White-winged Scoter at Quail Creek, Wash. County

["Rick Fridell" <rfridell at redrock dot net>]

Hello,
Today (12/18/01) I went to Quail Creek Reservoir over my lunch hour to sort
through the many gulls (lately Quail Creek has been thick with gulls!), and
found a first year White-winged Scoter.  This is the first White-winged
Scoter I have seen in Washington County. It was actively foraging (swimming
and diving) along the shore opposite the entrance to the State Park.  It was
near the exposed gravel island where gulls and mergansers often rest.  Kevin
Wheeler and I returned this evening and relocated the scoter in the same
area (4:45 to 5:30 pm).  Kevin and I also saw a single Least Sandpiper along
the shore near the boat ramp. The sandpiper was missing a portion of its
left leg (old injury), but seemed to be doing pretty well.

There have been more gulls on Quail Creek in the last week than I have seen
before. Kevin and I counted 1036 Ring-billed Gulls, 8 California Gulls, and
a first-winter Herring Gull on Saturday (12/15) during the Silver Reef
Christmas Bird Count.  The Herring Gull is still present.

Happy Holidays,

Rick Fridell
Hurricane, UT

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