Birding Fort Buenaventura

["Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy at comcast dot net>]

Fort Buenaventura in Ogden is a great place to bird and I've resolved to 
visit there more frequently.  The Fort is a historic site along the 
Weber River and was known by area trappers as a rendezvous site.  The 
area is actually a large tract of mature Cottonwood forest--a decreasing 
habitat in Utah.  Many different paths and roads will take you over the 
river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go...oops; I got 
carried away there.  Isn't that a line from a song?  You'll find paths 
along the Weber River, paths through some very shady Cottonwoods, and 
paths through the rendezvous area.  In addition to the Red-eyed Vireo 
and American Mink I mentioned in a birdnet posting, this morning's trip 
also yielded:

Canada Geese
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
Double-crested Cormorant
California Quail
Mourning Dove
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Western Wood-pewee
Warbling Vireo
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
House Wren
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Song Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
House Finch
American Goldfinch

I also found what I suspect is a Cooper's Hawk feather and many bird 
species were active with fledglings.  Young wrens, orioles, robins, and 
chickadees were very vocal.  Last year I also saw Black-crowned Night 
Herons, Great Horned Owls,  Western Screech-owls and Hairy Woodpeckers.  
  

The Belted Kingfisher has a burrow in the high sandy bank west of the 
pond and west of the grassy rendezvous area.  She was rattling from a 
dead tree and I looked up to see her holding a plump minnow in her beak. 
 I watched until she flew to the bank and into a burrow about 2 feet 
from the crest.  On the opposite side of the sand bank (west-facing and 
visible from a trail through the woods) Northern Rough-winged Swallows 
nest in the single holes. 

The park is open every day from 8 to 8 and has a $1.25 entrance fee.  
It's not only a haven for birds and people, but mosquitoes thrive here 
too so make sure you use insect repellent.  The park is located off "A" 
Street, 1 mile east of I-15 exit 345 on 24th Street.

Kris

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