May 2008
Ryan P. O'Donnell (14 May 2008) - On Monday, May 12th, I saw a bird I believe to be a Canyon Towhee in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The bird was about 1-2 miles downstream from Hole-in-the-Rock Road along an unnamed drainage that starts near Cave Point and later joins Fiftymile Creek. The exact location of the bird was at UTM zone 12S, easting0500003, northing 4128394, WGS84 projection. I first saw this bird on Monday the 12th. Like all towhees, it was about sparrow shaped but larger than most sparrows and with a longer tail. As the bird flew into a shrub, it flashed rufous undertail coverts under a long dark tail. I could not get good looks at it in the dark interior of the shrub but was able to make out a rufous cap and pale patterning in the throat, and short sparrow-like bill (ruling out some even less likely birds like Crissal Thrasher). Overall the rest of the bird appeared dark gray. Unfortunately I didn't realize at the time that this bird was so rare in the state. I had to pass by the location two more times for my research and each time flushed a dark towhee-shaped bird but was unable to relocate it after each initial flush. I know this bird is a long shot and it's a long ways out of the way, but if anyone is in the area it might be worth a look. It's a beautiful hike, anyways. More when I return in a week or so.
Jun 2007
Tim Avery (28 Jun 2007) - Early Wednesday morning (around 1:00am) I was able to relocate the Spotted Owl originally reported by Larry Tripp in Stout Canyon. The bird started barking shortly after 1:00 am and I listened for about 15 minutes before heading out.
Larry Tripp (23 Jun 2007) - Last night I camped on a ridge top over looking Stout Canyon and saw a couple unusual things. One of the first birds I saw while scanning down into the canyon was a adult Goshawk perched in a dead tree that I was able to watch in the scope for about 5 minutes. Then while watching Common nighthawks soaring around before sundown a Black Swift flew right in front of me at eye level. I was watching it soar around for a couple minutes when another one joined it. I watched both of them at close range for a couple more minutes until they worked there way to the south out of sight. I didn't know of any nesting spots around there but at this time of year maybe. As it started to get dark ... A Spotted Owl started calling right below me in the canyon. When I got up today it was in the same area calling again.
Dec 2006
Dennis Shirley (22 Dec 2006) - I got a call from Lou Giddings last night who is birding in San Juan County for a few days. He wanted me to pass along a sighting of a Black Scoter at the Bullfrog/Hite ferry crossing on Lake Powell. It is a female and was at the Bullfrog ramp on Thursday afternoon.
Sep 2005
Gary Rosenberg - This morning, Saturday 10 September, 2005, there was an imm. male Anna's Hummingbird coming to the hummingbird feeders at the Best Western in Mt. Carmel Junction. The bird was photographed.
May 2004
Kevin Wheeler - (8 May 2004) - A small and somewhat groggy group left St. George this morning at 6:00 am to bird an area that we don't get to often - Kanab....in Kanab...got views of a pair of Bullock's Orioles, a Phainopepla, and a couple more Eurasian Collared-Doves....
Aug 2003
Eric Huish (20 Aug 2003) - At Navajo Lake... Some of the more interesting birds included Downy, Hairy, and Three-toed Woodpeckers, GT Towhee, OC Warbler, and Linc Sparrow. The Three-toed Woodpeckers where chipping bark of dead fir trees along side the road at the west end of the lake.
Colby Neuman (14-15 Aug 2003) - SW of Bryce Canyon NP near Tropic Reservoir along FR 087- Bird Highlights include: Peregrine Falcon - 1, Williamson's Sapsucker - a juvenile and a male were seen on separate occasions and Black-throated Gray (4) & Virginia (1) Warblers in a Douglas-fir/Aspen forest
November 2000
About 50 BLACK ROSY-FINCHES were reported on the shore of Lake Powell, just north of the Utah-Arizona border on Thursday, 11/09 (CL).
February 2000
Approximately ten WESTERN BLUEBIRDS were seen about two miles outside of the Zion NP east entrance, along SR 9, on Monday, 2/14 (J&KB).
April 1999
A YELLOW-FOOTED GULL was seen at Lake Powell on Wednesday, 04/21 (CL,JS). The bird was seen near the dam in Arizona, and then went to roost at Lone Rock Beach near Wahweap, in Utah. It was found again on Friday, 04/23 near The Chains, a swimming area north of the dam on the east side of the lake (GR). This is the second record for Yellow-footed Gull in Utah, and the first record for Arizona.
At Lone Rock Beach on Lake Powell, a GREAT EGRET was seen on Sunday, 04/25 (MS,DW).
The YELLOW-FOOTED GULL which was seen at Lake Powell on Wednesday, 04/21, has not been
seen since Friday, 04/23.
February 1999
A YELLOW-BILLED LOON was found on Lake Powell on Monday, 02/01, not far from where a Yellow-billed Loon wintered from 1993-1996 (JS). The bird was sighted in the upper part of Warm Creek Bay. It was seen from a boat, but the bird may be observed from shore by driving to Crosby Canyon on the road from Big Water, and hiking to the east over a small divide along the north side of the flooded part of Crosby Canyon.