Review Species Reported This Month:
    Red-necked Grebe  Utah Co.
    Neotropic Cormorant  Iron Co.
    Sharp-tailed Sandpiper  Davis Co.
    Ruff  Davis Co.
    Long-tailed Jaeger  Washington Co.
    Blackburnian Warbler  Salt Lake Co.
    Palm Warbler  Wayne Co.
    Baird's Sparrow  Washington Co.

BEAVER COUNTY

Eric Huish (24 Oct 2007) - On Saturday afternoon I spent 4 hours at Minersville Res. hoping to find the Surf Scoters reported a couple weeks earlier. I was unable to find the scoters but did find a Juvenile Sabine's Gull near the dam. With the VERY strong winds there were many gulls working the edge of the lake where the waves were crashing against the rocks. The gulls were picking out Crawdads. There was lots of waterfowl, including two Snow Geese. And a bunch of shorebirds on the north end of the reservoir, mostly Killdeer with some Dowitchers, Least Sandpipers and Yellowlegs. I also saw a Great Horned Owl in the woods north of the campground.

Rick Fridell - This afternoon (10/17) at about 6:30p I observed two Surf Scoters at Minersville Reservoir / County Park (Beaver County). The striking male and female were resting and foraging near the northwest shore close to the dam...

BOX ELDER COUNTY

Kris Purdy (26 Oct 2007) -  A Winter Wren was at Box Elder Campground, Mantua, Box Elder County, this morning. The bird was using the narrow stream along the west side of Group Unit A, especially the northwest edge of the area. I also saw the bird along the stream at campsite #24. He or she was relatively vocal, so learn the chip call before you go and you'll improve your chances of seeing it. .... Mort Somer tipped me off to Red Crossbills at the Brigham City Cemetery at the corner of 300S. and 300E. in Brigham; I found about 20 there and watched them for a long time. Best watching was in a pair of spruce trees at the northeast corner of the cemetery. The birds also favored a cedar tree in the front yard at 515E. 300S.; this was something of a money tree due to the number of species I saw using it: the crossbills, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos and a Cassin's Vireo --when will this species' migration be over? ... The two Horned Grebes are still at Mantua Reservoir and were visible from the boat ramp. Yesterday, I saw two Western Screech-owls at Beus Park in Ogden, Weber County. One was at a well-known cavity roost; the other was at a spot I've just discovered after whitewash below the site has vexed me for three weeks. The bird was nearly invisible, but HA! Bird poop told the story. Reply for directions.

Tim Avery (29 Oct 2007) - Some more highlights from Saturday afternoon and Sunday. 4 FRANKLIN'S GULL - Willard Bay (flying north off the bay as we arrived)1 Golden-crowned Kinglet - Willard Bay, Willow Creek Campground boardwalk 3 Horned Grebe - Willard Bay...

Colby Neuman (28 Oct 2007) - Tim Avery received word of a Blue Jay coming to a feeder in Willard yesterday. We became quite discouraged this afternoon after spending 3.5 hours watching the feeders at the residence with no Blue Jay. As a last ditch attempt, I decided to drive around the neighborhood while Tim waited at the feeders. As I was driving slowly around the neighborhood, I heard the Blue Jay call at approximately 200S and Main St. in Willard (Box Elder Co.). I drove back to get Tim, and we eventually spotted the bird moving with a scrub-jay 'flock' along the east side of Main Street between 200S and 300S.

Kris Purdy (4 Oct 2007) - A White-throated Sparrow (white-striped morph albeit a little dingy) was at Willard Bay State Park today on the embankment of the channel east of Willow Creek Campground campsite #34. It was keeping company with two adult White-crowned Sparrows. Other birds of interest:...A few Common Terns still interspersed with the Forster's resting on rocky bars along the shoreline...

CACHE COUNTY

Keith Archibald (1 Oct 2007) - Another Sabine's Gull in Cache Valley. Yesterday an adult and today a juvenile.

