Review Species Reported This Month:
     Vaux's Swift  Washington Co.
     Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  Washington Co.
     Black-throated Blue Warbler  Washington Co.

CACHE COUNTY

Ryan P. O'Donnell (26 Oct 2008) - Today I had a great day of birding around Cache County with Craig Fosdick and Stephanie Cobbold. Craig and I started at Tony Grove where we leisurely worked our way through the campground and around Tony Grove Lake. The highlight here was certainly the Northern Pygmy-Owl we heard calling and then were able to locate as it flew around looking for lunch....  We met up with Stephanie and headed up Swan Flat Road from Logan Canyon towards Idaho. Along the road (still in Cache County) we stopped for a large flock of Red Crossbills that we could hear and see in the treetops. After scanning for several minutes, I was able to locate my lifer White-winged Crossbill in the flock of about 40 crossbills.  This was a very exciting bird for me because I have spent a lot of time looking for this species in the county this year and had not been able to find it so far. ...From there we went to Sue's Ponds (also known as the Logan RiverWetlands, just west of the Logan Landfill) in search of gulls. ...There were 53 Long-billed Dowitchers, 4 Pectoral Sandpipers, ~10Killdeer, and one Greater Yellowlegs. After a few minutes of watching the Dowitchers feeding at close range, I scanned the back side of the pond again and spotted something we had all missed the first time through: an American Golden-Plover...

Ryan P. O'Donnell (23 Oct 2008) - Stephanie Cobbold and I birded around Cache County for a couple hours this afternoon. The highlight for me was a lone Dunlin hanging out with two Pectoral Sandpipers and two Long-billed Dowitchers at Sue's Ponds (also known as the Logan River Wetlands, just across the street to the west of the Logan Landfill).

Ryan P. O'Donnell (19 Oct 2008) - I birded Sue's Ponds (also known as the Logan River Wetlands, just west of the Logan Landfill) today. I found a large first-winter gull with pale wingtips that matched the overall color of the bird. I spent quite a while in the field studying this bird and I'm still conflicted whether it is a pale Thayer's Gull or a Glaucous-winged Gull. I took a bunch of photos... Other highlights from the ponds included a flyover of 28 Tundra Swans (my first of the fall) and a single Stilt Sandpiper mixed in with ninety Long-billed Dowitchers and eight Pectoral Sandpipers.

DAVIS COUNTY

Kristin Purdy (27 Oct 2008) - A juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose was at Kaysville Ponds in Davis County today. The bird is keeping with the Canada Geese there and wants nothing to do with the domestic Graylags and Barnyard Geese that are omnipresent at this location.

Joel and Kathy Beyer (12 Oct 2008) - Sunday at the Antelope Island Causeway Kathy and I found a female Surf Scoter, a juvenile Sabine's Gull and a Horned Grebe, all just west of the second bridge. Highlights of Garr Ranch were a Golden-crowned Kinglet, a "Myrtle" Warbler and a Red-naped Sapsucker.

Carl Ingwell (11 Oct 2008) -  Antelope Island Causway: Northern Shoveler, Canada Goose, Eared Grebe, American Kestrel, American Avocet, Killdeer, Franklin's Gull (10 or so before the first bridge. Seem late), Ring-Billed Gull, California Gull, Sabine's Gull (near 2nd bridge), Common Raven, Starling, American Pipit (100's along causway), Western Meadowlark.

JUAB COUNTY 

Matt Mills (18 Oct 2008) - Went out to Fish Springs today with Matt Westover. We were there for work but had a bit of time to poke around Thomas Ranch and area. Didn't drive around to see the ponds. Highlights were an adult Northern Shrike, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, and a single male Evening Grosbeak.

MORGAN COUNTY

Jack Binch (19 Oct 2008) - Bob Huntington and I decided to bird the East Canyon Reservoir area. There are 40+ Common Loons and one very easy to identify Pacific Loon. It has a very light gray head and neck, and of course the smaller size, and smaller bill.

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Lu Giddings (24 Oct 2008) - I spent about 90 minutes at Lee Kay earlier this morning. Notable observations include a pair of Greater Scaup and my first herring gulls of the season. It was also nice to see lesser scaup, ring-necked ducks, and bufflehead, which I'm still not yet finding in Utah county.

Tim Avery (18 Oct 2008) - Did some birding around the south shore of the Great Salt Lake this morning. Highlights were as follows: 1 juvenile Sabine's Gull - vicinity of Lee's Creek.

Tim Avery (5 Oct 2008) - This morning Jeff Bilsky and I headed out to Saltair to do a lake watch, hoping that the wind and rain would push some goodies along the shore. ...There were 3 Blue-winged Teal... We next headed to the International Center where we checked for the Swamp Sparrow reported by Mark last week, but came up empty. I would say there were hundreds of Yellow-rumped Warblers present today. We then stopped just south of the Gas Station, near the Perkin's restaurant and the first bird I spotted on the ground was what looked like a Clay-colored Sparrow. At the same time Jeff was getting out of the car and spotted a warbler that looked to be a Black-and-white Warbler. And at the same time my phone rang, as Colby was showing up trying to find us. In all the turmoil, combined with what seemed like a high volume of traffic for a Sunday at the IC, the sparrow flock flew off, and by the time I got out of the car to see the warbler it had flown off. Colby found a Clay-colored Sparrow about 15 minutes later on the south side of the large field just north of the restaurant (on the east side of the hotel that it is connected to).

