Recent Sightings in Salt Lake County

May 2008

G. Lind (1 June 2008) A first spring male Indigo Bunting visited my feeders in Sandy several times on 5/31/08. Apparently, this species has been visiting the west for over 25 years according to Behle. However it's a first for my yard.

Tim Avery (31 May 2008) - I hit the IC this morning to see what was bzzing around... the best bird of the morning was a Common Grackle that was chattering up a storm in a russian olive near the south pond...

Tim Avery (29 May 2008) - We made a quick stop at Lee Kay Ponds on the way out west where there was a beautiful male Greater Scaup...

David Wheeler (20 May 2008) - The Common Grackles that have made their home in Fairmont Park for several years (including raising a chick last year), are back. I heard then saw a pair along the creek running through the north end of the park. As in previous years, they seem to be frequenting the stretch of stream between the large pines growing near the N parking lot and upstream to the little house near the duck pond.

Tim Avery (16 May 2008) - Yesterday, (May 15), I was joined by Michael Bateman, Ned Bixler, Dave Hanscom, Larene Wyss and our driver Steve Kirkham for 16 hours of birding in northern Utah..... We received permission to bird Kennecott's Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve, thanks to Ann Neville who happened to share that her field trip out there earlier in the day had found 4 Whimbrel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We made our way onto the property ...We arrived at the location where Ann told us the Whimbrel were, but did not see any :( ... Until we turned around to head back and one of the Whimbrel could be seen with 3 Long-billed Curlew. As we were watching the bird, 3 more Whimbrel flew through and landed in a field nearby. An awesome sighting in Utah! Thanks Ann! ...

Tim Avery (5 May 2008) - This afternoon and evening I spent some time in the yard where a male Calliope Hummingbird was enjoying blooms in the apple tree.

Kimberly Roush (5 May 2008) - The Red-necked Grebe was on Little Dell April 28, 29 and May 3. I spend a few hours with it each time. It primarily stays on the opposite end from the dam between the lower parking lot directly below the entrance and the stream that flows into the reservoir. It will go back into the little cove and be hard to see if you do not walk through the mud, or walk the higher ground, in order to see it. It is quite tame compared to clarks' or westerns.

Tim Avery (4 May 2008) - This evening while strolling along the creeks above the pond at Sugarhouse Park I found a singing Red-eyed Vireo near the horseshoe pits. This area is about 150 yards from 1700 East.

Apr 2008

Stephen Carlile (26 Apr 2008) - The Red-necked Grebe is was still at Little Dell Reservoir this morning, Saturday, at around 8:00 a.m. It was at the northeast end of the reservoir at the stream inlet, mixed with some Ring-necked Ducks.

Deedee O'Brien (22 Apr 2008) - About 1 hour ago I too saw the Red-necked Grebe at Little Dell just where Jeff Bilsky reported it plus most of the other birds reported by Jeff Langford today.

Jeff Bilsky (21 Apr 2008) - A breeding Plumage Red-necked Grebe was present at the Little Dell Reservoir this evening. Little Dell is the upper reservoir and the grebe was on the East side (inlet side) and staying mostly towards the North Shore, near where a small embankment juts out into the water.

Ben Palmer (19 Apr 2008) - This morning I took a short hike at Mueller Park in Bountiful. The highlight was a Varied Thrush.

Tim Avery (12 Apr 2008) - This afternoon Colby Neuman and I decided to make a quick loop through the northwest part of Salt Lake County and see what was on the move. ...At Lee Kay Ponds we were shocked to find a female Long-tailed Duck still in mostly winter plumage near the west shore of the furthest west pond hanging out with 2 Common Goldeneye. I managed to snap a shot as the bird flew away from us and left the pond shortly after we found it! This is the first time I can think of a Long-tailed Duck being at Lee Kay, and at this date that makes it a late one at that. - Also at Lee Kay Ponds was what Colby and I believe was a Thayer's Gull moulting from 1st winter to 1st summer plumage. It was a strange gull that stuck out even amongst the see of California Gulls. ...At Lee's Creek along the frontage road between 7200 West and Saltair were 2 Great Egret feeding a hundred or so yards out from the road.

Feb 2008

Jeff Bilsky (23 Feb 2008) - This morning Carl Ingwell and I headed up to City Creek Canyon to find Winter Wrens and we got a great look at one.

Kris Purdy (18 Feb 2008) - I just got a call from Tim Avery (11:15 am, Monday) who has found a first-year White-winged Crossbill in a flock of Red Crossbills at Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake County. Tim's (and the flock's) location was along Center Street, also called 990E., and between 205N. and 300N. At last look, the flock appeared to be moving somewhat east.

Tim Avery (16 Feb 2008) - With what looked like great weather and the Great Backyard Birdcount happening, the Sommerfeld's, Jeff Bilsky and I decided to put together a Salt Lake County mini big day... The morning started below freezing a mile and a half up City Creek Canyon in the dark. ...As it started to get light we made our way back down canyon and just before MM1 were 2 Winter Wren, with at least one bird being a male singing up a storm (after we cheated by playing a tape). ...After deciding to scrap plans to go to the International Center we hit Lake Park along the golf course where there was a Richardson's subspecies Cackling Goose (same bird as last month?) and another small goose, with a thin and long bill that I wouldn't have called Parvipes, but am unsure of which subspecies it may have been. ...We hopped on SR-201 and arrived at Lee Kay Ponds a few minutes later and Steve picked out 4 TUNDRA SWAN sitting on the bank of the east pond, a first for all of us at the ponds. On the main pond we were greeted by a large mass of gulls on the far east end of the pond in a nice large patch of open water. Quickly scanning through we were able to pick out a number of goodies including an adult Mew Gull, a 1st winter Lesser Black-backed Gull, a 2nd winter Glaucous Gull, nearly a dozen Thayer's Gulls, all but 1 being 1st winter, and of course the regular Ring-billed, California, and Herring....

David Jensen (13 Feb 2008) - Found one Cackling Goose among +-60 Canada Geese in Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City.

Jan 2008

Stephen Carlile (28 Jan 2008) - I had a different, but new yard bird for me today in West Valley City. A lone Common Grackle spent an hour or so today "sparing" with the juncos and sparrows. It seemed to be after the cracked corn that is part of the seed mix I use.

Tim Avery (24 Jan 2008) - Yesterday ...At Lee Kay Ponds there was also a nice flock of gulls on the ice. From the observation deck/gazebo several of us were able to get pretty good looks at 2 - 1st winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls, as well as several Thayer's Gulls. A Harrier flushed all the birds, and a beautiful 1st winter Glaucous Gull flew past and circled a couple times before heading off to the dump.

Tim Avery (20 Jan 2008) - 2 Cackling Goose - Lake Park Facility. I saw one in the A.M. and another in the P.M. with Colby Neuman and Steve Sommerfeld (the latter appeared to be a different bird) - 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull - Decker Lake (yep that's right), the same 3rd year bird form Lee Kay Ponds (seen with the Sommerfelds in the A.M.) - 4 Thayer's Gull - Decker Lake, 3 1st winter and one adult...

Tim Avery (13 Jan 2008) - This morning Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld and I located an adult Mew Gull at Decker Lake. This afternoon at 12600 South and 5000 West we found a flock of an estimated 10,000 HORNED LARK. This flock had a smattering of Lapland Longspurs and we were able to pick out 15-20.

Tim Avery (5 Jan 2008) - This afternoon Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld and I birded Lee Kay Ponds, 7200 West, and the frontage road along Lee's Creek in western Salt Lake County. At Lee Kay we were joined Jeff and Susan Saffle to scan through the gulls. The flock probably numbered around 2200 birds this afternoon and numbers and highlights are as follows: 1 or 2 Mew Gull (1 for sure 1st winter bird. A 2nd was seen later that may have been the same bird) - 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull (1st winter bird which may have an injured foot now, and one 3rd winter/adult bird - hard to judge the age on this one) - 1 Glaucous-winged Gull (same 2nd winter bird as the last 2 weeks) - 11 Thayer's Gulls (ALL 1st winter birds ranging from light pink white to dark individuals-- several very close to Kumlieni)... After Lee Kay we headed to the frontage road along I-80 that heads to Saltair. In the vicinity of Lee's Creek we observed a Northern Shrike.

Rob Fergus (3 Jan 2008) - I only had a short time to check out Lee Kay Ponds this afternoon from 4:30-5:00pm. When I got there, about 2000 gulls were on the ice and in the small area of open water. Before I could scan the whole flock a Red-tailed Hawk flushed them all and only about half of the birds returned. While I didn’t see all the birds I could have hoped for, I did see seven gull species: Western Gull—1 adult - Lesser Black-backed Gull—1 2nd winter bird - Glaucous-winged Gull—1 1st winter bird - Thayer’s Gull—1 1st winter bird - Herring Gull—8 various ages - Ring-billed Gull—150 - California Gull—1200

Dec 2007

Tim Avery (31 Dec 2007) - I went out to Lee Kay Ponds this morning to look for the dark-mantled 3rd winter Western/Slaty-backed Gull, but it did not make an appearance while I was present. I was joined by Steve Carr and Stephen Carlile. We did however observe the adult Western Gull, as well as an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, LBBG that appeared to be an advanced 3rd winter, or an adult without little to no white in the primaries, as well as a 1st winter LBBG. There were also 5 - 1st winter Thayer's Gulls. At one point 4 were together showing a variety of plumages.

Brad Wahlin (30 Dec 2007) - Today in Riverton there was a Greater White-fronted Goose in the field that I reported the snow goose in yesterday. It was with about 200 Canadas and was right next to the road on 13400 s. and 2700 w. It did not have dark bars on its belly but still a nice looking bird!!!

