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Today's hot weather didn't discourage the bird
activity on Route 83 from I-15 exit 368 at Corinne to the Golden Spike
National Historic Site. In Corinne, we saw a field with thousands of
White-faced Ibis looking like contortionists as they struck their most alluring
courtship poses. We also saw Long-billed Curlew and Willet. South of
the rocky outcropping and just east of the turnoff to Salt Creek WMA, we saw
Lark Sparrow showing off their almost Harlequin-looking head plumage, Northern
Mockingbird, and many Western Meadowlark. I heard a Rock Wren on the north
side of the road, but I wimped out under the intense deer fly activity and
took refuge in the truck before I saw it. Less than a half mile
west, one large salt flat area is still covered with water and harbored American
White Pelican, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, and waterfowl
that didn't get much attention courtesy of the flies. On
the north side of the road we saw a female Northern Harrier hunkered
well down in the grass and likely on a nest. Much nearer to the
NHS a beautiful Swainson's Hawk sat on a deeply undercut
embankment and appeared to be preoccupied with a beehive of Cliff Swallow
activity under a culvert. A Red-tailed Hawk tried to offset the heat by
perching with its beak open and wings partially spread. We saw Turkey
Vultures circling over a hiker on the Big Fill Walk Trail--those vultures are no
dummies; they knew it was too hot for a lone hiker to be out walking in the
desert.
The area around the Golden Spike NHS was Sage
Thrasher Central--teed up on sage brush, under my truck in the parking lot,
perched on my luggage rack, on fenceposts. We also saw several Say's
Phoebes around outbuildings. One adult was escorting a young 'un and
another was sitting on a nest under the eaves over the office
windows. This bird had used a Barn Swallow nest as a platform for its
own nest. The Cliff and Barn Swallows were also active at the entrance
way. Along the west auto tour loop, we
saw many Horned Lark, Western Meadowlark, and got gorgeous looks at another
Lark Sparrow. Pretty bird!
Not a bad list for roadside birding on a trip whose
primary purpose was to sightsee. I surmise that Golden Spike NHS is
best birded early in the morning before the laser-beam sun scorches the earth
and visitors alike. The birds didn't seem to mind, but the birders were
wilting. Go prepared for sun at the site and deerflies if you bird along
the way.
Kris
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