Ferruginous Hawk in Weber Co.

["Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy at comcast dot net>]

I saw an adult FERRUGINOUS HAWK in Weber County this morning on 9300W 
and north of the intersection with 900S.  9300W is approximately 10 
miles west of I-15, and is the road that leads to the Great Salt Lake 
Minerals plant tucked against the eastern slope of Little Mountain.  

I've never seen a Ferruginous Hawk this close to home before.  This hawk 
is classified as a rare winter bird on the Utah checklist and usually I 
have to travel to Box Elder or Cache Counties to see them.  

The hawk--an enormous chunk of a bird--was initially perched right next 
to 9300W on a tall fencepost.  I passed by a couple times, moving along 
so I could gawk at it without flushing it.  Later I saw the bird make a 
long, low gliding dive into the grass east of the road and then take up 
a perch on a fence line.  Too bad he or she came up empty. 

Other raptors in the area included Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, 
Red-tailed Hawks, an almost coal-black Rough-legged Hawk, American 
Kestrels, Prairie Falcons, a Merlin, and a Great Horned Owl. Several of 
these, including the owl, were along 8300W north of the intersection 
with 900S. A scope facilitated watching some of the raptors on distant 
power or fence lines, but no need for the scope for the owl--a "she" I 
think, roosting low in a Russian Olive about 50 feet off the road. 

The raptors' location was nearly as far west of I-15 exit 344, 12th 
Street, as one can get before reaching the Little Mountain U.S. Air 
Force complex. 12th Street just becomes 900S as the road proceeds west. 
Instead of driving all the way to Little Mountain, I turned north on 
9300W.  The Ferruginous Hawk was on the first 1-mile straight stretch 
before reaching a 90 degree turn west to the Great Salt Lake Minerals 
plant.  The land is pretty barren out there.  The community is probably 
called West Warren (or maybe they should call it West Barren). 

Kris

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