Review Species Reported This Month:
    Lesser Black-backed Gull  Davis Co.
    Yellow-bellied Flycatcher  Davis Co., Washington Co.
    Blue-headed Vireo  Washington Co.
    Blackpoll Warbler  Washington Co. 

Mark Mossing (24 Oct 2009) - ...Matt and Stacey (sp?) Schamberger...took the auto loop around the Bear River Refuge. On that part of the trip, we saw a great many cormorants and harriers, but the highlight was the Snow Buntings (2) and the American Pipit (1). (Hotline Photos)

CACHE COUNTY

Mike Fish (31 Oct 2009 - Halloween treat - I had a nice yard bird today. Acting on a great tip from Kristin P., I paid more attention to the sparrows in my yard and discovered I had a White-throated Sparrow mixed in with the White-crowned. I managed to get pictures of both and I have added them to my gallery. Also - The Sharpie has been haunting my backyard again but he has evaded my attempt to get another picture . It has been a great halloween.

Ryan O'Donnell (25 Oct 2009) - Today I found a small flock of about five PINE GROSBEAKS along Swan Flat Road in Cache County.

Ryan O'Donnell (1 Oct 2009) - This morning I briefly birded Sue's Ponds (a.k.a. Logan River Wetlands, Logan Mitigation Ponds; just west of the Logan Landfill) with Lyle Bingham. The highlight was a single COMMON GRACKLE in a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds. Common Grackles can only be seen reliably in one location in the county that I know of, but occasionally show up elsewhere. This is my first in the county other than the small group at the Willow Park Zoo (yes, they're wild). Other notable birds at Sue's Ponds included my first adult HERRING GULL of the season (I've seen a couple first-winter birds in recent weeks) and one PECTORAL SANDPIPER...

DAVIS COUNTY

Tim Avery (26Oct 2009) - Birded Antelope Island Causeway this morning. The LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was near the weather station as previously reported. A single SURF SCOTER was on the east side of the bridge near the marina. There were 1,000's of Shoveler and Scaup so more scoters could have been mixed in.  Between MM 3-4 were 3 scatter flocks of Black-bellied Plovers. One group of 6 had 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (thought I had missed them for the year) mixed in.

Jack Binch (23 Oct 2009) - [sent pictures of a Lesser Black-backed Gull];  Jeff Bilsky wrote the next day: "The Lesser Black Backed Gull that Jack Binch spotted yesterday continues today at the AnteIope Island Causeway. I was able to get eyes on it today. It was on the North side of the causeway maybe a 1/2 mile shy of the last bridge with some other Gulls...

Tim Avery (18 Oct 2009) - Stopped at the ponds at the end of Glover Lane today. About 700-1000 Long-billed Dowitchers were present along with at least 3 possible Short-billed Dowitchers, including one that posed for photos. There were also around 10 Stilt Sandpipers, 25 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 American Avocet and a Killdeer.

Joel and Kathy Beyer (4 Oct 2009) - A probable Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was seen at Garr Ranch (Antelope Island) this afternoon (2 pm) at the spring pond. I only was able to view the bird for a few seconds. It had a large rounded head, eyering (round, not almond), greenish-yellow back, yellow below (including throat), dark wings with contrasting wingbars, short tail, very compact looking. It gave a sharp pyew call before it flew off. We were unable to find it again before the rains came.

Jeff Bilsky (3 Oct2009) - At the ponds at the end of Glover Lane near Farmington Bay this morning around 11 am there were over 150 Dowitchers and 2 Stilt Sandpipers. Also in great numbers were both Yellowlegs.

MORGAN COUNTY

Dave Hanscom (30 Oct 2009) - Just got back from a trip to the reservoir to check for loons... The closer I got to the dam, the more loons there were. After spending more than an hour poring through them all, I finally got to the north arm of the reservoir, and there was the Pacific Loon I'd been hoping for...

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Jeff Bilsky (30 Oct 2009) - Birded Lamb's Canyon..The first bird I found was a WINTER WREN that was noisily hopping around down by the river. Hiked up the canyon for a bit and came across a flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS and BROWN CREEPERS. A STELLAR'S JAY made its raspy call in the background and hiking back down I found a HAIRY WOODPECKER. That's it for birds seen up there. It was quiet, cold, and beautiful.

Jerry Liguori (19 Oct 2009) - Forgot to mention...had some birder friends in town for 10 days and we had a Black Phoebe in the yard. Good yard bird for sure...

Pomara Fronce (19 Oct 2009) - I observed two Surf Scoters on the west end of the west pond Monday afternoon from 3:00 to 4:00.

Pomara Fronce (4 Oct 2009) - There was a Great Egret and a Horned Grebe at Lee Kay Ponds on Sunday morning.

SUMMIT COUNTY

 Jim Ure (18 Oct 2009) - Had three male Barrow's Goldeneyes land on one of the small lakes at Four Lakes condominiums in Park City. Watched them, crescent eye-patch and all, for about 30 minutes before they left. Lovely, distinct and well-defined markings.

