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Donna and I spent a great
Saturday afternoon birding today. We got a late start at 12:00 and
headed straight to the Antelope Island Causeway. Immediately after passing
the guard station we saw a lone Snowy Plover (Adult,
breeding) along with several C. Gulls, Willets and Killdeer on the mud in the
middle of a large shallow puddle 100-200 yards north of the road. We saw
several Black-bellied Plovers along the lake shore
south of the road at mile marker six where they were reported, along with two
Dunlin foraging with several hundred American
Avocets. Migration appears to be in full swing and there were thousands of
Western Sandpipers and Sanderlings
all along the causeway. We later saw two more
Dunlin (one on each side of the road) mixed with the
large flocks of peeps. We checked for the Burrowing Owls on the island,
but they were not visible.
We then made a dash for Hyrum
Res. to check for the Red-throated Loon. We didn't see it, but there were
lots of birds at the reservoir, including: Swainson's
Hawk (adult, light morph); Western, Clark's and Eared Grebes;
Common Loon; Common and Red-breasted
Mergansers, C. Gulls, DC Cormorant, Caspian Tern,
Broad-Tailed Hummingbird.
On our way back down Sardine
Canyon we pulled off the road near a large puddle (maybe a small lake) and saw
lots of Yellow-headed Blackbirds (our first for the
year) along with the regular assortment of dabbling ducks and
coots.
Overall, it was amazing to see
such large numbers of birds everywhere we went. Notably absent have been
some of the migratory passerines (yellow warbler, lazuli bunting etc.).
Perhaps the weather has gotten warm early this year and I'm a little confused,
but it seems like they have arrived by now in past years. Hopefully, they
get here soon, school's out and there isn't much that can beat spring
birding.
Matt Thorum
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