Tim Avery (29 Dec 2007) - So I am going to go out on a limb here to potentially get anyone interested out to Lee Kay to look for the large dark-mantled gull I found today. I posted the pics to ID-frontiers and have thus far had people who think the bird is either a Western Gull or as I thought a Slaty-backed Gull. I have been going over references this evening trying to find similar looking birds for either species. ...Other gulls of note were: 1 - adult Western Gull (I would assume this is the same bird from last winter) 2 - adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 or 2 - 1st winter Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 - 2nd winter Glaucous-winged Gull, 1 - 2nd winter Glaucous Gull, 2 - adult Mew Gull, 4 - 1st winter Thayer's Gull, 115 - Herring Gull, 750 - Ring-billed Gull. I spent so much time looking at the Black-backed Gulls that I didn't get a chance to go through the flock thoroughly to see what maybe hiding in terms of white-winged gulls.

Tim Avery (18 Dec 2007) - This afternoon I spent an hour at Lee Kay Ponds going through the gulls. I was unable to locate the Glaucous, Glaucous-winged or the two strange gulls from Saturday, but there were 3 first winter Thayer's Gulls present, including one very light bird on the main pond. A darker individual was also on the main pond and another typical THGU was on the west pond.

Pomera Fronce - Salt Lake CBC Coordinator (17 Dec 2007) - You may have heard the rumor of a possible Snowy Owl sighting on the Salt Lake CBC last Saturday. Let me tell you what I know. The bird was not seen by any of the CBC participants. It was reported to the CBC team in the area by a hunter they happened to encounter while they were out counting. So at this time we have an unconfirmed sighting. I am in the process of trying to determine who the observer was so I can approach him about documenting his sighting to the National Audubon Society and the UOS Records Committee. Unfortunately, the birding community at large will not have the opportunity to look for this bird. The area where it was seen is all private property and the landowners do not plan to "throw open the gates for birders." The area is also fraught with security and sensitive-species issues. The birding community is now on good terms with the people who own this land. They usually graciously allow our CBC count team access to their property each year for one day only although for some reason not this year. We don't want to do anything to jeopardize our relationship with these folks. Thank you for your understanding and for being respectful of this situation.

Tim Avery (15 Dec 2007) - Of all the birds I could have expected to come across during the Salt lake CBC this morning, a hummingbird was not on my list. Yet just before 9:00am as I pished near a thicket on the north side of the Bountiful Cemetery, a small "tip-tip tip tip" call and the flutter of a very small bird emerged from the thicket. I was stunned to see a hummer and hurried to get it in my binos. The bird had dark central patch on the gorget, a bold white line above the eye, and a flash of green down the flanks. I was fairly certain it was a female Anna's Hummingbird. The bird landed in the tree and I hollered for the rest of my team to scurry over... It took 5 or 6 minutes but with a little squeaking, the bird emerged yet again, and 3 out of the other 4 members of the group were able to see the bird. My second look confirmed my initial thought. The bird again disappeared rather quickly and was not seen again. ...During the CBC potluck another group mentioned that they also had a Hummingbird sp. in Salt Lake County... In any event, the bird in Bountiful was near the cement building on the north side of the cemetery, on the east side of the building. ..Also at Lee Kay ponds was a 2nd winter Glaucous-winged Gull, a 2nd winter Glaucous Gull (found by Pomera Fronce), an apparent hyrbid Glaucous-winged x Western Gull and another hybrid that I think may be a Herring x Glaucous/Glaucous-winged.

Tim Avery (14 Dec 2007) - I was doing a little scouting this morning for the North Salt Lake Bountiful quad of the Salt Lake CBC. There wasn't much out and about... except for WAXWINGS! Several blocks from where Jeff Bilsky reported them last week, I found a flock that I estimated had around 400 birds in it. However, being curious I decided to count the birds in a flight shot I took and came up wit at least 553 individuals in the flock, with a 10:1 ratio for Bohemian to Cedars, not a bad little flock. This area was between Davis Boulevard and 400 East, from 2450 South to 2600 South. The birds were moving between several yards, and trees, and often worked in smaller flocks. Several blocks away I had another flock of about 50 Bohemian Waxwing feeding in a crab apple tree. And out of the Cont Circle on Mills Drive/Lane 13 Bohemian Waxwing were in an ornamental Juniper.

Jerry Liguori (1 Dec 2007) - I just had a juvenile gray Gyrfalcon fly past me headed south as I was shoveling my driveway (I live along the foothills north of Mill Creek), it flew out of sight then 10 minutes later headed back north. Look out for it at Farmington Bay, Cache Valley or any other good habitat it might show up at. Absolutely the best yard bird I've ever had.

Nov 2007

Tim Avery (28 Nov 2007) - This afternoon (4:00pm) while coming out of the Albertsons on 2100 South and2300 east in Salt Lake a flock of ~20 Bohemian Waxwing were swirling over the neighborhood just to the north of the parking lot. The birds were quite vocal.I believe this is the first time I have seen this species in the county.

Geoff Hardies (25 Nov 2007) - A trip up City Creek was fairly quiet, but we were able to find the Winter Wren just below picnic area 4.

Tim Avery (23 Nov 2007) - Today (11/23) I birded several Salt Lake County lakefront locations. I started at Decker Lake where a 1st winter Thayer's Gull was present. I next stopped at Lee Kay Ponds, which was teeming with gulls, but nothing of note. I drove along the south end of the landfill, and took 7200 West to I-15. Along 7200 West about 200 yards south of the railroad tracks a flock of about 50 Horned Lark flew across the road. I pulled over to look through them and as I rolled down my window I heard the rattling I had hoped to hear of a Longspur. It took about 5 minutes looking through the flock to find a winter plumaged Lapland Longspur. I then headed to Saltair and sat for a short lakewatch. Lots of gulls were moving east to west, and a few ducks were darting back and forth through the waves. An adult male Long-tailed Duck passed the marina heading east around11:30am. Next I had to conduct a survey on property in northwest Salt Lake County. I was able to locate yet another Lapland Longspur with a flock of Horned Larks. I also managed to pick out a "Bewick's" Tundra Swan from a flock of Tundra Swan.

Tim Avery (15 Nov 2007) - I made a loop around the northwest quarter of Salt Lake County this afternoon ...highlights included a juvenile Thayer's Gull on the main pond at Lee Kay. The bird was near both juvenile California and Herring Gulls for a nice comparison.

Tim Avery (9 Nov 2007) - Thanks to Kris Purdy for posting my report of the RED PHALAROPE at the Great Salt Lake State Park Marina (a.k.a. Salt Air Marina). When I initially saw the bird, I wasn't sure what it was. ...Luckily the bird soon floated out of the ripple onto the glassy surface of the lake, giving the clear appearance of a Red Phalarope. It then took a short flight only helping reaffirm the initial thought...

Oct 2007

Tim Avery (29 Oct 2007) - Some more highlights from Saturday afternoon and Sunday. 1 Greater White-fronted Goose - Lee's Creek in SL County ...1 Snow Goose - Lee's Creek in SL County...

Tim Avery (26 Oct 2007) - This afternoon I snuck in 9 holes at Mick Riley Golf Course in Murray and on the3rd hole, had a Winter Wren chattering away. I tracked the bird down near the pond on the NE side of the fairway working its way through a Russian Olive (must have been a good flight for WIWR last night!).

Tim Avery (26 Oct 2007) - I headed over to Parley's Gulch to try and photograph the Screech-Owl that Deedee found earlier this week... but no owl... However, while we were standing there, at the cement barrier on the left, and where the metal poss cross the river, a Winter Wren came across the path and landed in the brush on the river bank.

Mark Stackhouse (18 Oct 2007) - Blackburnian Warbler seen again‏ - Pat Jividen stopped by my house between 8:45 and 9:15 this morning and apparently saw the warbler again, at first foraging under the gutter at the back edge of my roof, and then for time at greater distance when it flew to the top of a large Catalpa tree behind my yard. I wasn't able to see it from my office window, nor have I seen it at all today, but there's lots of trees here and I don't have the most open view. It seems that it's still around. I'll post any other sightings as soon as I learn of them.

Mark Stackhouse (17 Oct 2007) - At about 8:30 this morning I saw a first-fall female Blackburnian Warbler outside my bedroom window. David Wheeler and I have been looking for it since the initial sighting (it was sitting 15' outside my window for 5 minutes), so far without success. There's a lot of activity here this morning. This brings my yard list to 106 species...

Tim Avery (9 Oct 2007) - Spent about 40 minutes a Lee Kay Ponds this afternoon. Highlights are as follows: ...1 Horned Grebe (in SW corner of the west pond)2 Eared Grebe (on main pond)...

Tim Avery (8 Oct 2007) - I did a quick check of our Salt Lake County reservoirs this afternoon ...At Little Dell, which is usually dreadfully dead, I was shocked to see little dots all along the north shore from the overlook just off the road before the turnoff to Emigration Canyon. However, 95% of the dots turned out to be American Coots, around 100. The were however 8 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 12 MALLARD,1 EARED GREBE, 10 RING-NECKED DUCK, 4 LESSER SCAUP and the highlight of the afternoon, 3 Greater Scaup. A bit early but I guess on cue with a number of other early arrivals this fall...

Dave Hanscom (7 Oct 2007) - Today I had to go out to Sears on 5600 West, so I decided to check out Lee Kay Ponds. It was an amazingly good morning, with 36 species in about an hour. Highlights: - Peregrine Falcon, Great and Snowy Egrets, Horned Grebe, a bunch of Turkey Vultures, White-faced Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, lots of Ruddy Ducks, and a Western Wood-peewee that must have missed his southbound bus...

Colby Neuman (6 Oct 2007) - Tim Avery and I birded Sugarhouse Park, the Salt Lake International Center, Antelope Island Causeway and Saltair today.
Highlights were 2 different Sabine's Gulls and 3 American Golden-Plovers... Salt Lake International Center - Sabine's Gull - 1 juvenile - worked the ditch that is to the southeast of the intersection of Wright Brothers and Harold Getty Drives...the bird eventually flew off to the southwest and we could not refind the bird ... Antelope Island Causeway - American Golden-Plover - 3 juveniles - both sides of causeway - Sabine's Gull - 1 juvenile on north side of causeway between MM 2-3...

