Birdnet Hotline Highlights
1-15 Jun 2002

Review Species Reported This Month:
     Parasitic Jaeger  Rich Co.
     Black-throated Blue Warbler  Daggett Co.

DAGGETT COUNTY 

Russell Norvell -  A male Black-throated Blue Warbler in full breeding condition was caught and banded at lower Sheep Creek Canyon Geologic Loop [Daggett County] on Tues June 4th.

RICH COUNTY 

Mark Stackhouse - There was an adult, breeding plumaged, light morph Parasitic Jaeger at Neponset  Reservoir at Deseret Ranch on Thursday afternoon, June 13.  It seemed pretty content harassing the thousands of gulls there, so maybe it'll stay awhile.

Julie VanMoorhem - (Mon, 2 Jun 2002)  Dana Green and I birded Rich Co. Sunday. Saw Common Grackles in Randolph at the city park on the main street; a Great Horned Owl northeast of the park in town; Eastern Kinglbirds in several places. A Ferruginous Hawk was spotted on the public road into Deseret Ranch. Black Terns spotted along the river north of Randolph.

SAN JUAN COUNTY 

Damian Fagan - June 10th, just west of Newspaper Rock (along highway 211 to the Needles District of Canyonlands Nat. Park, San Juan County), male and female Summer Tanagers in the cottonwood groves. Numerous yellow and Virginia's warblers, warbling vireos, and a few yellow-breasted chats. June 11th in North Cottonwood Canyon, just south and west of Dugout Ranch (also along highway 211), a pair of Lucy's Warblers.

Scott Seltman (Nekoma, KS) - Last Sunday, 26 May, a large group of birders attending the Durango meeting of the Colorado Field Ornithologists wandered over into extreme SE Utah. We found a Greater Roadrunner sitting atop a tree adjacent to the Hovenweep HQ parking lot just w. of the CO/UT line. It was "cooing" periodically, was holding a dead lizard [unknown species] in its beak and sat there "displaying" for over one hour. It was seen again by a second fieldtrip the following day.
 

SUMMIT COUNTY 

Jack Binch - (Sat, 8 Jun 2002) The Williamson's Sapsuckers are back at the tree above the Provo river falls.

UTAH COUNTY 

David McCauley (Veracruz, Mexico) - One June 7th and 8th I spotted a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak along the canal pathway (just off of the stairway whis goes up to the BYU  campus located at 800 north and 300 east) There are some picnic tables there on the pathway. The grosbeak was singing high atop the cottonwoods there. I was able to get several very clear views. There are quite a few fruiting trees and shrubs in the general vicinity.

WASATCH COUNTY 

Russell Norvell -  Glad to hear someone else got to see it.  A male American Redstart was caught and banded there [below the Jordanelle Dam] on Friday June 7th. 

KC Childs - (Wed, 5 Jun 2002)  I went up to Wasatch County today. I stopped off at the Heber Valley Water Treatment plant. In the pond furthest south there was plenty of waterfowl. Along the road in the Treatment plant was some nesting Ospreys. There were at least 4 Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Ducks, Cinnamon Teal, Pintails, Redheads, Canada Goose, Northern Shovlers, Eared Grebes, Mallards, Coots, Wilson Phalaropes, Killdeer, and Spotted Sandpipers. I was suprised to see so much waterfowl in June.

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Rick Fridell - Temperatures are high, nectarines are ripe, and the orchard is hopping at Lytle Ranch, Beaver Dam Wash (6/14; Washington County).  Highlights included an adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the large mulberry tree on the south end of the orchard and Scott's Orioles everywhere... On my way back to St. George I was lucky enough to encounter a Bendire's Thrasher standing in SR-91 (1.5 miles south of the Utah Hill antenna turn-off).  I was able to pull over and view the thrasher through my scope while it foraged in the gravel beside the road.  I believe it was a juvenile (because of extensive buff on breast, sides and flanks).

Rick Fridell - (Tue, 4 Jun 2002) Today while passing through the Washington Fields (6/4 @ 1330; Washington Co. UT) I noticed a large flock of swifts. I pulled over thinking that some of the swifts appeared small and that perhaps I could get lucky and pick out a Vaux's Swift or two.  The smaller swifts turned out to be White-throated Swifts and much to my surprise the larger ones were Black Swifts!!  These are the first I have seen in Washington County.  I saw up to 16 Black
Swifts, however getting a count was very difficult.  The swifts were located in the area between 1450 South, 3000 East and the Virgin River (area including Springs Estate Pond and Seegmiller Marsh).