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UBRC Report |
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Utah Birds Records Committee
– Report for 2017
Voting Members: Kathy Beyer, Kenny Frisch, Stephanie Greenwood, Dennis Shirley, Steve Sommerfeld, Mark Stackhouse, Larry Tripp, David Wheeler, Kevin Wheeler Non-voting Members: Rick Fridell (Secretary), Milt Moody (Webmaster), Eric Huish (Archivist), Cody Neuman (eBird Liaison)
This annual report of the Utah Bird Records Committee summarizes 78 records of 50 species submitted in 2017. The Committee accepted 66 of these records or 84.6%.. Of the records not accepted, seven were due to insufficient descriptive details to eliminate similar species. Three were thought to be possible hybrids. One was thought to be misidentified and one was of questionable natural origin.
Besides the Voting
Members listed above, Mike Hearell who became a member in 2018, also participated in the review
of records for 2017. The webmaster, Milt Moody, compiled this
report, obtaining information from the website and the "Summary Pages" of the
records themselves. This year, four new species were added to the checklist of Utah birds. A sighting of a Common Crane at Green River, in Grand County on March 10th 2017 by Kathleen and Hal Robins was accepted as a naturally occurring bird. On March 27th a Black-throated Green Warbler was discovered in Logan by Bonnie Eves and a video and sight record were submitted and accepted unanimously in the first round. A report of a Bell's Sparrow on Beaver Dam Slope in Washington County by Tim Avery, Kenny Frisch and Nate Brown was accepted in the second round. In August an Arctic Tern was discovered at Willard Bay State Park by Jay Carlisle and was seen by many for almost a week. Documentation was provided by Jay Carlisle and Bryant Olsen and there were many great photos and even an audio recording was provided for this first state record. This increased the number of Utah species to 462.
All species evaluated by the Committee are listed by common and scientific name using the nomenclature and
taxonomic order of the 7th American Ornithological Society Check-list of North American Birds,
59th supplement, followed by the number of
the records accepted for this species in the last
ten years followed by the total number of official sightings for Utah (in
parenthesis).
The following information is included with each record in the species section: record number, occurrence date, sighting location, observer(s)
who submitted written documentation of the record, and the number of birds
observed along with age and sex if known and a link to any photos submitted with
the record (all in parenthesis), and the final-round vote of the committee, with
the first number being the “accept” votes and the second number being the
“not-accept” votes. A summary/explanation of the sight record review will follow
the "final round" numbers for those records that were not unanimously accepted
in the first round and will be enclosed in parenthesis. Any comments about
the species, as a group, will be, in italics, in the final paragraph of each
species section. There are hyperlinks for each species to the list of vetted sightings in Utah, and
to the actual sight records along with any photos for
that record. The Utah Bird Records Committee would like to thank those individuals who submitted documentation for these rare sightings as well as those who sent in additional material and information about these birds. The submission of photographs and recordings of songs or calls, along with the written documentation is strongly encouraged by the Committee. They help greatly to establish the validity of these sightings.
SPECIES ACCOUNTS:
Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) (0 / 2) 2017-45 19 Jul 2017 - Boulder, Garfield Co., by Ryan McDermott (adult, Photos) 2nd round: 0-9 -- (The ID was not in doubt, but the distance from its natural range and other factors created doubt that this bird was naturally occurring).
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) (16 / 25) 2017-58 11 Nov 2017 - East Canyon Reservoir, Morgan Co., by Weston Smith (one, Photos) 1st round: 9-0 2017-59 14 Nov 2017 - Pineview Reservoir, Weber Co., by Kristin Purdy (adult) 1st round: 9-0
Common Crane (Grus grus) (1 / 1)
2017-18 10 Mar 2017 - Green River, Grand Co., by Kathleen & Hal Robins (adult, photos) 1st round: 9-0 (First state record)
Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus arizonae) (2 / 2) --[Mexican Whip-poor-will] 2017-26 12 May 2017 - Stockton Canyon, Tooele Co., by David Taylor (one, Video) 1st round: 0-9 -- (Identified unanimously as a Common Poorwill)
Vaux's Swift (Chaetura vauxi ) (6 / 20) 2017-36 7 May 2017 - Tonaquint Park, St. George, Washington Co., by David Wheeler (adult, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) (4 / 9) 2017-54 2 Oct 2017 - Castle Valley, Grand Co., by Glenn Kincaid (adult male, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Ruff (Calidris pugnax) (5 / 8) 2017-23 6 Sep 2016 - Utah Lake State Park, Utah Co., by Kendall Watkins (juvenile, photos) 2nd round: 8-1 -- (There was some question on this record but a large majority were convinced that this is a Ruff). 2017-49 27 Sep 2017 - Farmington Bay, Davis Co., by Bryant Olsen (adult male, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) (1 / 8) Sight Record #2017-08 2 Sep 2016 - Utah Lake SP, Utah Co., by Tim Avery (one, photo) 2nd round: 9-0 -- (Some concerns in the first round blind vote were resolved in the second round).
Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) (4 /16) Sight Record #2017-10 26 Sep 2016 - Antelope Island SP Marina, Davis Co., by Tim Avery (two, photos) 1st round: 9-0 Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) (2 / 11) 2017-25 3 May 2016 - Sand Hollow SP, Washington Co., by Rick Fridell (adult, photos) 1st round: 9-0
Little
Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus)
(5
/ 7) 2017-30 13 May 2017 - North Shore of Utah Lake, Utah Co., by Karen Welch (2nd winter, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Iceland Gull
(Larus
glaucoides) (7
/ 7) 2017-05 21 Jan 2017 - Farmington Bay WMA, Davis Co., by Mike Hearell (juvenile, photos) 2nd 8-1 -- (Not withstanding the taxonomic difficulty of the Thayers-Iclendic complex, the committee fell on the Iceland side. The AOU has since merged these two species, giving some relief to reviewers).
Arctic Tern (Sterna hirundo) (1 / 1)
2017-46 First State Record 8
Aug 2017 - Willard Bay Park, Box Elder Co., by Jay Carlisle, Bryant Olsen
(adult, Photos)
1st round: 9-0
Red-throated Loon (Gavia
stellata) (10/18) 2017-11 29 Jan 2017 - Quail Creek Reservoir, Washington Co., by Tim Avery (adult, photos) 1st round: 9-0 2017-71 3 Nov 2017 - Scofield Reservoir, Carbon Co., by Bryan Shirley (1st winter) 1st round: 9-0
Magnificent
Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) (1
/ 2)
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) (3 / 8) 2017-32 18 May 2017 - Gunnison Island, Great Salt Lake, Box Elder Co., by John Neill (dead, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Least Bittern (Ixobrychus
exilis) (3
/ 11)
White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) (2 / 3) 2017-41 12 Jun 2017 - Farmington Bay WMA, Davis Co., by Bryant Olsen (adult, Photo) 1st round: 9-0
Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus) (9 / 18) 2017-51 19 Apr 2017 - Lytle Ranch, Washington Co., by Hema Kumar (adult) 2nd round: 8-1 -- (The concern that the description didn't eliminating the Common Blackhawk, known to be in the area, pushed the record to a second round where the concern was somewhat alleviated and the decision held for a Zone-tailed Hawk). 2017-35 7 May 2017 - Kolob Terraces area, Washington Co., by David Wheeler (adult, Photos) 1st round: 9-0 2017-43 12 Jun 2017 - East of Cisco, Grand Co., by Brian Davis (adult) 2nd round: 9-0 -- (With no photo, a high-wind high-wind situation and no optical equipment, there was some doubt in the first round, but it was accepted unanimously in the second).
Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) (2 / 7)
2017-14 29 Jan 2017 - Near Midway, Wasatch Co., by Cary Hobbs (one, photos) 1st round: 9-0 2017-13 2 Feb 2017 - Mountain Green, Morgan Co., by Cori Vanderbeek, Aaron Smith (one, photos) 1st round: 9-0
Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) (1 / 4) 2017-07 15 Jul 2016 - Center Creek, Wasatch Co., by Tim Avery (heard, audio) 3rd round: 5-4 -- (The decision on this one came down to the audio recording. After three rounds of discussion they came down on the Boreal Owl side in a close call).