Tim Avery (2 Occt 2007) - This evening at the Salt Lake International Center I found a couple interesting birds. The first was an apparent female/1st Winter Indigo Bunting. The bird was quite cinnamon colored on it's head, back and wings. It also showed a pale throat, and streaked breast....The other interesting bird, and perhaps even rarer than the bunting was what I believe was appeared to be a hybrid Red-breasted x Red-naped Sapsucker. The bird initially flew past me, and appeared to have a lot of red on its head. When I located it in the tree it flew to I could see the red extending form the throat, onto the breast, as well as onto the face and neck. From behind the bird had a lot of red from the forehead all the way to its back. Otherwise, the back and wing pattern as well as tail looked like a fairly typical RNSA...

Sep 2007

Tim Avery (30 Sep 2007) - I spent a couple hours at the IC this evening...The most interesting bird was an empid that I fit the "bill" (no pun intended) for Least Flycatcher. The bird was hanging out on the north side of the Compeq building along the fence line that is the northern edge of the IC. This area has been one of the most consistently productive areas at the IC, and has produced several good birds. There is an east-west line of conifers here, along a ditch with some small Russian Olive trees. To get to this area, take the 5600 West exit off ofI-80 and go north to Harold Gatty Drive. Turn Left and follow the road till it comes to a "T" at John Glenn Road. Turn right and drive to the dead end and park. The tree line is on your right and stretches about 150 yards.

Colby Neuman (25 Sep 2007) - It was our first WEST trip of the season where we take ~60 kids on a cruise boat about 5-6 miles out into the lake where we teach the kids about the Great Salt Lake ecosystem... I was literally asking the kids, "what eats brine shrimp and brine fly larvae?" when one of the kids shouted out seagulls, which was immediately followed by another student asking, "what's that dark gull flying alongside the boat?". I was about the say a young California Gull, but I quickly realized it was a jaeger. I didn't hide my excitement too much, and told the kids that it was a pretty rare bird in Utah. Based on my limited experience with Parasitic Jaegers and my nonexistent (to very slight experience depending on who you ask) experience with Long-tailed and Pomarine Jaegers, I think it was pretty consistent with Parasitic Jaeger. The size, shape and flight pattern all seemed to point in that direction. The barring on the undertail coverts was actually pretty noticeable and reminded me a lot of the bird Willard Bay bird from a couple years ago. Unfortunately, I never watched the bird through any optics because I had to continue teaching. Either way, I thought it was pretty cool. - Tim did indeed find the bird flying about 800 yards to a mile north of the marina at Saltair earlier this afternoon. So it is certainly possible to see this bird from the shoreline. It seemed to be harassing gulls on the lake consistently.

Tim Avery (24 Sep 2007) - This evening form 6:30-7:30 pm I birded the International Center with Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld. ...we headed to the far west end and around to the north side of the Compeq building, which is lined with conifer. About 60 feet into the trees I spotted an adult White-throated Sparrow (white-striped edition) on the fence line on the north side of the trees.

Tim Avery (23 Sep 2007) - This evening, after 6:00pm Colby Neuman and I saw 3 Sabine's Gull along Lee's Creek in northwestern Salt Lake County. The highlight was not the number of birds, but the fact that 2 were adults still in breeding plumage.

Tim Avery (16 Sep 2007) - It appears the International Center is proving its potential yet again! This evening I spent the 2 hours before sunset birding the area, and had several exceptional finds. A very bright first winter Blackpoll Warbler was seen just to the north of the intersection of 5600 West and Harold Gatty Drive. This is on the opposite side of the center from where the Prothonotary was seen last weekend. Back on the other side of the center, at the intersection of Wright Brothers Drive and Amelia Earhart, was a large flock of spizella, roughly 400 birds, including at least one, and maybe even 2 very striking adult Clay-colored Sparrow, in non-breeding plumage. I was able to get a shot of one on the ground with numerous Chipping Sparrow.

Geoff Hardies (16 Sep 2007) - The Green Heron is still at the little pond off of the Jordan River. Also seen were: Nashville, Townsend's, Wilson's, Yellow-rump and a male an female Yellow Warbler, Belted Kingfisher, Common Nighthawk, Cedar Waxwing and the usual crew.

Colby Neuman (10 Sep 2007) -Tim and I went back to the Salt Lake International Center yesterday afternoon and spent a considerable amount of time searching the trees and bushes around the complex. We did briefly see the Prothonotary Warbler in the same location previously described. We came up with quite a list of migrants that included 8 warbler species...

Colby Neuman (8 Sep 2007) - ... talked Tim into going out to the Salt Lake International Center (SLIC) this evening. ... It certainly paid off! ...we came across the Prothonotary Warbler. This was just south of the junction of 575 North and Wright Brothers Drive (4000W). ... Kris Purdy, Glenn Barlow and the Summerfields were all able to make to the SL International Center and see the bird this evening as well. The bird moved along the trees for several hundred yards in the N/S direction of the intersection several times. However, the bird was refound twice in the Russian Olive that's on the southwest corner of the intersection of 575 North and Wright Brothers Drive (4000W).

Jack Binch (8 Sep 2007) - Bob Huntington and I went to the Jordan River Parkway at 5400 South and 1040 West to look for a Green Heron that Bob found earlier in the week. We walked past the pond and did not see the heron on the first pass. We went north almost to the end of the trail and got into a bunch of warblers. ...We both got on what seemed to be a Warbling Vireo, but when it got out into the open a little it was much too yellow. ... The overall appearance was that of a Philadelphia Vireo according to Sibley. ...On the way back by the pond, the Green Heron was on the west bank.

Aug 2007

Rob Fergus (11 Aug 2007) - ...this evening we found a juvenile female Summer Tanager at the entrance gate to the Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve west of the 7200 W exit on I-80 in Salt Lake County. It was actually perched on the right side of the gate down near the fragmites. After about a minute it flew off to the east down the canal and into the fragmites. It was quite a shock to see this bird here in northern Utah at this date, and in such seemingly atypical habitat (not a tree to be seen anywhere).

Jun 2007

Bob Huntington (24 Jun 2007) - This afternoon I was sitting at the table looking out at my feeders. In the feeder feeding with two morning doves, one Eurasian Collard-Dove and one White-winged Dove at one time. The white-wing was a first for my yard as well as salt lake county. A beautiful bird.

Tim Avery (23 Jun 2007) - This afternoon while golfing at Glendale Golf Course in Salt Lake City, one of my buddies asked why the "little seagulls" were "fighting". I looked over to see one Tern fervently pursuing another around the main pond between the 1st fairway and the 9th fairway. ...In any event the "Smaller" tern was an Adult Least Tern in breeding plumage. I watched the two birds for about a minute before the Forster's gave up and dove for a fish while the Least continued floating around. There were 3 Forster's Terns in the area and later, while playing near the 6th I observed the Least on another pond!

Colby Neuman (4 Jun 2007) - I went on a hike up Neff's Canyon (Salt Lake Co.) on Saturday afternoon for a couple hours. We hiked up towards the north chute on Mt. Olympus where a Winter Wren was singing both on the way up and down the canyon.

May 2007

Tim Avery (14 May 2007) - Birded along the lakefront today... Lee Kay Ponds 8:15 - 8:45am...1 - Common Tern (Alternate plumage with a ton of black in the primaries)

Apr 2007

Tim Avery (16 Apr 2007) - Of note also were numerous Greater Scaup at 3 different locations. In all I counted 59!!!! Greater Scaup between Lee Kay Ponds, The Willard Spur and Bear River NWR. 27 of the birds were at Lee Kay, and outnumbered the Lesser Scaup 3 to 1.

Kris Purdy (12 Apr 2007) - This morning, a Horned Grebe was swimming at Little Dell Reservoir in Salt Lake County in the small inlet on the west side adjacent to mm 2 of SR-65. The bird had gained most of its spring gold-striped football helmet head plumage, but the body still looked positively wintry. A smattering of common waterfowl and a Lesser Yellowlegs picking delicately along the grebe's shoreline rounded out the bird life there.

Joel Beyer (1 Apr 2007) - We've seen Eurasian Collared Doves in many places around the state, but didn't see our first in SL County until the first of this year. So I was quite surprised just now to see one at our bird feeders here in Sugarhouse.

Feb 2007

Pomera Fronce (1 Feb 2007) - The...Varied Thrush, is still hanging around the Kennecott Nature Center along the JRP. Steve Carr and I observed her this morning.

Jan 2007

Pomera Fronce (28 Jan 2007) - Roberta, Jack and I walked along the Jordan River Parkway trail at 12600 South today. We saw lots of nice birds with the most unexpected being a Mountain Bluebird. We also got to study a Northern Shrike from a very short distance.

Pomera Fronce (22 Jan 2007) - Roberta Wherritt found a female Varied Thrush along the Jordan River Parkway south of the 4800 South trailhead on Monday around 1:30 p.m. She and I relocated the bird in the same area at 3:30. If you walk straight out from the Kennecott Nature Center, you will see the beginning of a wooden fence. There is an opening there where you can see across the river. The bird was working the bank on the far side of the river. She stayed low the entire time we watched her and in typical fashion would come to the water's edge and then scurry back under the overhanging tree branches.

Kristin Purdy (20 Jan 2007) - Tim Avery just called (11:30 am, Saturday) with a report of great gulls at Lee Kay Ponds in Salt Lake County. Tim and Dave Slager have only been gulling there for about 20 minutes and already they've seen the Western Gull, two Glaucous Gulls, one first-winter Glaucous-winged Gull, one apparent first-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull and a NELSON'S GULL (Glaucous x Herring). In addition, Tim and Dave visited the Ben Hame house on the Alta Bypass Road this morning and saw approximately 180 Gray-crowned and Black Rosy-finches. Both Hepburn's and Interior races of Gray-crowned were present with Hepburn's in the majority.

Joel and Kathy Beyer (14 Jan 2007) - Both the Western Gull and the second winter Glaucous Gull were seen on the main pond late this morning (11:30-noon) at Lee Kay Ponds.

