Recent Sightings in Summit County

Jan 2008

Jim Woolf (5 Jan 2008) - A White-winged Crossbill has been seen coming to feeders at a private residence in the Park City area but the owners do not wish to have any  visiting birders. It was first reported around Dec. 11 and was seen (and photographed) again on Jan. 4. It is hanging out with a flock of pine siskins.

Nov 2007

Jack Binch (17 Nov 2007) - I got a Bohemian Waxwing in my yard this week, so I went up on the Mirror Lake Highway to see how many were there. I saw a flock of about fifty at Co-op Creek and that is all. I drove up to Soapstone Basin and back several times but did not see anymore. There were a few Townsend's Solitaires along the way. I drove down to the Lower Provo River campground area and saw my first Ruffed Grouse of the year. I decided to see if there were any waxwings in Kamas, and started down. I saw a lump in a snag at about milepost 9.9 and knew if it was a bird it had to be a Northern Pygmy-Owl. Sure enough the little guy was in the top of the tree. (11:32 AM and cloudy) I went back to the car to get my other lens for a better photo and he left. I put some lime green tape around a road sign of a cow to mark the spot.

Oct 2007

Kathy and Joel (15 Oct 2007) - Late this afternoon we checked out Rockport and Echo Reservoirs in Summit County. Birds of interest were a Pectoral Sandpiper and a juvenile Herring Gull at Rockport, and a Greater White-fronted Goose and at least 20 Common Loons at Echo.

Sep 2007

Kathy and Joel (19 Sep 2007) - An immature Sabine's Gull was at Echo Reservoir (Summit Co.) this evening, in a group of several California and Ring-billed Gulls. Also at the reservoir were a couple of Franklin's Gulls, a Forster's Tern, 7Sandhill Cranes, 2 Marbled Godwits, and 2 Common Loons.

Aug 2007

Craig Fosdick (16 Aug 2007) - I just completed a 3½ day camping trip to Mirror Lake and the Uintas.... On 8/15, I watched a female Three-toed Woodpecker foraging on what I think was a huge Lodgepole Pine (I was much more interested in the bird than the tree) at TRIAL LAKE CG, about 50-m east of campsite 55.

Jul 2007

Kris Purdy (22 Jul 2007) - Yesterday afternoon between 3 and 6 pm a noisy bunch of Three-toed  Woodpeckers kept me busy chasing them around Crystal Lake in Summit County along SR-150. I saw between six and eight woodpeckers and may have seen more because I didn't count an adult male and female twice even though I saw adult birds several times. I believe there were two different family groups.

Dana Green (11 Jul 2007) - Yesterday evening when driving into Ogden to visit kids, I saw a Scissortail Flycatcher perched on a sign between t;he I-84 cutout and the sign for Henifer and Eden. Sorry, I can't be more specific but it took me awhile to realize I wasn't in Texas anymore. Arnie wouldn't go back for a scissortail. It was on a small rectangular green sign.

Jun 2007

Colby Neuman (18 Jun 2007) -  Don Youso (from FL) and I went up the Mirror Lake highway early this morning in search of Black Rosy-Finch and White-winged Crossbill. ...walked to the east along the south slope of Bald Mountain. While scanning the remaining snow patches for rosy-finch, I heard a Black Rosy-Finch in the distance, and after awhile, we had two Black Rosy-Finch fly right over heads before they circled around to the south and out of sight. We decided to head back to the car after scanning the slope for about 30 more minutes with no success besides two birds foraging on a very distant snowpatch. While walking back up to the pass with crossbills flying all around us, we stumbled upon two immature White-winged Crossbills perched on a branch 20 ft away at eye level. They sat quite obligingly for several minutes.

