Email from Dave Slager:

Hey Utah birders,

In response to Tim, okay, okay, I'll post something.

On the 27th we went to Bear River NWR in the morning before going hiking. Nothing unusual--but great views of the common breeding species there. The highlight was a family of Long-billed Curlews, adult male and female and 4 newly-hatched chicks, along the entrance road. It was fun to see such a large shorebird give a broken-wing display. There was also another lone curlew along the entrance road.

We did some backpacking in the Bear River range on the 27th-28th in Cache county. Specifically, the High Creek south fork trail, just east of Richmond, Utah. When we got out of the car at the trailhead (by the Forest Service outhouse) a Winter Wren was singing  close by.

I heard one other winter wren along the trail a little further up. What is their summer distribution in Utah anyway? Then on the way out this afternoon I spotted this little guy sitting in a tree: A fledgling Northern Saw-whet Owl (see photo). I digiscoped this photo
through my binoculars at about 8 meters...not bad. Other things on the list included Golden Eagle, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Northren Flicker, Steller's Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Yellow Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Western Tanager, Warbling Vireo, Dusky Flycatcher, Red-breasted Nuthatch, both Kinglets, Orange-crowned and
MacGillivray's warblers, Lincoln's and Chipping Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, American Robin, and Pine Siskin.

In downtown Logan on the 28th were several American Crows.

Good birding!

Dave Slager
Salt Lake