May 2008
Colby Neuman (26 May 2008) - Jeff Bilsky and I headed out to some of the migrant traps of the west desert from Saturday through Monday. ...Highlights from the weekend included - 5/24/08 - ... Private Ranch (north of Wendover) South Trees... 1 Gray Catbird - 1 Northern Waterthrush... 5/25/08 - Private Ranch South Trees - 1 American Redstart - 2nd year male...
Candy (15 May 2008) - I had a male Common Grackle visit the yard feeders this afternoon. I had one who visited 2 years ago in May and stayed for a couple weeks. I wonder if it is the same bloke.
May 2007
Candy (20 May 2007) - A single White-winged Dove joined a group of 5 Mourning Doves and 3 Eurasian Collared Doves this evening. This is the 2nd time I've seen one on Dugway, and this time it stayed around long enough for some decent pictures. Just never know who is going to show up for dinner...
Jan 2007
Nate and Stephen Nye (1 Jan 2007) - My Dad and I went out to Tooele this afternoon to look for the Northern Shrike... We eventually found the Northern Shrike in the area reported by James McKay yesterday. We searched all up and down Mormon Trail Rd. in the area it had been seen, but with no luck. We were about to head home when we decided to head up a dirt road to the east off of Mormon Trail Road for one last shot. Sure enough, it flew up and landed on top of a juniper not far off the track... The turnoff for this dirt road T's off at about 0.2 miles south of mile marker 9 (which is almost exactly 6.5 miles north of Meadow Ln.)...
Dec 2006
Tim Avery (30 Dec 2006) - This morning while helping out on the Tooele CBC I had some interesting sightings. ...a Northern Shrike... and the other prize of the morning, a Snow Bunting...The bunting was with a flock of about 80 Horned Larks and was initially seen flying....
Oct 2006
Candy Zaffis (27 Oct 2006) - A beautiful male Varied Thrush was hopping around in the front yard [Dugway] this afternoon. I wonder if it's the same guy as last year. Last year's Varied showed up on Oct 9th and visited on/off until the middle of January. If it's the same Thrush, he's a few weeks late this year. The usual yard birds are here: House finches, pine siskens, brown creepers, killdeer, flickers, downy's, a daily flock of about 15 Eurasian Collared-Doves, a couple hermit thrushes (3 were exploring the Jeep this morning -- odd), ravens, starlings and house sparrows galore (unfortunately), mourning doves and one Band-tailed Pigeon.
Candy Zaffis (24 Oct 2006) - When I got home from work at 6pm, I had a single White-throated Sparrow visit my back yard feeder [Dugway] . It was the tan-stripped morph. It stayed on the ground for about 5 minutes affording a good view, and a couple photos, before it flew away when a couple deer walked by.
Sep 2006
Candy (at Dugway) (22 Sep 2006) - I had to share another lifer today... my first Winter Wren arrived in the front yard. It was poking around the tires of my Jeep, while I watched it for 10 minutes. This bird is also NOT listed on the Dugway Bird checklist.
Joel and Kathy Beyer (4 Sep 2006) - Late this afternoon we found a female Indigo Bunting at Clover Springs Campground (Tooele Co.), in the bushes at the springs.
Aug 2006
Tuula Rose (28 Aug 20006) - Eric Huish just called me ( Monday, Aug 28, 1:00 PM) to report that earlier this morning around 10:00 AM he stopped at Clover Springs Campground in Tooele County on the way to Dugway. He saw a first winter Chestnut-sided Warbler and a Northern Waterthrush in the campground, right by the springs and later down farther by the parking lot...
Candy Zaffis (18 Aug 2006) - I also had a new yard bird this morning [Dugway] -- one White-winged Dove. It was casually eating with the mourning doves and Eurasian Collared-Doves. Hopefully it'll be back for a photo-op.
Jun 2006
Joel Beyer (11 Jun 2006) - Kathy and I found a Least Tern this afternoon at J.W.Fitzgerald WMA (a.k.a. Faust Reservoir) on Hwy 36 in Tooele Co. It's small size was really accentuated by the Caspian Tern that was flying nearby. Also seen in Tooele Co...We saw a Eurasian Collared Dove in Grantsville, on West Street, 1/2 block south of the cemetery. Several Greater Scaup were on Clover Reservoir (near the junction of Hwys 138 & 199 at Rush Valley).