Jack Binch (16 Jun 2007) - The White-winged Crossbill is still at the Kennedy Group Campground at Washington Lake. It was in the trees at the end of the road around the circle. Thanks to the Beyers, Bob Huntington and I found it this morning at about 9:30 AM. Another birder walked up with us and also saw the bird, but I cannot remember his name. It was a Utah life bird for me. :-)

Joel and Kathy (11 Jun 2007) - On Sunday afternoon we did some hiking and driving along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway (Hwy 150, mostly Summit Co.). At the Washington Lake group campground we saw a female White-winged Crossbill and a couple of Red Crossbills. Also in this campground was a pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers, making repeated visits to an aspen covered in sap wells. Earlier on Sunday morning we found a female Varied Thrush along Highway 65 (Summit Co.). Coming from Henefer, drive south along Hwy 65 about 5(?) miles to the large drive-through pullout (which is about a mile past the last house/ranch buildings). There are a large number of tall cottonwood trees and dense vegetation here, and the small stream crosses under the road.

May 2007

Weston Smith (14 May 2007) - I live in Croydon, Ut(Morgan county) about 200 yards from Summit county and had two Eurasian Collared-Doves in my back yard last week, they flew towards Henefer.  So there are Eurasian Collared Doves in Summit county at least in Henefer.

Jan 2006

Dave Hanscom (27 Jan 2006) - For those of you who enjoy cross country skiing or snowshoeing, there's a  Three-toed Woodpecker hanging out by the Beaver Creek Trail up on the Mirror Lake Highway. He's about a half mile above the second parking area (the one near the small barn that's visible from the highway). The bird was pecking at a pine tree on the south side of the trail.

Nov 2005

Kristin Purdy (22 Nov 2005) - I saw an adult Greater White-fronted Goose...at...Echo Reservoir in Summit County this afternoon around 12:30. The goose was sticking with a bunch of Canada Geese at the inlet end of the water. The Canadas and the GWFG swam south from deeper water and eventually climbed out onto mudflats. The GWFG's irregular black marks on the belly and the bright orange legs were nicely obvious when the bird was standing on ice or on the mud...Other birds at Echo this afternoon included a couple Common Loons, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Western Grebes and a pair of female Hooded Mergansers swimming south from the dam.

Jul 2005

Jack Binch (1 Jul 2005) - Bob Huntington and I tried Mirror Lake again. ...At the group area at Washington Lake we found three Pine Grosbeaks, and at the overflow parking lot we found a male Williamson's Sapsucker. The gate was closed, but I think it is about to open.

Mar 2005

Pomera M. Fronce (7 Mar 2005) - ...Rockport Reservoir produced many beautiful Common Mergansers and Mountain Bluebirds and a Barrow's Goldeneye...

Jan 2005

Tuula Rose - Saturday morning (Jan 22, 9am) UC birders on a field trip saw a White-throated Sparrow in Francis, Summit Co. When approaching Francis from the west on SR-32, just below the hill, turn right on Lower River Road. It meanders following the Provo River past a few houses. Take the first road to the right, I think it was 1000 E. About a block or so there is a white house on the left with feeders in front of the windows. The sparrow was seen in the bushes left of the house by the fence in front, and later in the cottonwoods before you come to the house by the dog pen (two big white dogs).

Kristin Purdy (21 Jan 2005) - I saw four (FOUR!) Horned Grebes at Echo Reservoir in Summit County today...I came across about a dozen [Bohemian Waxwings] on the way home in the tiny town of Peoa, north of Oakley. Peoa is located on SR-32. The highway is actually the main street through town. The Bohemians were feeding in a heavily-laden crab apple tree in the front yard of a small white house numbered 5627, west side of the road...

Lu Giddings (7 Jan 2005) - About 35 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches were seen in trees at 235 W Lower River Road in Francis at about 1:15 this afternoon. No black rosy finches were observed. The house sits well up above the road. Several feeders could be seen in trees behind it...

Dec 2004

Deedee O'Brien (17 Dec 2004) - A large flock of Bohemian Waxwings is still in the Uinta/Kamas area. Lucky for us, they flew over our car as we headed home from hiking along the North Fork trail. They landed in a small group of trees near the highway, so got very good looks with my scope. This was just east of Upper Setting Rd and 8.4 miles east of the high school in Kamas at 2:10pm today Friday, Dec 17th. A long-looked for lifer!

