A fine evening at Lytle Ranch (10/17)

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

Hello,

This evening (10/17) Kevin Wheeler and I visited Lytle Ranch (Beaver Dam
Wash, Washington County, UT).  Although there were not many birds around, we
saw some great ones, and a bunch of Woodpeckers.  We arrived at 4:45p and by
5:15p, I had two new county birds!

As we were driving in, we noticed a flock of sparrows and decided to stop
and park near the gate and cattle guard leading into Lytle Ranch.  We saw a
Downy Woodpecker and a Ladder-backed Woodpecker near the entrance.  In the
orchard we saw several Red-naped Sapsuckers and Northern Flickers.  Next, we
flushed a first-year female Williamson's Sapsucker from a persimmon tree.
It flew into a large boxelder along the east border of the orchard, and
while we were watching it, an adult male RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER (daggetti
subspecies) landed in a nearby pear tree.  I decided to run back to the
vehicle and get a camera while Kevin kept an eye on the sapsucker.  Just
before I got back to the truck a BROWN THRASHER flew across the road in
front of me and landed in a huge creosote (near the covered camping area). I
grabbed the camera but could not relocate the Thrasher.  When I got back to
the orchard, Kevin still had the RB Sapsucker, and we managed to get a few
digital photos for documentation.

We went back and spent 45 minutes trying in vain to relocate the Brown
Thrasher, then walked on up to the pond and saw a few typical birds.  Just
before dark (around 7:00p), Kevin was able to see the Thrasher foraging
under the Desert Willows along the left (west) side of road just north of
the Lytle gate.

Best Regards,

Rick Fridell
Hurricane, UT

_______________________________________________

"Utah Birds" web site: http://www.utahbirds.org
     Birdnet:
To subscribe, e-mail:  birdnet-subscribe@utahbirds.org
To unsubscribe, e-mail:  birdnet-unsubscribe@utahbirds.org
To send a message, e-mail:  birdnet@utahbirds.org
_________________________________________________