Birdnet Hotline Highlights
Compiled by Eric Huish

No Review Species Reported This Month.
   

Carol Gwynn - (30 July 2003) ...decided to join the fun at Bear River today. ... there were thousands of shorebirds present in the main pond on the refuge. We did not scope all of them in the 100+ degree temperatures, but there were a lot of Western Sandpipers, many Least Sandpipers, loads of Wilson's Phalaropes, as well as dowitchers, yellowlegs, and the other usual suspects. On the north side of the auto tour loop, we watched a Sora and two Virginia Rails for a while. ...Along the east side of the tour loop, we were surprised to see a breeding plumage Dunlin, and we counted 28 Snowy Plovers- 19 adults and 9 fuzzy babies. Definitely worth the trip!

Betsy Beneke - ( 29 July 2003)  Early this morning, (6:30 - 8:30) I made a trip around the auto tour route, and I have to say, there were more shorebirds in Unit 2 (interior of auto tour route) than I've seen anywhere in one place in my entire life! Varying water levels in this unit are perfect right now - open water deep enough yet for grebes and divers at the SW corner, but shallow water and mud flats are more the norm. Peeps were super-abundant - little bird bodies feeding like crazy, for as far as your optics will allow views. Also many, many avocets, stilts, ibis and pelicans.  Three Snowy Plovers were seen along the canal that parallels the final
third of the auto tour route.
I counted 14 Semipalmated Plovers, mostly in the first and last thirds of the route.
There was an American Bittern standing in full view along the far edge of the canal, 1 1/4 miles west from the beginning of the tour route, and about one block before the first hunter parking area.
A Peregrine Falcon has been seen working refuge impoundments over the past week also.

Pomera - (27 July 2003)  Julie and I started our birding day at White's Valley on Sunday. The area was full of Western Meadowlarks, Mourning Doves and Loggerhead Shrikes. We got terrific looks at a Prairie Falcon, Short-eared Owl, Northern Harriers and Sharp-tailed Grouse.
Our next stop was BRMBR where we saw many of the birds that Bridget reported on her count last week. The sheer numbers were impressive! We enjoyed seeing so many Snowy Egrets along with two Great Egrets. We were rewarded by using our scopes to sift through the Dowitchers as Julie picked out a Red Knot among them!

Julie - (6 July 2003) Pomera and I birded White's Valley this AM. Along the first mile after
the freeway exit we saw a singing Grasshopper Sparrow and a Burrowing Owl.

Jack - (6 July 2003)  ...(White's Valley) Just before finding the [Short Eared] owl, a Gray Partridge with a chick ran down the road before disappearing into the safflower....within ten minutes we scared up a half dozen Sharp-tailed Grouse.

Bridget Olson - (2 July 2003) Appears to have been a banner year for Snowy Plovers on the Refuge. Counted around 30 breeding pair on interior Refuge dikes. Likely many more nested on the huge expanses of alkali flats that are dry due to drought conditions. First plover chicks noted on 6/19.

Pomera Fronce - (1 July 2003) ...started our birding day at White's Valley with Burrowing and Short-eared Owls and Sharp-tailed Grouse. Our next stop at Park Valley produced about fifteen Greater Sage Grouse and two Gray Partridge. At Lucin, we found the Long-eared Owls that were previously reported...

DUCHESNE COUNTY 

Dana Green - (27 July 2003) My family went camping in the Uintas...
We saw some very nice birds. Pine Grosbeaks were in the meadows around almost all lakes and campgrounds we visited. I saw a Gray Jay on the Highland Trail at Mirror Lake about 9am Saturday. Also on this trail between 8 and 11 I notable sightings were two different sightings of female Williamsons, a male half submerged in a pond taking a bath from a rock, Brown Creepers, Golden Crowned Kinglets, and a White Winged Crossbill.  There was a large flock of Black Rosy Finches on the saddle of Mt. Baldy as we climbed up about 7:15 this morning.

GARFIELD COUNTY  

Letitia - (4 July 2003) (Acorn  Woodpecker)  This was my 2nd attempt to catch this bird....I went to the area where previously seen (Hwy 12 between mile marker 93-94) and planned to hand out all morning if need be.
I jumped when 3 woodpeckers flew by but they turned out to be only Lewis'. Then I heard some drumming... I did manage to locate the offenders and it was a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers. I was beginning to think that I would get every woodpecker but you know what. Then I heard the rattle call... low and behold there was my clown bird storing acorns. The place is very obvious, just look for a huge dead ponderosa filled with nesting cavities and acorns.
 

