YourMemorable Bird Sightings of 2002

["Carol A. Gwynn" <cgwynn at earthlink dot net>]

Hi, and Merry Christmas Everyone!  

Our good birding friends over in Colorado are doing something fun on their
birdline this week.  People are posting 5 memorable bird sightings from
2002.  It has been fun to read their posts.  So - let's do a few from Utah
birders.  Here are five of mine, even though it was hard to pick.  These
aren't in any particular order.  

1.  Black Rosy Finch - I finally got this lifer at Susan Thomas' feeders in
Alta.  What a beauty of a bird!  This bird almost brings tears to your eyes.
. .  

2.  Breeding colonies of Horned Puffins and Tufted Puffins in Alaska.  These
birds are just way too cool.  On one occasion outside of Homer, AK, tufted
puffins were floating all around our boat.  

3.  A whole family of Rock Ptarmigans on the tundra in Alaska.  Maybe these
made an impression because of the steep hike it took to get to where they
were!  

4.  Back to Utah - the collection of birds on East Canyon Reservoir last
month.  The Pacific Loon, Mergansers, etc.  What a fun day that was.  

5.  The Common Redpoll invasion at Mantua, in January.  It was great to get
this life bird in Utah, and to associate with the carloads of birders who
were all looking for it.  

6.  I just couldn't stop at 5 - how about limpkins, magnificant frigatebird,
breeding plumage Lapland longspur, Arctic warbler, red-faced cormorant,
spot-breasted oriole, the 9 GBH's flying over Geneva last Saturday, the very
cocky-looking belted kingfishers at First Dam in Logan, . . . and on and on
and on.  Aren't we lucky to be able to enjoy such a fun hobby?  

Carol Gwynn

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