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Re: SANDERLING and other Migrants

Hi all,

I went out for a walk last night after dinner in search of my mystery
sparrow.  When I got to the area across from the Hyrum dam, along the barbed
wire fence on the west side of the street, I saw some movent in the sage
brush.

I moved closer, and sure enough, it was a sparrow.  I managed to get a good
look at him.  He had a slight eyering and a yellowish bill.  His cap was red
and there was a red line through his eye and a red spot near the back of his
head.  The red alternated with gray stripes.  His back wasn't a solid color,
but was reddish yellow and black.  He looked like the photo on page 343 of
the Kaufman guide, and the drawings on page 281 of the Peterson Eastern
Guide and page 414 of the Sibley Western field guide.  Based on all this, I
would have to say that my mystery sparrow was an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW.

As they say, a bad day of birding is much better than a good day of work, at
least in this state.  But that's for another list, I guess.

As an aside, I'm leaving on Friday to drive to San Diego and I will be there
all next week.  Does anyone know of any good places on the way (I'm taking I
15 all the way) that aren't too far off of the highway to bird?  This isn't
going to be a pleasure trip, as I am attending the American Chemical Society
meeting in San Diego, so I won't have hours to waste getting to a far off
birding hot spot, though I am hoping to try and hit the Salton Sea )I'm also
hoping to see a California Condor, but that's another story).  I'd
appreciate any suggestions.

Good birding,
Richard

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Wood" <rwoodphd@msn.com>
To: <birdtalk@utahbirds.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 5:30 PM
Subject: Re: SANDERLING and other Migrants


Hi all,

Good stuff, Tim :)

I'm beginning to re-think the bird that I saw on Sunday acroos from the
Hyrum Dam.  It was a sparrow with a rufous cap and a tan/gray chest.  At
the
time, I called it a White-crowned, but I had Chipping in the back of my
mind, because it looked more like a Chippy than anything else.  But then I
thought we won't have Chippies here until spring...

Now that Tim thinks he saw a Chippie, maybe I did too?

Good birding,
Richard

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Avery" <tanager@timaverybirding.com>
To: <birdtalk@utahbirds.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 2:48 PM
Subject: [BirdTalk] SANDERLING and other Migrants


I birded Antelope Island today.  The first bird to spark my interest was
at the metal culverts between MM 1 and MM 2.  With my binos I could only
make it out to be a "plain" looking shorebird.  When I got the scope on
it, I was surprised to see an Adult SANDERLING (nonbreeeding plumage)
picking about the rocks. As I was watching this bird, I suddenly notcied
there were 2 LEAST SANDPIPER's sitting less than 3 feet away.  I could
watch both species in the scope, great for a size comparison.

At the Visitor Center, I pished for a second and a ROCK WREN appeared,
then another. I am assuming these are the same birds found in January.

On the road to Garr Ranch I managed to find 3 AMEREICAN TREE SPARROW's.
As I watched these birds another sparrow came flying out of the brush
chasing them off.  When it landed I was again surpirsed, this time to see
a CHIPPING SPARROW now controlling the tree. (is this early for a chipper
in Utah?)

At the ranch it was fairly dull, except for 4 AMERICAN KESTREL fighting
over a nesting box at the picnic area.

On the way back to the causeway a PRAIRIE FALCON flew over the road near
the Frary Peak Trailhead.  And where the fence crosses the road about a
mile form the main loop, 2 CHUKAR crossed in front of my car.

As I was driving along Antelope Drive back towards I-15, 5 DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT's flew in and landed on the pond at Glen Eagle Golf Course.

I stopped by Kaysville Ponds, they were dead.

Next I headed to Glover's Lane to scope the ducks, and found a plethora:

15  Gadwall
7   Cinnamon Teal
4   Green-winged Teal
75+ Canvasback
3   Redhead
50+ Ring-necked Duck
4   Lesser Scaup
8   Common Goldeneye
2   Bufflehead
11  Mallard
5   Northern Pintail
2   Northern Shoveler
3   American Wigeon

Not to mention a large number of Canada Geese and a BALD EAGLE watching
patiently from a power pole. (No Peregrine Today)

My last migrant sighting was coming back in to Salt Lake County, gliding
over Interstate 15 were 2 TURKEY VULTURE's.

Good Birding... Good Migration...

Tim

Salt Lake City, UT or Beloit, WI
http://www.timaverybirding.com

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