DAVIS COUNTY

Tim Avery (24 Oct 2007) - Today I headed out to the causeway and Garr Ranch....A juvenile Sabine's Gull flew over the causeway headed northeast near MM3,continuing the great fall for this species in Utah. And the flock of birds where the Beyer's reported a Ruff a few nights back was in the same place, with everything previously reported, minus the Ruff. There was a single Pectoral Sandpiper with them, as well as a Dunlin. And at the first bridge (between MM4-5), on the north side of the causeway was a flock of 95 plovers. And surprisingly, there were 13 American Golden-Plover mixed in with the birds. ...At the ranch things were pretty calm. ...As I walked on the north side of the fence along the spring, I could hear several Golden-crowned Kinglets. As I followed one to the ground about 20 feet ahead I spotted a very rufous melospiza sparrow, and getting my binocs on it was greeted with great looks at a Swamp Sparrow ...The bird was probably directly north of where Kris Purdy saw a sparrow last week that struck her as "swampish", but she didn't get great looks at the bird....

Joel and Kathy (21 Oct 2007) - This evening Kathy and I found a juvenile Ruff on the Antelope Island Causeway (Davis Co.). We initially saw the bird at 6 p.m., in a large mixed flock of peeps, including about 40 Killdeer, 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 4-5 Least Sandpipers, 3 Baird's Sandpipers and a Western Sandpiper. The group was at mile marker 3.5 on the south side, spread out on the mud 30 yards out. We observed the bird for 15-20 minutes through the scope, and were able to eliminate all other possibilities, in particular Buff-breasted Sandpiper. The bird was a very close match to the one in Sibley. At 6:20 all the birds took flight, heading east along the causeway. They split into two groups, landing amongst the rocks at approx. mile markers 4.5 and 5. Before we had a chance to thoroughly search through both groups, they again all took flight and headed north over the causeway. At that point it was getting too dim (6:30 p.m.) to follow them any further.

Kris (19 Oct 2007) - I visited Garr Ranch at Antelope Island State Park in Davis County today to watch for a mysterious sparrow that I saw briefly and poorly at the east end of the spring on Tuesday. In an hour and a half of watching, I didn't hear or see a sparrow, but I did see a Northern Saw-whet Owl in the willow windfall in the northern-most spring channel, the one that channels water from the spring house. The bird perched on a horizontal branch, relatively exposed, and tried to ignore the juncos that came to chip at him occasionally. Paul Higgins arrived at about the same time to look for the male Varied Thrush again and photographed the owl...

Kris (16 Oct 2007) - John Bellmon, Keith Evans, Jack Rensel and I saw a male Varied Thrush at Garr Ranch, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, today. We saw the bird in several places around the east end of the spring; he responded to brief playbacks of the Varied Thrush call twice (our attempt to get him to pop out of thick phragmites). We got prolonged good looks at him later when he foraged in the open in the grass between the fence north of the spring and the horse corrals. ...All other species were relatively common except for the Cassin's Vireo John and I saw in the trees north of the bathrooms. And I thought the last one I saw two weeks ago was a little late for the season! I also saw one Golden-crowned Kinglet near the spring.

