Birdnet Hotline Highlights
August 2006


Review Species Reported This Month:
  
 Zone-tailed Hawk  Washington Co.
    Pacific Golden-Plover  Davis Co.
    Ruddy Turnstone  Davis Co.
    White-rumped Sandpiper  Salt Lake Co.
    Northern Parula  Utah Co.
    Chestnut-sided Warbler  Tooele Co.
    Hermit Warbler  Washington Co.


BOX ELDER COUNTY

Kristin Purdy (31 Aug 2006) - A female American Redstart was at Willard Bay State Park in Box Elder County this morning. The bird was in low Russian Olives above the channel east of Willow Creek campsites 31 and 33. The spot is known for Northern Waterthrushes, which is why I was there, but I didn't see one of those.

Kristin Purdy (5 Aug 2006) - I visited Great Salt Lake west of Willard Bay in Box Elder County today and saw somewhere between 150 and 200 Black Terns. In addition, I saw at least 30 Great Egrets.

DAVIS COUNTY

Bryan Dixon (29 Aug 2006) - Jean and I believe we may have seen a Pacific Golden-Plover on the north side of the Antelope Island Causeway 1/4 mile east of milepost 3 on Sunday, August 27. We observed the bird from 75-100' through a Kowa scope. It had a definite golden coloration throughout the body - not gray - and its wingtips protruded just barely beyond its tail. Back feathers had golden, not white edges, though the greater coverts appeared to have some white edges. Possible it was a golden-colored Black-bellied Plover, as it looked as though it was molting out of a black coloration on its belly. Undertail coverts were decidedly not black. We've never seen Pacific Golden-Plovers before and have little experience with Black-bellied, so we're unsure how much variation there is in golden color or wingtip length.

Colby Neuman (26 Aug 2006) - My dad and I then headed to Antelope Island for the afternoon. ...We did find a juvenile Sanderling mixed in with a flock of peeps on the north side of the causeway. I counted at least 39 Black-bellied Ploveers scattered along the causeway as well. I forgot to look at the milemarker, but we also found an American Golden-Plover in winter plumage along the north side (somewhere near the bend). We then headed to Garr Ranch where highlights were at least 2 Townsend's Warblers (1 male & 1 female) and a Cassin's Vireo.

Jack Binch (20 Aug 2006) - There have been a couple of reports of Townsend's Warblers, so I spent the morning at Garr Ranch with the hopes of getting a photo. Not to be. However, There were some good birds. Pretty much in the order seen: Warbling Vireo, American Redstart (female), MacGillivray's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Lark Sparrow, Nashville Warbler, Lazuli Bunting (male and female), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Tanager (male and female), Cordilleran Flycatcher, Western Wood Peewee and other flycatchers I could not identify, Plumbeous Vireo, and last but not least a White-winged Dove. It did not fly in while I was sitting there, so it must have been in the tree for a couple of hours before the sun hit it and I saw some movement. This is the farthest north I have seen one.

Joel and Kathy Beyer (6 Aug 2006) - We also saw the 2 Ruddy Turnstones and the Whimbrel on the AIC where Jack Binch reported them. In addition, there was a Dunlin in basic plumage at the "No Swimming" bridge, north side, about 1:00 p.m. We watched it for 10 minutes before it flew west. We could not relocate it then or when we came back an hour later.

Jack Binch (6 Aug 2006) - Next to AIC. The Ruddy Turnstone was right at the "no swimming bridge". The Whimbrel was on the north side at about mile 2.1. I also found another turnstone on the south side at about mile 1.8. When I left I checked on the way back, the one was still at the afore mentioned bridge.

Cheryl Peterson  (4 Aug 2006) - Today around 1:30 pm. Stephanie and I saw a Ruddy Turnstone and a Semi-palmated Plover on the AI causeway at the first bridge where the no swimming signs are. After dropping Steph off in Logan, I went out to the BRMBR and saw an American Bittern and a Black Tern. I stopped at the causeway again this evening, but did not relocate either bird. These birds sure made the trip worth it.

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Pomera Fronce (24 Aug 2006) - Roberta and I walked along the Jordan River this morning starting at 5300 South and traveling north. The area around the bridge was very active. The dead tree south of the bridge and on the west side of the river was loaded with birds. This is where we first saw the Northern Waterthrush. It was sitting low in the tree, doing what it does best, bobbing its tail. Eventually, it found cover in the brush near the tree.