Joel and Kathy Beyer (6 Jan 2007) - An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was found at Lee Kay Ponds this morning by Steve and Cindy Summerfield. We also observed the bird. It was seen at the west end of the main pond. A second winter Glaucous Gull was on the westernmost pond. The "thaylandic" gull was also on the west pond, and was flying around quite a bit, giving us nice views of the wings and tail. There seemed to be too much of a brown tail band for an Iceland Gull, so the four of us non-experts think it's probably a Thayer's Gull (a very light one). The Western Gull was not seen.

Lu Giddings (2 Jan 2007) - Dennis Shirley and I arrived at LeeKay ponds at about 11:40 a.m. and stayed until about 3:30 p.m. The Western Gull was spotted by Dennis almost at once in the company of a small group of gulls (75-100 birds) near the east end of the west pond, near the small finger of land that pokes out into the pond from the south bank. The bird stuck around until 1:29 p.m., five minutes before Bryan Shirley arrived. While we were watching it and waiting for Bryan, Dennis spotted a Glaucous Gull, also in this same small flock of gulls, which stuck around, sleeping on the ice and preening, until around 3:30 p.m.

Dec 2006

Tim Avery (31 Dec 2006) - I headed out to do a survey in northwestern Salt Lake County on private property... A flyover Cackling Goose with a flock of Canada Geese was the highlight of the morning:

Tim Avery (29 Dec 2006) - Alright to spare myself angry emails later I will post this right now as a precautionary measure. This afternoon while sharing my pictures of what was a presumed pale 1st winter Thayer's Gull photographed at Lee Kay on the 27th, several expert "gullers" believed the images depicted a Kumlien's Gull. ......... The ID frontiers list has been lighting up with responses to the pictures I have posted. Many viewers believe this bird is inside the normal range for a Kumlien's type Iceland Gull (not currently on the Utah list). However, others insist that it is within the range for Thayer's Gull. And yet other insist that this is likely an integrade and who knows??? For anyone out looking for the Western Gull this weekend, keep your eyes peeled for this very light gull. It basically looks like a tiny 1st winter Glaucous Gull, but with an all dark bill. If you have a camera try to get pictures of the tail and any open wing shots in flight would be nice. I will hopefully make it out in the afternoon. Comments and pictures of this gull can be viewed here:

Colby Neuman (28 Dec 2006) - Tim Avery just called me to say that Jack Binch and himself have refound the probable Western Gull on the west pond of Lee Kay Ponds. I'm headed down there now. So far, the few west coasters that have responded have been in favor of the bird likely being a 'pure' (I say that because we will never really know) Western Gull.

Tim Avery (27 Dec 2006) - Thanks to Glenn Barlow for posting the sighting of the possible Western Gull at Lee Kay Ponds this afternoon. Colby and I found the bird and spent some time photographing and studying it before Larene Wyss, Glenn Barlow, and Pomera Fronce arrived to view the bird. At around 4:15 pm the bird headed N-NW over the dump with 1,000's of other gulls to roost for the night. We suspect it will likely return tomorrow as this is where the gulls tend to congregate during the day.

Bob Huntington (25 Dec 2006) - Yesterday (Sat.) I was sitting in my kitchen drinking my first cup of coffee (not fully awake yet). I was watching the birds at my feeders when I noticed a pretty white-crowned sparrow. After the second cup of coffee ( awake now ) I looked closer at the sparrow. Sure enough it was a White-throated Sparrow.

David Wheeler (16 Dec 2006) - Today during the SLC CBC Larene Wyss, Doug Stark, and I found three Winter Wrens in City Creek Canyon. The first was just a few hundred feet up from the gate, the second was just below the Elbow Turn picnic area, and the third way up above the water plant up in a conifer below Area 20 (or was it 22?--oops). The road is plowed to the Rotary Club monument. We think there may have been a Pygmy owl getting mobbed by chickadees near the plant, but didn't get a good enough look to be sure.

pdggray (6 Dec 2006) - A group from GSL Audubon were surprised and thrilled to see a female Long-tailed Duck on Mountain Dell Reservoir this morning. Most of the reservoir was frozen so it was pretty quiet but at the very west end there was some open water. This is where we found the Long-tailed Duck along with Ring-necked Ducks, Common Goldeneye, American Wigeon and Bufflehead.

Nov 2006

Edson Leite (14 Nov 2006) - Today around 4pm there was a Cackling Goose in sugar house park west of the pond.

Oct 2006

Tim Avery (25 Oct 2006) - ...I decided to make a run out to Saltair/South Shore Marina... The grebe situation was interesting. I originally saw 3 Horned Grebes from] inside my vehicle, but after getting out I could see 6 birds just off the north breakwall. Likely a migrating group.

Jack Binch (24 Oct 2006) - Bob Huntington just called me to report a Red-necked Grebe at Little Dell Reservoir. To get there, take I-80 up Parley's Canyon to exit 134. Go 1.9 miles from the exit to the small turn off. Bob says it is marked no parking but everyone does. The grebe was by the dam and requires a spotting scope.

Sep 2006

Jack Binch (24 Sep 2006) - Bob Huntington and I went searching for the Broad-winged again...We went to the Jupiter Peak area and climbed the hill on the northeast side of the parking lot. It is a very steep hill although not to long. We got to the peak about 9:30 AM and saw our first hawk at 10:15. Yes it was a Broad-winged Hawk....Next we saw a kestrel, then a Coopers Hawk, Sharp-shinned, then we had a ten foot walk by from a Ruffed Grouse. Next was another Broad-winged. This one was over the county line into Salt Lake County for Bob's list. Then another Coopers, Kestrel, Sharpie, four Sharpies, a dark falcon that we both think was a Peregrine, our third and last Broad-winged at 12:00...

Bob Huntington (15 Sep 2006) - This morning about 10:30 I spotted a Chestnut-sided Warbler on jorden river parkway north of 5400 south. There is a steel foot bridge no. of 5400 so. Go across to the west side between the river and a small pond. It was feeding with a large flock of yellow-rumps.

Dave Slager - I found a first-fall Magnolia Warbler this morning (Saturday, 9/9/06) in Salt Lake County. I saw the bird at about 9:30am at Parley's Natural Area. To get here, take I-80 East (only) to the 2300 E exit, and after leaving the freeway take a left immediately on 2760 South. Just after Tanner's Park on the left there is a cul-de-sac on the left where the trail to the natural area begins. Stay on the wide trail going down the hill. Turn left before the foot bridge over the creek, and you'll be on another wide gravel trail. The bird was working along the creek, between the foot bridge and the electrical substation, with a mixed flock of chickadees, a Warbling Vireo, and a Plumbeous Vireo. Good luck!

Pomera Fronce (9 Sep 20006) - Anne and I located a Northern Waterthrush along the Jordan River Parkway this morning. From the parking lot just north of 5400 South, cross the river to the west and walk north along the dirt path that parallels the river. You will see a long skinny pond on the west side of the path. The bird was favoring the north end of the pond.

Dave Slager (2 Sep 2006) - I found a Blackpoll Warbler this morning in Salt Lake County. The location is along the west bank of the Jordan River north of the 5400 S bridge. From the foot bridge on the north side of 5400 S, walk the gravel trail along the west bank of the river. I saw the bird along the river near the large brush pile at 7:15am. I wasn't able to relocate it during the next 2 hours.

Aug 2006

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.

Jul 2006

Joel and Kathy Beyer (23 Jul 2006) - Today at Brighton we saw a female Varied Thrush. The location was about 1/2 mile up the Snake Creek Pass trail, just beyond where the ski lift crosses the trail, in the swampy area to the left (at the largest of the small ponds). It was first seen flying less than 10 feet away, and then viewed for about 15 seconds sitting on a branch before it flew to cover. All the field marks (orange eyebrow, orange throat, orange and grayish-black wing pattern, gray chest band) were well seen. Varied Thrush is often seen in fall through spring but I didn't remember any summer reports, and a check of the sightings on Utah Birds lists only two others (both in June). We looked for but did not refind the thrush on the way back down the trail. Also, this seems to be a good year for woodpeckers in the Brighton area. We saw at least 5 Three-toed Woodpeckers and 12 Williamson's Sapsuckers today. We saw lots of Red Crossbills as well, but no White-winged (drat!).

Bob Huntington (21 Jul 2006) - Today I read Kristin's email about the crossbills in Little cottonwood canyon. I went up about noon to see what I could find. I hiked the upper trail around the cliffs. I spotted one male White-winged Crossbill and watched it for about 2 minutes. When it flew it went down towards the camp grounds.

Kris Purdy (20 Jul 2006) - Here's another recent report of White-winged Crossbills from the DWR bird sightings hotline; this one in Salt Lake County: 7/15 — David and Ingra Mccoy reported observing a male and female White-winged Crossbill in Albion Basin on a side trail that starts not far from the trail head to Secret Lake.

Colby Neuman (8 Jul 2006) - A couple of friends and I went for a run up to Dog Lake from the end of the Millcreek Canyon road today. I heard at least two Winter Wrens singing along the way. The first bird was heard singing on the coniferous hillside (the beginning of the trail) immediately to the south of the highest parking lot. The second bird was much higher in elevation near where there is a 4-way junction (I think with the Big Water Trail).

Mike Johnson (7 Jul 2006) - Tom Brennan and I saw a pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers at Lake Solitude on Friday morning around 10 a.m. Both the male and female were flying to and from the nest, actively feeding their nestlings. The nest is in the biggest dead tree on the south side of the lake, a little less than halfway up the tree on the tree's northwest side. They frequently flew across the lake and down somewhere along the ski run, then returned to the nest. We were able to get excellent looks from a distance.

Carol Davis (6 Jul 2006) - For years I've had the Common Grackles coming to my yard to bathe and feed occasionally. I knew they had nests in the neighborhood but this year I didn't know if any actually stayed to nest. This week, however, I have been having some young large birds come to the birdbath that I suspected were young common grackles, but they lacked the bright eye color and beautiful body colors. Well, yesterday it was confirmed they are indeed juvenile common grackles because one of the parents was with them.

Jun 2006

Pomera Fronce (26 Jun 2006) - When's the last time you saw six species of woodpeckers in three hours. It happened to the GSLA group this morning on our field trip to Brighton and Redman. There were some other interesting birds as well. Here's our list:... Northern Goshawk... Williamson's Sapsucker... American Three-toed Woodpecker... Pine Grosbeak...

