Sep 2008
Tim Avery (25 Sep 2008) - Yesterday I spent most of the day hiking and birding in the Center Creek area above Heber in Wasatch County. ...Near Bald Knoll a small group of American Three-toed Woodpeckers were making a racket. One male bird spent nearly 45 minutes tapping away on a dead snag, and could be heard from close to a mile away. Of interest several GRAY JAY were seen flying in the same area and calling. And interestingly there were large mixed flocks of songbirds, moving through the forest feeding together. The bulk of the composition was of Pine Siskin and Dark-eyed Junco, but Nuthatches, Chicakadees, Chipping Sparrow, Robins, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and jays were all in tow. PINE GROSBEAK, Red Crossbill, and Cassin's Finch were picked out among the masses.
Jun 2008
Bryant Olsen (25 Jun 2008) - I just got back from a trip to the family cabin in the Strawberry Valley were I found a colony of Purple Martins! They were in an Aspen grove about 7 miles south of the marina on the east side of the road. When I first saw them I thought " those are some very big Starlings" then it hit me what they where so I turned around and got some photos.
May 2008
Edson Leite (20 May 2008) - I figured that since most birds migrate during the night I still had a shot at the Yellow-billed Loon today. Beth and I once again arrived at Jordanelle Reservoir at 8pm. The wind was howling and the rain was starting to come down. We went to the marina because I didn't think we would have a lot of time to hike down. After scanning the NE part of the reservoir for about 15 mins. I spotted a loon near the NE shore it was working its way west. As soon as I got the scope on the bird it flew off. It flew right over us about 30ft above our heads. We had good looks at the bill. Then the bird headed East looked like it was going to land close to us in the water. But It turned north and gained a lot of altitude we lost sight of it going north over the mountains. That was around 8:20 p.m. Thanks to all for their postings and great directions.
Milt Moody (20 May 2008) - Kris Purdy just called to report that the Yellow-billed Loon is still being seen near the east shore of the Jordanelle Reservoir this morning (20 Mar around 10 AM). She said that there is a road near mile 6.1 on old highway 248 going toward Kamas that will get you fairly close to where you can see the bird, but that you'd have to walk a little ways to to the shore to be able to see it. Others that have seen the bird this morning are Pat Jividen, Alton Thygerson and several others in Kris's group.
Jack Binch (20 May 2008) - Lots of thanks here. Thanks to Marci Welch for finding a great bird [Yellow-billed Loon], even if by accident, thanks to Milt for getting out a quick post, and thanks to Pomera for telling me where to look. - I watched the bird for an hour after phoning Huntington to get up there. I was joined by Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld, Colby Neuman, and Bob Huntington. I talked to Dave Hanscom when leaving and he had seen it from the other shore. Ned Bixler also saw the bird. Neat to see one in breeding plumage.
Pomera (19 May 2008) - As of 3:30 today (Monday), the Yellow-billed Loon was still at Jordanelle Reservoir in the same general area as originally reported by Marci Welch. I walked down to the shoreline and saw the bird from the east side of the reservoir.
Milt Moody (19 May 2008) - Marci Welch sent in some pictures of a Yellow-billed Loon see saw at Jordanelle reservoir on Sunday (18 May).
Nov 2007
Kathleen Robins (5 Nov 2007) - Last week we decided to bird for a couple of days in the Uinta Basin. ...Our first stop was Strawberry Reservoir where we soon discovered the loons had arrived. They were scattered around the reservoir at several stops. Among the Common Loons that we had for comparison (size, neck pattern, head shape) was a tightly knit group of 3 Pacific Loons.