Mark Stackhouse (14 Oct 2007) - A few persistent birders (the Beyers, the Sommerfelds, David Wheeler and myself) got good looks of the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at the Antelope Island Causeway this afternoon. The bird was seen briefly on the south side of the first bridge at about 1 pm, then it flew off, and was well seen at about 3:30 in the same location, before flying off to the south. The bird seems to be moving between the large puddle south of the bridge and the lake shore about 1/4 mile due south of that point, where a large mass of birds could be seen. It returned to the causeway site at least twice, so being patient at that spot may be the best strategy. The Beyers said they saw the same bird earlier in the day (exact time?) east of the bridge at about mm 6 on the south side, so it might be worth checking there as well. There was a Pectoral Sandpiper there this afternoon. In the relatively poor light of the afternoon the bird was not initially very obvious, but on the second viewing moved to a better light angle, and all the definitive field marks could be easily seen. The bird is about the same size and shape as a Pectoral Sandpiper, but has a buffy/rusty wash on the breast instead of heavy streaks, is generally warmer brown/slightly rusty on the back, has a prominent white eyebrow, and a dark cap that looks very rusty in good light. The wingtips and tail are long and attenuated, giving the bird a long and tapered look, somewhat like a Baird's, but the legs are obviously pale, as in Pectoral, and not black as in Baird's. The head pattern (white eyebrow and dark cap) is stronger than in either Baird's or Pectoral. I finally got a new bird in Utah this year (#384) - thanks for the great find Tim! Some other birds seen along the causeway included: ...American Golden-Plover (about 6-10)...Short-billed Dowitcher...

Tim Avery (13 Oct 2007) - This afternoon at 12:30 I was working my way west along the causeway and was several hundred yards east of the first bridge when a flock of Dowitchers flew by with what looked like a Pectoral Sandpiper in tow...I soon found that there were two Pectoral Sandpiper with the flock as well as a single Dunlin. ...I started to pack up when a flock of12 BONAPARTE'S GULL came flying over the causeway from the south, landing on the tip of the mud flat jutting out from the causeway. As I followed the birds to land in my binocs, I caught another Pectoral in the corner and to my shock a very bright sandpiper that looked to be a juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. I set my scope down again, and took a quick look. Dark rufous cap, pale and contrasting supercillium, buffy orange wash over the breast, and a lot of rufous in the wings. Definitely not a Pec...the birds took flight as the jets from Hill passed over (as they did most of the afternoon). I opted to follow the birds, which had bunched up with the dowitchers, and other pecs. They headed west about 100 yards then veered south over the causeway. I followed them for a couple hundred yards till I lost sight of them in the rain....The Sharp-tailed never reappeared, but a number of other good shorebirds were seen: 11 American Golden Plover (conservative estimate - all juv's)250 Black-bellied Plover15 PECTORAL SANDPIPER (again conservative - 1 flock of 9 birds) ...1500 Long-billed Dowitcher... 2 Short-billed Dowitcher...

Joel and Kathy Beyer (8 Oct 2007) - Some of the birds we saw today... AI Causeway: 3 Pectoral Sandpipers; 2 Willets; 5 Marbled Godwits; many Least, Western and Baird's Sandpipers; 30+ Black-bellied Plovers; 3 American Golden Plovers; 500+ Red-necked Phalaropes; thousands of Dowitchers; 4Sanderlings; 5 Sandhill Cranes; lots of Pipits. - Garr Ranch: juvenile Northern Goshawk, 1 Wilson's Warbler, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers, 2 Townsend's Warblers, 20+ YR Warblers, 2 Dusky Flycatchers, 3 Red-naped Sapsuckers, 2 Townsend's Solitaires, 20 Flickers, 1 Cassin's Vireo, 30+ Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 1 Swainson's Thrush, and at least 100 Hermit Thrushes. Farmington Bay WMA: 38 species, including an adult Sabine's Gull, 2 Common Terns, 20 Lesser and 10 Greater Yellowlegs, 5 Wilson's Snipe, and 2 Short-billed Dowitchers.

GRAND COUNTY

Lu Giddings (28 Oct 2007) - I made the drive to Moab Friday morning and spent the rest of the day and yesterday morning birding around town and the adjacent area.... The only noteworthy sightings were Eurasian Collared-Doves. Flocks of 5,6, and 16 were spotted around town early Saturday morning.

IRON COUNTY

Ned Bixler (19 Oct 2007) -  4:00 PM. The Neotropic Cormorant was still at Quichipa Reservoir near Cedar City. There were also numerous ducks on the reservoir.