Pomera Fronce (16 Jun 2006) - My memory is not good on the initial sighting of the Hooded Oriole in the avenues. I believe Mark Stackhouse found him in 2003. Unbelievably, the bird is still there. I watched him for about thirty minutes today around 1:00.

Pomera Fronce (5 Jun 2006) - At noon on Sunday, Jack Clark and I found a pair of Three-toed Woodpeckers at Redman in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Apr 2006

Pomera Fronce (30 Apr 2006) - Have I mentioned how much I like the Jordan River Parkway south of 12600 South :). It continues to produce excellent birds!...On our way back to the parking lot, Steve picked out a bird in the bushes which turned out to be a Black-throated Sparrow. This was a beautiful fresh spring bird and we got excellent looks. This was an exciting find as I have never seen this bird outside of Washington County. Our last good bird before we left this area was a Great Egret which was coursing along the river. ...The last bird we added to our list today was the Band-tailed Pigeon in Holladay.

Colby Neuman (23 Apr 2006) - Tim Avery and I went to the mitigation area south of 126th S along the Jordan River today and we were not disappointed. Highlights were a Baird's Sandpiper, the continuing male Blue-winged Teal, continuing or a new Solitary Sandpiper, and a Western Kingbird in the sagebrush patch just north of the ponds (possibly the first in the county this year?).

Pomera Fronce (20 Apr 2006) - The Jordan River Parkway going south from 12600 South produced some wonderful birds today. The new mitigation site about 1.5 miles south from the parking lot is really bringing in some good birds...Blue-winged Teal...Solitary Sandpiper...The Harris's Sparrow I reported on March 29th is still hanging around the same area.

Joel and Kathy Beyer (16 Apr 2006) - Yesterday evening we checked out Lee Kay Ponds (SL Co.) and saw a Horned Grebe in breeding plumage. It was with Eared Grebes in the westernmost pond. A single Bonaparte's Gull was also here, along with many swallows...

Glenn Barlow (5 Apr 2006) - Thanks to an escorted tour by Pomera, my friends from CT and I were able to get great views of both the Gray-crowned and Black Rosy-finches at Alta. We parked in the cul-de-sac near Susan Thomas’ place, then walked around the corner and immediately saw a...Rosy-finch at a feeder on the railing of a house across the street from the Thomas’ house. We saw several more go out of sight underneath the feeder.

Colby Neuman (3 Apr 2006) - I spent the day ski touring from White Pine Drainage to Hogum Fork of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County... Along the way, I heard a Northern Pygmy-Owl around noon in Maybird Gulch (at ~8500ft)...

Mar 2006

Pomera Fronce (29 Mar 2006) - Roberta and I birded the 12600 South segment of the Jordan River Parkway today...Easily the prize bird of the day was a Harris's Sparrow with a Say's Phoebe running a close second.

Pomera Fronce (24 Mar 2006) - After looking for many months, I finally located a Winter Wren at Mountain Dell. Walk the paved road toward Washington Park, take the fork to the right that goes down by the stream, and walk upstream about 50 yards. The bird was in the general vicinity of the bridge with the big red rock on it.

Mark Stackhouse (17 Mar 2006) - So my son and I were leaving the house yesterday afternoon when I heard the shrill cries of Cedar Waxwings overhead. Looking up, I saw about a dozen Cedars, but no Bohemians, in the maple tree above us... Today there were about twice as many waxwings, with at least two Bohemians amongst the Cedars...

Jack Binch (4 Mar 2006) - Bob Huntington just called me to report both Gray-crowned and Black Rosy-finches in Alta at the Thomas House.

Feb 2006

Sylvia Gray (12 Feb 2006) - Bohemian Waxwings seem to be everywhere right now but for those who live in the Salt Lake City area there are some close to home. Bill and I saw a flock of around 50 in Mountain Dell Recreation Area near Washington Park Picnic Area this afternoon.

Jan 2006

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.

Dec 2005

Susan Prescott (29 Dec 2005) - I had a Varied Thrush in my backyard, which is in the foothills on the east side of Salt Lake City near the mouth of Emigration Canyon. My husband and I watched and photographed the bird for about 15 minutes before it flew away.

Kristin Purdy (28 Dec 2005) - Pennsylvania visitor Win Shafer persistently watched the feeders at the house named Ben Hame on the Alta Bypass road above Alta in Little Cottonwood Canyon/Salt Lake County this past week, and was rewarded with sightings of Black Rosy-finches. Win said a flock visited the feeders repeatedly and there may have been other species of rosy-finches present.

Barbara Watkins (22 Dec 2005) - A first winter Harris Sparrow was in a small flock of White-crowned Sparrows at 700 North Desoto Street in the Salt Lake City avenues area on Saturday, December 17th. This is the last house on the street and there is a field on the north side. The sparrow was in shrubs on the fenceline of house and field.

Pomera Fronce (19 Dec 2005) - A Harris's Sparrow visited our backyard feeders today for about ten minutes. He was in loose company with a very small flock of White-crowned Sparrows. This is the second time this beautiful bird has graced us with his presence since we moved to Holladay.

Tim Avery (17 Dec 2005) - This morning at 7:20 am I spotted a lone Cackling Goose with around 500 Canada Geese at Decker Lake. At 8:30 I returned with Jim Rafferty who also was able to see the bird...We also saw a female Hooded Merganser, and a pair or Cinnamon Teal near the Oxbow on the Jordan River.

Pomera Fronce (14 Dec 2005) - Jack Clark and I thought we saw a Winter Wren last Sunday in City Creek Canyon, but could never get a clean look at the bird. We went back today to check it out and the looks we got left no doubt...Sunday we saw the bird above area 5 by the red bridge. Today it was working the stream just above area 4. Beautiful little bird!

Tim Avery (13 Dec 2005) - Yet again the Barrow's Goldeneye are back along the Jordan River for the winter. I just took a quick stop at around 2300 south and saw 1 male Barrow's Goldeneye, 1 male Common Merganser, 1 male Lesser Scaup, several Common Goldeneye, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, and several 100 Canada Goose.

Nov 2005

Deedee O'brien (29 Nov 2005) - I was shocked Sunday afternoon when a Band-tailed Pigeon showed up at my feeder in Holladay! Hadn't seen any since Nov 6th, so had assumed all had migrated. He's still coming around each day.

Tim Avery (25 Nov 2005) - I took a quick trip out to Lee Kay Ponds and Saltair this morning. At Lee Kay I noted one adult and one 1st winter Thayer's Gull on the main pond out from the gazebo. There were also around 25 Herring Gull, 100~ Ring-billed Gull, and probably around 5,000 California Gull. I scanned as much as my eyes could take but couldn't pick anything else out.

Tim Avery (1 Nov 2005) - This morning I headed out to Saltair to see if there were any signs of bird life... A big fat negative...However, on the way out along SR-201 just past the 5600 West exit to Lee Kay Ponds was a light juvenile Broad-winged Hawk. This seems like a rather late migrant, okay a VERY LATE MIGRANT, but several have been seen over the last 2 weeks still coming through Wyoming so... The bird was perched right along the highway on top of a large silver box, literally just past the on-ramp to SR-201 westbound from 5600 West. A silver lining to a birdless day... I watched the bird for about 5 minutes, before continuing on my way.

Oct 2005

Terry Sadler (16 Oct 2005) - I had a White-winged Dove visit my backyard feeder this afternoon, October 16. My home is in Murray near the Jordan River at appox, 50th So. and 9th West. I was able to get a photo...

Tim Avery (4 Oct 2005) - This afternoon I birded Lee Kay ponds where there were at least 3 Common Tern circling over the first pond to the east. shorebirds were practically non existent, seeing just 1 Greater Yellowlegs. Another good bird was an early adult Herring Gull in the main pond with the 1,000's of California Gulls.

Sep 2005

Joel and Kathy (25 Sep 2005) - About noon today we saw a juvenile Broad-winged Hawk from the ridge between Guardsman Pass and Jupiter Peak (top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake Co.) It circled several times before heading southeast. Also seen flying over the ridge were Goshawk, Osprey, Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcon, SS and Cooper's Hawks, RT Hawks, Swainson's Hawk, Kestrels and Turkey Vultures. Other notable birds seen in the area were 2 Blue Grouse, a male Three-toed Woodpecker, and a Vesper Sparrow(!).

Aug 2005

Jack Binch (28 Aug 2005) - Bob Huntington and I were at it again this morning...and we got the Green Heron at the Jordan River Parkway just north of the Oxbow Jail. Must be the easiest target bird of the year. We took Steve Sommerfeld's advice and went upstream. It was maybe a couple of hundred yards to the curve that overlooks the river and five minutes there and along flies an adult Green Heron (7:25 AM).

Jun 2005

Joel and Kathy (21 June 2005) - Sunday...while heading back south through Salt Lake we saw a Least Tern at the ponds around 2100 South and I-15. Caspian and Forster's Terns were also there.

Jim Bailey (20 June 2005) - Judy & I had dinner...this evening at the Silver Fork Lodge up Big Cottonwood Canyon. We dined out on the deck at the southeast corner table. All of the feeders were well stocked... Also on hand was a male Evening Grosbeak. The grosbeak only showed up 3 times over the course of a couple of hours, so you may have to invest in a meal to see him.

Mar 2005

Deedee O'Brien (19 Mar 2005) - Band-tailed Pigeon in Holladay... This single pigeon was in our trees when I went out to feed the birds around 7:15a.m. He finally came into feeder, as well as getting a drink from the bird bath, then hung around for about an hour...

Mark Stackhouse (10 Mar 2005) - Yesterday I went out for a day of birding with a birder from near Galveston, Texas. ...Some of the highlights were: Both Black and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches at Alta...

Tim Avery (10 Mar 2005) - There were at least 2 Great-tailed Grackles at Lee Kay Ponds this afternoon...

