Broad-billed Hummingbird & other Washington Co. birds

This morning (Aug. 11) at the Hurricane sewage ponds the SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER reported yesterday by Rick Fridell was still there. This may likely be a first county record. Also there was a Baird's Sandpiper and a Franklin's Gull. After birding the sewage ponds Rick, Kristen Comella and I birded in the Washington Fields. We were looking for an INDIGO BUNTING which Rick has been seeing for over a month. The bird has been singing during all this time and a female Indigo has been seen with it.

While looking for the bunting (which we saw) we saw an unusual female hummingbird that we finally determined was an immature female BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD. The hummingbird was foraging among the tall canal vegetation and nectaring on tamarisk along the North arm of the Middle Drain (west of 3000 East between the road and Seegmiller Marsh). We watched the bird for about 5 minutes (it was very active) before it flew off over the fields not be be seen again. If accepted by the Utah records committee this will constitute about the 5th state record.