May 2006
Candy Zaffis (5 May 2006) - Since the Grackle isn't listed on the Dugway birdlist, I thought I should mention that I had a Common Grackle visit at least twice today. It came along with a huge flock of cowbirds. Have only seen the one so far.
Mar 2006
Glenn B. Barlow (25 Mar 2006) - On Thursday, March 23rd, Merrill Webb and I attempted a Bid Day in Tooele County, with a goal of seeing at least 60 species....At Walter Fitzgerald we were greeted by many water fowl, including Bufflehead, but no Ruddy Duck. Below the dike we found a lone American Tree Sparrow...At the Vernon Reservoir we were surprised to find a wintering Bonaparte’s Gull! What a pleasant surprise.
Oct 2005
Candy Zaffis (9 Oct 2005) - I was watching ... the front yard [Dugway Proving Grounds] ...this morning at 10:30am, when this larger bird landed ...It was a Varied Thrush -- the first one I've ever seen. What a beautiful adult male specimen. He stayed for about 15 minutes allowing me to get a wonderful look at him. This has been a week for Thrushes, because I've had a little Hermit Thrush in the yard catching moths for at least a week. ...Utah is turning out to be an interesting place to live - for a birder.
Sep 2005
Steve Carr (23 Sep 2005) - There is a good sized, shallow pond about 3/4 mile south of the intersection of highways 36 and 199. There are 2 adult Sabine's Gulls in non-breeding plumage flying back and forth over the pond, and settling down on the water from time to time. You can't miss them because they are the only gulls in the area. Also seen were 3 Solitary Sandpipers at the south edge, 2 Dowitchers, 3 Wilson's Snipes, numerous Western and Baird's Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs, Osprey and a herd of Antelope...
Jack Binch (23 Sep 2005) - I was sitting in my car watching the field ...and noticed a Turkey Vulture flying toward me low across the field on the north. It crossed the road and then hovered like a kestrel. Wait a minute that is not a vulture. It now had my attention and I followed it with the binoculars. It dove on a hawk sitting on a fence post and out came the bright yellow legs. YES, a Zone-tailed Hawk. My first one ever and #300 for the year. It was 11:00 am and by the green field a mile or so west of the intersection of 36 & 199. When you find the dead skunk by the side of the road you are there.
Nov 2003
KC Childs (29 Nov 2003) - Eric Huish and I ran out to do some birding in Tooele County today. At Stansbury Park there was a Ross's and Snow Goose hanging out near the Tennis courts and Golf Club House. They were on the grass near the lake. They were with a good sized flock of Canada Geese. There was also a Great Horned Owl in Faust.
Sep 2003
Carol Gwynn (9 Sept 2003) - ...the Reddish Egret again. Glen and Donna Thorum and Carol Gwynn made the trek out to J.W. Fitzgerald WMA in Tooele County this afternoon to see this bird. It was still there, and the Great Egret was also back.
Eric Huish (8 Sept 2003) - There was a Northern Waterthrush at Clover Springs under the first fallen tree down from the spring. There was lots of bird activity around the spring and many sparrows and warblers in the field of rabbit brush bellow the camping area. The Reddish Egret is still at JWFWMA.
Jack Binch (5 Sept 2003) - I have regretted not going to Gunlock Res. for the past month. Thanks to Milton and Merrill, I don't have to any more. The Reddish Egret was still at J. W. Firzgerald WMA this morning at 8:00.
Eric Huish (4 Sept 2003) - KC, Alton and I ran out to Tooele County this morning. The Reddish Egret is still at James Walter Fitzgerald WMA with a Great Egret. We could not relocate the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Milton Moody (3 Sept 2003) - Merrill Webb and I were going to Harker Canyon
in Tooele County today and decided to stop by at James Walter Fitzgerald WMA to
see what was there. We saw a juvenile Reddish Egret (amazingly enough),
very similar to the one at Gunlock Reservoir. (Is that one still there? We're
pretty sure it's a different individual). There were also Red-necked Phalaropes
and Baird's and Western Sandpiper, and a bunch of pelicans.
We then went to Harker Canyon (south of Vernon in the Sheeprock Mountains), and,
(amazingly enough) we saw a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. We got some good
looks at it but couldn't get any photos despite a pretty good effort
Apr 2003
KC Childs - (Thu, 17 Apr 2003) I spent the day birding Tooele County today. My first stop at James W. Fitzgerald was amazing. ... There was a Horned Grebe also Red Breasted Mergansers, Canvasbacks and winter ducks like Goldeneye and Bufflehead still hanging around. There were Willets, Black Necked Stilts, Avocets and Greater Yellowlegs there as well. I saw my first Lark Sparrows of the year in Skull Valley. At Rush Lake there was Marbled Godwits and a Cattle Egret out in the lake. There was a Swainsons Hawk in Erda.