SALT LAKE COUNTY 

Jack Holley - ( 22 July 2003) I saw the Green Heron this morning around 7:30, but it was along the river by the Parley's Creek Outlet area...I also went to Lee-Kay Ponds this morning and saw a Common Tern at the same place that the Least Tern was seen.

Paul Kirby - (18 July 2003) I was lucky enough to find the/a Green Heron exactly where it was supposed to be along the canal running into the Jordan River this afternoon about 5:00. Another lifer for me thanks to Jack and Mark's directions that they posted. It was on the north side of the canal, higher up in a tree than I was expecting. It was very striped on the neck and chest, not an adult. Neat bird.

Mark Stackhouse- (17 July 2003) Jack Holley just called me (his computer is down) about a pair of Green Herons he's been seeing along Decker Lake Canal near where it empties into the Jordan River. He thinks they might be nesting nearby, as he's seen them in the same area on four of the last six days, including today and yesterday. He's seen them at various times during the day.

Alton Thygerson - July 17, 2003  This morning at about 8:15 a.m., the previously reported Northern Goshawk showed up at Silver Lake (near Brighton).

J & K Beyer - (13 July 2003) We hiked today from Silver Lake to Twin Lakes, via the Lake Solitude trail. Saw 44 species, including Three-toed Woodpecker, Red-naped and Williamson's Sapsucker, Red Crossbill, Rufous Hummingbird, and Pine Grosbeak. The bird of the day was a male Northern Goshawk. He flew past us carrying a squirrel(?) in his talons, and disappeared into a copse of trees...

J & K Beyer - July 13 - Flammulated and Northern Pygmy Owl, about a mile up Desolation
Trail in Millcreek Canyon

Jack Holley - ( 8 July 2003)  This morning I saw the Green Heron along the Jordan River again. This morning around 7am, I saw it at what I call Decker Creek, it is the canal that goes from Decker Lake to the river. ...It was setting on one of the overhanging silver leaf popular trees that are gowning in a large patch there. ...I also went to Decker Lake and spotted around 40 Least Sandpipers.


SAN JUAN COUNTY

Bob Bradley of Grand Junction, CO - (23 July 2003) For those traveling in SE UT, this is to advise that the Acorn Woodpecker previously reported along US191 near Devil's Canyon CG S of Monticello is still around. I saw it on 7/23 at MP 60.6 perched on a ponderosa snag, E of highway.


SUMMIT COUNTY

Alton Thygerson - July 29, 2003  This morning at 6:15 a.m. three Gray Jays were seen at the entrance into the Lily Lake Campground on Highway 150 (Mirror Lake area). Following Dana Green's directions (thank you Dana), I walked into the campground (gate was closed because they are resurfacing the road), stood within 40 yards of the first restrooms/latrine on the left side of the road, did my imitation of a Pygmy Owl, and within a couple of minutes the jays came in.


UTAH COUNTY 

Merrill Webb - ( 22 July 2003) ...For those of you who haven't already seen a Winter Wren in Utah this year I heard one singing yesterday up American Fork Canyon while I was doing a woodpecker survey for the US Forest Service. Go up American Fork Canyon to the Tibble Fork Reservoir turnoff. Go to the parking lot on the north end of the reservoir. Take the North Fork road, and counting from the edge of the pavement on the northeast corner of the parking lot drive four miles. The stream is on your right.

Kevin Colver - (9 July 2003)... I was recording what I thought from the sound was a Williamson’s Sapsucker on the Nebo loop last Friday but the drumming sequence was somewhat shorter and more intermittent. After waiting and repositioning myself for awhile I was able to watch the bird directly in front of me as she did her drumming. Yes, it was the female, and so I was able to record a female Williamson’s drumming pattern.

Junece Markham - (3 July 2003) ...a neighbor called... about same interesting new birds he had in his yard.... they were Band-tailed Pigeons [3].He lives fairly close to the mouth of Rock Canyon and 2 blocks from me.
 

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Larry Tripp - (27 Jult 2003) Today I birded along the Santa Clara river and I saw 4 Cassin's Kingbirds. The first one was just north of the town of Gunlock, there were two around Gunlock Res. and the other one was about 4 miles south of the Res. Also near Gunlock Res. there was a male Indigo Bunting.

Bob Showler - On Tuesday, July 8, Christi Carmichael and I heard, then saw, a Winter Wren near the Teah Campground west of Navajo Lake in Washington County. The bird was about 1/4 of a mile up the trail that starts along the road just to the west of the campground entrance. Listen for its fantastic 110-note song!