Review Species Reported This Month:
    Neotropic Cormorant  Wasatch Co., Davis Co.
    Roseate Spoonbill  San Juan Co.
    Pacific Golden-Plover  Davis Co.
    Boreal Owl  Duchesne Co.
    Palm Warbler  Duchesne Co.

BOX ELDER COUNTY
 
David Wheeler (27 Aug 2012) - [Bear River MBR] - Kris, it seems I am forever destined to follow in your footsteps. Today, coming back from Bear River MBR, I just so happened to stop at the very same beach at Willard Bay as you....  --On the same beach near the tern spit are several nasty little muddy spots created by small creeks draining into the reservoir. In a little marshy area at the shore end of one of those trickles there chipped a  waterthrush. That made me look, for indeed I had hoped to find one in that fine habitat. Happily, it obliged me with a brief glimpse, just enough to confirm, with a waggle ana chip, that it was a Northern waterthrush.
   --I saw two pairs of Solitary sandpipers back at Bear River MBR along the northern section of the loop...

Kris Purdy (27 Aug 2012) - Willard Spur in Box Elder County is once again populated by a river of Dowitchers as it was this past spring. ...I also noticed a sprinkling of Marbled Godwits close and a couple large flocks far out along the edge of the refuge. The only other shorebirds I noticed were Stilts, Avocets and Killdeer. The place was thick with brown ducks, Ibis and Snowy Egrets, and I enjoyed many close fly-bys of Black Terns.
   --The receding water of the reservoir has left mudflats along the east side where many species of white birds are resting. Among the 75 or so Forster's Terns, I also counted eight COMMON TERNS...

Kris Purdy (8 Aug 2012) - On Monday, I did my regular monthly non-waterbird survey at Bear River Refuge and logged two adult Short-eared Owls, one on the west side of the auto tour loop and one behind the gates.
 

CACHE COUNTY

Craig Fosdick (26 Aug 2012) -We (myself, Andrew Durso, Andy Kleinhesselink, Mike Taylor) stopped at 1700 N 1200 W today. We did not have any Semipalmated Sandpipers, but we did find Cullen's two Solitary Sandpipers, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, a Baird's Sandpiper, 40 Killdeer, and a Spotted Sandpiper. The location is a flooded field. There seems like there might be more flooded fields in the area, so it's quite possible that the SESA did no go very far.

Craig Fosdick (20 Aug 2012) - Saturday evening Andrew Durso, Kendal Morris and I birded Logan Polishing Ponds. There were quite a few peeps around (mostly BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS) as well as other shorebirds, including a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, but the highlight was a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW that I found with 2-3 Brewer's Sparrows. Unfortunately, although the bird was cooperative enough for photos, nobody else saw the bird. The sparrows, including the Clay-colored, were on the west side of the northeasternmost pond.


DAVIS COUNTY

Paul Higgins (31 Aug 2012) -  Common Nighthawk, Warbling Vireo--Antelope Island

Dave Hanscom (30 Aug 2012) - [Antelope Island]  --The ranch was relatively quiet, especially by the spring. Bob Huntington and I were able to find a nice flock of warblers at the first clump of Russian Olives south of the ranch house - Yellow, Nashville, McGilivray's, and Northern Waterthrush. Bob also got a Cassin's Vireo, but I missed it, and I flushed a Northern Mockingbird that he didn't see.

Bryant Olsen (29 Aug 2012) - On today's GSL Audubon Field Trip to Farmington Bay and Antelope Island, myself, Ned Bixler, Pat Jividen and Mike Corrigan saw a PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER in non-breeding/juvenile plumage on the Antelope Island Causeway between mile marker 5 and 6,about 200 yards out on the south side. It was obviously a Pluvialis plover, with a thin bill and strong supercillium, and a very rich golden-rufus-brown color and a pale belly.
   --Other good birds seen on field trip included several flocks of RED-NECKED PHALAROPES on the AIC, at Garr ranch were lots of warblers and flycatchers, including several NASHVILLE WARBLERS, and earlier at Farmington Bay, the best birds were numerous BLACK TERNS, and a couple COMMON TERNS, plus the other abundant expected species.

