Review Species Reported This Month:
    Gyrfalcon  Salt Lake Co.
    Lesser Black-backed Gull  Salt Lake Co.
    Slaty-backed Gull  Salt Lake Co.
    Western Gull  Salt Lake Co.
    Glaucous-winged Gull  Salt Lake Co. 
    Snowy Owl  Salt Lake Co.
    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  Washington Co.
    Red-breasted Sapsucker  Washington  Co.
    Eastern Bluebird  Cache Co. 
    Chestnut-collared Longspur  Davis Co. 
    Rusty Blackbird  Washington Co.
 

CACHE COUNTY

Connie McManus (31 Dec 2007) - I reported seeing Tundra and Trumpeter Swans at a pond that I called Olson's Pond and some of you may be wondering just where this is. It is located north of the intersection of 2200 South and 2000 West, officially known as the 20-20 Ponds.

Craig Fosdick (30 Dec 2007) - Today (12/30; ~4 PM) I found a White-throated Sparrow at S 100 E and E 400 S in Logan. The bird popped up as I was spishing at three White-crowned Sparrows and two Black-capped Chickadees in a hedgerow on the west side of S 100 E, just south of the intersection with E 400 S. Although I participated in the Logan CBC and was at the compilation, I don't recall a WTSP being mentioned.  Other birds of interest in the neighborhood were two separate flocks of Bohemian Waxwings, two Bald Eagles and two Rough-legged Hawks.

Stephen Peterson (29 Dec 2007) - While searching in vain for the supposed Eastern Bluebird in Logan today, I ran across a pair of Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers on 1630 N 1515 E.  There were small groups of Bohemian Waxwings around this area, but no Eastern Bluebird that I could find with them.

Milt Moody (28 Dec 2007) - Rob Fergus just called in and reported an Eastern Bluebird at 1410 East1700 North in Logan. He said that the bluebird along with about 300 Bohemian Waxwings and some Cedars were seen where 1410 East dead ends (hopefully they're hanging around that area). Rob is visiting from the East and was trying to help his brother-in-law find some Bohemians when they found this unexpected rarity.

Alice Lindahl (18 Dec 2007) -  I have a Harris's Sparrow at my feeder today, has been hanging around for several hours (10:00 till 2:00). It's a lifer for me!

Jason Pietrzak (10 Dec 2007) - This is the 3rd out of the last 4 days that a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings has been in our backyard in Logan. From my photos, I would estimate that the flock today was 300-400, but it could be more. We have a small stream where the Waxwings have been bathing and drinking as well as berries that they have been eating. I have not seen any Cedar Waxwings in the mix. For anybody who is interested in seeing this flock, the stream where I am seeing them is directly between the 200E and 400E and between 1200N and 1400N.

lwbingham (9 Dec 2007) -  Reinhard Jockel and I drive south today to Hyrum Reservoir and back to Logan Canyon First Dam. We saw Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings just east of the Logan Fairgrounds. Hyrum Dam... Pacific Loon (2)...

Joseph (4 Dec 2007) - During the summer I occasionally saw a Eurasian Collard-Dove in Hyrum Utah while driving past the corner of 100 N and 200 East, not birdwatching, just noticing what is around me. This morning, (I rarely if ever get out that early),t here was a whole flock there...

Jim Lofthouse (4 Dec 2007) - Friday afternoon about 4:00 PM we discovered a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings in the North West part of Paradise. They were not hanging around long though and kept flying a little ways to land in another tree. We followed them across town and they went to the South East corner of Paradise then flew eastward. We got some pretty good looks at the flock while in the trees, and never saw any Cedar Waxwings. Near as I can tell there was about 350 birds.

DAVIS COUNTY

Kris Purdy (31 Dec 2007) - Paul Higgins just called (11:00 am, Monday) with a report of a Great Egret at Farmington Bay WMA in Davis County. The bird is just west of the parking lot at the end of the west dike where Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld found the Western Gull last March. The egret was enjoying fishing success with Great Blue Herons and Paul got some great images, which he'll post in a couple days when his computer is functional again.