Feb 2005

Pomera Fronce (25 Feb 2005) - ...I was out strolling in the sun and came upon a little flock of White-crowned Sparrows right along the side of a road in my neighborhood....I was able to tell that there was a different bird in the bunch. I went home, got my eyes and came back to find a beautiful Harris's Sparrow. The bird was in the general area of the Cottonwood Mall in Salt Lake City and was observed between 4:00 and 5:00...

Jan 2005

Deedee O'Brien (24 Jan 2005) - Around 10:30 this morning 3 Evening Grosbeaks were eating Russian Olives by the path heading north from the parking lot in the "duck pond park" behind the Senior Center accessed from Murray-Hollady Rd (4800 S between Highland Dr. and 13th E). This is the 2nd time I've seen them in the park in a week. Came home to find a new yard bird. 5 Red Crossbills were feeding on the cones at the top of the tallest pine in the backyard!! Both males and females.

Joel and Kathy Beyer (23 Jan 2005) - At the feeders on the Alta bypass road in Big Cottonwood Canyon we saw about 25 Gray-crowned and 4 Black Rosy Finches this morning (11 a.m.)

Jack Binch (17 Jan 2005) - ...We then went to Alta at the upper bridge on the bypass road and found Pine Siskins, Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Clark's Nutcrackers, Steller's Jays, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches, and one Black Rosy-Finch (a lifer for me). (11:30 AM)

Tim Avery (10 Jan 2005) - At Lee Kay ponds...was...two large flocks of mostly California Gulls on the main pond directly out from the gazebo. There were a number of Ring-billed Gulls mixed in, and I picked 2 Thayer's Gulls out of the group...

Dave Hanscom (4 Jan 2005) - I stopped by the [Salt Lake] cemetery yesterday to get a start on my 2005 list and was very surprised to see a flock of Red Crossbills in the tops of some evergreen trees feasting on cones. I didn't realize they hung out down here in town. They were moving around quite a bit, but I saw them at about 950 E. 400 N.

skalicky - This morning (Sunday, 1/2/05) I observed two Winter Wrens in City Creek Canyon. One bird was observed about 200 meters above area #5 on the north side of road. This is a large seep nearby. The second bird was about 200 meters further up and near the creek itself. There are three recently felled cottonwood trees in this area. Also observed were a large number of Brown Creepers (~15) and Golden-crowned Kinglets (~20).

Dec 2004

Jim Rafferty (26 Dec 2004) - Today at about 3pm my wife and I saw a pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves along the Jordan River Parkway. They were on the east side of the river perched above a platform feeder that was placed on the fence at the back of a house at about 1200 North.

Lu Giddings (16 Dec 2004) - ...a flock of about 30 rosy finches was seen at 11:30 a.m. at Alta. The birds were observed at the first house north of the bridge on the upper end of the Alta By-Pass road, i.e., in the usual place just west of the Powder Ridge development. The flock was mostly Black Rosy-Finches with a few Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches; they were extremely skittish, which, combined with the amount of cover at the site, made it impossible to be specific as to numbers of each.

Pomera Fronce (9 Dec 2004) - I saw a flock of about 15 Red Crossbills at the Salt Lake City Cemetery today in the general area of Central Avenue (940 East) and Grand Avenue (270 North).

Pomera Fronce (1 Dec 2004) - Participants in the monthly GSLA survey located a female Long-tailed Duck this morning on Mountain Dell Reservoir.

Nov 2004

Pomera Fronce (28 Nov 2004) - Nine days ago, a Blue Jay visited our yard [in Holladay]. Yesterday, he (or another one) came again. ...

Sylvia Gray (27 Nov 2004) - At about 11:30 this morning I saw 2 Red Crossbills in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. They were at approx. 1050 East and 10th Avenue...

Tim Avery (24 Nov 2004) - ...I started off by hitting Decker Lake where there were 2 Snow Geese and 3 Cackling Geese, in the near 1000 Canada Goose Flock...

Pomera Fronce (18 Nov 2004) - A Blue Jay showed up in my yard this morning. What a beauty! He worked for about 30 minutes depleting the peanut supply and I haven't seen him since. All three Blue Jay sightings in Salt Lake County this year (that I am aware of) have been roughly on the same east street - 2100 to 2300. The south streets have been 6000, 4800 and 3000. Interesting - maybe it means something and maybe it doesn't.

Mark Stackhouse (10 Nov 2004) - I have two White-throated Sparrows (one tan-striped and one white-striped) at my feeder in front of my house right now (noon Wed.). The feeders can can be seen easily from the street. 1432 East Downington Ave. (1810 South) Salt Lake City.

Pomera Fronce (3 Nov 2004) - Participants in the monthly GSLA survey located a Surf Scoter this morning. The bird was on Mountain Dell Reservoir which flanks the golf course and can best be viewed by driving to the north edge of the reservoir on Utah 65 and looking west onto the water.

(2 Nov 2004) - Jules Dreyfous reports that he has an eastern Blue Jay coming to his feeder in Holladay. His phone number is 277-2311 if you want more information.

Oct 2004

Kathleen Robins (27 Oct 2004) - A Blue Jay was seen and heard at about 2:30 p.m. on Friday October 22nd in the Millcreek area in Salt Lake. It was calling from the top of a large green ash tree then flew toward the north west. The sighting was on 3020 South and 2225 East.

Tim Avery (22 Oct 2004) - This morning while driving by Sugarhouse Park in Salt Lake I noticed a large flock of geese on the water. I decided to take a look and found that there were at least 4 Cackling Geese in the flock. There may have been more but all I had was my camera and no binoculars. Sugarhouse Park is located between I-80 and 2100 south and between 1700 east and 1300 east... at Liberty I managed to locate one Cackler with a flock of Canada on the south end of the big pond. This has made the 7th Cackling Goose I have seen this week in Salt Lake County. So when you see a flock of Canada Geese it is quite worth it to check and see if there are any Cackling Geese, especially now with waterfowl migration in full swing.

Tim Avery (19 Oct 2004) - Along the North Jetty of Salt Air Marina I managed to pick out a juvenile Surf Scoter about 200 yards north of the mouth where the Marina meets the Lake. The bird was mixed in with a flock of several hundred Eared Grebe, a dozen or so Lesser Scaup and Common Goldeneye...At Warm Spring I was excited to see 2 Cackling Geese. My first for the county. At Warm Springs there were maybe 3-4 dozen Canada Geese, along with the 2 individual Cackling. There was also one Lesser Yellowlegs present, and a few Northern Shoverlers.

Carol Davis (17 Oct 2004) - ...about 11:00 am I glanced out at the birdbath on my deck and there was a female Evening Grosbeak taking a drink.... At 3:00 pm it returned to take another drink...

Aug 2004

Colby Neuman (9 Aug 2004) - ...Tim Avery and I did some birding around Salt Lake County on Saturday... Highlights included... White-winged Crossbill - several mixed in with a flock of Red Crossbills at the start of the Silver Lake trail.

Jul 2004

Mike Johnson (27 July 2004) - This morning Tom Brennan and I observed 4 White-Winged Crossbills on the trail to Cecret Lake from Albion Basin. They were together working the cones along with about 3 dozen Red Crossbills in the vicinity. This was the area of the trail just before you start heading up the steep rocky part just before the lake.

Kristin Purdy (23 July 2004) - Brian Currie and I birded Brighton yesterday... We saw a yellow-green female White-winged Crossbill about 100 feet from the Silver Lake Visitor Center parking lot. We were standing on the paved road that angles off to the right and leads to private homes. The crossbill perched on a small dead snag and gave us good looks at the strong white wing markings...

Tim Avery (14 July 2004) - Colby Neuman and I went to the Jordan River Parkway in search of Green Heron for the second time this summer, and were delighted to see not just one, but as many as 5 different birds flying. It is hard to say, but with so many birds being seen there is a good chance that there are several breeding, or already have bred pairs in the immediate area. At one point 3 individuals could be heard calling on the canal that runs out of the river west towards Decker Lake. These birds were in the area described by Jack Holley along the Oxbow Trail...

Jack Holley (6 July 2004) - I believe that the Green Herons have a nest in the marshy area north of the WVC Cultural Center. This morning once again I saw one fly up from the first large cottonwood trees on the west side of the river north of the center...

Joel and Kathy Beyer (5 July 2004) - We spent today birding the Brighton area, from Silver Lake to Lake Solitude to Twin Lakes to Lake Mary and back to Silver Lake. We found a singing Winter Wren in the summer cabin area accessible from the Silver Lake parking lot. It was at the bottom end of the paved road at the gate, in the wet bushy area to the right (north?). It was singing quite lustily at 7:30 in the morning, but a late afternoon attempt at relocating the bird was unsuccessful. Other notable sightings included 2 pairs of Williamson's Sapsuckers (both feeding young at their respective nest holes), a pair of vigilant Northern Goshawks with at least two nearly full grown nestlings, a Three-toed Woodpecker, and a very large mixed flock of Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches (no White-winged Crossbills, darn it!), and many Pine Grosbeaks.

Jack Holley (3 July 2004) - This past month I have seen a Green Heron along the [Jordan] river, but I have only seen if flying over, never anywhere that I could tell you were to look. Yesterday I saw two flying over. Both came from just north of the cultural center of West Valley City, you get there from 3100 South and Redwood Road. Go east on 3100 South to the end of the road. There is suppose to be a large wetland area there. One flew north and I saw it at the bend of the river just south of where I started my tour last May, and the other flew over 3300 South by the pond, and it was flying south.

Jun 2004

Trish Wlodarczyk (24 June 2004) - Yesterday morning... I looked in the backyard and saw a Very Large Hawk.... This was my first sight of a Harris's Hawk... I have not seen them in our area before. ( Draper- 119th South, 800 West) I did take several pictures...

Carol Davis (17 June 2004) - After cutting my lawn today in Taylorsville...I saw a bird drop over the fence and into my blue spruce...it was a White-throated Sparrow...

Colby Neuman (7 June 2004) - While running up to the Salt Lake Overlook (Desolation Trail) in Millcreek Canyon this evening, I heard a Winter Wren singing in a ravine about a half a mile down from the overlook. This is approximately 1.5 miles from the trailhead.

