Dec 2007
Brian Maxfield (7 Dec 2007) - I have observed two large flocks of rosy-fnches over the past couple of days. The largest was in Indian Canyon (south of Duchesne) and number around 100 birds. It was a mixture of Black Rosy-finches and Gray-crowned Rosy-finches. They were feeding on roads cuts near the national forest boundary sign along the highway.
Brian Maxfield (2 Dec 2007) - Apparently, the Snow Buntings know we received snow in the Uintah Basin. I observed a small flock of snow buntings in a snowy field in Boneta. This is my first snow bunting for the area and an added bonus to see several at one time.
Nov 2007
Brian Maxfield (7 Nov 2007) - ... this past week in the Uintah Basin. ... a Boreal Owl that was delivered to me that was picked up along a highway. The area it was found was near the junction of U208 and US 35. This is just east of Tabiona. The area is along the Duchesne River. The main habitats are pinyon-juniper, pastures, and narrow-leaf cottonwood riparian bottoms. The owl was an adult bird in apparently good condition. Unfortunately, the owl passed away from head injuries. This is the second Boreal Owl I have received that was hit by a car in atypical habitat. The other owl was a delivered to me a couple of years ago and that owl survived.
Aug 2007
Craig Fosdick (16 Aug 2007) - I just completed a 3½ day camping trip to Mirror Lake and the Uintas.... The White-throated Sparrow (presumably the same one reported in early August) is still present at MIRROR LAKE CG, although it is very inconspicuous. I saw the bird on 8/15 directly across the road (the road through the campground) from my campsite (#72). This is the only time I saw it, despite the fact that this location was only about 30 meters from my campsite, and when I was not hiking, I was watching birds at my campsite. ...I found Three-toed Woodpecker at both MIRROR LAKE CG and TRIAL LAKE CG. At Mirror Lake CG, I had a group of three birds: one adult male, and two recently-fledged juveniles (one female, one male). This family group was at my campsite (#72) on 8/14, when they spent 20 minutes (~9 AM) foraging on a broken-off Subalpine Fir that is apparently infested with Mountain Pine Beetle larvae. This fir, which is about 11–12 m north of the concrete fire ring in the campsite, was also visited by the male on 8/13 , also ~9 AM.
Jul 2007
Mark Stackhouse - On Saturday morning, 20 July, I saw and heard a (presumably a male) White-throated Sparrow singing on the south side of the trailhead parking area. It was acting very territorial and responded vigorously to a recorded song. I don't know how frequently White-throated Sparrow is recorded for summer in Utah but I though it odd. It was especially odd to hear the clear tones of "Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody" coming from the forest in the Uintas. Well, it wasn't exactly the classic phraseology, he jazzed it up a bit, more like "Old Sam Peabody ooo body body ooo body . . ."
Jul 2006
Kris Purdy (4 Jul 2006) - Yesterday I heard a report of an American Three-toed Woodpecker on the Highline Trail at Mirror Lake in the Uintas, Duchesne County. Brete Griffin and other birders attending the National Wildlife Federation Family Conference birded the trail and found an adult three-toed working several trees along the trail just 100 meters from the trailhead.
Jan 2006
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.
Sep 2005
Tim Avery (25 Sep 2005) - This weekend I spent some time in the Whiterocks River area, and at Chepeta Lake. The most notable sightings were 2 separate American Three-toed Woodpecker. The first was seen while hiking up an old logging trail in an area that had a large patch of dead trees on a north facing slope...The area is accessible from FR 117... about 3-4 miles from where the pavement ends on the road up from Whiterocks. There is a gate to the left and up this road about 3/4 of a mile is where this bird was. The second ATTW was seen flying across FR 110...where the West Fork of the Whiterocks River flows under the road...
Jul 2005
Jack Binch (1 Jul 2005) - Bob Huntington and I tried Mirror Lake again. This time we were able to drive around the lake. We found an American Three-toed Woodpecker in the area of the "saguaro" snag. It was on the snag once drumming.
Nov 2004
Brian Maxfield (9 Nov 2004) - On 11-5 I saw 7 Tundra Swans, 1 Snow Goose, 7 Cackling Geese mixed among a couple hundred Canada Geese. On 11-8 I saw 15 Hooded Mergansers on the Duchesne sewage ponds. Eight of them were males in beautiful breeding plumage. There were also Greater and Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Ruddy Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwall, and the ever-present Mallard. Also of note was a single Bonaparte's Gull in winter plumage. It was flying around the ponds while I was there.
Aug 2004
Steve Carr (8 Aug 2004) - On Friday, at about 5:30 p.m., several birders on their way to Leidy Peak to search for the White-tailed Ptarmigan observed a flock of about 10 Eurasian Collared Doves in the Roosevelt Cemetery.
Jul 2004
Casey Lance (7 July 2004) - In Duchesne, Utah, there is a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves, living somewhere near Indian Canyon Highway and 300 South. They are very easy to find, and I see them often. They are almost always on the power lines...
