-NECKED PHEASANT, BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, WESTERN KINGBIRDS, KILLDEER, ROBIN, AVOCETS, BLACK-NECKED STILTS, COOTS,  four SNOWY PLOVERS and GADWALL.  In BRMBR I found tons of GREAT BLUE HERON, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, SNOWY EGRET, PELICAN, TERNS, all kinds of SWALLOWS, PIED-BILLED GREBE, RED-TAILED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, NORTHERN HARRIER, GULLS (seen one, you've seen them all), WESTERN GREBE, CLARK'S GREBE, RUDDY DUCK, REDHEAD, PINTAIL, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, MALLARD, WHITE-FACED IBIS, CORMORANT, MEADOWLARK, SONG SPARROW, MARSH WREN, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, CINNAMON TEAL, RAVEN, CROW, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and NORTHERN HARRIER.
At Farmington Bay I saw BLUE-WINGED TEAL, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, PINTAIL, AVOCET, and all the other birds normally seen there.  It was a wet, cool day but there were lots of birds out.

May 18, 2009

Antelope Island was alive with birds today and, even though there was supposed to be a Ruddy Turnstone out there somewhere, I never found it.  I did see a COMMON MERGANSER near the marina, some EARED GREBE, RUDDY DUCK, REDHEAD, CORMORANT, GREAT BLUE HERON, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, GREAT HORNED OWL, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, LARK SPARROW, CALIFORNIA QUAIL, YELLOW WARBLER, ROBIN, NORTHERN HARRIER, TURKEY VULTURE, STARLING, BLACK-NECKED STILT, AVOCET, ALL KINDS OF SWALLOWS, COWBIRD, MAGPIE, HORNED LARK, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, BREWER'S SPARROW, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, MEADOWLARK, CHUKAR, and tons of SPIDERS and INSECTS. 

April 22, 2009
Went to Bear River MBR on Wednesday and saw lots of birds.  One of the best sightings was a male and female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. Other birds were:  DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, WILLET, SNOWY EGRET, PELICAN, WESTERN GREBE, PIED-BILLED GREBE, EARED GREBE, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, AMERICAN COOT, REDHEAD DUCK, CINNAMON TEAL, RUDDY DUCK, CANADA GOOSE, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GADWALL, MALLARD, GREAT BLUE HERON, AMERICAN BITTERN (heard only), SONG SPARROW, SAVANNAH SPARROW, GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (at the visitors center), BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, AMERICAN ROBIN, EUROPEAN STARLING, RAVEN, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, TREE SWALLOW, CLIFF SWALLOW, AMERICAN MAGPIE, KILLDEER, SWAINSON'S HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER,  RING-NECKED PHEASANT, FRANKLIN'S GULL, HOUSE SPARROW, AMERICAN KESTREL , BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, LONG-BILLED CURLEW, SANDHILL CRANE, SORA, MARSH WREN, WHITE-FACED IBIS, LARK SPARROW, HORNED LARK, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. About 50 species and I didn't check out all the ducks so there might have been more. The weather was perfect until the breezes picked up and "blew" my chances for insect photography (but the sky was mostly clear and beautiful!)

March 28-31, 1009  Southern Utah
My first day in Southern Utah (part of Saturday) I visited Tonaquint Park and found a Lucy's Warbler, American Wigeon, Coots, Gambel's Quail, Abert's Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Mallard, unknown Hummingbird, Red-shafted Flicker, Junco and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 
The next day we went to Grafton and Zion.  At Grafton we were amazed to look up and see an Osprey flying west towards Hurricane.  Not exactly the place you expect to see one of those.  We also saw or heard Western Tanager, White-crowned Sparrows, Juncos, Pine Siskin, Cassin's Finch, House Finch, Say's Phoebe, Lesser Goldfinch, Red-tailed Hawk and a large bird with very broad wings cruising through the fields which we could only determine to be a Great Horned Owl.  In Zion we found more Pine Siskins, Lesser Goldfinch, and Black Phoebe.  In Springdale at a rest area my brother got bit by a dog.  That added a little excitement to the day.
On Monday I visited Ivins Reservoir early in the morning and found nothing extraordinary.  At Gunlock Reservoir I saw nothing because except an American Kestrel, some gulls and some American Avocets who were hunkering down in the cold blustery wind.  Later, my brother and I went out on the Arizona Strip and it was pretty bleak.  No flowers and practically no birds (but plenty of wind).  We did see a Golden Eagle fly over with a snake in its mouth and it was being mobbed by Ravens.  The eagle eventually dropped the snake but not before it took a few swipes at the ravens. Another eagle came to its rescue but it was too late to save dinner.  Then we later saw an eagle being attacked by a Red-tailed Hawk.  The bird sightings picked up a little on the way back home.  We saw Horned Larks, American Pipits, White-crowned Sparrows and Say's Phoebes.  Stopping by the Bloomington Golf Course, we noticed American Wigeon, Swan Goose, Mute Swan, American Coot, Wood Duck, Great-tailed Grackle and, of course, Mallards.
It was a very cold day on Tuesday when I stopped by Kolob on the way home.  There were Scrub Jays, Spotted Towhees, Juniper Titmouse, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture and Ravens.  All was not lost on this cold, windy trip--I got two more spider photos!