May 2004

Jerry Liguori (18 May 2004) - There was a male Bobolink at Glendale Golf Course this morning at about 9:00 a.m. Glendale Golf Course is located at 1560 West 2100 South in Salt Lake.

Apr 2004

Bruce Robinson (20 April 2004) - ...I thought I'd stop by Lee Kay Ponds ...Anyway, it's back!!! The Least Tern was preening about 50 feet west of the gazebo. I could see the white "headlight" without even using my binoculars!!! Of course I also viewed it for several minutes with the binoculars!!!

Robert & Marilyn Parsons (16 April 2004) - [Lee Kay Ponds] Two Great Egrets still there. Were at pond by West Gate. Also a small group of Common Grackle....

Lu Giddings (4 April 2004) - A Horned Grebe was observed at 7:30 a.m. yesterday at Lee Kay ponds. It was swimming in the pond immediately south of the portion of the dump in which yard waste and mulching are taking place.

Pomera (1 April 2004) - The Lee Kay Ponds were teeming with activity this morning! ...Firsts of the year for me were Franklin's Gull, Cinnamon Teal, Snowy Egret and Great Egret. ...The egrets were best viewed by parking near the picnic table just east of the gazebo and looking south and east across the ponds.

Mar 2004

Colby Neuman (25 March 2004) - Here's a quick list of birds present at the Lee Kay Ponds today... Snow Goose - 16... Greater Scaup - 1 male ...Bonaparte's Gull - 1 alternate & 3 basic plumage birds

Feb 2004

Ed (23 Feb 2004) - Today when taking my dogs for a hike up Mill Creek Canyon (SLC) around 430pm I found Northern Pygmy Owl perched on a tree by the road. Light and the bird were not very cooperative for pictures.

Jack Holley - Yesterday, Feb. 20, I saw the Ross's Goose with a flock of Canada Geese on Decker Lake. It would fly with the Canada Geese from one area of the lake to another. When I saw it last it was grazing with them on the northeast corner of the lake. It was an adult.

John Morgan (18 Feb 2004) - I took 3 photos today of a Eurasian Collared Dove who's been showing up nearly every day for the past few days at my feeders. He hangs out with all the Mourning Doves that sit around in the trees and on a neighbor's garden trellis thing. I'm right through the fence from Mountain View Golf Course's hole #13 (three houses north of 90th S at 2240 W in West Jordan.

Jack Holley (12 Feb 2004) - This morning I was walking along the Jordan River around 9 am behind the farms on the west side of the river between the Decker Canal and 2320 South Docking Park. When several large flocks of Canada Geese flew overhead coming from the south (Around Parley's Creek Outlet Area). ... I found a single Snow and Ross's Goose in among them. They were flying close together so I could compare the two. Also along the trail by the canal to the west of the river I saw two Hermit Thrush in the Russian Olive trees.

Joel Beyer (9 Feb 2004) - Kathy and I looked for the Winter Wren in City Creek Canyon late this afternoon. We didn't find the one previously reported at picnic area 6. However, at picnic area 3, thanks to a couple of noisy Golden-crowned Kinglets, who enticed me to wade through twenty feet of deep snow over to the stream, we got great looks at a Winter Wren along the stream bank.

Jan 2004

KC Childs (29 Jan 2004) - Yesterday I went up to Alta to see what I could see. I did see 6 Black Rosy Finches at the upper end of Bypass Road. Alton Thygerson saw them later that day as well. There are some first winters and adults mixed in. They were beautiful to look at the differences. That jet black on the adults against that pink color is beautiful...

Jack Holley (15 Jan 2004) - This morning while walking along the Jordan River by the Parley's Creek Outlet Area, I saw a immature Snow Goose with the Canada Geese in the river. Between the Parley's Creek Outlet and the Decker Canal Outlet, I saw a number of species of Ducks including, Mallards, Common and Barrow's Goldeneyes, more Buffleheads than I ever seen there before, Lesser and possiable a pair of Greater Scaups, There heads were not as rounded as the Lesser Scaups, and one Ruddy Duck. At the Madison Park, I saw a Northern Pintail with the Mallards, Also along the trail by the river I saw a Hermit Thrush, American Pipit, at least three Northern Harriers, and one Merlin flew over.

Bruce Robinson (15 Jan 2004) - This morning (1/15) at 9 AM (in amongst the gazillion Mallards and hybrids) in the Jordan River was a male Wood Duck. This was at 6600 So. (Winchester Park) and just north of the parking lot.

Ed (9 Jan 2004) - I went to Lee Kay ponds this afternoon to see what I could find out there. Lots of Ring-billed and Californias, a hand full of Herrings and one adult Thayer's Gull flew in just before I left at 430. ...At the Jordan River Parkways around 2400 S. in SLC the birds that were reported earlier are still there. The White Pelican is just south of the little canal that comes in from the west.

Tim Avery (8 Jan 2004) - Spent the Afternoon Birdin the Jordan River between 2100 south and 3300 South. A lot of waterfowl. 13 species of duck, including over 20 Male Barrow's Goldeneye about a 1/2 south of the 2400 south parking lot. Also interesting was a single American White Pelican at about 2800 south on the river. it was with 1000's of dabbling ducks and divers, but didn't fly when I approached to take a picture.

Jack (4 Jan 2004) - On my way home I also stopped by the Jordan River Parkway at 2400 So. to get a Barrow's Goldeneye for my puny new list. There are quite a few there.

Dec 2003

Julie - (28 Dec 2003) - Pomera and I went to Alta for the umpteenth time to search for Black Rosy-Finch and finally found one. There was a small flock of about 6 in the trees by the feeder of the first house on the by-pass road (entering from the top). It was definitely dark blackish, not the rich brown of the grays.

Ed (12 Dec 2003) - The Winter Wren is back at City Creek SLC. I found it about 100ft up from picnic area 6 around 510PM.

Nov 2003

Carol Gwynn (29 Nov 2003) - The Greater White-Fronted Geese were still at Lee Kay Ponds at about 2 p.m. today, Saturday....

Jack Holley (27 Nov 2003) - This morning 0800, Thanksgiving, I went to Decker Lake to check for the Greater White-fronted Geese. I found them on the southwest part of the lake with Canada Geese, not with the Graylags that were by the Reed Island. You would have a hard time seeing them from the north road. I park along the road to the detention center and walk in. I also saw the Spotted Sandpiper, and it looked in bad shape.

Bob Huntington (25 Nov 2003) - Today about noon I was walking the Jordan River Parkway between 4800 So. & 5400 So. About midway there is a steel bridge across the river. about 200 yards to the south there is a bench. The bird [White-throated Sparrow] was just above the bench in a tree. The last I saw it flew to the east. That is a very big area to find one bird. Good luck!!!

(25 Nov 2003) - KC Childs saw 2 Greater White-fronted Geese at Decker Lake today. They were by the reeds with Canada Geese. There was also a W/C Grebe and a Spotted Sandpiper there. He couldn't find the Ross's Goose.

Susan and Jeffrey Saffle (23 Nov 2003) - Needing to stay close to home today, we birded within Salt Lake City. At Liberty Park, we are happy to report that the Pygmy Nuthatches have returned (if they ever left). Also seen: chickadees, ruby-crowned kinglets, brown creeper, killdeer.

Bruce Robinson (8 Nov 2003) - I was finally able to get out this morning and chase the Ross's Goose that Jack Holley reported at Decker Lake and the Great Egret at Lee Kay Ponds, Both birds are still there, the goose where Jack reported it just east of the island, and the egret is now in the main pond, on an island just east of the gazebo.

Jack Holley (6 Nov 2003) - This morning I again went to Decker Lake and saw the Ross's Goose there. It was in the south field feeding on the grass with Canada Geese. I then went to Lee-Kay Ponds and saw a Great Egret in the far eastern pond. The first one that you pass. It was setting on a small island in the pond. I also saw a Peregrine Falcon on the first power tower on the north side of 1300 South.

Jack Holley (5 Nov 2003) - This morning, November 5 at 1000 am I saw a Ross's Goose with a large flock of Canada Geese on Decker Lake just east of the island. It was a adult. Last year in November a immature was seen on the lake. I wonder if it made it's way back.

Carol Davis (2 Nov 2003) - ...at Decker lake in Salt Lake valley there was a great blue heron and
a group of Greater White-fronted Geese.

Sep 2003

Tuula Rose - Target birding on Saturday (9.27.03, 9:20 am) by eight Utah County Birders produced a lifer for seven of us... We drove up to Brighton, parked on the loop road next to the church and found a group of White-Winged Crossbills in the tops of the tall spruces in about five minutes or as long as it took to point the scopes up there. Almost too easy. Thanks go to those who reported seeing them up at Brighton.

Alton Thygerson (18 Sept 20003) - After seeing Tony Jones' report and the reports from others before his, I went looking for the White-winged Crossbill today at Silver Lake/Brighton. I had two sightings. The first sighting was west of the Silver Lake boardwalk, past the bridge, in the top of the spruce trees, and with several Red Crossbills. I got a better look later while parked near a bed & breakfast place with a large "for sale" sign on the north part of the Brighton Ski Resort loop road. The bird was seen south in a tree top after which it flew off in a southeast direction...

Tony Jones (6 Sept 2003) - Today at about 10:30-12:30, Bob Bradley and I went to Brighton to look at the Crossbills again. Bob went Friday morning also. He saw a White-winged Crossbill along with another Red Crossbill. We started the trail at the boardwalk at Brighton. We did see a number of Red Crossbills. I saw for about 5-10 seconds a bird with white wing bars. I am always a bit skeptical due to the variants that are shown in all the books regarding Red Crossbills with white wing bars. The bird I saw had wing bars. The first bar being pretty distinct. Given the other sightings from others in the recent past, I believe there is a white-winged Crossbill at the site. We could not relocate it after it flew. We saw a juvenile Goshawk too.

Deedee and Dick O'Brien (5 Sept 2003) - ...retuned in mid-August to find the Band-tailed Pigeons were no longer reliably coming into the yard. But now 8 or so of them put in appearances every afternoon. No guarantees, of course, about exact timing but between noon and 4:30 seems good. The larger numbers most often come around 2:00 or 3:00 o'clock, and sometimes just hang out. [in Holladay]

Aug 2003

Joel and Kathy Beyer (28 Aug 2003) - This past weekend the Northern Goshawks at Brighton were being very vocal. Two young have fledged, a male and a female (size difference is obvious). They were calling continuously for mom and dad on Sunday afternoon, flying back and forth throughout the nest area, with the male usually following after the female. We twice spotted an adult (probably the female) above Twin Lakes, the second time chasing and attacking a Red-tailed Hawk.
Other interesting birds in the Brighton/Lake Solitude/Twin Lakes area were Three-toed Woodpecker, numerous Red Crossbills, a couple of Townsend's Warblers, an invasion of Red-breasted Nuthatches (and one White-breasted) and a pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks practicing their aerobatics by chasing Clark's Nutcrackers through the trees.

Colby Neuman (12 Aug 2003) ... Millcreek Canyon - Salt Lake County. The pygmy-owl imitation worked wonders with dozens of the usual birds coming in each time...notable sightings include: Downy Woodpecker - 2 (a little on the high side). Cordilleran Flycatcher - 1 still singing. Red Crossbill - lots of small groups flying over White-winged Crossbill - 2 seen on the Great Western Trail past the junction of the Dog Lake and Great Western Trails.

July 2003

Jack Holley - ( 22 July 2003) I saw the Green Heron this morning around 7:30, but it was along the river by the Parley's Creek Outlet area...I also went to Lee-Kay Ponds this morning and saw a Common Tern at the same place that the Least Tern was seen.

Paul Kirby - (18 July 2003) I was lucky enough to find the/a Green Heron exactly where it was supposed to be along the canal running into the Jordan River this afternoon about 5:00. Another lifer for me thanks to Jack and Mark's directions that they posted. It was on the north side of the canal, higher up in a tree than I was expecting. It was very striped on the neck and chest, not an adult. Neat bird.

Mark Stackhouse- (17 July 2003) Jack Holley just called me (his computer is down) about a pair of Green Herons he's been seeing along Decker Lake Canal near where it empties into the Jordan River. He thinks they might be nesting nearby, as he's seen them in the same area on four of the last six days, including today and yesterday. He's seen them at various times during the day.

Alton Thygerson - July 17, 2003 This morning at about 8:15 a.m., the previously reported Northern Goshawk showed up at Silver Lake (near Brighton).

J & K Beyer - (13 July 2003) We hiked today from Silver Lake to Twin Lakes, via the Lake Solitude trail. Saw 44 species, including Three-toed Woodpecker, Red-naped and Williamson's Sapsucker, Red Crossbill, Rufous Hummingbird, and Pine Grosbeak. The bird of the day was a male Northern Goshawk. He flew past us carrying a squirrel(?) in his talons, and disappeared into a copse of trees...

J & K Beyer - July 13 - Flammulated and Northern Pygmy Owl, about a mile up Desolation
Trail in Millcreek Canyon

Jack Holley - ( 8 July 2003) This morning I saw the Green Heron along the Jordan River again. This morning around 7am, I saw it at what I call Decker Creek, it is the canal that goes from Decker Lake to the river. ...It was setting on one of the overhanging silver leaf popular trees that are gowning in a large patch there. ...I also went to Decker Lake and spotted around 40 Least Sandpipers.

June 2003

Jack Holley - (18 June 2003) Yesterday I went birding along the Jordan River ... when a Green Heron flew up from the tall grass along the river bank. It was a adult and flew north along the river... To get to where it is you can go on! 3300 South (Salt Lake Co.) to 1100 West. Turn north and follow it to the Oxbow Trailhead by the Oxbow Jail. Walk over the footbridge and along the asphalt trail to where you can see Parley's Creek Outlet. You can see a dirt trail going off to the west.

May 2003

Leena Rogers - (17 May 2003) ...we stopped at the Lee Kay Ponds and met up with Dennis Shirley and Merrill Webb. Saw the Least Terns (2) on the far west ponds as well as a pair of Black Terns flying over the ponds directly south of the gazebo. It was a wonderful day of birding!

Carol - (17 May 2003) Least Terns were still at the Lee Kay Ponds this morning, Sat. May 17, at about 8:30 a.m. I was on one, and Bob MacDougall found another. ...Thanks, Bruce, for reporting!

Bruce Robinson - (15 May 2003) During lunch today, I watched a Least Tern for about 20 minutes, starting at 12:20 PM. It was unmistakable with a yellow bill, white "headlight", and was noticeably smaller than the myriads of Forster's Terns that were nearby. ... It was at west entrance to the main part of Lee Kay Ponds, near the locked gate.

Ed Conrad - (8 May 2003) Today I saw an Ovenbird in the same park that I saw the Eastern Phoebe yesterday. It was along the Jordan River close to where 800 South crosses the Jordan River. The Ovenbird was 40 or so feet away making my dinky camera useless. I watched it for three minutes before it lost me in the vegetation. I didn't relocate the Eastern Phoebe.

Ed Conrad - (7 May 2003) Today at 4:00 p.m. I saw an Eastern Phoebe along the Jordan River Parkway at 840 South. To get there take 840 South (Genese Ave.) from 900 West and follow it to the end of the road. I first saw the Eastern Phoebe in a russian olive just north of a bridge that crosses the river, but it was flycatching from some willows too. It was dipping its tail and it didn't have an eye ring or wingbar. I last saw the Eastern Phoebe in that same russian olive, but couldn't relocate it after 8 or so minutes of observing it.

Apr 2003

Mark Stackhouse - ... Second, and I thought equally surprising, was an adult male Hooded Oriole which we saw in the upper Avenues area of Salt Lake City at about 11:30 am yesterday, April 29. The bird was calling and moving around in the upper parts of several large trees in the yards of homes on both the north and south sides of 18th Avenue just west of the junction with Terrace Hills Dr. I can't recall any other Salt Lake County records for this species.

Sparky Stensaas-the Minnesota kid - (Sunday April 20, Mill Creek Canyon) 1 Northern Pygmy Owl (singing from 5pm til I left at 7:30pm) 1 mile up Desolation Trail (could hear him singing from low down but finally got at eye-level with him one mile up or so where the junipers start). He was in the tip-tops of two firs).

Jack Holley - (Wed, 16 Apr 2003) This morning while birding along the Jordan River behind the Power Sub-station, a Osprey soared over the river heading north. It was about 3100 South in Salt Lake City and around 8am...

Mar 2003

Dana Green - (Sat, 1 Mar 2003) I saw a Winter Wren just above picnic area 4 in City Creek Canyon about 1pm today. It is about the last place you can see the stream from the road as you come down toward picnic area 4. It was on an uprooted stump where the stream twists and narrows and starts a mini waterfall.

Feb 2003

Dennis Shirley - (17 Feb 2003) Monday turned up some good winter birds in Salt Lake and Utah counties. These were: Pygmy Nuthatch - NE corner of Liberty Park on and around EMT building; Pine Grosbeak - Big Cottonwood Canyon, 2/3s way around the Brighton Loop, at the feeders at the Das Alpen Haus cabin Gray-crowned Rosy Finch - Susan Thomas's feeders in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Alta...

Pomera Fronce - (Mon, 17 Feb 2003) Anne Halley and I saw a female Williamson's Sapsucker at the Salt Lake City Cemetery today. She was working the trees which are north and just a bit east of the big dumpster (roughly 940 East and 415 North). Her yellow belly was striking!

Jan 2003

Pomera Fronce - (Mon, 27 Jan 2003) If anyone is looking for Bushtits, there are some in Rose Canyon. I found a
flock of them at about 15500 South on Rose Canyon Road where the Juniper trees are quite dense...

Pomera Fronce - (Fri, 24 Jan 2003) Today I birded the Mehraban Wetlands in Draper. There were three pair of Wood
Ducks on the southern most pond. I saw several other species including a Belted Kingfisher and a Spotted Towhee. On 11800 South and approximately 4400 West was a Merlin perched on a telephone pole on the north side of the street.

Pomera Fronce - (Thu, 23 Jan 2003) Before linking up with Julie, I birded the Salt Lake City Cemetery. I was in
the general area of 980 East and 445 North. The birds were very active around 1:00 and I saw 15 species in about 30 minutes. There were a few Townsend's Solitaires and lots of Red-breasted Nuthatches. There were many Flickers and
Downy Woodpeckers and one Red-naped Sapsucker. Bob Bradley was out birding on his lunch hour and told me he saw a White-breasted Nuthatch.

Pomera Fronce - (Mon, 20 Jan 2003) For the second time in three weeks, I saw a Prairie Falcon in the desert area west of Riverton/South Jordan. Today, he was perched on a telephone pole on 11800 South about a quarter of a mile east of where the road Ts at U-111. ...

KC Childs - (Sat, 18 Jan 2003) ... Next we were off to Saltair in Salt Lake County. Right at the gift shop at Saltair was the Say's Phoebe. He was doing some flycatching and looking good. We searched the Gulls and only saw Herring and California Gulls here.

Pomera M. Fronce - (Sat, 18 Jan 2003) Today I saw four Barrow's Goldeneyes mixed in with about fifty Common
Goldeneyes on the Jordan River Parkway. ... There was a nice assortment of other kinds of ducks - Buffleheads, Gadwalls, Shovelers, etc.

Jack Holley - (Wed, 08 Jan 2003) This morning right after the fog lifted I saw a Lincoln's Sparrow along the Jordan River.

Bryan Shirley - (Thu, 2 Jan 2003) This morning after searching through every horned lark and pipit on the causeway I finally found the flock of snow buntings. ... There also was a Long-tailed Duck on the north side of the road between mile 2 & 3. I never saw the least sandpipers that were reported yesterday, but there was a flock of almost 30 Sanderlings near milepost 2.

Joel Beyer - (Wed, 1 Jan 2003) This afternoon, we saw 13 (Yes, 13!) Snow Buntings along the south side of the Antelope Island Causeway between mile markers 1 and 2. They were with a group of American Pipits and Horned Larks. ...