[Date Prev][Date Next][Date Index]

Lost Creek State Park

I birded Lost Creek State Park in Morgan County and the road that leads to it from 2:00 until 5:00 this afternoon.  On the way up to the reservoir I saw two male Belted Kingfishers--one on a low wire, and the other on a low branch over-hanging the water.  I saw a first-year Bald Eagle flap past hoodoos on a ridge without gliding once and a quiet, mature adult perched in tall trees over Lost Creek.  I was surprised to see a young Cooper's Hawk perched on the cross-bar of a telephone pole (pole #16, for what it's worth) just like a Buteo would.  Its orangy-buffy head appeared to have a faint, pale supercilium.  The brown head gave way below to a sharply streaked breast.  Interestingly, the streaks that ended along the flanks took on the appearance of two narrow horizontal bars on both sides.  All my bird guides show this bird in profile view and don't depict the streaking ending in two small parallel bars along the flanks.  After I had a good study the hawk flew away, but quickly returned to the next pole and faced away from me.  A few light-colored feathers poked through the dark ones on its back.  Its tail showed thick straight bars and a light terminal tip.  Then the hawk flew again, crossing the road and the Lost Creek drainage.  I watched it fly away--flap, flap, flap, gliiiiiide; flap, flap, flap gliiiiiide--until it landed across the narrow valley and blended into the branches of a tall tree.  

The juniper habitat increases closer to the reservoir and the American Robins were quite excited and chortling to all who would listen about the heavy crop of juniper berries.  I also saw a Northern Flicker, American Magpies, and Dark-eyed Juncos around the parking lot adjacent to the dam.  

At the reservoir, I scoped most of the waterfowl I saw from on top the dam, but I also crossed the dam and drove along the road bordering the southern thumb for a few more views from additional high vantage points.  I don't recommend going past the dam in a non-4WD vehicle until spring.  The dam offers great viewing and most of the species I saw at all other viewing spots appeared  here, too.  A lone Surf Scoter swam serenely at the point were the reservoir narrows and gives way beyond to a long island.  The scoter looked intensely coal black and snow white and pumpkin orange and spectacular.  I had to punch the air and yell out a few woof-woofs when I saw the scoter because I was alone and had no one with whom to high-five.  I also saw a few Common Goldeneyes, a couple Barrow's Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Ruddy Ducks and Common Loons on the reservoir, and Mallards dabbling below the dam on Lost Creek.  Black-capped Chickadees energetically entertained me from sagebrush near one of the high vantage points along the southern thumb.  Two more Bald Eagles flew over the reservoir and disappeared down the valley.  I later saw several eagles perched in tall trees along the creek as I drove the road back to the interstate.  

The trip home was a gallinaceous gala because I saw three Galliforme species.  I left the reservoir just before 5:00 and saw that the fog rising up out of Lost Creek and from the snow was settling heavily into the valley, giving it an almost mystical quality.  The lower trunks of the trees were obscured by the fluffy fog and then the trees rose above it, tall and dark.  At times the road was thickly fogged and I almost didn't see the Chukars picking up grit along the road.  I turned around to watch the covey of nine.  They crossed the road and murmured as they scampered up a steep rocky embankment and disappeared into sagebrush at the top.  Within another mile the fog had cleared a bit and a covey of about 25 California Quail flushed away from water-filled muddy tracks along the side of the road.  They landed under several bushes and then trekked across the snow and between golden stalks of grass not yet flattened by the fall storms. 

Further still, I watched for the third Galliforme--Wild Turkeys--in a place I've seen them before.  There they were!  Eight turkeys emerged from a corral close to the road and ran across, each in turn.  I watched them cross a field and gazed past in the direction they were headed.  Big surprise here--at least 40 turkeys were already roosting in the tall, mature trees lining Lost Creek.  Because my window was down, I could hear the loud, rustling, splashy flapping as individual birds lifted off the ground along the creek and selected their roosts.  I watched bunches of them do this--at least a couple dozen--and that doesn't even include the eight that crossed the road in front of me.  By the time I left I could see still more birds in the grainy-gray light picking at the ground along the creek bottom.  I estimate I saw at least 75 turkeys between the roosting birds, those at the creek and the ones joining the roost from my direction.  I suspect this spectacle is predictable and "scheduled" every day at dusk.  The roost is on a private ranch, easy to see from the road, approximately 2 miles from the interstate and on the right as you're headed toward the reservoir.  Be sure to choose a safe place to pull over because the road is narrow.  

To reach Lost Creek State Park, take I-84 to Exit 111, also signed for the town of Croydon.  The park is about 12 miles from the interstate.  Watch for a fork in the road just after the Devil's Slide plant and bear left.  This intersection is signed and you'll see that the sign directs you left toward Lost Creek.  Bear left at the next intersection where the road from Croydon rejoins the road to Lost Creek.  The road ends at the park. If you travel this road in early morning or late afternoon be aware that the valley hosts a significant population of deer and have your brake foot ready.  

Kris