Edson Leite (31 Dec 2007) - I took my girlfriend's family birdwatching for the first time today. We went to Antelope Island they had a blast. We had a Goshawk on the road to the Ranch, a couple porcupines on the trees, and Sharpie on the way to the ranch as well. At the first bridge we had 7 Long-tailed Ducks.

Stephen Carlile (28 Dec 2007) - With the week off from work I decided to go on the monthly Audubon Farmington Bay trip today. ...The highlights were a Northern Shrike (in the last cluster of small trees east of Egg Island on the north side of the road)...

Tim Avery (21 Dec 2007) - [Chestnut-collared Longspur] Thanks to Bryan for the phone call this afternoon. I was able to get a hold of the Sommerfeld's and make our way up. As Bryan mentioned, the bad news was the bird was gone. We spent about 1.5-2 hours searching in the area where the bird was seen without locating the bird. We decided to head towards Glover's Lane as the bird was last seen flying out to the NW around Egg Island. So along with the Sommerfeld's, Paul Higgins, and Larene Wyss, we headed that way. We drove to the turnaround at the north end of the ponds and headed back south along the pond at Glover's Lane, when the bird literally flew up right in front of the car, over the top and behind us. Thankfully it was an overly cooperative bird and we were all able to watch it until it was dark. Pat Jividen showed up a few minutes afterwards and was able to see the bird as well. The bird let us approach and view it from within 20 feet. When it did fly it called a couple times giving a 3 note rattle...

Bryan Shirley (21 Dec 2007) - Santa came early this year and delivered a Chestnut-collared Longspur to Farmington Bay today. I found it about 2 PM on the road about 100 yards south of the gate at Egg Island.... It looks like a male in transition plumage. Closer to winter, but it still has a mostly black belly. It also has a bit of chestnut color mixed with the black on the breast. Sibly doesn't show that, but the National Geographic guide shows breeding males with either black or with chestnut breasts. At first I didn't notice it, but at close range it does have a few chestnut-tinged feathers in the collar as well...

Jeff Bilsky (10 Dec 2007) - In preparation for the CBC, I birded the Bountiful area over the weekend. Saturday I found a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings with the occasional CEDAR WAXWING mixed in right near the Cemetery. Also spotted a Merlin in a tree. Sunday went again with Carl Ingwell and spotted a large flock of RED CROSSBILLS amongst other expected species.

DUCHESNE COUNTY

Brian Maxfield (7 Dec 2007) - I have observed two large flocks of rosy-fnches over the past couple of days. The largest was in Indian Canyon (south of Duchesne) and number around 100 birds. It was a mixture of Black Rosy-finches and Gray-crowned Rosy-finches. They were feeding on roads cuts near the national forest boundary sign along the highway.

Brian Maxfield (2 Dec 2007) - Apparently, the Snow Buntings know we received snow in the Uintah Basin. I observed a small flock of snow buntings in a snowy field in Boneta. This is my first snow bunting for the area and an added bonus to see several at one time.

RICH COUNTY

Craig Fosdick (9 Dec 2007) - Mo Correll, Ryan O' Donnell, Stephanie Cobbold, and myself took a rather long drive from Logan to Birch Creek Reservoir in hopes of just maybe finding some Rosy-finches still hanging around. Not so much with the Rosy-finches. ..Birds of interest-about 13 or so Rough-legged Hawks, most in the Bear River floodplain along UT 16 between Randolph and Woodruff. Woodruff had 10+ Eurasian-Collared Doves; we saw one more in Randolph. We also had 8+ Bald Eagles (3 in Randolph, 1 in Woodruff, and 4+ along UT 99) and 4 Goldens. A Northern Shrike was also along UT 99 west of Woodruff.

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Tim Avery (31 Dec 2007) - I went out to Lee Kay Ponds this morning to look for the dark-mantled 3rd winter Western/Slaty-backed Gull, but it did not make an appearance while I was present. I was joined by Steve Carr and Stephen Carlile. We did however observe the adult Western Gull, as well as an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, LBBG that appeared to be an advanced 3rd winter, or an adult without little to no white in the primaries, as well as a 1st winter LBBG. There were also 5 - 1st winter Thayer's Gulls. At one point 4 were together showing a variety of plumages.

