Forwarded Message - Uinta Basin Birds

["Utah Birds" <utahbirds at excite dot com>]

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Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 at 23:22:49
Subject: Uinta Basin Birds
Email_Address: rgbond@earthlink.net

Message: Just reporting on 2 days of birding in the Uinta Basin.  94 species seen.  5 species of Grebes present on Pelican Lake, including 30 or more Horned Grebes in full breeding plumage.  We had a great time.

The real reason for this message however has to do with Burrowing Owls.  In prior times we used to see Burrowing Owls throughout the Pelican Lake-Ouray area.  In spite of great effort Georgene and I were able to find none on this trip.  We talked with the manager of the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge.  These birds used to be fairly common at the refuge.  He said he knows of no sightings on the refuge itself now for 20 years.  
Are these birds in more trouble than we had thought.  There certainly is a lot of good habitat that has been converted to agriculture use in the Uinta Basin, but not on the refuge itself.  Are people using owls for target practice, as apparently happened in St. George a few years ago.  At any rate, perhaps we should all pay a bit more attention to this bird, study BBS results, etc., and see if we can determine what the 
current status of these birds really is.  I am most hesitant to cry wolf if there isn't a problem, but I am concerned.

Bob Bond


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<br />
Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 at 23:22:49
<br />
Subject: Uinta Basin Birds
<br />
Email_Address: rgbond@earthlink.net
<br />

<br />
Message: Just reporting on 2 days of birding in the Uinta Basin.  94 species seen.  5 species of Grebes present on Pelican Lake, including 30 or more Horned Grebes in full breeding plumage.  We had a great time.
<br />

<br />
The real reason for this message however has to do with Burrowing Owls.  In prior times we used to see Burrowing Owls throughout the Pelican Lake-Ouray area.  In spite of great effort Georgene and I were able to find none on this trip.  We talked with the manager of the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge.  These birds used to be fairly common at the refuge.  He said he knows of no sightings on the refuge itself now for 20 years.  
<br />
Are these birds in more trouble than we had thought.  There certainly is a lot of good habitat that has been converted to agriculture use in the Uinta Basin, but not on the refuge itself.  Are people using owls for target practice, as apparently happened in St. George a few years ago.  At any rate, perhaps we should all pay a bit more attention to this bird, study BBS results, etc., and see if we can determine what the 
<br />
current status of these birds really is.  I am most hesitant to cry wolf if there isn't a problem, but I am concerned.
<br />

<br />
Bob Bond
<br />
<p><hr>

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