SAN JUAN COUNTY

Lu Giddings (5 Oct 2008) - ...I just returned from four rather soggy days in San Juan county. ...But the trip was not without its rewards. - a White-winged Crossbill was seen late Thursday afternoon at Blue Lake in the La Sals, a few miles south of Geyser Pass. This is, to the best of my knowledge, a first record of this species in the Four Corners area.- I heard what I believe was a pine grosbeak in the same area as the above-mentioned crossbill. Unfortunately I could not find the bird, as I believe this would be a first sighting for the county.- in between rain squalls and hail storms, an American three-toed Woodpecker was seen on Elk Ridge a few miles south of the Kigalia station early Friday afternoon. This is the first reported sighting of this species for the county of which I am aware.- Two or more gray jays were seen in three different locations in the La Sals south of Geyser Pass. All sightings occurred at an elevation of 10,200' or more. ...

UINTAH COUNTY

Diane Penttila - (16 Oct 2008) - Ouray National Wildlife Refuge General Waterbird Survey - The following birds were seen within the survey route: ...Great Egret ...

Diane Penttila - (2 Oct 2008) - Ouray National Wildlife Refuge General Waterbird Survey - The following birds were seen within the survey route: ...Great Egret 2 ...American Bittern 3...

UTAH COUNTY 

Kay Stone (31 Oct 2008) -  I saw a White-throated Sparrow on the Jordan River Parkway this morning. It was just north of the Jordan River Flying Field. It was located just where the dirt trail takes off to the left, and was on the chain-link fence. I watched it for at least five minutes. It was a tan striped morph. Finally it flew off to the west over the paved trail into the tamarisk. I watched it for a minute or so and then I lost it.

Eric Huish (25 Oct 2008) - Birded the Provo Airport Dike this morning. Best bird was a Northern Shrike at the Northwest end of the dike.

Jeff Bilsky (23 Oct 2008) - I birded Swede Lane yet again this evening.  I located my first Northern Shrike of the winter although he didn't impale anything on the barbed wire while I watched much to my disappointment.

Eric Huish (12 Oct 2008) - There is a Stilt Sandpiper in with the hundreds of Long-billed Dowitchers on the east side of the Provo Airport Dike today (10/12/08). There is also a lone Pectoral Sandpiper and a Merlin in the area. They are on the mudflats where you first see the lake when driving the dike clockwise.

WASATCH COUNTY 

Jeff Bilsky (8 Oct 2008) - Hiked through Jordanelle this evening. Highlights include:... - Cassin's Vireo... 

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Larry Tripp (26 Oct 2008) - there was a hatch year Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Veyo on Sat. I haven't had much time to get out this Fall but this bird was a nice one to see in the backyard. I watched it a couple different times yesterday. Once being chased around by a RNSA.   I looked for it today but didn't see it.

Tim Avery - Saturday (10/25) ...we headed up to Kolob Terrace hoping for condors. No condors, but a few Golden Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk. The best bird by far was a BE-autiful pacific MERLIN that buzzed us on the north side of Kolob Reservoir. It had to be the coolest looking Merlin I have seen, jet black on top and smudged black streaks covering the underside. Back on the road to Kolob Crossing from the reservoir we found 4 Lewis's Woodpecker, and although I didn't see it at the time, I found an Acorn Woodpecker in one of my photos (ha ha). Downy and Hairy were also present in the same area.

Tim Avery - ...Sunday (10/26) started with a drive across the slope to Lytle Ranch. ... We headed through the trees on the west side of the housing area towards the orchard, when I heard a loud sharp chip note that seemed odd. We stopped and I pished only to have the bird making the noise take off from a small shrub in front of us, and give a crazy series of chips, whistles and zeets as it fluttered to the ground showing a mostly a lot of black in the tail, back and wings, and large white patches in each wing and on the tail. I thought it looked like a Black-throated Blue Warbler, and when I finally pished it out my suspicions were confirmed as the blue, black and white bird fluttered up on the side of a tree then up the hillside towards the house giving what I am assuming was the crazy alarm call I had never heard before. I spent about a half hour trying to track it back down but was unsuccessful in my attempt to relocate the bird. Ugh.  ...We finally headed into the orchard, only to get about halfway through, when about 10 feet off the ground right in front of us a Red-shouldered Hawk flew right past us and up above the orchard. I was able to get my camera on the bird and snap a few shots as it circled and disappeared to the south over the cottonwoods.

Kevin Wheeler (18 Oct 2008) - Pam & I went to look for the female Black-throated Blue Warbler this morning that Rick had posted last Sunday. We found the warbler about 9:00 with a small flock of Yellow-rumps, Wilson's and Orange-crowns, and it was very cooperative. We watched it for about 5 minutes hopping around in the trees. There was also a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Cassin's Vireo in the same flock, and two Mountain Chickadees nearby.

Rick Fridell - This morning (10/12) I observed a female Black-throated Blue Warbler in St.George (Washington Co.). The warbler was with a mixed flock of mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers, a handful of Orange-crowned Warblers, and two Wilson's Warblers. Surprisingly, as I was watching the warbler, a Vaux's Swift flew over very low, and circled a few times before disappearing. Yesterday's storm appeared to bring a lot of birds. Also of note, I observed a female Williamson's Sapsucker, a few Red-breasted Nuthatches and Mountain Chickadees this morning in St. George.

Rick Fridell - This morning (10/11) I saw Dunlin at Sand Hollow State Park. It was on the large sandbar area at the south end of the main parking lot (along the line of rocks extending out into the water). There is also a big flight of waterfowl on the reservoir with large flocks of Northern Pintails, Redheads, and scaup. I Also saw a single Marbled Godwit along the southeast side of the reservoir.