Review Species Reported This Month:

    Black Scoter  Box Elder Co.  Davis Co.
    Chestnut-sided Warbler  Washington Co.
    Red-breasted Sapsucker  Washington Co.
   

BOX ELDER COUNTY

Lu Giddings (20 Nov 2005) - Today at about 12 p.m. I saw what I am fairly sure was a female Black Scoter in the northwest corner of the auto tour loop at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. It was initially observed about 1 mile south of Unit One gate, a few hundred yards south of the road posted "No Vehicles" and about 150 yards east of the road...

Kristin Purdy (10 Nov 2005) - The first birds I heard in Box Elder Campground in Mantua, Box Elder County this morning were surprising Evening Grosbeaks. Three females called their single-note "Teeuw!" call as all worked on samaras high up
in a Box Elder tree...The birds were just shy of the entrance on the east bank of Box Elder Creek and east of the intersection of 300 W. and Park Drive...While I was following the call (in denial that I was actually hearing grosbeaks) I passed a hidden, chipping chipmunk along the entrance road. On the way back, Chippy turned out to be the Winter Wren. Oops. The wren popped out of a brush pile along the east side of Park Drive and 50-100 feet north of the campground entrance...

Bridget Olson (3 Nov 2005) - Bear River Bird Count...Tundra Swan 15584...Snow Goose 1...Great Egret 9...Sanderling 1...Bonaparte's gull 44...

DAVIS COUNTY

Tim Avery (22 Nov 2005) - I spent the day along the Great Salt Lake and saw some great birds. Long-tailed Duck - same bird Brian Currie discovered earlier in the week, near the bridge at AIC. 2 Black Scoter - first south of the last bridge, but on my return, north of the same area at AIC. Barrow's Goldeneye - 1 female bird about 150 yards east of the last bridge at AIC. Black-bellied Plover - on the rock jetty where the causeway curves southwest at AIC...Thayer's Gull - At least a half a dozen juvenile birds at the Bountiful Landfill, as well as 2 adults...American Tree Sparrow - along the road to Garr Ranch

Brian Currie (19 Nov 2005) - ...I was on the AIC from about 3:00-4:45... Just east of the west bridge I saw a bird with some white on the cheek and from that distance thought I had relocated the scoter. No, it was a Long-tailed Duck, female, full winter plumage. And she was hanging out with the three female Black Scoters. She kept quite close to them for the 30 minutes I observed her. They were on the SOUTH side starting just west of mile marker 1 almost to the bridge (she/they were feeding in that about 4/10ths of a mile stretch).

Tim Avery (16 Nov 2005) - The Great Salt Lake Audubon Hot Spots field trip today, featuring 7 GSLA folks and myself, was able to relocate the female Black Scoter at AIC on the south (or West) side of the Causeway 1/2 mile north of the Marina. The bird was missed on the first pass by but spotted on the way back out. Other good finds included 2 Rough-legged Hawks, American Tree Sparrow's, 1 Hooded Merganser, and a plethora of other ducks at Farmington Bay

Tim Avery (13 Nov 2005) - ...noted the following birds at Farmington Bay today: Common Grackle - in the trees at the Learning Center by the sheds. It was calling, and stood out...Hooded Merganser - all the way out in Crystal Unit a male and female were seen flying over...TUNDRA SWAN - about 12 flying over the Crystal Unit around noon...

Kris Purdy (11 Nov 2005) - I just got a call (3:30 pm Friday) from Jack Binch out at Antelope Island Causeway. He's watching two female Black Scoters on the south side of the causeway between the big bridge closest to the marina and the chain link fence just a bit further west. Great find, Jack!

Tim Avery (10 Nov 2005) - With well over 100,000 ducks on the resting pond at Farmington Bay there are bound to be some good birds mixed in. At least 3 Adult Male Greater Scaup were observed about 50 yards out where the airboat lunch with the 2 Owl decoys are. There very well could have been females and more birds mixed in but there was just too much to look at...Also seen was a Merlin flying to the north from the 3 or 4 dead trees on the north edge of the rest unit...

Bob Huntington (4 Nov 2005) - I went out to Antelope Island Causeway this afternoon... Between the west bridge and the marina, on the south side, was a surf scoter. It was close to the shore, easy to see with the binos.

JUAB COUNTY 

Bryan Shirley (21 Nov 2005) - Hi All. After birding in the sauna of Bangkok for the last month Fish Springs was a bit cool this weekend, but it did produce a few good birds. The best was 1 Bohemian Waxwing in the trees around the headquarters. We also saw our first Bald Eagles of the winter, 1 Rough-legged Hawk, 5 Tundra Swans, and 1 snow goose.

MORGAN COUNTY

Kristin Purdy (22 Nov 2005) - Last stop was Lost Creek State Park in Morgan County...The 12-mile drive to the park offered a few nice birds. I saw a Northern Shrike at a place that's now lost to memory...

Tim Avery (17 Nov 2005) - I ran up to East Canyon this morning to see what was kicking around. Along SR 65 right before the big pool that goes under the road, a Northern Shrike was seen crossing the road and then perching in a scrub oak. I took several pictures of the bird. On the "pool" were 3 Hooded Merganser, 1 male and 2 female. On the lake were nearly 2 dozen Barrow's Goldeneye, about as many Common Goldeneye, and just as many Common Merganser. Also on the lake was a lone Common Loon still changing into basic plumage.

