Birdnet Hotline Highlights
January 2006


Review Species Reported This Month:
   
Fulvous Whistling-Duck  Box Elder Co.
    Cackling Goose  Cache Co.
    Brant  Cache Co.
    Glaucous-winged Gull  Cache Co.  Davis Co.
    Boreal Owl  Cache Co.  Duchesne Co.


BOX ELDER COUNTY

Pomera Fronce (21 Jan 2006) - Anne and I buzzed up to see the [Fulvous Whistling-Ducks] ducks this afternoon. When we arrived, Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld and Bob MacDougall had them all staked out on the Forest Street side of the marsh. The look we got was fabulous. The birds eventually flushed and came down a little ways north. Steve, Cindy and Bob left and Anne and I decided to wait them out. Around 5:15 all three ducks came back to the area where they were initially located by Paul earlier today.

Kris Purdy (21 Jan 2006) - I just got a phone call (11:00 am Saturday) from Paul Higgins. He and Randy Chatelain have just photographed three Fulvous Whistling-Ducks on the road to Bear River MBR in Box Elder County. I believe the exit for the road to the refuge (Forest Street) is at I-15 exit 363. Paul gave the location as just past the information center, first pond on the north side of the road. Paul said if you drive past the intersection of the refuge road and 2560W, you've driven too far west.

CACHE COUNTY

Keith and Judy (28 Jan 2006)  - Judy and I have seen this month two Cackling Geese at the Logan River Golf Club. Thayers, Herring, and one first winter Glaucous-winged Gull at the Logan landfill...We finally found the one and only Lapland Longspur after searching through 3 to 4 thousand Horned Larks at several locations during the last week...White-throated Sparrows have been seen at three different locations this winter...

Bill Fenimore (22 Jan 2006) - Kirk Earl took a photo of an Owl that he saw in Card Canyon off of Logan Canyon on Saturday... a Boreal Owl.  Boreal Owl has been reported but never confirmed in this area, near Tony Grove, etc... It was seen in Card Canyon near the archery range off Logan Canyon.

Joel and Kathy (22 Jan 2006) - We found the adult Lapland Longspur at the location described by Kristin in Cache Valley, around 2:00 pm. It was with a small flock of about 30 Horned Larks.

Tim Avery (22 Jan 2006) - At the Logan River Golf Course, the geese were on the pond to the northeast of the main pond, where there wasno Brant, but 2 Cackling Geese (Richardson's subspecies).

Kris Purdy (20 Jan 2006) - A lone and lovely Lapland Longspur was loitering with a lot of larks, Horned that is, in west Cache County today. The location was on SR-23 at mile 12.2, west of the road in a field between the intersection with SR-30 to the south and Newton far to the north. I tied a piece of pink surveyor's tape to a bunch of grass on the west shoulder adjacent to where I parked...

Jim Lofthouse (20 Jan 2006) - 1:20 Pm Friday. Paradise - I have twenty 20 Gray Partridge, and two Sharp-tailed Grouse in the yard.   This must be grouse day. Looks like they are passing through.

Tim Avery (19 Jan 2006) - Glenn Barlow and I headed up to Logan before light to take a stab at the Brant....There were several very dark Canada Geese, but no Brant in sight. But what did pop out were 1, and possibly a second Cackling Goose.

Tim Avery (18 Jan 2006) - I received an email late last night from Jack Binch alerting me that Reinhard Jockel saw an unusual bird on the Logan River Golf course pond with the Canada Geese and Mallards -- a Brant (one adult), on the 16th of January. Stephen Peterson checked out the pond thanks to an email through Krsiting Purdy and did not see the bird today. Please, please, please keep your eyes open for this bird.

enie@valleyimplement.org (18 Jan 2006) - I recently saw flock of geese west of Logan Utah which had a strange looking bird with them, I watched it for a while unfortunately I didn't have a camera and I didn't know what it was. After further investigation I discovered the bird to be a Brent Goose. I spotted the bird on Jan, 9 2006.

DAVIS COUNTY

Joel and Kathy (22 Jan 2006) - At Farmington Bay WMA, no Glaucous-winged Gull, but we were rewarded with a Great Egret.

Bryan Shirley (21 Jan 2006) - Today at Farmington Bay I saw 1 adult Glaucous-winged Gull. It was in the rest pond about straight out from where the boat launch is.

Kris Purdy (9 Jan 2006) - Several birders met at Bountiful Landfill in Davis County today ...In addition to the usual California, Ring-billed, and Herring, we also saw Thayer's, Glaucous, and a possible Glaucous-winged x Herring...

