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18 Apr 2008
Near Grand Gulch, Utah
(email received 21 Apr 2008 from Art Freeman)
Dear Sir:
I am not a knowledgeable birder, but am hoping to identify the bird we saw
nesting high on a canyon ledge near Grand Gulch, UT on 4/18/08. While
exploring some remote Anasazi ruins we realized that there were 2 agitated
birds, swooping down like they were dive bombing us. We took a couple
pictures and left, since we did not want to disturb the nest. It is the
first time I've seen a nest on these ledges. Unfortunately they moved so
fast I could not see much detail or photograph, but am pretty sure they
were not falcons. Looks like some kind of gull or turn. The rangers could
not identify using their book on Utah birds. Were light colored, gray or
white with dark accents on tips (again, I could not make out much detail).
I'm not reporting this an a rare siting, just wondering if you can point
me to some resource to identify. In searching the internet I am not
finding likely birds that have this purple egg (about the size of a small
hen's egg). Franklin's Gull? Forster's Turn? Common Turn (which I read
sometimes have odd colored eggs)? There is a lot of water in the canyon,
so maybe shore birds might go there. One time we saw Mallard Ducks in
Grand Gulch, which made us feel right at home, since they are so common in
Seattle.
Thanks
Art Freeman
Seattle
Note egg in bottom of photo
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