David Wheeler (26 Aug 2012) - [Farmington Bay] - There were at least three Stilt sandpipers in the first pond on the east side of the road near the north entrance to Farmington Bay WMA at 4:30 to 5pm yesterday [Friday]...

David Wheeler (26 Aug 2012) - [Antelope Island] - On the Causeway, there were still some Marbled Godwits, Black-bellied plovers, and LB curlews, along with RN phalaropes and about five other species of shorebirds...
   --At Garr Ranch on Antelope Island, I learned the benefits of just sitting still in one spot. If it is a good spot, like the spring marsh, patience can be your friend. I saw 2 Nashville warblers, several Wilson's, one male Townsend's, a juvenile Common yellowthroat, one male Yellow warbler, several Orange-crowneds, one YB chat, several MacGillivray's, and three Vireos.

Cindy Sommerfeld (25 Aug 2012) -  Thanks to Deedee O'Brien for hosting today's field trip. About twenty-five people came to enjoy birding behind the gates at Farmington Bay. Our species count was 55. We were greeted by a Neotropic Cormorant sitting on one of the horizontal rods, at the Great Blue rookery. To our delight we saw many Black Terns in various stages of plumage, frequently dipping across the surface of the ponds. Our biggest surprise of the day was a lone Snow Goose. (A little out of season?) We lost count of all the Night-Herons that flew out of the trees lining the east side road. Also, we had a Barn Owl fly out of those trees. Most the shore birds we observed were seen on the east side pond just inside the main entrance. As Steve and I were leaving we decided to look at that pond one last time, Steve found two Stilt Sandpipers. Always fun to see...

Jeff Bilsky (19 Aug 2012) - [Antelope Island] - On a call from the bullpen by Carl, I led the Great Salt Lake Audubon field trip to Antelope Island today...The highlights I thought were the BURROWING OWL that was sitting on a sage about 15 feet off the road for great looks and a NASHVILLE and TOWNSEND'S WARBLER at the ranch - both of which also gave solid views...
  

DUCHESNE COUNTY

Bryant Olsen (31 Aug 2012) -  On Monday 7-30-12, I saw 3 BLACK SWIFTS at Little Deer Creek Falls along the north fork of the Duchesne River in the Uinta mountains. On Tuesday 7-31-12, I saw a warbler near the Ruth Lake trailhead off the mirror lake highway that keyed out in the field as a non-breeding "EASTERN" PALM WARBLER...

Bryant Olsen (8 Aug 2012) - The GSLA Field Trip looking for White-tailed Ptarmigan on the north slope of the Uintas was unsuccessful in finding our targets species, despite an extensive search of the Tundra near Mt. Baldy. That could be due in part because we weren't the only ones looking for them that day up there, as a PRAIRIE FALCON was patrolling the area, never the less it was a worth while trip, and we did find some cool birds, including a juvenile NORTHERN GOSHAWK that gave us great looks, 2 AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS, 3 PINE GROSBEAKS, 9 GRAY JAYS (when it rains it pours), 5 CLARK'S NUTCRACKERS, and RED CROSSBILLS. But the highlight for me was hearing the male trill call of a BOREAL OWL at 1am. We had been playing their calls around the campfire at the East Fork Of Black's Fork campground, but got no response, then after I had gone to bed but wasn't sleeping well, when plain as day I heard the male trill call very close, instantly I jumped to my feet and put on some clothes and sandals, and went out and looked for and played for it, with no response, till I got a chill and had to go back to bed. Never the less I am certain of what I heard.
  

RICH COUNTY

Kris Purdy (25 Aug 2012) - [Randolph, UT] - Six members of Wasatch Audubon birded Randolph-area birding spots in Rich County today. Highlights included:
   --A Dusky Grouse crossing the road as we traveled over the Monte Cristo Range
   --Many Turkey Vultures still at roost in the center of Randolph when we arrived at around 10:00 a.m.
   --Common Nighthawks roosting on branches in the town park’s trees at 10:00 and during a second stop in the afternoon, and a couple more flying over Crawford Mountain Road for a total of six for the day
   --A small flurry of Yellow Warblers and a MacGillivray’s in the town park treetops
   --Four American Bitterns in channels or along the Bear River off Crawford Mountain Road; additional good looks at many Black-crowned Night-herons and eclipse-plumage ducks
   --Lone Black Tern of the day in the stiff winds over Little Creek Reservoir west of town, along with additional duck species
   --Additional highlights from a Thursday scouting trip included another American Bittern on Crawford Mountain Road (making this a five-bittern week for me; bragging here); a Prairie Falcon over the marsh; Baird’s and Least Sandpipers, probably present today but far away; a Great Horned Owl in the Randolph town park, four female-type Broad-tailed Hummingbirds working a couple small patches of Bull Thistles on Home Ranch Road on Deseret Ranch, and the Honey Badger near Little Creek Reservoir.
   --Total species count for today’s trip was 52:...
  