Tim Avery (6 Jan 2006) - This morning I met up with Sylvia Gray at the Bountiful Landfill. The best bird was a Glaucous-winged Gull which I saw for about 6 seconds, before it flew with the other 10,000 gulls on garbage mountain. We did however get good looks at several adult Thayer's Gull in flight, as well as a 2nd winter bird 15 feet from my car. Herring, Ring-billed and California were as always, "plentiful". At the entrance to the dump a Great-tailed Grackle graced us as it flew by, then into the distance.  In the trees at the corner of 1600 North and 1100 West (right before you get to the dump), were 5 Common Grackle...

DUCHESNE COUNTY

Milt Moody - Boreal Owl in Duchesne Co. - A sight record -- with a couple of nice pictures-- for a Boreal Owl , seen on 24-25 January, was sent in [to the records committee] by Brian Maxfield.

IRON COUNTY

Kate Grandison (11 Jan 2006) - I saw a very bright colored (California 'Robin red-breast')  Red-shouldered Hawk yesterday. It was an adult perched in a cottonwood tree on the SE corner of the intersection of 2300 W and Midvalley Road on the north side of Cedar City. UTM's 0315774E 4181584N. Great bird and very cooperative.. willing to sit and let us admire it for 20 minutes .

JUAB COUNTY 

Tim Avery (8 Jan 2006) - ...I came across 2 adult Trumpeter Swan, on the north end of Mallard Unit at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge. Despite weather reports it was sunny and clear most of the day. Other birds of note at the refuge were: 4 Great Egret, 6 or 7 White-faced Ibis...

MORGAN COUNTY

Christian Peay (17 Jan 2006) - Today at 9:50 I saw two Eurasian Collared-Doves sitting on power lines at 360 W. Young St in Morgan. This is the first time I have seen them in Morgan County.

Kristin Purdy (1 Jan 2006) - Arnold Smith and his wife Linda saw the East Canyon/Morgan County Northern Pygmy-Owl again late this afternoon. Arnold said the bird was about a mile further up in the canyon; in other words, between mm 4 and 3 on SR-66 and closer to East Canyon Reservoir. He also said the spot is further up the canyon (toward the dam) than the DWR property at Redrock Canyon. I think there's a brown sign denoting the Redrock area as East Canyon WMA. Arnold also saw the Lewis's Woodpecker again; this bird is somewhat lower between mm 4 and 5. The male Long-tailed Duck is still on the reservoir.

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Pomera Fronce (31 Jan 2006) - At the Salt Lake City Cemetery on Tuesday, I found two Bohemian Waxwings mixed in with a flock of about 30 cedars. They were working the juniper trees near Baby Pearl's grave just west of the intersection at 990 East (Central) and 330 North.

Jim Bailey (28 Jan 2006) - Judy & I saw a Northern Pygmy-Owl at 10:45 this morning. It's a hundred yards or so west of the Millcreek Canyon fee station on a bare branch overhanging the road on the south side. There's a little pulloff on the south side of the road. The owl was just west of this pulloff.

Colby Neuman (23 Jan 2006) - ...I was rewarded (albeit driving by at 40mph) with a Northern Pygmy-Owl perched in a cottonwood at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County at about 5:20-5:30pm.

Glenda Cotter (23 Jan 2006) - I visited George Washington Park on Saturday afternoon...I was able to relocate the Varied Thrush reported by the Beyers. It was feeding with robins in bushes south east of the main parking lot and was extremely secretive. ..Also in the area was a mixed flock of Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings, though the latter were the more abundant species!

Terry Sadler (18 Jan 2006) - A Common Grackle visited my backyard bird feeder this afternoon, Jan.18. I was able to get get a photo and sent in on to Utah Birds for posting. I live fairly close to the Jordan River in Murray. I had a Common Grackle at my feeder about 5 years ago. I believe it was in the springtime.

Joel & Kathy Beyer (16 Jan 2006) - We found another Varied Thrush this morning, this time at George Washington Park at Mountain Dell in Parley's Canyon. It was seen where the stream crosses under the road, just down the hill from the closed entrance gate. A Northern Pygmy Owl was also seen in the park, near golf course hole #16.

Pomera Fronce (13 Jan 2006) - Jack Clark and I found a Horned Grebe on Little Dell Reservoir today around 11:00. The bird was toward the south end of the water and working near the west shore. The best way to view this area of the reservoir as you are traveling north on UT 65 is to pull off the road right after the water comes into view and look for the raft of ducks. This is before (south of) the parking area/pay station.

Pomera Fronce (7 Jan 2006) - There were some nice birds at Lee Kay Ponds today, the best being a Great Egret. He was in the west pond when I initially found him. Eventually, he flew to the east and I didn't see where he came down.