May 2004
Dennis Shirley (27 May 2004) - I spent today birding Duchesne and Uinta counties. Of note were the following sightings: ...Eurasian Collared-Dove - Duchesne City...Ross's Goose - I know it's hard to believe, but what can I say. I had it verified by USFWS.
Dec 2003
KC Childs (13 Dec 2003) - Eric Huish and myself went out to Duchesne County to do some birdwatching. ...Some highlights included two Eurasian Collard Doves on the east end of Duchesne City. They were located near the flag and wigwam on the east end of town.
Aug 2003
Joel Beyer (17 Aug 2003) - We birded the Mirror Lake area (Uintahs) this afternoon. Three Gray Jays were seen at Bonny Lake, which is reached via the Highline Trail from Mirror Lake. Most of the usual birds were seen along this trail, including Three-toed Woodpecker, Red Crossbill and Golden-crowned Kinglet.
July 2003
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.
August 2002
Bruce Mast (Oakland, CA) - A recent backpacking trip into the High Uintah Wilderness Area (Aug 6-9) yielded some excellent birds, including Northern Goshawk (adult and juvenile), White-tailed Ptarmigan (hen and fledgling), Black Rosy-finches, Three-toed Woodpecker, Blue Grouse, and Golden Eagle. My wife and I also saw a moose cow and calf. Our route took us up the Uintas river and then up Krebs creek to the Chain Lakes. Spectacular country, even without the birds.
July 2002
"Sharp" (Sun, 7 Jul 2002) I spent the holiday out at Moon Lake in the Uintas. We set up a hummingbird feeder in our camp. We had as many as 25 hummingbirds at the feeder at a time. Included in this were at least 6 male Rufous Hummingbirds and 1 male Calliope Hummingbird. They definitely kept things lively. We also saw many other species of birds. Some of the birds identified were Stellars Jay, Chipping Sparrow, Flicker, Junco, Chickadee, and Western Tanager.
November 2000
Flocks of both GRAY-CROWNED and BLACK ROSY-FINCHES were seen along the access road to the Yellowstone River on Wednesday, 11/08 (BM). The Yellowstone River is on the south slope of the Uintas, east of Moon Lake and north of Duchesne.
A flock of 30-40 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES was seen in the road cuts along US 191 between Duchesne and Price on Tuesday, 11/07 (KP). They were south of the summit, about 2 miles south of the turnoff to the Avintaquin CG.
About 20 SNOW GEESE were seen on a pond in Fruitland, along US 40 east of Strawberry Reservoir, on Wednesday, 11/08 (BM).
September 2000
A female WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN, along with three chicks, was seen along the northeast shoreline of Blue Lake on Saturday, 09/02 (DW). Blue Lake is located in Naturalist Basin in the Uinta Mountains, about 5 miles along the Highline Trail from SR 150.
August 2000
Eight BLACK SWIFTS were seen flying over Naturalist Basin on Saturday, 08/12 (M&MSm).
July 2000
A breeding-plumaged male CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR was seen just east of
Naturalist Basin in the Uinta Mountains on Sunday, 07/09 (BO). The bird was seen on a small, tundra-covered plateau just north of Rocky Sea Pass. Rocky
Sea Pass is about 1 mile east of Naturalist Basin along the Highline Trail, and about 6 miles east of the trailhead on SR 150 near Butterfly Lake.
A WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN was also seen on the tundra-covered plateau north
of Rocky Sea Pass in the Uinta Mountains on Sunday, 07/09 (BO).
A pair of THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS was seen nesting along the shore of Mirror
Lake on Sunday, 07/09 (MS,m.obs.). The nest was located about 100 ft. from the shore near the northeast corner of the lake.
A female WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was seen at the east end of the Mirror Lake
CG on Tuesday, 06/27 (C&CP,MS).
On Starvation Reservoir, 6 COMMON LOONS were seen on Saturday, 06/24 (EH,DS,m.obs.).
July 1999
A MOUNTAIN PLOVER was seen southwest of Myton on Saturday, 07/03 (MS,DW). To get to the place where the bird was seen, take 5550 West (the Nine Mile Canyon/Sandwash Boat Ramp road) south from US 40 for 6.1 miles to the Monument Butte Road, go west for about 4 miles to oil well number 44-33B. The bird was about 150 yards southwest of this well.
Two LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS were seen along US 40 west of Myton on Saturday, 07/03, one at about mile 103.3 and the other near mile 105 (MS,DW).
A PINE GROSBEAK was seen along the Mirror Lake Highway, at the turnoff to the Mirror Lake CG, on Saturday, 07/03 (MS,DW).
May 1999
A breeding-plumaged RED-NECKED GREBE was seen on the sewage lagoons at Duchesne on Sunday, 05/23 (B&GB). It was seen again on Tuesday, 05/25 (MS,DW). Both times, the bird was on the second pond from the eastern side of the sewage lagoon complex, which is located on the north side of US 40 on the east edge of town. There are only two accepted records of Red-necked Grebe in Utah prior to this sighting.