Mar 2003
Reed Stone - (Fri, 14 Mar 2003) Yesterday about 11:30 Kay and I were at Clover Springs, west of Rush Valley and were privileged to watch a Juniper Titmouse harass and monitor a Northern Pigmy Owl. The Owl was perched about 15 feet over our heads and we watched the "show" for about 8 minutes...
Jan 2003
KC Childs - (Sat, 18 Jan 2003) ... We then drove into the town of Vernon in hopes of seeing Great Horned Owls. We got a really good look of a Great Horned Owl sitting out in a conifer across from LDS church in Vernon. ... We then went up to Clover Springs. Here we saw two Juniper Titmice, Townsend Solitaires, and a Winter Wren on the west end of the campground. ...
August 2002
Jack Binch - (Sat, 3 Aug 2002) I found a hot spot near Stockton today. Got there at about 10:00 and there were birds everywhere in an old field. Many western kingbirds, many Lark Sparrows, chipping sparrows, several sparrows that I could not identify. A blue-gray gnatchatcher, a small flycatcher (gray?), sage thrasher, lazuli buntings, and finally a Black-throated gray Warbler (many)
July 2002
KC Childs - (Sun, 28 Jul 2002) The Utah County Birders headed out to Eastern Tooele County for our field trip..... The best bird of the day was a Great Egret. This was seen on the south end of the James Walter Fitzgerald WMA near the town of Faust ....
March 2002
KC Childs - (Thu, 28 Mar 2002) I know that this owl is supposedly common, but it is only my second sighting of one, so I am going to post it. The Great Horned Owl was at the Mormon Church in Vernon. It was in what looked to be a Ponderosa Pine on the Southeast side of the parking lot. He was sitting in the large nest. It is the only pine with a nest in it. Also saw plenty of Red Breasted Mergansers, and Eared Grebes at James Walter Fitzgerald WMA.
January 2002
Joel & Kathy Beyer - (Sunday, Jan. 20) Further afield, a Northern Pygmy-Owl was seen in Ophir Canyon, and a Ferruginous Hawk south of Stockton.
November 2001
Another MERLIN was seen at the corner of Bryan Road (4400 North) and SR 36, north of Tooele, on Saturday, 11/10 (KC,EH).
February 2001
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was spotted along SR36 on Saturday, 2/10 (C&JF). The bird was seen just south of Rush Lake.
At Stansbury Park, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was sighted near the pond on Sunday, 2/4 (BR).
August 2000
Many sandpipers were seen on the mudflats along the south side of I-80 just east of Wendover, UT on Sunday, 08/06 (JHu,HL,MS). Among the birds seen were SEMIPALMATED, WESTERN, LEAST, BAIRD'S and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. The best mudflats were near mile marker 4 and between mile markers 7 and 8.
June 2000
A ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK in reported to be visiting a feeder at Dugway over the past several weeks (TP,JR).
March 2000
At Faust, the old Pony Express station site north of Vernon, a FERRUGINOUS HAWK was seen on Thursday, 03/02. On the same day, over 100 CANVASBACK, most of them males, were among many other duck species on the marshy pond which is along the west side of State Route 36 just south of the Clover junction (JVM).December 1999
Two male and one female HOODED MERGANSERS were seen at Stansbury Lake in Stansbury Park on Thursday, 12/23 (SG).
July 1999
Over 100 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS were seen at the south end of the Fairfield Sinks, about 3 miles southeast of the state park at Fairfield, on Saturday, 07/10. In the same area, over 70 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen along an approximately 7 mile stretch of road (PD).
June 1999
An possible LEAST TERN was reported from the pond on the south side of I-80, 2.9 miles west of the Tooele exit on Friday, 06/04. Another Least Tern was reported flying over the Timpe Springs WMA on the same day (AC).
January 1999
A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen at the mouth of Ophir Canyon south of Tooele on Sunday, 01/24 (RJA,KJ,VS).
An immature FERRUGINOUS HAWK was seen just north of Stockton on Saturday, 01/30 (DJ).