Jim Bailey (7 Jan 2006) - Judy and I spotted a White-throated Sparrow up City Creek Canyon this morning around 11 am. It was all by itself, looking very lonesome and lost. ...The location was just below picnic area #12, which is the spot on the left, right before where the covered reservoir used to be.

Tim Avery (6 Jan 2006) - Based off a tip from Pomera Fronce I ran over to City Creek Canyon and picked up a Winter Wren (not literally, but that would be nice), just above site # 5 on the south side of the creek...

Tim Avery (4 Jan 2006) - On a tip from Edson Leite I headed to 106th south along the Jordan River to look for a Harris's Sparrow seen during the Jordan River CBC. Despite construction where the bird was originally seen, I managed to find it about 200 yards north of the original location. I began pishing and it immediately flew to the top of the bushes along the west side of the path.

Sylvia Gray (4 Jan 2006) - The first Wednesday of every month GSL Audubon does a bird survey in Mountain Dell Recreation Area, in Parley's Canyon. This morning it was pretty quiet and we had seen only 12 species until Jack Clark noticed a round lump sticking out on the end of a bare branch.... moving forward cautiously we were able to get very close to the tree and sure enough a Northern Pygmy-Owl it was! What a cutie. This was by the stream that forms the northern edge of the recreation area. ...we wandered back towards the car ...I saw a small flock high up on a bare tree....there were 17 Evening Grosbeaks, both male and female. This was in the Washington Park area. Another treat, we couldn't believe our luck. We have been surveying this area for a little under two years now and had seen 100 species before today. The owl made it 101 and the grosbeaks 102. I wonder what 103 will be?

Joel and Kathy Beyer (1 Jan 2006) - We found a Varied Thrush this morning near Millcreek Canyon, on the east side of Salt Lake. From Wasatch Boulevard, drive east on Millcreek Canyon Road (3800 South) to the 4-way stop. Turn left (north) onto Millcreek Road. Drive to the 3-way stop sign. Turn right onto Gilroy Road. Start looking. The thrush was seen in the yards on both sides of Gilroy Road, before it flew to the yards on the adjoining Gilroy Circle.  There were about 100 robins in the area, as well as some 20 other species.

SUMMIT COUNTY

Dave Hanscom (27 Jan 2006) - For those of you who enjoy cross country skiing or snowshoeing, there's a  Three-toed Woodpecker hanging out by the Beaver Creek Trail up on the Mirror Lake Highway. He's about a half mile above the second parking area (the one near the small barn that's visible from the highway). The bird was pecking at a pine tree on the south side of the trail.

UTAH COUNTY 

Joshua Kreitzer (25 Jan 2006) - I located a beautiful adult Bohemian Waxwing amidst a large feeding flock of  Cedar Waxwings on BYU's Provo campus this afternoon. ...the flock was located just SE of the Widtsoe Building in the juniper and pine on the north side of the road that climbs the hill up to BYU campus.

Dennis Shirley (25 Jan 2006) - Last evening I found a Great Egret south of Provo, between the two I-15 Springville exits. It was feeding in the canal which runs west/northwest from the freeway towards Utah Lake and the closed down Wild Wings Hunting Club....Then take one of the westward roads and work your way to the next canal crossing. The egret was west of here...

Lu Giddings (4 Jan 2006) - At 1:30 p.m. today I spotted a juvenile Trumpeter Swan on a small pond at 400 N and Main Street in Salem. This is the same location where two juvenile trumpeters were seen by Dennis and Bryan Shirley and myself last November, so presumably this may be one of the same two birds. Remember that the pond and the land surrounding it is all private property.

Carol Davis (1 Jan 2006) - ...Flowserve ponds (around 1:00 pm maybe). Alongside the road that leads back to the main stop sign, on the right, was a Great Egret. I had to do a double-take on that one. I watched it fish the area, stretching out that lonnnnng neck, for about 10 minutes and then it took off to the east--black feet in tow. That's the closest I've ever been to one.

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Tim Avery (16 Jan 2006) - I made my first trip to St. George for the year over the weekend. ...Sunday I met up with Rick Fridell and Merrill Webb at the Red Hills Golf Course, where we located a "Western" Flycatcher, almost certainly a first winter record for Utah, the only question is to what "Western" bird is it? ...over to the Southgate Golf Course, where we saw 2 Ross's Geese, 3 Snow Geese, several Canvasback's, and what could only be called an absolutely stunning male Vermillion Flycatcher, which Rick spotted across the Club House Pond...And at Stratton Pond were around 7 or 8 Hooded Merganser and several Greater Scaup...