Kristin Purdy (2 Nov 2005) - All three merganser species were present at East Canyon Reservoir in Morgan County today--Hooded [Merganser], Red-breasted, and Common. Six Hooded Mergansers (five males and a female) and a male Bufflehead swam in the reservoir at the south end adjacent to mile marker 16 of SR-65. ...A flotilla of 12 goldeneyes also swam in the same area. All of the adults--six males and two females--were Barrow's Goldeneyes. The remaining four were juveniles.

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Deedee O'brien (29 Nov 2005) - I was shocked Sunday afternoon when a Band-tailed Pigeon showed up at my feeder in Holladay! Hadn't seen any since Nov 6th, so had assumed all had migrated. He's still coming around each day.

Tim Avery (25 Nov 2005) - I took a quick trip out to Lee Kay Ponds and Saltair this morning. At Lee Kay I noted one adult and one 1st winter Thayer's Gull on the main pond out from the gazebo. There were also around 25 Herring Gull, 100~ Ring-billed Gull, and probably around 5,000 California Gull. I scanned as much as my eyes could take but couldn't pick anything else out.

Tim Avery (1 Nov 2005) - This morning I headed out to Saltair to see if there were any signs of bird life... A big fat negative...However, on the way out along SR-201 just past the 5600 West exit to Lee Kay Ponds was a light juvenile Broad-winged Hawk. This seems like a rather late migrant, okay a VERY LATE MIGRANT, but several have been seen over the last 2 weeks still coming through Wyoming so... The bird was perched right along the highway on top of a large silver box, literally just past the on-ramp to SR-201 westbound from 5600 West. A silver lining to a birdless day... I watched the bird for about 5 minutes, before continuing on my way.

SAN JUAN COUNTY

Jim Hook saw a Brown Thrasher on the 20th and 21st of November in Bluff (San Juan Co.) A picture has been posted on the "Hotline Photo" page: http://utahbirds.org/hotlinephotos/index.html

SUMMIT COUNTY

Kristin Purdy (22 Nov 2005) - I saw an adult Greater White-fronted Goose...at...Echo Reservoir in Summit County this afternoon around 12:30. The goose was sticking with a bunch of Canada Geese at the inlet end of the water. The Canadas and the GWFG swam south from deeper water and eventually climbed out onto mudflats. The GWFG's irregular black marks on the belly and the bright orange legs were nicely obvious when the bird was standing on ice or on the mud...Other birds at Echo this afternoon included a couple Common Loons, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Western Grebes and a pair of female Hooded Mergansers swimming south from the dam.

UINTAH COUNTY

Diane Penttila (16 Nov 2005) - Ouray National Wildlife Refuge General Waterbird Survey. A real cold snap finally moved through and the ice is starting to form. Moved a lot of birds on but some others came in. A Northern Shrike and a ruby-crowned kinglet were good finds for me. The following birds were seen within the survey route:...Snow goose 1...Great egret 1...

Diane Penttila (1 Nov 2005) - Ouray National Wildlife Refuge General Waterbird Survey...The following birds were seen within the survey route:...Canvasback 3...American bittern 1...Great egret 1...

UTAH COUNTY 

Lu Giddings (26 Nov 2005) - A drake Hooded Merganser was seen at 8:45 a.m. at the north end of Salem Pond. It was swimming by itself about 100 yards southwest of the boat ramp. There were not many other wild ducks on the pond.

Jack Binch (19 Nov 2005) - Bob Huntington and I braved one last trip around the Nebo Loop today. Our target was a Northern Pygmy-Owl, and darned if we didn't find one. It is snow packed and a little scary. We did not go quite to the top. We found a turnaround close to the top and played a call at several of the heavy pine stands on the way down. Got a return call and chased probably three that were calling back before finally finding one. And finally is an appropriate word.

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Larry Tripp (13 Nov 2005) - On Friday in the St George area I saw a Chestnut-sided Warbler and a Gray Catbird and today at Zion's Park there were 2 N. Pygmy Owls near the visitors center.

Charles Sheard (13 Nov 2005) - A small group of 12 Red Cliffs Audubon society members met Saturday to bird St. George. ...on to the Washington Fields...A flock of Eurasian Collared-Doves occupied a row of fence posts. These, in turn, had the attention of two Merlins. One Merlin was successful in dispatching a Mourning Dove in flight. Fascinating! A Russian Olive tree at the far end of the fence row was the home of a male Vermilion Flycatcher, stunningly red...

Pat Richards - (8 Nov 2005) - [Red-breasted Sapsucker] Sighted at Sunbrook Golf course in St. George, the Woodbridge nine. Completely red head with very distinct white stripe below the eye, very small one (almost a dot) above. The Sidley field guide is the closest representation--others I have checked do not show much of a white stripe. I reported this to the naturalist at Snow Canyon the next day and hope someone will try to get another look at this bird...It was quite calm on the trunk of a small tree near the cart path and allowed me to get very close in the golf cart and view it from several angles.

Charles Sheard (4 Nov 2005) - The Dixie Birders stayed in town today...we went to the Red Hills Golf Course fer some birdin' and here's what we saw: ...White-throated Sparrow (1st winter), ...we wondered over to the Stone Bridge and Sun Brook golf courses fer a squint at the ponds. ...Great Egret...