Brad Wahlin (30 Dec 2007) - Today in Riverton there was a Greater White-fronted Goose in the field that I reported the snow goose in yesterday. It was with about 200 Canadas and was right next to the road on 13400 s. and 2700 w. It did not have dark bars on its belly but still a nice looking bird!!!

Tim Avery (29 Dec 2007) - So I am going to go out on a limb here to potentially get anyone interested out to Lee Kay to look for the large dark-mantled gull I found today. I posted the pics to ID-frontiers and have thus far had people who think the bird is either a Western Gull or as I thought a Slaty-backed Gull. I have been going over references this evening trying to find similar looking birds for either species. ...Other gulls of note were: 1 - adult Western Gull (I would assume this is the same bird from last winter) 2 - adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 or 2 - 1st winter Lesser Black-backed Gull,  1 - 2nd winter Glaucous-winged Gull, 1 - 2nd winter Glaucous Gull, 2 - adult Mew Gull, 4 - 1st winter Thayer's Gull, 115 - Herring Gull, 750 - Ring-billed Gull.  I spent so much time looking at the Black-backed Gulls that I didn't get a chance to go through the flock thoroughly to see what maybe hiding in terms of white-winged gulls.

Tim Avery (18 Dec 2007) - This afternoon I spent an hour at Lee Kay Ponds going through the gulls. I was unable to locate the Glaucous, Glaucous-winged or the two strange gulls from Saturday, but there were 3 first winter Thayer's Gulls present, including one very light bird on the main pond. A darker individual was also on the main pond and another typical THGU was on the west pond.

Pomera Fronce - Salt Lake CBC Coordinator (17 Dec 2007) - You may have heard the rumor of a possible Snowy Owl sighting on the Salt Lake CBC last Saturday. Let me tell you what I know. The bird was not seen by any of the CBC participants. It was reported to the CBC team in the area by a hunter they happened to encounter while they were out counting. So at this time we have an unconfirmed sighting. I am in the process of trying to determine who the observer was so I can approach him about documenting his sighting to the National Audubon Society and the UOS Records Committee. Unfortunately, the birding community at large will not have the opportunity to look for this bird. The area where it was seen is all private property and the landowners do not plan to "throw open the gates for birders." The area is also fraught with security and sensitive-species issues. The birding community is now on good terms with the people who own this land. They usually graciously allow our CBC count team access to their property each year for one day only although for some reason not this year. We don't want to do anything to jeopardize our relationship with these folks. Thank you for your understanding and for being respectful of this situation.

Tim Avery (15 Dec 2007) - Of all the birds I could have expected to come across during the Salt lake CBC this morning, a hummingbird was not on my list. Yet just before 9:00am as I pished near a thicket on the north side of the Bountiful Cemetery, a small "tip-tip tip tip" call and the flutter of a very small bird emerged from the thicket. I was stunned to see a hummer and hurried to get it in my binos. The bird had dark central patch on the gorget, a bold white line above the eye, and a flash of green down the flanks. I was fairly certain it was a female Anna's Hummingbird. The bird landed in the tree and I hollered for the rest of my team to scurry over... It took 5 or 6 minutes but with a little squeaking, the bird emerged yet again, and 3 out of the other 4 members of the group were able to see the bird. My second look confirmed my initial thought. The bird again disappeared rather quickly and was not seen again. ...During the CBC potluck another group mentioned that they also had a Hummingbird sp. in Salt Lake County... In any event, the bird in Bountiful was near the cement building on the north side of the cemetery, on the east side of the building. ..Also at Lee Kay ponds was a 2nd winter Glaucous-winged Gull, a 2nd winter Glaucous Gull (found by Pomera Fronce), an apparent hyrbid Glaucous-winged x Western Gull and another hybrid that I think may be a Herring x Glaucous/Glaucous-winged.

Tim Avery (14 Dec 2007) - I was doing a little scouting this morning for the North Salt Lake Bountiful quad of the Salt Lake CBC. There wasn't much out and about... except for WAXWINGS! Several blocks from where Jeff Bilsky reported them last week, I found a flock that I estimated had around 400 birds in it. However, being curious I decided to count the birds in a flight shot I took and came up wit at least 553 individuals in the flock, with a 10:1 ratio for Bohemian to Cedars, not a bad little flock. This area was between Davis Boulevard and 400 East, from 2450 South to 2600 South. The birds were moving between several yards, and trees, and often worked in smaller flocks. Several blocks away I had another flock of about 50 Bohemian Waxwing feeding in a crab apple tree. And out of the Cont Circle on Mills Drive/Lane 13 Bohemian Waxwing were in an ornamental Juniper.

