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I headed to the windswept "tundra" of Box Elder
County today in the attempt to find that Arctic specialty, the Lapland
Longspur. I decided to bird according to the law of averages. I
figured if I looked at enough Horned Larks, the law of averages would favor
me with longspurs. Right? Right! It took about 200 Horned
Larks on UT 83 from Corinne to Stinky Springs to produce 2 longspurs. I
saw the first one in a roadside flock just west of mm 3 and east of 6800W and
the second one along the road at Stinky Springs between mm 6 and 7.
Before I found them I hoped the significant size
difference (1") between the two species would cause the longspur to pop right
out--not so. The significant features that brought my attention to
the individual longspurs were the buffy and rufous accents to nape and wing
coverts, respectively, and the head pattern. The dark,
drooping rectangle around the auriculars stood out among the many shades of
the Horned Larks' head pattern.
The Horned Larks were very flighty and flushed with
every passing vehicle and swoop of a silvery-gray male Northern
Harrier. It took a lot of flushing and studying of each flock to
determine the presence or absence of the longspurs. The longspurs also did
not stay to the edges of the flock, as I hoped. They hunkered down and
dirty with the larks like they were buddies from way back. They stayed so
low I didn't even get a glimpse of their long yippee-ti-yi-O-o spur, or extended
rear toenail, for which they're named.
Once, the first flock with longspur flushed
and I put down my binocs to wait for them to settle. No kidding, a
covey of 11 Gray Partridge was flying low along a berm parallel to and south of
83. A few dark bellies punctuated individuals like fat, round
periods. They landed on the south side of the berm (natch!) out of
sight. 6800W was close enough so that I could turn south down that road
and scope the long distance east down the sunny south side of the berm, where I
found the partridge picking grit. One sentry stretched his orange
face up high, pooched his dark belly out in my direction, and then went back to
the nitty-gritty of feeding. The covey was so far away, they weren't worth
watching for too long...sorry to say.
At Stinky Springs, I made the mistake of rolling
down my window to scope the longspur. Little did I realize I was down
wind. Peeeeee-U-e! Stinky Springs is aptly named. I got a load
of sulfur breeze in my truck and had to drive fast and far down the road with
windows down to put the sulfur air back outside, where it belongs.
I also saw other birds along UT 83. The
number of Western Meadowlarks using the waysides is amazing. It's safe to
say I saw hundreds today. I also saw Bald Eagles of all ages, a
second-year Golden Eagle, a Rough-legged Hawk, many American Kestrels, two
Prairie Falcons, several Red-tailed Hawks, Common Ravens, American Magpies,
Killdeer, American Pipits, a Song Sparrow, six American Tree Sparrows and a
White-crowned between mm 7 and 8 right at the point where the black volcanic
rock of Little Mountain slopes down to the road, and American Goldfinches
working over the sunflower heads.
My last stop was over a culvert
channeling roiling irrigation water under the road to Box Elder Landfill
and Salt Creek WMA. About 6 female and young Common Goldeneyes
bobbed and frolicked in the icy stream. I thought it was odd that the only
mature male sat on an icy ledge projecting over the water...until I looked at
him with binoculars. The Goldeneye stared straight ahead, immobile.
He almost appeared frozen to the ice, and a thin bow wave of water built up
against the side of his breast. A long trail of bright blood streamed down
his white breast from his dark head. It was sad.
Kris
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