Kimberly Roush (10 Oct 2009) - [Park City (Pinebrook)]   I have WESTERN BLUEBIRDS cruising through the private properties behind mine. If anyone wants to see them call to confirm they are still here and I would have to walk you back to the location.

TOOELE COUNTY

Candy Zaffis (4 Oct 2009) - After the storms this morning, a young 1st year male Rose-breasted Grosbeak stopped by the feeders... He stayed for several hours this afternoon, and posed for many good photos.

On 12 Sep 09, I had an Abert's Towhee in my back?yard.??The Towhee was alone and was very interested in my red Canna flowers.? It totally ignored the seed feeders and suet.? When a flock of Collared Doves flew into the yard, it flew away.? I got a good look for about a minute, then grabbed the camera and got one bad photo thru a dirty, screened window.? I haven't seen an Abert's before in this area, and it has not re-visited.

UINTAH COUNTY 

Bob Bradley, Grand Junction, CO (12 Oct 2009) - A group of Grand Valley Auduboners (Grand Junction, CO) birded this reservoir on Oct. 11 and found: Pacific Loon, 1; Sabine's Gull, 1 adult; Bonaparte's Gull, 1; Ring-billed Gull, 1

UTAH COUNTY 

Jeff Bilsky (21 Oct 2009) - I birded the Utah Lake State Park after work tonight and found a 1st Winter SURF SCOTER. It moved around the marina area a lot and when I last saw it was in the canal where the river comes in on the South side of the park.

Jeff Bilsky (23 Oct 2009) - There is a large flock (75-100?) of mostly Wigeon at the East Bay ponds
right near the Island... Mixed into this flocked were what were 2 probable EURASIAN WIGEON. I say
probable because I guess I can't say for sure they weren't hybrids, but they had Wigeon bodies with red heads and seemed to fit the bill pretty well for Eurasian...

Jeff Bilsky (2 Oct 2009) - Right now at the Kuhni Wetlands in Utah County there are at least 15 COMMON GRACKLES making a ruckus.

WASHINGTON COUNTY 

Tim Avery (24 Oct 2009) - This morning (10/24) there was a female/1st year American Redstart, a Winter Wren and an Inca Dove all in the large Cottonwoods at the housing area of Lytle Ranch. The Sommerfelds found the warbler and the wren. I flushed the dove out of the orchard and had hoped it would be a ground-dove....
Yesterday evening Sam and I stopped at Quail Creek where we found a nice group of shorebirds at the inlet. Most notably were 2 Pectoral Sandpiper, and 4 Baird's Sandpiper. There were 16 Least Sandpiper , 8 Spotted Sandpiper and a Killdeer to boot. Lastly there were 2 Wood Ducks at Tonaquint Park in Bloomington Hills.

Larry Tripp (10 Oct 2009) - I birded Lytle Ranch this morning and the highlights were a nice bright Blue-headed Vireo and a adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak...

Larry Tripp (4 Oct 2009) - [Yellow-bellied Flycatcher] This morning I had an amazing sighting in my yard in Veyo Washington Co. This one is right up there with the Ruby-throated Hummingbird a couple years back. I first saw it through the window in the garden and thought Flycatcher. I got binns on it and saw it was a bright colored Empid. When I got outside and started watching it I thought Western ( which would be a yard bird ) at first. Then when I saw the jet Black wings and and highly contrasting wing bars and tertials I started to think could it be a YB or Least. The bird was way to brightly colored for a Least. As I watched it fly catch from as close as 20 feet I was seeing a complete contrasting yellow eyering,rounded head short tail to make a very compact looking bird. Bright green above yellow below with some olive streaking on the breast. The bill looked to be all pale below but overly large. All these marks were not adding up to Western. At this point I was thinking do I run in for the camera or keep watching the bird to be sure of the field marks and hope it will call. After watching it for a couple more minutes it disapered behind some trees. So I pished and the bird came into view and called a couple times. When I heard a pyew type call I new it wasn't a Western. I knew it was time to get the camera. I never was able to get a pic of the bird when I came back out. It finnally disapeared while I was trying and I couldn't relocate it a few minutes later...

Larry Tripp ltripp(3 Oct 2009) - In the Gunlock area today I saw a Golden-crowned Sparrow in a field at the south end of town. There was also a Black and white Warbler along the creek below Gunlock Res. and another not so rare ( at least this year ) sighting of a Neotropic Cormorant. An adult at the inflow of the Res. setting next to a couple Double-creasted Cormorants on a log.

Rick Fridell (2 Oct 2009) - ...Last night just before sunset, (10/01) I photographed a Blackpoll Warbler along the  Virgin River downstream of the Washington Bridge. Also last evening, there was a cooperative Common Moorhen (immature) on Spring's Estate Pond (adjacent to the Virgin River and Washington Fields). And finally, today (around 11:00) there was a Vaux's Swift flying over the south dike area of Quail Creek State Park.

WEBER COUNTY 

Les Talbot (27 Oct 2009) - On Sunday (10/15) at about 3:00 pm a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak was at my feeders. I fed for about five minutes and then flew off. I have not seen it since. Yesterday a Sharp-tailed Hawk landed, at the feeders for awhile and I was doing yard work on that side of the house and didn't have any bird activity...