Oct 2007
Tim Avery (12 Oct 2007) - I headed up into the mountains south of Strawberry for one last time this year, hoping to finally tick off my nemesis for the year, Dusky Grouse… I spent most of Thursday. 10/11, hiking the forest between Center Canyon and French Hollow, hoping to scare one up, but after 6 miles the only grouse was a RUFFED GROUSE, that I initially heard drumming, or at least doing something similar...In the morning, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL flew past our car as we drove up the mountain towards Center Canyon. … At the top of Center Canyon just after sunrise, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET Owl was heard tooting just over a ridge. This is the same area I photographed one last month. Around 9:30am in French Hollow I came across a female American Three-toed Woodpecker, noisily in search of food. 2 more birds were heard nearby but not seen. And in the afternoon around 5:00pm as I was sitting on a ridge between Center Canyon and French Hollow a flock of about 24 junco's came along feeding... Luckily for me I heard a warbler chip, that sounded like a Myrtle's Yellow-rumped. Sure enough, in a small aspen was the bird. But more strange, about a foot away, was a pale gray (snow-gray as I described to my dad) headed and backed junco. The bird sported two very faint white-wings bars, and a white belly. I thought "White-winged Junco", but couldn't remember where that subspecies was, or if it was a subspecies at all. ..When I finally got back to camp I flipped open my Sibley and saw the bird on p.501, a 1st year White-winged form Dark-eyed Junco. I hadn't seen this subspecies, before, and it was very surprisingly pale, which made it stand out as an odd junco.
Jul 2007
Angie (moabgirl@gmail.com) - Broad-billed hummingbird-Uintas - Observed a hummingbird with a reddish-orange, black tipped, slightly downcurved bill and a blue-green back at soapstone basin the morning of July 28th.
May 2007
Tim Avery (14 May 2007) - This morning I heard at least one American Redstart in the Jordanelle Reclamation Area along the boardwalk heading north from the parking area. The bird was initially heard singing about 60 feet off trail and out of sight. After some pishing and giving a few alert whistles the bird moved closer and I managed a few looks and snap a shot. And at the Charleston City Park were 3 Common Grackles, one of which was making all kinds of racket. 4 or 5 Eurasian Collared-Doves were also in the vicinity.
Dave Hanscom (3 May 2007) - My wife and I went for a rainy walk today on the trail along the west side of Deer Creek Reservoir. As we returned to the car, I heard a bird singing in a bush between the trail and the Heber Creeper tracks... The song was actually the familiar "Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody" [White-throated Sparrow] that I used to hear in New England. A second look confirmed that the bird not only had white and black stripes on its head, but also a very white throat. A nice surprise on a day when I didn't expect to see much of any bird activity.
Mar 2007
Ned Bixler (18 Mar 2007) - Todays birding in Wasatch County. The Greater Scaup was seen at the Wasatch Mountain State Park pond, in Midway.
Feb 2007
Ned Bixler (18 Feb 2007) - Deer Creek Reservoir is still 90+% frozen, however, the open spots had a large number of ducks in them. ...Eurasiasn Collared doves... and a single White-throated Sparrow...
Nov 2006
Lu Giddings (17 Nov 2006) - I spent some time in Heber and Kamas valleys today... Three Eurasian Collared-Doves were spotted in Kamas, in the northwest part of town. I'm not sure if that is a highlight or not.
Oct 2006
Lu Giddings (21 Oct 2006) - At about 9:00 a.m. this morning, from the Kamas
road overlook, I spotted a solitary loon swimming near the Jordanelle dam
approximately between the second and third buoys. I believe it may have been a
Red-throated Loon. It seemed significantly different from the numerous
common loons I saw today. It seemed somewhat smaller than the common loons,
was pale in its face well up to and above it eyes, had pale flanks easily
visible as it swam, a spotted back with spots that seemed smaller than those
of the common loons still molting into winter plumage, and a bill that seemed
small and almost bi-colored, viewing it from a distance of about 1500 yards.
The bird generally swam with its bill pointing upward but spent much of its
time preening. I watched it for about 20-30 minutes and am still not entirely
certain as to its
identification. If any of you have the opportunity and can confirm this bird I
would appreciate it.
Aug 2006
Joel and Kathy Beyer (20 Aug 2006) - Yesterday evening, we saw a Solitary Sandpiper and at least 35 Wilson's Snipes on the mudflats at the Charleston Bridge section of Deercreek Reservoir State Park, as well as Baird's, Spotted, and Western Sandpipers.
May 2006
Jack Binch (21 May 2006) - It is nice to have a couple of predictable birds when birding time is limited. The Bobolinks are back at the Heber Fields and the American Redstart is in the usual place on the Jordanelle Wetlands.