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Dave Hanscom (30 Aug 2012) - Today my wife and I hiked up to Lake Solitude and had a photographer's moment. (Another one of the few times I wished I'd had a big camera with me.) A Three-toed Woodpecker with a nice yellow spot on his head was totally unfazed by our presence just a few (10-15) feet from the trail, hammering a hole in the bark of a fir tree at about eye level. We counted his toes, and watched as he pulled out a juicy grub and gobbled it down. Mmmmmmmmmm. Nice to have the fall migrants starting to come through!

Matthew Wallace (22 Aug 2012) - I've spotted a group of Chukars in our neighborhood, atop a neighbors' house. I've attached a photo. I have never seen Chukars in the East Millcreek & Holladay areas, so it seems noteworthy.

Richard Young (16 Aug 2012) - Green Tailed Towhees in the picnic area of Brighton/Silver Lake.

Bryant Olsen (3 Aug 2012) - This evening, still full of excitement and optimism from finding Black Swifts in the Uintas, I decided to check some local Wasatch Waterfalls... I remembered a little waterfall up Little Cottonwood coming off thunder mountains, and 10 minutes to sunset found me scanning the falls from the side of the road. At first there was nothing but a few fluttering moths, then around sunset, I caught movement and found a flock of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, but then something different was above them, a swift. My heart pounded, but then I saw the forked long tail and a flash of white ,making it a WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, my heart sank in disappointment, just a second later though another swift flew in going up canyon below the first swift, it came directly overhead about 200 feet above, and I got a clear view of it in the binoculars for several seconds: solid black underparts and a broad strait edged short tail,making it a BLACK SWIFT!

  
SAN JUAN COUNTY

Bryant Olsen (31 Aug 2012) - I took a trip to San Juan county this past week as a continuation of my exploration of the high elevations of the La Sal mountains trying to document high elevation species in that range that I have been doing for the past few years...  I did see several AMERICAN PIPITS,and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS up there, and it was quite a busy day for other birds in the alpine, including a PINYON JAY, a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, AUDUBON'S WARBLERS, PINE SISKINS, and JUNCOS, crossing over the alpine passes and RAVENS, KESTRELS and SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS soaring over the ridge. The best birds up on top were a huge flock of WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS playing a game of "scare the crap of the human by shooting past him at 100 mph within just a few feet". ... did see some other good birds in this range on the trip, including the 2 DUSKY GROUSE mentioned above, a NORTHERN PYGMY OWL, 6 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS,3 GRAY JAYS, and several PINE GROSBEAKS. I played extensively for Boreal Owls,with no response. A Short-tailed Weasel hunting for chipmunks around camp was an added bonus.
   -- ... On the way back from Colorado, I went to the Devil's camp ground near Monticello and finally, after looking for them for years there, found 2 ACORN WOODPECKERS. They were in dead ponderosa pines in the canyon across the road to the east of the camp ground. I must say that camp ground was the birdyist place on the trip, and was swarming with warblers, vireos, nuthatches and more. Must be something of a migrant trap. Best birds, besides the Acorn Woodpecks ,were great looks at a NASHVILLE WARBLER, with the Jensen's who just happened to be in the area, and 3 TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS. Loads of PYGMY NUTHATCHES and RED CROSSBILLS were fun too. Couldn't turn any of the numerous PLUMBEOUS VIREOS into Cassin's though...

Norm Jenson (26 Aug 2012)- We ran into to Bryant at Devils Canyon Campground who informed us that he'd seen Acorns not in the campground itself but opposite the campground on the east side of highway 191 from the campground entrance north .5 miles check all the dead trees. We also saw Grace's Warblers there.