Cindy Sommerfeld (23 Aug 2006) - Around 4:00 this afternoon Steve and I stopped by Decker Lake. We found a White-rumped Sandpiper! We observed it for three and a half hours. Fortunately Pomera and Anne were willing to come by and help us verify and take photos. The bird was on the farthest west mud flat on Decker Lake. It flushed a few times so you could its white rump. It seemed to stay in the same area. There was also a Least Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, and a number of Yellow Legs.

TOOELE COUNTY

Tuula Rose (28 Aug 20006) - Eric Huish just called me ( Monday, Aug 28, 1:00 PM) to report that earlier this morning around 10:00 AM he stopped at Clover Springs Campground in Tooele County on the way to Dugway. He saw a first winter Chestnut-sided Warbler and a Northern Waterthrush in the campground, right by the springs and later down farther by the parking lot...

Candy Zaffis (18 Aug 2006) -  I also had a new yard bird this morning [Dugway] -- one White-winged Dove. It was casually eating with the mourning doves and Eurasian Collared-Doves. Hopefully it'll be back for a photo-op.

UINTAH COUNTY

Diane Penttila - Ouray National Wildlife Refuge General Waterbird Survey - 8/23/06 - The following birds were seen within the survey route: ...Blue-winged teal 10... Wood duck 3... Great Egret 1...

UTAH COUNTY 

Cheryl Peterson (30 Aug 2006) - This morning at 11:00 am., I saw an American Bittern just a short distance north of the Southwest corner of Airport Dike. I took several pictures before a plane flew over and flushed it. I last saw it flying south over the marshy area at the Southwest corner.

Jack Binch (26 Aug 2006) - Bob Huntington, Bob McDougal and I went to River Lane this morning. We saw Colby about five minutes after he saw the parula. ...Anyway we saw a lot of birds. MacGillivray's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Plumbeous Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Black-capped Chickadee, Barn Owl, Common Nighthawk, Yellow-breasted Chat, Spotted Towhee, Blue Grosbeak male and female, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Western Tanager. I probably will remember a couple more when I hit send. Yep, Virginia's Warbler.

Tim Avery (26 Aug 20006) - I just recieved a call from Colby Neuman who along with another birder located a female Northern Parula at River Lane. The bird was near where the Beyer's located one last week.

Joel and Kathy Beyer (20 Aug 2006) - This morning at River Lane (Utah Co.) there was a nice mixed flock of migrants, the best being an adult female Northern Parula. ...The Parula was first seen at 8:30 a.m., and was later relocated about 10:00 a.m., just in time for the Summerfields to arrive and see it. The Parula and others were seen about a quarter of the way down the portion of lane (tree-lined dirt road) that parallels the river. Also seen was a Peregrine Falcon harassing a Snowy Egret at the river mouth, and a singing Blue Grosbeak at the beginning of the tree-lined section (where the buried cattle guard is).

WASATCH COUNTY 

Joel and Kathy Beyer (20 Aug 2006) - Yesterday evening, we saw a Solitary Sandpiper and at least 35 Wilson's Snipes on the mudflats at the Charleston Bridge section of Deercreek Reservoir State Park, as well as Baird's, Spotted, and Western Sandpipers.

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

David Wheeler (13 Aug 2006) - There was a female/immature Hermit Warbler in Pine Park (SW of Enterprise on a long dirt road) yesterday at 10:10 am. It was in part of a large mixed species flock working the Ponderosa pines in the general area of the bathrooms. ...I went up the Kolob Terraces road into Zion NP & beyond. I saw a Zone-tailed Hawk soaring above cabins just beyond where Kolob Creek crosses the highway. This has been a good area for them over recent years...I got a chance to see one of the California Condors (an adult named #50) soaring above me at Kolob Reservoir.

Lee Jones (8 Aug 2006) - I observed a Hermit Warbler (female) for about 5 minutes yesterday (Monday, 1:30 pm) on the Red Hills Golf Course, Saint George, Utah. There were 2 or 3 birds working together in the pine trees on the #2 green.

WEBER COUNTY 

Kristin Purdy (26 Aug 2006) - I birded Fort Buenaventura Park in Ogden, Weber County this morning and was amply rewarded. One of the best birds was a Northern Waterthrush which I pished up along the west bank of the Weber River. I didn't even know the bird was there before I started pishing. It popped up to give me a good once-over from willow saplings along the river about 15 feet away from my pishing spot... Several other species that came in for my pishing a Wilson's Warbler (most common warbler species of the day) were a Cassin's Vireo, a Nashville Warbler, and an I'm-pretty-darn-sure Hammond's Flycatcher. I didn't see any of them before I started to pish, either.