2017-56 25 Sep 2017 - International Center, Salt Lake Co., by Matthew Pendleton (immature male, Photos) 2nd round: 0-9 -- (A molting juvenile presented some interesting discussion by the committee, who in the second round decided that there were too many characteristics of a Red-naped Sapsucker to accept this as a Yellow-bellied). 2017-12 15 Oct 2016 - Lytle Ranch, Washington Co., by Tim Avery (1st fall, photos) 1st round: 9-0 2017-62 5 Nov 2017 - Lytle Ranch Preserve, Washington Co., by Kenny Frisch (2 juveniles, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) (7 / 14) 2017-03 5 Jan 2017 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., by Sylvia Wilcox (one, photos) 2nd round: 0-9 -- (The possibility that this is a hybrid could not be ruled out). 2017-70 10 Dec 2017 - Zion National Park, Washington Co., by Sarah Romero (one, Photos) 2nd round: 0-8 -- (Signs of hybridization were pointed out and suggested that this is not a pure Red-breasted Sapsucker).
Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum) 0 Vetted 2017-15 13 Sep 2016 - Salt Lake International Center, Salt Lake Co., by Matthew Pendleton (one, photos) 2nd round: 0-9 -- (Even a well documented sighting like this couldn't convince the committee to accept this rare empidonax, for a first state record, without a recording).
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) (13 / 20) 2017-39 3 Jun 2017 - Weber River Parkway trail, Weber Co., by Bryant Olsen (singing male, Photo) 1st round: 9-0 2017-16 4 Jun 2016 - Little Dell Reservoir, Salt Lake Co., by Matthew Pendleton (adult male, photos, Audio) 1st round: 9-0 2017-40 4 Jun 2017 - Near Warm Springs, Utah Co., by Rachel LeBlanc (adult) 1st round: 9-0
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis) (1 / 1)
2015-24R (Resubmitted with new information)
23 Aug 2015 - Lytle Ranch, Washington Co., by Kenny Frisch (one, singing)
2nd round : 7-2 -- (Although there is some skepticism that this should be a
separate species, it was considered that the bird in this record fits into what
they've described as a Pacific-slope flycatcher). First State Record
Eastern Phoebe
(Sayornis
phoeb) (10
/ 21) 2017-55 24 Sep 2017 - Matheson Preserve, Grand Co., by Marcy Hafner (one) 2nd round: 6-3 -- (Though there were several species discussed as possibilities on this record, there was just enough in the description to support this sighting). 2017-61 10 Nov 2017 - Confluence Park, Washington Co., by Maurice DeMille (adult, Photo) 1st round: 9-0
Dusky-capped Flycatcher ( Myiarchus tuberculifer) (1 /1) 2017-57 29 Oct 2017 - 37.466019°, -114.038449°, Washington Co., by Mike Schijf (adult, Photos) 2nd round: 9-0 -- (There were enough concerns in the first round to send it to a second round where all the concerns, for this first state record, were answered). 1st State Record
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) (3/ 11) 2017-31 16 May 2017 - North Shore of Utah Lake, Utah Co., by Carl G. Lundblad (adult, Photos) 1st round: 9-0 2017-34 19 May 2017 - Escalante Petrified Forest SP, Garfield Co., by Bill Asteriades (one) 2nd round: 9-0 -- (Even a 10 second sighting was long enough for this unique bird seen by an observer familiar with the species).
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) (1 / 4) 2017-28 12 May 2017 - Diamond Fork Canyon, Utah Co., by John Sullivan (adult male, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) (2 / 5) 2017-09 11 Sep 2016 - Garr Ranch, Antelope Island, Davis Co., by Tim Avery (heard, photo) 2nd round: 9-0 -- (Concerns about Cassin's Vireo not being ruled out were resolved by a side-by-side comparison and explanation supplied by one of the reviewers).
2017-65 8 Sep 2007 - Jordan River Parkway, Salt Lake Co., by Jack Binch (one, Photos) 2nd round: 0-9 -- (First-round suggestions that this might be a Warbling Vireo were convincing to everyone in the second round). 2017-77 27 May 2016 - City Creek Canyon, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., by Chan Nam (one, Photos) 2nd round: 0-8 -- (A Warbling Vireo could not be ruled out as a possibility).
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia
sialis)
(1
/ 5)
Eastern
Towhee (Pipilo
erythrophthalmus) (0
/ 0)
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte australis) (6 / 6) 2017-04 13 Jan 2017 - Monticello, San Juan Co., by Will Britton (10-45, photos) 1st round: 9-0 2017-60 15 Nov 2017 - Big Drop motorcycle trail, Grand Co., by Glenn Kincaid (HY male, Photos) 1st round: 9-0 2017-64 19 Nov 2017 - Alta, Salt Lake Co., by Bryant Olsen (Hatch Year, Photos) 3rd round: 4-5 -- (What looked like an easy call in the first round became more and more unclear as an immature Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch could not be completely eliminated). 2017-66 28 Nov 2017 - Latigo Wind Farm, Monticello, San Juan Co., by Will Britton (Thirty, Photos) 2nd round: 9-0 -- (This difficult ID was helped by additional photos that showed some of the questionable characteristics in a little different light).