Oct 2005
(1 Oct 2005) - Kristin Purdy reported a Juvenile Sabine's Gull along the north shore of Strawberry Reservoir. The gull was seen between Chicken Creek East fisherman's access and another fisherman's access farther to the east. Chicken Creek East is a well signed access off Hwy 40 between mile markers 41 and 42 and has a parking lot with restroom facilities. The gull was spending a lot of time along the narrow shoreline and would periodically fly along the shore one way and then the other. You might have to walk from the parking lot toward the lake in order to get a good look. The gull allowed Kristin to get quite close, so she got some good looks and was able to study the bird in detail.
Jul 2005
Eric Huish (22 Jul 2005) - Milt, Aaron and I ran up to the Jordanelle Wetlands and after a couple hours of patience we were able to spot the American Redstart.
May 2005
Lu Giddings (22 May 2005) - An American Redstart was seen early this afternoon (about 1:30 p.m.?) in the Jordanelle wetlands. It was observed in exactly the same place as last year, about 275 yards downstream from the gate and slightly upstream from the weir, in the trees east of the road. The bird sported a band on its right leg, so assumedly this may be one of the birds that nested in this area last year...
Dave Hanscom (13 May 2005) - Northern Waterthrush at Jordanelle...I
saw the waterthrush this morning. My wife and I were walking along the path
and heard him singing...It's at the location where people were seeing him year
before last. If you
walk along the path from the north, you first cross a long boardwalk heading
west toward the river. The path then goes generally south along a line of
trees and swampy areas. After crossing a couple of bridges, you pass the
trees, and there are a couple of large beaver ponds on the right. Just before
those ponds, in the last group of trees that are growing out of the swampy
area on the right, is where he was this morning at about 9:30.
Aug 2004
Julie Van Moorhem (16 Aug 2004) - Yesterday, Pomera and I went to the BOR [Jordanelle Wetlands] looking for the Gallinule. No luck, but we did see the male American Redstart.
Joel and Kathy Beyer (2 Aug 2004) - Late Sunday afternoon we observed a Red-eyed Vireo at the Jordanelle Wetlands. It was seen at the extreme north end of the boardwalk.
Jul 2004
KC Childs (27 July 2004) - I guess since I haven't seen a posting yet today I would send out that I was able to see the Purple Gallinule this morning at around 7:15 A.M. at the Jordanelle Wetlands. Thanks to those who already had seen this morning, Bryan Shirley, Alton Thygerson and Bruce Robinson who helped me locate this truly amazingly beautiful bird. It was one of the most wonderful birds I have ever been able to see in my life. I never thought I would of had the chance to see one of these. Thanks to Clay and Cliftia for reporting and finding this wonderful bird...
Eric Huish (26 July 2004) - The Purple Gallinule Clay and Cliftia Johnson reported at the Jordanelle Wetlands was still there as of this morning (Mon July 26, 2004). Milton Moody and I saw it around 9:30 A.M. and got some good looks at it. Milt took some photos but it mostly stayed hidden in grasses. We saw it off-and-on for about a half hour. It then snuck into the weeds and we couldn't relocate it. We found it right where the Johnsons reported seeing it (Along the road just south of where the little stream goes under the road, between the lower and upper parking areas).
Clay and Cliftia Johnson (26 July 2004) - Purple Gallinule, Jordanelle
Wetlands - We were driving from Vernal to Salt Lake Saturday (July 24) about
9:30 in the morning, and detoured to see what the wetlands area below Jordanelle
Dam was like. We drove up to the Good Sam RV park and back to the highway, with
a brief stop at the entrance that has the stone pillars and parking area. The
road crosses a slough or small stream about .2 miles north of the stone pillars.
We were going south (back toward the stone pillars) when we saw the bird, about
15 feet from the edge of the road, between the road and the fence, just north of
the little pond or slough. It was in sight for a half minute or so, then it
slunk off in the thick grass.
Our first thought was that it was a common moorhen (which we’ve been wanting to
see). However, as we watched the bird, we could see the body was bluish-purple
,the back was a lovely, delicate, olive color, and the front of the face was a
big, whitish blob, instead of the red portion of the big yellow-and-red beak
continuing up between the eyes. We stopped back Sunday on the way home and
walked through the area for a while but did not see the Purple Gallinule again,
although Cliftia thought she did hear it again, in the same area. We did see
quite a few other birds in this really neat wetlands area. We’ll stop there
regularly from now on.