Bryan Shirley (23 Aug 2012) - I have been in San Juan County for about a week and have seen a bunch of good birds. The best was a pair of Acorn Woodpeckers quite high up in the Abajo Mtns. The location is on the North Fork/Blanding Road about 1/2 through the road there is a trailhead for the Shay Ridge Trail. The woodpeckers were in the dead trees across the road from the trail.
   --Here are some other good birds I've seen:
   --One morning near Lloyd Lake I counted 10 Townsend's, 8 Nashville, 6 Black-throated Gray, and more
   --Orange-crowned Warblers than I have ever seen in one spot. They were coming to drink and bath in a spring. Possibly a Hermit Warbler as well (not seen by me).
   --A flock of 75 Evening Grosbeaks on Shay Ridge
   --A flock of 50-70 Band-tailed Pigeons flying around Foy Lake
   --Red-Crossbill basically everywhere in the mountains

Bryan Shirley (19 Aug 2012) -  Saw the Roseate Spoonbill at about 11:00 this morning. We were at a small pullout just above the boat launch. I think it was about mile 42. There was one other birder there, but I didn't ask his name. I also saw my first Nashville Warbler of the fall near Monticello.

Steve Carr (7 Aug 2012) - Pat Jividen and I did see the ROSEATE SPOONBILLThursday at 6 p.m., but not where it had been reported on July 6 and 26. It has now moved down to the upper waters of Lake Powell...
 

UTAH COUNTY

Eric Huish (29 Aug 2012) - There were some good shorebirds at Lincoln Beach this morning just before sunrise. 3 Stilt Sandpipers, 6 Snowy Plovers, a Semipalmated Plover, several Western Sandpipers and a few Baird's, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers.

Eric Huish (29 Aug 2012) - There was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Black-and-White Warbler at River Lane this morning...

Eric Huish (27 Aug 2012) - [Provo Airport Dike] - I made a quick stop to check the mudflats at the SW corner of the Provo Airport Dike this afternoon... I couldn't stay long but they looked like mostly Western Sandpipers. I picked out 2 Juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers before I left...

Eric Huish (22 Aug 2012) - I ran out to Lincoln Beach this morning and on my way back made a quick stop at 4000 West Lake Shore. Best birds at Lincoln Beach were a dozen Baird's Sandpipers, a Peregrine Falcon and thousands of swallows. At 4000 West Lake Shore there was a Northern Waterthrush along the canal South of the Observation Tower. It looks like warbler migration has begun.

Eric Huish (25 Aug 2012) - 17 birders birded the Provo Airport Dike this morning. Here are some Highlights..   --An immature Sora feeding at the edge of the marsh. Seen from the east side of the south extension...  --Baird's Sandpipers and Marbled Godwits out on the mudflats at the Southeast corner...  --A Northern Mockingbird and a Sage Thrasher just east of the south extension...  --Two immature Black-crowned Night-Herons and a Green-tailed Towhee at the Southwest corner...  --4 Sandhill Cranes flew by on the east side of the dike loop...

KC Childs (10 Aug 2012) - ...I would check to see if migrants had started moving on River Lane. Despite not seeing anything incredibly rare, it was evident to me that migrants had started to move through the area. A Hairy Woodpecker was a surprise down in the middle of the valley. Also a good number of Virginia's Warblers, Yellow Rumped and Orange Crowned Warblers meant that migration is slowly beginning. Other birds like Empids and Rufous Hummingbirds were other clues...

Jeff Cooper (5 Aug 2012) - I went for a drive up American Fork Canyon Saturday night before the
sun went down... I decided to stay up near the summit until after the sun went down to check the responsiveness of Saw-whet and Flammulated Owls now that their young have fledged. That effort proved productive for the Saw-whet Owl, but not a hoot from a Flammulated.
 

WASATCH COUNTY  

Bryant Olsen ...(8-1-12) on the way home from the Uintas I saw 2 immature/non-breeding NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS at Rock Cliff nature center.
 

WASHINGTON COUNTY  

Rick Fridell (19 Aug 2012) - The last couple days (8/18-19) there have a been a few shorebirds (and a nice variety) at Sand Hollow State Park, Washington Co., UT. The shorebirds usually hang out along the beaches along the south shore. Species included:
   --Killdeer, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper