I visited the Lee Kay Ponds for the first time last Saturday
afternoon. According to Bob Walters of DWR, Lee Kay was a former Chief of
Information and Education at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Lee
Kay is considered to be the father of hunter education in Utah.
This new nature preserve consists of a fenced-in string of ponds, ~1
mi long and about 100 yards wide, on the south side of California Ave, west of
Salt Lake City (see map below). There is a large gazebo on a rise
overlooking the preserve and a loop road running around some of the ponds with
several interpretive signs. It is open Mon - Sat from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m,
except Thanksgiving, Xmas and New Years Days . At least it's
supposed to be. It wasn't open last Saturday afternoon when I arrived
before 5 p.m. You might want to check with Jill Fletcher of the Salt Lake
Valley Waste Management Facility http://www.pw.slco.org/solid/index.html)
for exact times before going: (801)
975-2375.
However, it isn't necessary to go into the preserve itself to view.
You can see all the ponds easily from the road. Here's a list of what I
saw (that I can remember):
Canada Goose
Mallard
Gadwall
Ruddy Duck
Eared Grebe (2)
Horned Grebe (2) - the first I've ever seen in UT, presumably
migrants
Pied-billed Grebe (1)
California Gull - a mixed flock of ~200 birds feeding voraciously on I know
not what
Ring-billed Gull
"
Starling
I saw no shorebirds, but it's getting late. Unfortunately there's not
much in the way of mudflats, but there are a couple of areas that might flood in
the spring.
This area has definite potential and should be watched during migration and
breeding seasons.
There are several well-established patches of cattails and phragmites
(naturally occurring) around the ponds.
The raised landfill areas behind the ponds might attract Short-eared
and Burrowing Owls, Harriers and other raptors. Also, there is a very
large rubbish hill in the SLVWMF itself, on the north side of California Ave.,
where there were hundreds of gulls swarming. Gull enthusiasts might
be able to access that hill with permisssion.
Warning! There is considerable vehicle traffic on California
Ave. (trucks and pickups with waste entering and exiting the SLVWMF), so it
pays to keep a wary eye out. But it's easy to pull off on the
shoulders.
Finally, there are recycling bins (newspaper, glass, corrugated cardboard,
plastic, etc.) in the SLVWMF. So you can go birdwatching and recycling at
the same time - a real ECO trip!
Jim McIntyre