Jerry Liguori (1 Dec 2007) - I just had a juvenile gray Gyrfalcon fly past me headed south as I was shoveling my driveway (I live along the foothills north of Mill Creek), it flew out of sight then 10 minutes later headed back north. Look out for it at Farmington Bay, Cache Valley or any other good habitat it might show up at. Absolutely the best yard bird I've ever had.

SAN JUAN COUNTY

Lu Giddings (3 Jan 2008) - The first annual Bluff CBC was held on Saturday December 29th. Total Count: 64 species ...Ross's Goose... Hooded Merganser ... Eurasian Collared-Dove... Northern Shrike...

UINTAH COUNTY

Brian Maxfield (7 Dec 2007) - I have observed two large flocks of rosy-fnches over the past couple of days. The largest was in Indian Canyon (south of Duchesne) and number around 100 birds. ...The other flock, around 60 birds, was seen along the Jones Hole road northeast of Vernal. The flock was feeding in road cuts along the road heading down into Jones Hole approximately 4-5 miles before the hatchery. Again, the flock was a mixture of Gray-crowned and Blacks Rosy-finches. I looked and looked but could not find any Brown-capped Rosy-finches... I thought since I was only a mile or so from Colorado maybe one would slip in.

UTAH COUNTY 

Ned Bixler - Dec. 27 - 4 PM - North end of Provo Airport. Several Snow Buntings were in the field on the West side of the Lakeside Storage buildings. They were along the road that connects the airport road, and the storage buildings.

Lu Giddings (23 Dec 2007) - There have been a few sightings of interest in southern Utah county over the last days. In our portion of the Provo CBC yesterday Bryan and Justin Shirley and I turned up a few species of interest including a white-faced ibis, a vesper's sparrow, 17 sandhill cranes, American tree sparrows, a yellow-headed blackbird, a Northern Shrike, and a merlin. ...

Tuula Rose (17 Dec 2007) - Since I have not seen any reports of Bohemians in Utah County, here goes. Sunday afternoon I was scouting around my CBC are for this coming Saturday and found lots of waxwings eating the berries of ornamental crabapple and pair trees that line the east end of Center Street leading to the State Mental Hospital in Provo. About half and half Cedars and Bohemians with a bunch of robins also. A couple of hundred birds total, I'd estimate. They were flying back and forth from the fruit trees to the tops of tall trees on the grounds. I hope they stick around.

Alona Huffaker (10 Dec 2007) - There's a Northern Pygmy Owl eating an American Goldfinch in my Maple tree in Springville--a new one for my yard list!

Ned Bixler - SUNDAY 2 PM - DEC. 9TH - Utah Lake State Park - At the end of the North dike, there were several Surf Scoters today. Birding over all was EXCELLENT today, in Utah County.

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Tim Avery (29 Dec 2007) - Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld called to report that the Red-breasted Sapsucker previously reported in Springdale was found again today They also found a Rufous-crowned Sparrow on the road to the amphitheater in Springdale. At Sand Hollow Reservoir were 2 Trumpeter Swans with 8 TUNDRA SWANS.

Tim Avery (29 Dec 2007) - I headed down to St. George on Thursday hoping to finally tick off a Vermilion Flycatcher for the year. Talk about a relief, when I finally laid eyes on a female bird in Bloomington on Thursday. ...At first light Friday I was back at Lytle... I birded the camping area, and flushed what looked to be a juvenile-type sapsucker from a cottonwood into the pines at the kiosk. Right as I got to the trees a Red-breasted Sapsucker dropped out of the pines and into a tree a few feet away, followed immediately by the juvenile bird, and an adult female Red-naped Sapsucker. The birds were quite jittery and didn't allow me to get to close. The juvenile bird flew directly above me into a cottonwood and with the great light it looked like a good Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Absolutely no red in the head yet, and still a very dirty bird, typical of juveniles of this species this time of year.   ...I made my way into Washington Fields from the loop around the state park and spent some time looking for the Lark Bunting Rick reported last month.  As I worked my way east along the main east-west road I came into a huge flock of Red-winged Blackbird, with smaller numbers of Starlings, Cowbirds, and Brewer's Blackbirds. A couple hundred feet from the corner where the east-west road T's the main north-south road there was a flock of 80-90 Brewer's Blackbirds in a corral made up of box crates. Almost in the front was a female Rusty Blackbird which stuck out like a sore thumb in the bunch.