Friday, February 20, 2009
I visited Antelope Island today and saw the ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK right away along with NORTHERN HARRIERS.  I saw my first CHUKARS of the year.  They have been scarce. At the ranch I found the GREAT HORNED OWL nest and saw a pair of SPOTTED TOWHEES building a nest not too far from the owls.  I didn't know they nested at the ranch.  I also saw my first CALIFORNIA QUAIL take a quick dart out of the marsh by the Russian Olive trees.  There were lots of AMERICAN ROBINS, PINE SISKINS, AMERICAN KESTRELS, STARLINGS, GOLDFINCHES, NORTHERN FLICKERS, COWBIRDS, HOUSE FINCHES, NORTHERN JUNCOS, and SONG SPARROWS.  I heard some BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and saw a bunch of CEDAR WAXWINGS who were being harassed by robins.  Elsewhere on or near the Island I saw a group of RING-NECKED DUCKS, a female LONG-TAILED DUCK, COMMON MERGANSERS, and a GREAT BLUE HERON.  Just as I was heading back down the causeway towards the entrance station, there were "swarms" of SWANS (Tundra, I guess) and CANADA GEESE grazing in the lake.  Overhead there were many "V's" of SNOW GEESE heading for Delta, Utah, and the yearly Snow Goose Festival. 
At Farmington Bay there was a ton of mud and cars,  lots of PELICAN and some BALD EAGLES, but not as many as last Friday.  There was a large RED-TAILED HAWK circling over some trees at the first bend in the road. Some of the ducks I saw were RUDDY DUCKS, PIED-BILLED GREBE, and COMMON MERGANSERS.  I didn't check out all the waterfowl since I was so busy checking out the insect wildlife.  Lots of tiny spiders and beetles.  Spring is springing!

Friday, February 13, 2009
Drove some friends out to Farmington Bay.  Lots of BALD EAGLES, although we didn't get to see them up close.  There were lots of PELICAN, PIED-BILLED GREBE, tons of GULLS, six GREAT BLUE HERON, many NORTHERN HARRIERS, one PEREGRINE FALCON, some AMERICAN KESTREL, some COMMON GOLDENEYE, CANADA GEESE, SONG SPARROW, COOTS, and a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD.  The eagles were starting to gather in the trees around Farmington Bay when we left.  I think it will be a good day tomorrow for Bald Eagle Day.

Saturday, February 7, 2009
I was driving down 45th south at about 1300 west in Taylorsville when I saw a RED-TAILED HAWK take off from a large electric pole and fly south towards the golf course.  Periodically I see a Red-tailed Hawk on those poles but it's always nice to see one again.

Friday, February 6, 2009
We were about to leave the parking lot at Costco in West Valley when I saw a hawk land on the west fence.  It was a beautiful RED-TAILED HAWK that had just caught a mouse and was attempting to eat it.  Cars were driving by just a few feet away and it just didn't care.  It was hungry.  We drove up pretty close and took a picture with a small camera my friend had with her. 

Thursday, January 29, 2009
Saw the ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK on the causeway today, as usual.  Other birds seen along the causeway were NORTHERN HARRIERS and ducks galore.  At Garr Ranch the GREAT-HORNED OWLS were sleeping in the barn and the VARIED THRUSH refused to come down lower in the trees for me to get a good photo. There were also PINE SISKINS, JUNCOS, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, ROBINS AND CROWS.  At Farmington Bay there was a PEREGRINE FALCON on the nesting platforms.  This is the second time I've seen him there. There were also BALD EAGLES, PIED-BILLED GREBE, NORTHERN PINTAIL, COOTS, SONG SPARROWS, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, PHEASANTS, NORTHERN HARRIERS AND AMERICAN KESTREL.

January 11, 2009
Saw a juvenile Peregrine Falcon resting on a tumbleweed in the middle of the Great Salt Lake today as I was driving down the causeway at Antelope Island. The male  Long-tailed Duck was right by the causeway and I got to take a good look at him for the first time.  He was really showing off and then he would just snooze, paddling around in circles. I don't know how they paddle and sleep, but they manage.  He was so handsome he put every other bird to shame. I just wish the weather had been sunny for better photos.  There were all kinds of ducks there, also.  At Farmington Bay there were Pied-billed Grebe galore, a few Eagles, Great Blue Heron, Northern Harrier, a wren (unknown species), White-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrows, and American Kestrel.