Review Species Reported This Month:
    Cackling Goose  Cache Co.,  Salt Lake Co.
    Yellow-billed Loon  Washington Co.
    Iceland Gull  Salt Lake Co.

Paul Higgins (20 Dec 2009) - [Howell Valley]  I actually saw three Northern Shrike today. This juvenile was enjoyable [photos were attached].

Cindy Sommerfeld (19 Dec 2009) - Today Steve and I decided to try for Gray Partridge and Longspurs... Next we decided to try Salt Creek. We drove east on Faust Valley Road.... Just as we got above the fog, 8 Gray Partridges were in the road. They scurried to the bush covered fence line.

CACHE COUNTY

Jim Lofthouse (31 Dec 2009) - [10:00 A.M. Paradise Utah]  The Sharp-tailed grouse are in town. Seen at 9300 South and 300 E

Ryan O'Donnell (20 Dec 2009) - Logan held its 50th CBC count today (Saturday)...A few highlights included:  A GREATER YELLOWLEGS, possibly the same bird that has graced the Fish Hatchery for the last three CBCs; A pair of late CINNAMON TEAL at the 20-20 Ponds;  Two female HOODED MERGANSERS at the Sewage Lagoons;  A SNOW BUNTING in the Amalga area;  A late BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at the Fish Hatchery; Four CACKLING GEESE at the Logan River Golf Course; Seven lingering YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS in one flock; A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW along the Canal Trail...

KANE COUNTY

Cheri [blujeans3] ( 7 Dec 2009) - [Lewis's Woodpecker]  Awesome bird! Seems to have its niche here in the canyon. A lifer for me. We are new to Utah birding. I wonder if the Lewis's is a fairly common WP in Kane County?

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Jeff Bilsky (20 Dec 2009) - Birded Lake Park with Carl Ingwell this morning. We found a CACKLING GOOSE and the aformentioned GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. The Greater White-fronted was towards the South end of Lake Park...

Tim Avery (20 Dec 2009) - Headed up to Antelope Island State Park this morning. At the ranch there was a pretty big group of siskins in the trees in the picnic area. A pretty good covey of around 20 or so California Quail were at the brush pile, and 4 Virginia Rail were working the edges of the spring...The highlight of the day was a beautiful Long-eared Owl perched in a snowy russian olive.

Bryant Olsen (18 Dec 2009) - Been out and about this week scouting for birds, or really warming up my brain and getting it in search mode, and had some OK birds. Some that may be of interest for the Salt Lake City CBC are, EURASIAN COLLARD DOVES, several in a tree on about 10th E and 5th S. a MERLIN in the SLC cemetery, west end near 7th av. and N st., and a WESTERN SCREECH OWL up city creek cny, near picnic sight #1...

Tim Avery (13 Dec 2009) - [Possible 2nd winter ICELAND GULL at Lee Kay Ponds]  Was on the far west pond along with A 1st winter Glaucous-winged, 1st winter Thayer's and numerous), Herring and California Gulls.  The iceland type was last seen heading west into a snow storm...

Cindy Sommerfeld (5 Dec 2009) - We did our survey for Antelope Island today. Not the best conditions for birding. It was windy, cold and snowy... We did see 5 Long-tailed Ducks, 2 male 3 female (at the bridge). On the road to the ranch we saw a beautiful Northern Shrike. Our most unusual sighting was a pair of Tree Swallows at mm 4 on the causeway. Steve thinks it's strange to see them here so late. I prefer to
think it strange that they are here so early. Our species count was 35...

SAN JUAN COUNTY

Calvin Black (24 Dec 2009) - Calvin Black has a Varied Thrush in his yard in Blanding UT.

UTAH COUNTY 

Matt Mills (11 Dec 2009) - Randy Larsen, a professor here at BYU, mentioned that there was a SAY'S PHOEBE just outside the Widtsoe Building on BYU Campus at 9 am this morning. The bird was immediately south of the building in one of the Locust trees before flying higher up on the side of the building. It then flew across the street to the south...

Eric Huish (5 Dec 2009) - Keeli Marvel, KC Childs and I birded the Saratoga Spring / Lehi area this morning... Most interesting birds were 2 Snow Geese with hundreds of Canadas on the East side of Redwood Road a mile South of Lehi Main Street.  We heard a Screech Owl calling from in a tree at Mitchell Hollow Wetlands...

Eric Huish (13 Dec 2009) - I just had a female Bullock's Oriole visit my platform feeder! I got so excited to see an oriole I ran to grab my camera thinking it could be something rare. I took a few photos through the heavy falling snow. After I studied it for a moment I realized it was just a Bullock's but still an interesting bird in December.  The White-throated Sparrow is still visiting the feeder and I had a Merlin fly through the yard yesterday.

Eric Huish (9 Dec 2009) - I've got a White-throated Sparrow at my feeders this morning. Yard Lifer!

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Carla Ritter (25 Dec 2009) - A female Costas Hummingbird is being seen on a regular basis in the morning at a feeder in Ivins just south of Snow Canyon State Park...

Rick Fridell (20 Dec 2009) - Today (12/20) there was a drake Eurasian Wigeon in the large flock of American Wigeon at the Sky Mountain Golf Course, Hurricane, Washington Co.,

Rick Fridell (5 Dec 2009) - Quinn and I did some birding today (12/5) around eastern Washington County... highlights including a Barrow's Goldeneye and a Thayer's Gull.  The Barrow's Goldeneye was an adult male at the Hildale Sewer Ponds... The Thayer's Gull was a first-cycle bird in with at large flock of (mostly Ring-billed) gulls at Quail Creek State Park...

Rick Fridell (4 Dec 2009) - I've heard from several folks who are heading down to Washington County this weekend. In addition to the Yellow-billed Loon at Quail Creek SP, there are some other noteworthy birds around the county that might hold some interest:  Tundra Swan - juvenile, observed today (12/4) at Upper Sand Cove Reservoir; Greater Scaup & Hooded Merganser - About 20 and 50+ respectively at Grandpa's Fishing (Stratton) Pond at the end of 3700 West in Hurricane; Surf Scoter - a female type at Sand Hollow State Park - observed today(12/4) along the north dam; Horned Grebe - several among the hundreds of coots and waterfowl at Sand Hollow State Park; Dunlin - three at Sand Hollow State Park - usually around the southeast corner; White-winged Dove - a small flock apparently wintering in Leeds, usually in the Silver Valley area; Inca Dove - a small flock around the west end of 290 North in Hurricane (this is northeast of Zions Gate RV Park - the typical spot for Inca Doves); Anna's Hummingbird - The camp hosts at Snow Canyon State Park (Maria and Roger) are maintaining feeders this winter...; As of last weekend (11/30) the road to Lava Point /Kolob Reservoir was still open and there were at least two Acorn Woodpeckers in the Kolob Meadows - usually in the aspen grove along the road within a half mile of the reservoir. There are also a number of Lewis's Woodpeckers around and recently there have still been a few California Condors remaining in the area as well; And of course Larry T. had a Zonotrichia Grand Slam last weekend with white-crowns everywhere; a White-throated Sparrow along the Virgin River Trail near Man-o-War in Bloomington; a Harris's Sparrow at Lytle Ranch; and Golden-crowned Sparrows at Lower Sand Cove Reservoir, and along the Virgin River Trail near Confluence Park in St. George.

Rick Fridell (1 Dec 2009) - This afternoon (12/01) around 4:30p or so, there was a Yellow-billed Loon at Quail Creek State Park, Washington Co., UT. The loon appears to be a juvenile, and was the only loon observed on the reservoir.