Deedee O'Brien (19 July 2004) - On our GSLAudubon field trip Saturday that focused on the wetlands below the dam, we also saw the American Redstart. Russ Norvell was our leader. He has done the bird banding there for several years. We identified this bird as a juvenile. Both adults have been banded, and this bird had no band.
Joel and Kathy Beyer (18 July 2004) - Also, in response to a question last week about the status of the male American Redstart at the Jordanelle Wetlands, it was still there this afternoon (as were the remains of the blue plastic bag marking the spot). The bird looks somewhat the worse for wear, particularly the tail, which appears much shortened. It also was no longer singing.
Carol and Nicky Davis (12 July 2004) - ...Our second strange encounter was a Grasshopper Sparrow in the Heber Valley fields. He posed for some great photos and we recorded his song, or rather songs, since occasionally he would end his tune in a little warble.
Jun 2004
Glenn B. Barlow - Alton and I went to Jordanelle last Wednesday, June 16th, in the morning, to see the American Redstart...When we visited the DWR folks who were mist netting and banding the birds they told us they had caught the American Redstart earlier in the morning and found that it had a band that was dated 1999. They told us they had caught it every year since then, including this year. My, quite a long-lived bird--probably a lucky one too...
utecoot (19 June 2004) - Wasatch Audubon visited the Jordanelle Reservoir today and sighted the male American Redstart at the place below the dam previously reported. We also spotted a nest with at least two young. There was no sign of a female. The male was keeping busy chasing off Yellow Warblers and such and, apparently, feeding the young.
May 2004
Terry & Bonnie Liddell (31 May 2004) - I took my family to Strawberry Reservoir on Monday and saw .... a Williamson's Sapsucker (black back, red chin, yellow belly, no other red on its head) near Strawberry Ridge....
Lu Giddings (27 Mat 2004) - The bird gods were doubly kind today. An American Redstart was observed in the trees along the dirt road that parallels the river below Jordanelle dam at 1:10 p.m. I watched the beautiful wee bird for nearly 40 minutes. It spent the majority of its time in the trees between the wetlands and the river, about 270 yards below the dirt road's gate and 60 yards above the rock dam (spillway? falls?) on the river.
Apr 2004
Bob Huntington and Bob MacDougall (25 April 2004) - ...found a Northern Waterthrush at the mitigation area below the dam...[BOR at Jordanelle]. If you line up the red and white RV sign on the hillside with the dead tree just east of the boardwalk and look west you'll see the area where we located it. Also, we saw our first Yellow Warbler of the season.
Jan 2004
Ed (29 Jan 2004) - I went up to Deer Creek again today after the Eurasian Wigeon. He finally showed up around 12:15 pm it was a little higher up stream with other wigeons and it was flushed down to the reservoir by a harrier...
KC Childs (29 Jan 2004) - I ran up to Wasatch County this morning....At the Heber Valley Waste Water Treatment Plant there was a Harris's Sparrow. The Heber Valley Waster Water Treatment Plant is located just off of 100 south in Heber or Main Street in Midway. ( the road that connects the cities ) If you turn south on the east side of the Provo River crossing you will see the Heber Treatment Plant back about 100 yards off the road. The Harris's Sparrow was on the right side of the road under a group of trees located next to the road with what looks like sunflower seeds underneath it. The clump of trees is right before the gates to the treatment plant. It would come into feed on the seeds that someone must have scattered there...
Dennis Shirley (28 Jan 2004) - Add one more Eurasian Wigion record for the state this winter. There's a drake mixed in with the American's in the open water at the upper end of Deer Creek Reservoir. It was there at 4:00pm on tuesday, Jan. 27,2004. I believe this makes four that have been noted since the first of the year. Every year is sure different, isn't it!!
Lauri Hanauska-Brown (15 Jan 2004) - We have located a number of our collared Trumpeter Swan cygnets in the area of Jordanelle Dam near Heber City. One swan was actually dead in the Provo River just below the dam. This area is a bit out of our typical survey area so any observations of yellow or green collared swans around Heber would be greatly appreciated.