Common Redpoll (Acanathis
flammea) (29
/ 41) Sight Record #2017-67 2 Dec 2017 - Croydon, Morgan Co., by Weston Smitl (adult, Photos) 1st round: 9-0 Sight Record #2017-73 11 Dec 2017 - Powder Mountain, Weber Co., by Mike Hearell (adult, Photo) 1st round: 9-0 Sight Record #2017-75 19 Dec 2017 - Yellow Fork Canyon, Salt Lake Co., by Rachel LeBlanc (6 adults) 1st round: 9-0 Sight Record #2017-74 23 Dec 2017 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., by Vivian Schneggenburger (adult female) 1st round: 9-0
McCown's Longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii) (6 / 15) 2017-72 16 Dec 2017 - Harold S. Crane WMA, Weber Co., by Mike Hearell (male, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Bell's
Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli)
(1
/1)
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) (7 / 12) 2017-68 28 Nov 2017 - Boulder, Garfield Co., by Ryan McDermott (male, Photos) 2nd round: 9-0 -- (Despite some concern about the unusual coloration in some of the photos, the visible characteristics were good for a Rusty Blackbird).
Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) (1 / 4) 2017-33 27 May 2017 - St. George, Washington Co., by Mike Schijf (male, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) (7 / 14) 2017-48 25 Sep 2017 - North Fork Park, Weber Co., by Kristin Purdy (adult male) 1st round: 9-0
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) (9 / 10) 2017-53 10 Sep 2017 - West Valley City, Salt Lake Co., by Darren Hall (one) 2nd round: 8-1 -- (With no photos or optics used in the sighting, there were some concerns, but in the end the description was convincing). 2017-50 27 Sep 2017 - Sandy, Salt Lake Co., by Tim Avery (probably HY, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) (0 / 2)
2017-38 24 Sep 2016 - Sandy, Salt Lake Co., by Angie M. Branch (1st
winter) 2nd round: 3-6 -- (This 1st year bird created some problems
with similar species. It was a close call for most of the reviewers, who ended
up with some doubts).
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) (16 / 26) 2017-37 27 May 2017 - Bryce Canyon NP, Garfield Co., by Pete Fenner (male, audio) 1st round: 9-0 2017-76 29 Dec 2017 - Tracy Aviary, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., by Bryant Olsen (immature, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) (10 / 22) 2017-47 15 Sep 2017 - Antelope Island, Davis Co., by Weston & Louize Smith (1st year, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) (5 / 15)
2017-27 3 May 2017 - Lytle Ranch Road, Washington Co., by Rachel
LeBlanc (adult male) 2nd round: 7-2 -- (Though two
reviewers though it could be confused with a Black-throated Gray Warbler, and
presented good reasons for that position, the rest thought that the detailed
documentation effectively eliminated that possibility and were convinced of the
ID).
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) (6 / 21) 2017-52 29 Sep 2017 - Lytle Ranch, Washington Co., by Daniel Sachse (male, Photos) 1st round: 9-0
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) (8 / 19) 2017-29 6 May 2017 - Garr Ranch, Antelope Island, Davis Co., by Ian Batterman (one adult) 2nd round: 9-0 -- (With no photos, there was some initial concern, but the description of this bird brought agreement in the 2nd round). 2017-44 30 Jun 2017 - Ponderosa CG, Juab Co., by Neldon Kunz (one) 2nd round: 2-7 -- (With a problematic date for this sighting and no photo, it came down to the description of the bird which included rufous cap, thin bill and yellow throat and vent which is pretty convincing, but didn't include mention of streaking on the breast or tail wagging, which would have helped. Several other species were thought to be possibilities and weren't quite ruled out).
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens ) (1 / 1) 2017-19 27 Mar 2017 - Logan, Cache Co., by Bonnie Eves (male, videos: one & two) 1st round: 9-0 (First state record)
Dickcissel (Spiza
americana)
(2
/ 5)
* The heading photo is of a Bell's Sparrow by Kenny Frisch (Record 2017-06) |