Joel and Kathy (19 Oct 2007) - We saw a juvenile Sabine's Gull on Quichapa Reservoir on Wednesday October 17. Also, the Neotropic Cormorant is still there.

Rick Fridell - ...in case anyone is still wondering, I observed the continuing Neotropic Cormorant at Quichapa Lake (Iron Co.) on Tuesday afternoon (10/09).

MORGAN COUNTY

Weston Smith (21 Oct 2007) - We had an adult winter Harris Sparrow at our feeder here in Croydon Utah this morning the 21st about 9am. All the birds flushed about an hour ago and I have not seen it since. Hopefully it will come back so I can try taking a picture of it.

Weston Smith (16 Oct 2007) - The Rose-breasted Grosbeak was seen at our feeders here in Croydon, UT on Sunday(9/14) morning from about 9am to noon when I left for work. The bird looked to be a 1st winter male as shown in the Sibley guide but had the streaking across the entire breast, also seemed to be brighter than any Black-headed that I have ever seen. I was able to get a few "didgy scope" (digital camera shots through a scope) pictures of it but am not computer savvy enough to get them on here.

Kristin Purdy (7 Oct 2007) - I birded several reservoirs--East Canyon, Rockport, and Echo--along the Wasatch Back in Morgan and Summit Counties today. The highlights: Surprise Cassin's and Warbling Vireos (one of each) in the spruce trees in front of the restaurant at East Canyon Resort....

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Tim Avery (29 Oct 2007) - Some more highlights from Saturday afternoon and Sunday. 1 Greater White-fronted Goose - Lee's Creek in SL County ...1 Snow Goose - Lee's Creek in SL County...

Tim Avery (26 Oct 2007) - This afternoon I snuck in 9 holes at Mick Riley Golf Course in Murray and on the3rd hole, had a Winter Wren chattering away. I tracked the bird down near the pond on the NE side of the fairway working its way through a Russian Olive (must have been a good flight for WIWR last night!).

Tim Avery (26 Oct 2007) - I headed over to Parley's Gulch to try and photograph the Screech-Owl that Deedee found earlier this week... but no owl... However, while we were standing there, at the cement barrier on the left, and where the metal poss cross the river, a Winter Wren came across the path and landed in the brush on the river bank.

Mark Stackhouse (18 Oct 2007) - Blackburnian Warbler seen again‏ - Pat Jividen stopped by my house between 8:45 and 9:15 this morning and apparently saw the warbler again, at first foraging under the gutter at the back edge of my roof, and then for time at greater distance when it flew to the top of a large Catalpa tree behind my yard. I wasn't able to see it from my office window, nor have I seen it at all today, but there's lots of trees here and I don't have the most open view. It seems that it's still around. I'll post any other sightings as soon as I learn of them.

Mark Stackhouse (17 Oct 2007) - At about 8:30 this morning I saw a first-fall female Blackburnian Warbler outside my bedroom window. David Wheeler and I have been looking for it since the initial sighting (it was sitting 15' outside my window for 5 minutes), so far without success. There's a lot of activity here this morning. This brings my yard list to 106 species...

Tim Avery (9 Oct 2007) - Spent about 40 minutes a Lee Kay Ponds this afternoon. Highlights are as follows: ...1 Horned Grebe (in SW corner of the west pond)2 Eared Grebe (on main pond)...

Tim Avery (8 Oct 2007) - I did a quick check of our Salt Lake County reservoirs this afternoon ...At Little Dell, which is usually dreadfully dead, I was shocked to see little dots all along the north shore from the overlook just off the road before the turnoff to Emigration Canyon. However, 95% of the dots turned out to be American Coots, around 100. The were however 8 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 12 MALLARD,1 EARED GREBE, 10 RING-NECKED DUCK, 4 LESSER SCAUP and the highlight of the afternoon, 3 Greater Scaup. A bit early but I guess on cue with a number of other early arrivals this fall...

