Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Least Storm-Petrel
Scientific name:	Hydrobates microsoma
Date:	10/12/2026
Time:	1330 ?
Length of time observed:	10-15 mins?
Number:	1
Age:	Unknown
Sex:	Unknown
Location:	Sand Hollow Reservoir & SP
County:	Washington
Latilong:	37�'14.3"N 113�'00.8"W
Elevation:	3,143 feet (per google maps)
Distance to bird:	Far, half the dike/dam length
Optical equipment:	Vortex Scope, Nikon Monarch 5 Binos
Weather:	Overcast, then a downpour
Light Conditions:	Decent lighting then it started to rain hard
Description: Size of bird:	small petrel sized, hard to determine exact inches when flying around alone
(Description:) Basic Shape:	small seabird. tail was not notched
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	dark, no white noticed at all
(Description:) Bill Type:	small dark bill
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	I saw this bird while scanning the water looking for other storm petrels. It was sitting in the water by another unknown dark storm petrel, and looked noticeably smaller than that one. Eventually the smaller one started flying around. I could tell it was all dark, with no white on the rump or belly. What stood out to me was it's herky-jerky bat like flight. Occasionally it would dip and dab on the water.
Song or call & method of delivery:	None heard
Behavior:	First seen resting on the water, then flying all around the resevoir on the north west end. It had a very bat-like, quick moving, direction changing flight. Occasionally, it would stop and flit on top of the water.
Habitat:	The resevoir
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Any of the white rumped storm pertrel, as this bird didnt have a white rump. Black Storm Petrel - larger than bird I saw, and BLSP has a notched tailed. Bulwer's Petrel- larger petrel than bird I saw. Per eBird videos flight seems more glidy and less erractic than the bird's flight I saw.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	None with Least Storm-Petrel. Seen other petrels, Black mainly, on pelagics in California.
References consulted:	eBird, Sibley
Description from:	From memory
Observer:	Felicia Alvarez
Observer's address:	Salt Lake City, UT 841015
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	Kevin Wheeler [eBird checklist] was the only other person I saw at the north end of the resevoir who also saw this bird. He thought it was a Least and had better views from his angle. He left due to rain as well.
Date prepared:	10/16/2026
Additional material:
Additional comments:	I watched this bird for about 10-15 mins in my scope, then decided to try to get closer. It started to sprinkle, so instead of being smart and walking along the dam, I drove over to near the boat launch area to get better views. By then it was a downpour and I couldn't relocate the bird.