Nov 2004

Dave Hanscom (25 Nov 2004) - ...Today I went to Kamas for the third time in search of the Bohemian Waxwings that have been reported over the past couple of weeks. And today I finally found them - feasting happily on crab apples next to the LDS Church (at the corner of 100 W. and Center St). As previously reported, there are at least a couple hundred of them in the flock. Pretty amazing sight!

(16 Nov 2004) - Merrill Webb found a flock of about 30 Bohemian Waxwings this morning (Tuesday) at about 10:00 AM in Kamas near the post office at 100 N. 100 West.  There are some Cedar Waxwings mixed in with them...

Joel and Kathy Beyer (14 Nov 2004) - This afternoon we checked out the section of the Mirror Lake Highway visited by Lu yesterday. ...during our three hours of exploration we observed several times a large (100+) flock of Bohemian Waxwings that was flying around the area, settling in the trees for less than a minute before taking to flight again. Smaller groups of Bohemians were also seen many times, probably breakaways from the main group. Some of the other birds seen were incredible numbers of Townsend's Solitaires, a Goshawk, Cooper's Hawk, Golden Eagle and White-breasted Nuthatches. All these birds were seen between mile markers 10 and 14.

Oct 2004

Kristin Purdy (31 Oct 2004) -...this afternoon. Three Surf Scoters swam at the south end of Rockport Lake. One scoter was an adult male in Beeee-YOU-teous breeding plumage, and the other two were juveniles. They were adjacent to the Pinery Day Use area and close enough to see daylight through the adult's nostril (not that I was looking up its nose or anything, but...) with a scope at 20x...

Dennis Shirley (18 Oct 2004) - ...On the way home I stopped at Echo Reservoir and found three more Surf Scoters... They were all immature birds...

Tim Gorman (11 Oct 2004) - I got three good looks this morning of an adult male Williamson's Sapsucker at mile 45.3 of the Mirror Lake Highway (UT 150)...

Sep 2004

Tim Gorman (10 Sept 2004) - Jim LaRue and myself spent 4 days this past Labor Day weekend up in the top of the Henry's Fork Drainage in the High Uintas Wilderness....Birds of the trip were: ...Northern Goshawk, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon ...Red-necked Phalarope ...Three-toed Woodpecker ...Black Rosy-Finch...

Jul 2004

Hal & Kathy Robins - On July 14th we were birding at 9,200 feet (expansive open meadow bordered by lodgepole pine) and
identified a Bendire’s Thrasher. It was 50 feet in front of us for about 10 minutes, criss-crossing a dirt road continuously catching insects (finally perching in a low bush and lodgepole pine). Obviously, it was out of its normal range and habitat. We ruled out the “very worn” adult Sage Thrasher as described in Sibley. The triangular spots of the Bendire’s Thrasher were obvious along with the slight down-curved bill....Mirror Lake Highway 150 (approximately 35 miles south of Evanston), to road 032 (Whitney Reservoir), proceed 2.4 miles to the Mill City Creek turnoff (road 109), proceed 1 ½ miles along this road. The road is passable by a 4-wheel drive or high clearance vehicle.

Jun 2004

Lu Giddings (3 June 2004) - At about 11:45 a.m. today Dennis Shirley and I observed two male White-winged Crossbills keeping company with a flock of about 20 red crossbills. The birds were observed in the basin between miles 28 and 29 on the Mirror Lake highway. We had very good looks at both birds in excellent light, especially on one occasion as they perched beside each other in the top of a nearby conifer. The white wing bars were obvious and clearly seen on each bird, and on more than one occasion.

Jan 2004

Sandy Mitchell (17 Jan 2004) - ...Last weekend I went skiing up the road to Henry's Fork campground. At "the narrows" we saw a White-tailed Ptarmigan about 15 feet off the road all by itself. (Wish I had had my camera!) At the campground we saw a pair of red cross-bills and, of course, gray jays...

Aug 2003

Tim Gorman (10 Sept 2003) - Just got back from my annual hike up the Henry's Fork to the King's Peak area in the Uinta Mountains in search of White-tailed Ptarmigan. 26 Ptarmigan were seen in three days. The flock looks as good as last year (23 were seen). Approximately half of the birds appeared to be young of the year. The birds are about 50% white.... Also a small flock of beautiful Townsend's Warblers were seen on the trail 3 1/2 miles from the Henry's Fork trailhead. Some other birds of note from the hike: Northern Goshawk, Semipalmated Plover, Three-toed Woodpecker, and Black Rosy-Finch

July 2003

Alton Thygerson - July 29, 2003  This morning at 6:15 a.m. three Gray Jays were seen at the entrance into the Lily Lake Campground on Highway 150 (Mirror Lake area). Following Dana Green's directions (thank you Dana), I walked into the campground (gate was closed because they are resurfacing the road), stood within 40 yards of the first restrooms/latrine on the left side of the road, did my imitation of a Pygmy Owl, and within a couple of minutes the jays came in.

June 2003

Lee Shirley - (12 June 2003) At 12:05 p.m. today while sitting in the car, reading, waiting for the rain to stop a Varied Thrush flew in front of the car and landed along the side of the road. This was on the Mirror Lake Highway between Lilly Lake and Lost Lake.

Jack - (7 June 2003) I took a drive up to Provo River Falls to see if the Williamson's Sapsuckers were there... but nothing. ...Went back to Washington Lake area and scared up a brown colored thrush. Sat on a log to see if it would come back. While waiting I saw numerous yellow-rumped warblers, breeding colored juncos with rufous crowns, cassin's finches, male and female pine grosbeaks and a female Williamson's Sapsucker.

September 2002

Kelley Holtman - (Thu, 26 Sep 2002) I have a male Blue Grouse in my backyard! This is a lifer for me; one that I have taken hikes looking for. I have taken a few photos and my husband is here to witness as well. He did a little display in the backyard fanning his tail, ruffling his feathers so we could see his reddish air sacs and walking around in a circle.

August 2002

Dick O'Brien - (Fri, 2 Aug 2002)  Enjoyed some good birding at the Beaver Creek Picnic area on the Mirror Lake Highway this Friday morning. Many Western Wood Pewees and Willow Flycatchers, plus an Olive-Sided Flycatcher. Also a pair of Belted Kingfishers, a House Wren, numerous Black-headed Grosbeaks, a Ruffled Grouse, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, and the usual Northern Flickers, Black-capped Chicadees, Juncos and Robins, plus a variety of sparrows that I always need my wife's experience to identify.

Letitia Lussier - (Thu, 1 Aug 2002)  While at home on Sunday, I noticed an unusual bird at a feeder which is outside
the kitchen window. When I got closer to try and figure out what it was, I was absolutely amazed. It was a 1st year Red Crossbill! I've never had this type of bird at a feeder before.

June 2002

Jack Binch - (Sat, 8 Jun 2002) The Williamson's Sapsuckers are back at the tree above the Provo river falls.

April 2001

Two female THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS were seen along the trail to Island Lake on Monday, 09/03 (LP). The Island Lake Trail starts at the Crystal Lake CG trailhead along the Mirror Lake Highway (SR 150).

April 2001

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW continues to visit a feeder near Summit Park. It was seen there on Monday, 04/02 (LL).

January 2001

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW continues to be seen at a feeder in the Timberline neighborhood near Summit Park with a recent report from Monday, 01/08 (LL).

December 2000

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen at a feeder in the Timberline neighborhood near Summit Park on Monday, 11/27 (LL).

November 2000

Two COMMON LOONS were seen on the last of the open water at Rockport Reservoir on Thursday, 11/23 (KM).

September 2000

Eight TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS were among a snowstorm-caused fallout of many warblers and other birds in a yard at Toll Canyon, just east of Summit Park, on Saturday, 09/23 (LL).

A TOWNSEND'S WARBLER was seen at Little Lyman Lake along the North Slope Road in the Uintas on Saturday, 09/02 (DW).