Dave Hanscom (7 Oct 2007) - Today I had to go out to Sears on 5600 West, so I decided to check out Lee Kay Ponds. It was an amazingly good morning, with 36 species in about an hour. Highlights: - Peregrine Falcon, Great and Snowy Egrets, Horned Grebe, a bunch of Turkey Vultures, White-faced Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, lots of Ruddy Ducks, and a Western Wood-peewee that must have missed his southbound bus...

Colby Neuman (6 Oct 2007) - Tim Avery and I birded Sugarhouse Park, the Salt Lake International Center, Antelope Island Causeway and Saltair today.
Highlights were 2 different Sabine's Gulls and 3 American Golden-Plovers... Salt Lake International Center - Sabine's Gull - 1 juvenile - worked the ditch that is to the southeast of the intersection of Wright Brothers and Harold Getty Drives...the bird eventually flew off to the southwest and we could not refind the bird ... Antelope Island Causeway - American Golden-Plover - 3 juveniles - both sides of causeway  - Sabine's Gull - 1 juvenile on north side of causeway between MM 2-3...

Tim Avery (2 Occt 2007) - This evening at the Salt Lake International Center I found a couple interesting birds. The first was an apparent female/1st Winter Indigo Bunting. The bird was quite cinnamon colored on it's head, back and wings. It also showed a pale throat, and streaked breast....The other interesting bird, and perhaps even rarer than the bunting was what I believe was appeared to be a hybrid Red-breasted x Red-naped Sapsucker. The bird initially flew past me, and appeared to have a lot of red on its head. When I located it in the tree it flew to I could see the red extending form the throat, onto the breast, as well as onto the face and neck. From behind the bird had a lot of red from the forehead all the way to its back. Otherwise, the back and wing pattern as well as tail looked like a fairly typical RNSA...

SUMMIT COUNTY

Kathy and Joel (15 Oct 2007) - Late this afternoon we checked out Rockport and Echo Reservoirs in Summit County. Birds of interest were a Pectoral Sandpiper and a juvenile Herring Gull at Rockport, and a Greater White-fronted Goose and at least 20 Common Loons at Echo.

UINTAH COUNTY

Lu Giddings (13 Oct 2007) - A White-throated Sparrow was seen at about 10:30 a.m. this morning about two miles into the auto tour route at Ouray NWR. It was, oddly enough, in the reeds with a number of other sparrows. A Stilt Sandpiper was seen in the company of long-billed dowitchers and greater and lesser yellowlegs at about 4:30 p.m. this afternoon at Pelican Lake. The birds were frequenting a shallow marshy area just across the access road to the sportsman's area.

UTAH COUNTY 

Dave Allen (28 Oct 2007) - I am sad to report that the Red-necked Grebe that had been at Clegg's pond in Orem was found dead today in the last described location. I believe that someone has been notified so that it can be collected.

Stephen Carlile (27 Oct 2007) - Just got back from Orem looking for the Red-necked Grebe at Clegg's Pond. When I arrived, around 10:00, Tom Fletcher was already there looking for the bird. Tom had been there for about an hour. It was a good day for grebes. We saw five species: Clark's, Pied-billed, Eared, Horned, and the RED-NECKED. ...However, where we found the Red-necked and its behavior raised some concerns. We had been scanning the pond and as we walked around we literally stumbled onto the Red-necked. It was found in a very small inlet of the pond just south (15-20 feet) of the large elm tree with the swing. (The tree is on the east side of the pond "access road".) We were within 25 feet of the bird. (We probably could have gotten closer, but decided to keep our distance.) The bird was up against the shore in only two or three inches of water. The entire time we watched it, 15 or 20 minutes, it did not move, except to reposition its head and occasionally raise its head slightly so the rusty/red on the neck was visible. The bird's eyes were closed as much as they were open. Unless the bird was having a very slow morning or just being lazy, it was acting like it wasn't feel very well.

Eric Huish (25 Oct 2007) - This morning Grant Jense called to tell me that he found a White-winged Dove in our neighborhood on his morning walk. The bird was with some Eurasian Collard-Doves at about 350 N 500 E Pleasant Grove. I drove around the area on my way home from work but didn't see any doves.

Carol Gwynn (13 Oct 2007) - The Red-necked Grebe was still at Clegg's Pond in Orem at 8 a.m. this morning. It didn't seem to mind the rain one bit.

Merrill Webb (11 Oct 2007) - This morning, Thursday, I observed a single Red-necked Grebe on Clegg's Pond (as it is known by the locals) in west Orem. To reach the pond take the University Parkway exit off I-15 and turn west. At Geneva Road turn north (right) and proceed to next stop light. Turn west (left) onto Sleepy Ridge Drive (which goes to the Sleepy Ridge Golf Course in west Orem) and travel for less than one mile to Golden Pond Way. Turn left. This road goes past a black metal gate. After two houses on the left turn south (left) onto a dirt road which takes you right down to the pond, which is between the road and the golf course. I had three different grebes in the same field of vision: Clark's, Pied-billed, and the Red-necked for easy comparison...

Dave Hanscom (7 Oct 2007) - The Salt Lake Birders had a surprisingly good morning yesterday at Utah Lake. ...Highlights were: - several hundred waders at the southeast corner of the Provo Airport dike, the majority of which were LB Dowitchers, but several Pectoral Sandpipers were in the mix, along with Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Avocets, one lone Black-necked Stilt, Caspian and Forster's Terns, Green-winged Teal, Black-crowned Night-heron, Sharp-shinned Hawk, etc (but no Merlin) - west of the frontage road between the two Springville exits were Great and Snowy Egrets, and more than 100 Sandhill Cranes flying in and feeding in the fields...

Eric Huish (7 Oct 2007) - Tuula Rose, Larry Draper and I saw a Great Egret fly over at the southeast corner of the airport dike this morning. Tuula and I also got a look at what appeared to be a very dark Peregrine Falcon fly by. All the dowitchers, yellowlegs, avocets and gulls took off off the mudflat and started swirling around in crazy frenzied flocks. We knew there was something there but didn't see the falcon 'till it was past us.

WASATCH COUNTY 

Tim Avery (12 Oct 2007) - I headed up into the mountains south of Strawberry for one last time this year, hoping to finally tick off my nemesis for the year, Dusky Grouse… I spent most of Thursday. 10/11, hiking the forest between Center Canyon and French Hollow, hoping to scare one up, but after 6 miles the only grouse was a RUFFED GROUSE, that I initially heard drumming, or at least doing something similar...In the morning, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL flew past our car as we drove up the mountain towards Center Canyon. … At the top of Center Canyon just after sunrise, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET Owl was heard tooting just over a ridge. This is the same area I photographed one last month. Around 9:30am in French Hollow I came across a female American Three-toed Woodpecker, noisily in search of food. 2 more birds were heard nearby but not seen. And in the afternoon around 5:00pm as I was sitting on a ridge between Center Canyon and French Hollow a flock of about 24 junco's came along feeding... Luckily for me I heard a warbler chip, that sounded like a Myrtle's Yellow-rumped. Sure enough, in a small aspen was the bird. But more strange, about a foot away, was a pale gray (snow-gray as I described to my dad) headed and backed junco. The bird sported two very faint white-wings bars, and a white belly. I thought "White-winged Junco", but couldn't remember where that subspecies was, or if it was a subspecies at all. ..When I finally got back to camp I flipped open my Sibley and saw the bird on p.501, a 1st year White-winged form Dark-eyed Junco. I hadn't seen this subspecies, before, and it was very surprisingly pale, which made it stand out as an odd junco.

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Mark Stackhouse (29 Oct 2007) - ...I made a quick trip to southern Utah yesterday to twitch what I hoped would be a couple of new birds...there wasn't a single cormorant to be seen anywhere, and none on Quichapa Lake, so I was too late for the Neotropical. Oh well...At Quail Creek Reservoir we ran into Ed Leite and his friend Beth. I had just finished a fruitless scan of half of the reservoir (could I dip on both my targets???) when Beth asked about a bird she had in the scope, and Ed proclaimed, "that's it!" I swung my scope to the area where they were looking and quickly located the bird - joy - Long-tailed Jaeger indeed - number 385 for my Utah list. Nice bird - thanks to Rick F. for finding and keeping track of this for the rest of us. Also of interest at Quail Creek was a COMMON LOON, several BUFFLEHEAD, and a Common Tern. ...By the time we got to Lytle there wasn't much daylight left, but there was decent bird activity. The best bird was a White-throated Sparrow in the orchard...

Rick Fridell (26 Oct 2007) - Well, I guess I wrong about needing to hurry to see the Long-tailed Jaeger at Quail Creek State Park (Washington Co.). It's still hanging out (since10/18), and must be collecting enough small fish to get by. I noticed it this morning (10/26) while scanning the reservoir. Every once in a while a Peregrine Falcon would make a pass at it and chase it for a while, but it seemed to elude the falcon fairly easily...

Tim Avery (21 Oct 2007) - On Friday (10/19) Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld and I traveled to Washington County to see the Long-tailed Jaeger found by Rick Fridell at Quail Creek. ...Quail Creek Reservoir...After arriving at what's left of the reservoir, we started scanning the water for the bird. It took 4 or 5 scans of the water before we finally found the bird several hundred yards away on the water. Over the next 2 hours we watched it flying around the lake, sitting on the water, getting chased by a jerk on jet-ski, and feeding on a large bluegill. At one point the bird made a pass over us on the beach, just 25 feet above our heads. Great looks at a greatbird. ...Stratton Pond... The pond was covered with diving and dabbling ducks as it often is during the winter, and continued it reliability with both HOODED MERGANSER and Greater Scaup. A "Myrtle's subspecies" Yellow-rumped Warbler was chipping in the treesby the water. ...Seegmiller Marsh Complex & Springs Estates Pond...Three Common Moorhen were heard in Seegmiller, as well as acouple Green Heron. ...

Joel and Kathy (20 Oct 2007) - This morning at Lytle Ranch was again fairly quiet. A Yellow-shafted Flicker was in the orchard, a Belted Kingfisher at the pond, and a 'Wilson's Snipe in the stream between the pond and the monument. A pair of Phainopepla's was also present.  Yesterday afternoon in the Lava Point/Kolob Reservoir area Lewis's and Acorn Woodpeckers, a Peregrine Falcon, and 3 California Condors were seen. We also found a No. Pygmy-Owl being mobbed by Steller's and Scrub Jays, about 3 miles down the road from Blue Springs Reservoir.

Larry Tripp (19 Oct 2007) -  I got to Lytle first thing this morning and was there until 2:30. A lot of Sparrows were around a Sooty type Fox was the only unusual one. Plenty of Yellow rumps, Kinglets and RN Sapsuckers were also there. Probably the best bird I saw was a Black-and-White Warbler along the creek west of the main gate. On the way home I stopped at a couple spots along the Santa Clara river and below Gunlock Res. there was a Red-shouldered Hawk.

Joel and Kathy (19 Oct 2007) - Yesterday morning we found a Black-and-white Warbler at Lytle Ranch, otherwise it was fairly quiet.