Larry Tripp (21 Dec 2007) Today at about 8:00 am Just south of Central in Washington County I saw a flock of 150 + Bohemian Waxwings. They were flying around in a large flock and were also seen landing in Juniper trees just south of the fields. They all looked the same in flight and everyone I saw perched was a Bohemian. I last saw them flying towards Central. I looked for them when I came back home this afternoon but didn't see them. I would think there are still around somewhere between Central and Veyo.

Mark Stackhouse (20 Dec 2007) - The Red-breasted Sapsucker reported by Rick Fridell from the Zion CBC was still there this afternoon at about 1 p.m. It was in the same pines northeast of the swimming pool at the Cliff Rose Lodge in Springdale. In that group of pines there's one larger one right next to the building to the north - this seems to be the favorite spot of this bird. A long-time nemesis, and number 386 for my Utah list (my forth new Utah bird this year, doubling my total for each of the last two years).

Rick Fridell (16 Dec 2007) - Yesterday 12/15 while taking part in the Zion Christmas Bird Count, KevinWheeler, Josh Kreitzer, Pam Larson and Jan Boyer found a Red-breasted Sapsucker on the grounds of the Cliffrose Lodge in Springdale. Quinn and I were able to join them for a while to take some pictures of the sapsucker. It is very approachable and yesterday was hanging around in the pine trees northeast of the pool. Also Kevin, Pam, Jan and Josh discovered a White-throated Sparrow during the count, across the bridge at the Springdale City Park.

Larry Tripp (14 Dec 2007) - Birding along the Santa Clara river in Washington County today I saw a Swamp Sparrow behind Tonaquint Nature Center. There was also a Golden-crowned Kinglet in the pines at the nature center and there are still quite a few Orange-crowned Warblers along the river between there and where it meets the Virgin River.

WEBER COUNTY 

Steve Carr (11 Dec 2007) - The Red-shouldered Hawk that Kris has been monitoring was seen at the picnic grove, in the far NW corner of the Ogden Nature Center. One of the workers at the ONC said that it is usually seen on the very east edge of the property in the a.m., then moves to the picnic grove and spends the afternoons there. Sure enough, although I examined the east edge from 10:30 to noon and didn't see it, I did locate it at the picnic grove at 1:30 p.m. Also seen was one Red-tailed Hawk and 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks - plus a zillion Robins.

Kristin Purdy (10 Dec 2007) - The Red-shouldered Hawk was at the Ogden Nature Center again today in Weber County. This time, the bird was in the open field just north of the parking lot. When I pulled in it was perched on one of the power poles that supports two bat houses out in the field. I can't believe I saw the bird so quickly today and watched it while my engine was still running. On Thursday, I searched for the bird for three hours on foot and never found it. The hawk took several perches around the perimeter of that particular field; two of which it chose because Red-tails were using them. This Red-shouldered must not be interested in peaceful coexistence; because it seemed to purposefully drive away the Red-tails. Eventually, the Red-shouldered crossed the field and I saw it in trees far to the east of Teal Pond. Later, it was back in the field north of the parking lot.

Kristin Purdy (5 Dec 2007) - Jack Rensel found and photographed a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk at the Ogden Nature Center in Ogden, Weber County, last week and yesterday. Several of us saw Jack's digiscoped images last night and we flocked to the Center today. John Bellmon, Dennis Downey, Doug Roberts and I found the hawk in a row of trees 200-250 yards north of the Avocet Pond Observation tower. We scoped the bird across the open field and eventually were able to cut that distance in half by walking north and staying along the edge of the trees. It was a good study opportunity, good enough to say this bird is a juvenile of the elegans (California) subspecies.