A POMARINE JAEGER was seen and photographed at Little Lyman Lake in the Uinta Mountains on Saturday, 08/26 (KF). The bird was an adult, light-phase individual, was very tame, and may have been feeding on numerous small, dead trout along the shore. Little Lyman Lake is located along the North Slope Road, about 15 miles east of SR 150. This is the second record of Pomarine Jaeger in Utah.

July 2000

A BLACK SWIFT was seen flying over the Provo River Falls area on Friday, 07/28 in the afternoon (MS,HW).

Two COMMON LOONS, one in breeding plumage, were seen near the dam at Echo Reservoir on Tuesday, 07/25 (DW).

A pair of WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS continues to nest along the Provo River, about 400 yards upstream from the Provo River Falls, as of Thursday, 07/06. A THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was also seen in the same area on that day
(FD,LO,BW).

A male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER was seen in the trees at the east end of the Butterfly Lake CG on Sunday, 07/09 (MS,m.obs.).

A COMMON LOON was also seen on Echo Reservoir on Tuesday, 06/27 (C&CP,MS). 

June 2000

Nesting WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS were found near the Provo River Falls on Saturday, 06/17 (JM). The nest is in a dead tree near the river's edge just upstream from the falls. Follow a trail along the river upstream until you pass three trees fallen across the river. The nest is near the third fallen tree. Please watch the nest from a distance, to avoid disturbing the birds. The Provo River Falls are located along SR 150 noretheast of Kamas.

May 2000

A LARK BUNTING was seen in the Snyderville Basin near Park City on Tuesday, 05/16 (LL). To get to where the bird was seen, take the north-side frontage road east from Kimball Junction until the pavement ends, and continue for about one mile further. Please respect private property in this area.

Spring arrivals in Summit County included BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRDS at Summit Park on Wednesday, 04/26 (LL), and at Hidden Cove (near Jeremy Ranch) on Friday, 04/28 (D&JP). LAZULI BUNTINGS were also reported from
Hidden Cove on Thursday, 04/27 (D&JP).

March 2000

Two OSPREY were seen near Echo Reservoir on Monday, 03/27. One was on the east shore of the reservoir, and the other was just south of Coalville. Three COMMON LOONS were also on the reservoir on that day (BW).

October 1999

On Monday, 10/25, a THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was seen at the Trail Lake Campground along the Mirror Lake Highway, and three PINE GROSBEAKS were seen at the Mirror Lake Campground (CGe,MSm).

July 1999

At the Lost Creek Campground, along the Mirror Lake Highway, a THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was seen on Thursday, 07/01 (AT), and again on Saturday, 07/03 (MS,DW). It was seen near campsites 6 and 7. Other birds in the campground were GRAY JAYS on 07/01 (AT), and a pair of PINE GROSBEAKS on 07/03 (MS,DW).

The pair of WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS nesting along the Mirror Lake Highway were seen again feeding young in the nest on Saturday, 07/03 (MS,DW). The nest is on the west side of the road 1/2 mile past the Provo River Falls viewpoint.

Four GRAY JAYS were seen at the trailhead parking area for the Highline Trail along the Mirror Lake Highway on Thursday, 07/15 (R&SC,MS).

At the Lost Creek Campground, also along the Mirror Lake Highway, three RED CROSSBILLS were seen at campsite number 6 on Thursday, 07/15 (R&SC,MS).

A pair of RED CROSBILLS was seen at campsite number 28 at the Mirror Lake Campground on Friday, 07/09 (JC,MS).

The pair of WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS nesting along the Mirror Lake Highway were seen again feeding young in the nest on Friday, 07/09 (JC,MS), and the female only was seen feeding young in the nest on Thursday, 07/15 (R&SC,MS). The nest is on the west side of the road 1/2 mile past the Provo River Falls viewpoint.

June 1999

The pair of WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS nesting along the Mirror Lake Highway were seen again at the nest on Thursday, 06/24 (RF,CG,MS). They are exactly 1/2 mile past the Provo River Falls viewpoint on the west side of the highway, about 25 yards from the road. There is a rough dirt road which leaves the highway at this point, and goes to an informal campsite. The nest tree is on the south edge of this campsite.