The North Arm

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

Quick--think of a bird you might see at The North Arm Natural Area of 
Pineview Reservoir in Weber County.  Did you think of a SEMI-PALMATED 
PLOVER?  I wouldn't have thought of that one.  Pineview has continued to 
recede and has developed good shorebird habitat south of the Osprey 
platforms at The North Arm.  In addition to this morning's juvenile 
Semi-palm, I also saw several Western Sandpipers, a handful of Least 
Sandpipers, a couple Spotties, many cantankerous Killdeer and my 
favorite, 29 Wilson's Snipe foraging in the mudflats.  So much for the 
snipe being described as solitary and secretive. They bunched up in 
groups of three to six and probed the mud or rested well out in the 
open.  I kept trying to turn them into dowitchers, but the striped 
heads, buff streaks down the back, heavy black barring along the flanks 
and little rufous tails kept getting in the way of a dowitcher ID.  

Now--back to species you might have answered with the opening quiz 
question.  The Gray Catbirds are still present in good numbers and are 
loud and obvious--just letting me know they still own the place.  I saw 
and heard at least three Yellow-breasted Chats and the young Cedar 
Waxwings are out flycatching with their parents.  The other usuals 
included MacGillivray's Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Downy Woodpecker, 
Northern Flicker, Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Osprey, American 
Coots, Ring-billed Gulls, Forster's Terns, Great Blue Herons, Mallards, 
Canada Geese, Sandhill Cranes, Belted Kingfishers, Black-capped 
Chickadees, House Finches and American Goldfinches. A couple Blue-gray 
Gnatcatchers and a female Western Tanager were probably just passin' 
through.    

It was a good day for sparrows in the brush east of the defunct bridge.  
I saw a year-rounder--the Song Sparrow, one summer species--the Fox 
Sparrow (still singing, too), two transients for this area--Chipping and 
Lincoln's Sparrows, and one winter species--juvenile White-crowned 
Sparrows.  Spotted Towhees were present as well, including young birds 
still in their relatively brown juvenal plumage that always surprises 
me.  A few juvenile Lazuli Buntings mixed things up a bit, as if trying 
to wade through all the young Chipping Sparrows isn't enough of an ID 
challenge. 

It felt odd not to see any Yellow Warblers today.  Sometimes this 
warbler is the predominant species at The North Arm and I almost get 
sick of them!  Looks like that's over until next year. 

The North Arm Natural Area is located at approximately mile 3.7 of 
SR-158 that starts at Pineview Dam.  The footbridge over the North Fork 
of the Ogden River is still out, but an enterprising person has placed a 
plank from the damaged end of the bridge over the now puny river.  It's 
possible to walk the plank and cross as long as you don't have vertigo 
:^D.  You can also access the area from the west by parking at mile 
marker 3 and walking down via the Pineview West Trail or by parking at a 
gate at around mile 3.5 on the curve that descends east toward Eden and 
the main parking lot.  

Accessing the shorebird habitat requires rubber boots as you'll have to 
wade through a small stream and walk across the mud.  It was funny to 
look back across my muddy trail and see my footprints mixing with those 
of Great Blue Herons or perhaps Sandhill Cranes, gulls, and moose. 

Kris

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