California Condors, Zone-tailed Hawks, etc.

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

Hello,
Yesterday (7/10) Kevin Wheeler and I spent the day birding the Kolob Terrace
Road, Lava Point (Zion NP), and Kolob Reservoir areas.  Highlights included
4-5 California Condors along the Kolob Terrace Road, in the meadow north of
Blue Springs Reservoir.  We observed the Condors in flight, perched in
trees, and on the ground feeding on dead marmots. We confirmed at least four
individuals (#'s 4, 32, 48, and 96) and thought we saw a fifth as well (#9).
Most were 3-5 year old birds however number 96 was a full adult. Although
the Condors were actively moving around, the best spot to observe them was
from the pullout near the  Kolob Creek lower road crossing (where the creek
falls into the steep canyon). They landed in the meadow west of the pullout
near a rock outcrop, and would fly into the canyon below and perch for
awhile (mostly out of view from the pullout) before soaring again.

At one point we watched the Condors soaring with two Zone-tailed Hawks,
20-40 Turkey Vultures, a Red-tail, and two Peregrines.  The Zone-tailed
Hawks were mostly observed to the Northeast of the pullout, primarily east
of the two story log cabin. Both Zone-tails were a bit ragged (molting
primaries) which aided in picking them out of the many Turkey Vultures in
the area.

Also, shorebirds are returning south.  Yesterday (7/10) there were 10
Western Sandpipers at the SR-9 (Hurricane) Sewer Ponds and today (7/11)
Kristen and I saw a Willet and four Marbled Godwits at Sand Hollow State
Park.  There was also a juvenile Herring Gull at Sand Hollow this morning.

Best Regards,

Rick Fridell
Hurricane, UT

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