Oct 2003
Milton Moody (27 Oct 2003) - On the Saturday Field Trip we saw several very nice birds... At Deer Creek Rec. we didn't find the Sabine's Gull, but we did see a Northern Goshawk along the shore eating a fish with feathers, apparently -- some people saw a fish and some saw feathers flying.
Tuula Rose - On Sunday 10.19.03 10 am, on the way to Jordanelle wetlands through Provo canyon, Milton and I stopped at the north end of Deer Creek Reservoir and found a small gull amongst a couple of dozen ring-billed. It appeared to be a First Year Sabine's Gull with brownish wings and mantle, a dark crescent behind the eye and dark primaries extending well beyond the tail. It was foraging in shallow water in "phalarope fashion", and flew just once for a short distance. Luckily Milt had it in the scope at that moment and he could see the wing pattern.
Aug 2003
LaNita Larsen and Amy Owen - Saturday, August 23rd at Cascade Springs, we encountered a Williamson's Sapsucker in the riparian area at the first turn at the bottom of the trail to the springs.
Julie (18 Aug 2003) - Pomera Fronce, Kent Lewis and I went to the BOR area below the Jordanelle Dam to look for the Red-eyed Vireo reported by the Beyers. Alton Thygerson was there ahead of us. We finally found it at the south end of the 2nd boardwalk (a little beyond the Beyers site)--there's a large, tall berry bush on the right side of the trail as you come off the boardwalk. It was with a group of Warbling Vireos. We had to hunt for a long time before we found it.
Joel Beyer (17 Aug 2003) - This morning Kathy and I saw a Red-eyed Vireo at the Jordanelle Wetlands (the area below Jordanelle Dam in Heber Valley). It was with many, many Warbling Vireos at the northernmost end of the boardwalk/gravel nature trail.
June 2003
Julie - (6-1-03) Made a quick trip to Heber to meet Calleen Cox at the BOR today to see the American Redstart. He was exactly where he'd been reported. He was very busily chasing off a Yellow Warbler while we were there. A Common Yellowthroat was in the marshy area to the east of the trail, singing his "wichity, whichity" song.
May 2003
Carol Gwynn - (26 MAy 2003) A male American Redstart was at the Jordanelle Wetlands area, below Jordanelle Dam at about 10:15 a.m. this morning, Monday, May 26. The bird was in approximately the same location where one was seen last year. Head down the trail with the boardwalks until you see a light-colored stake on your left, with a ribbon tied to it. The bird was seen in the dead trees right across from this marker.
Pomera Fronce - (13 May 2003) I located a Northern Waterthrush on Tuesday around 10:00 a.m. at the Jordanelle Wetlands. Directions to this area are on the Utah Birds website. Take the trail which starts near the buildings rather than the dirt road which goes right along the river. Cross the green timber footbridge and continue along the trail until you cross a second and then a third section of timbers. Walk about 100 yards past this third section and look for a stake on the left side of the trail which has PW-3 on it. The waterthrush was in the bog on the right side of the trail right across from this stake. In the same general area was a pair of Blue-Winged Teal.
Mar 2003
Deedee O'Brien - (Wed, 19 Feb 2003) Just before noon today Bob Huntington, Roberta Wherritt and I finished our monthly GSL Audubon bird survey for Johnson Mill B&B in Midway, and decided to spend a half hour birding the nearby trail between the Provo River and the sewage treatment plant. At about 12:15 we spotted two 1st winter Harris's Sparrows feeding in the road/trail. They were about 30 feet away and let us watch them for at least 10 minutes...
Feb 2003
Deedee O'Brien - (Wed, 19 Feb 2003) Just before noon today Bob Huntington, Roberta Wherritt and I finished our monthly GSL Audubon bird survey for Johnson Mill B&B in Midway, and decided to spend a half hour birding the nearby trail between the Provo River and the sewage treatment plant. At about 12:15 we spotted two 1st winter Harris's Sparrows feeding in the road/trail. They were about 30 feet away and let us watch them for at least 10 minutes...