Rick Fridell - I noticed a juvenile jaeger flying around Quail Creek State Park (Washington Co.) this morning (10/18) on my way up to a meeting in Cedar City. I managed to make it back this afternoon, this time with optics, and soon noticed the jaeger was a juvenile light-phase Long-tailed Jaeger. It managed to stay mostly along the opposite shoreline (of course), flying along the cliffs, and occasionally fluttering down to the water surface. It would occasionally rest on the water for short periods. I think I managed to get some blurry, but identifiable, photos. It was surprisingly difficult to track while flying, and I would often lose it for a while against the cliffs on the east side of Quail Creek reservoir. The pale head and strongly barred undertail coverts were quite obvious when it is perched on the water, and the pale belly, chest, and white underwing barring were apparent in flight. I last observed the jaeger this afternoon about 6:10 with Josh Kreitzer and family. I plan to check and see if the bird is present on my way to work first thing in the morning...

Rick Fridell - Yesterday (10/13) I observed 4-5 Acorn Woodpeckers in the large aspen patch along the road south of Kolob Reservoir (Washington Co.). There were also several Lewis's Woodpeckers at Lava Point, Blue Springs, and along the Kolob Meadows between Blue Springs and Kolob Reservoirs. This afternoon (10/14), I photographed a male 'Yellow-shafted' Flicker at the Springdale Pond.

Rick Fridell - Today (10/11) there was a Dunlin at Sand Hollow State Park.. The Dunlin was on the emerged sandbar below the southwest dike (visible from the parking lot), where all the gulls roost. This is only the second Dunlin I've ever seen in Washington County.

Larry Tripp (5 Oct 2007) - Today at Lytle Ranch in the orchard there was a Baird's Sparrow. I wasn't convinced until I got home and looked at some references. I never really got a great look at the bird but did see enough to separate it from other Ammodramus Sparrows. I chased it around for at least an hour trying to get looks at it. I would almost have to step on it to get it to fly then it would only go 20 to 30 feet and dive back into the grass. After doing this about ten times I was finally able to spot it while scanning through the grass with my binoculars while I was only about eight feet away from it. I only saw the head upper back and sides of the upper breast. I was lucky to even see any of it except in flight. It would always move through the grass from where it would land which made it a guessing game as to where to look without flushing it. The tail was one thing that helped in flight. The outer web was pale. It wasn't obvious like a vesper and the first time I saw it I wasn't sure because it would dive back down in the grass so quickly. But after seeing it a couple times I was sure I was seeing a pale edge. I last saw it at the beginning of the orchard.

WAYNE COUNTY

Carleton DeTar - On Saturday, October 13, 2007, I observed a Palm Warbler in Robbers' Roost Canyon, Wayne County, Utah. The location was about two miles upstream from the confluence with the Dirty Devil River. I am quite familiar with the species from experience in the Eastern US. Field marks included a flash of white in the tips of the outer tail feathers, a distinct supercilium, a dull brown front and back (suggesting a Western bird), and yellow undertail coverts. The bird flushed from the ground and perched in a low tree, pumping its tail nonstop in classic palm-warbler fashion. I had good views from about 30'. Its call was a "plick", softer than the yellow-rumped warblers with which it was associating. I realize that this one will be difficult to corroborate, give the remoteness and vastness of the area.

WEBER COUNTY 

Kris Purdy (27 Nov 2007) - Several Black-capped Chickadees mobbed a Northern Shrike in Jefferson Hunt Campground in Ogden Valley, Weber County, this morning. The shrike appeared to be a first-year bird due to the buffy-tinged, scaly breast.

Bill Fenimore (7 Oct 2007) - We saw a beautiful male Summer Tanager on our bird walk Saturday along the Weber River Parkway in Riverdale. Walk north from 4300 South parking area until you reach the 1 mile post (although, it is approximately 1/4 mile from where you start on the trail), count 12 hash marks on the path way (approximately 40 yards) from the 1 mile post. The bird was in the Russian Olives on the west side of the trail. After disappearing, it responded to a tape and spent another 4-5 minutes nearby in the open. The Weber River Parkway is reached off Riverdale Road, going north on 700 west, turn right at the 2nd right onto 4300 south. There is a parking area off 4300 south. Walk north along the park way.