What a coincidence!
I also saw 2 pairs of BLUE-WINGED TEAL out on the Amalga Barrens Sanctuary in Cache Valley this morning. They were a new species for the year on my survey of this area.
The flood waters wiped out the 6 Canada Geese nests that I was monitoring in the area. I saw a Coot sitting on top of its nest as it floated in the Clay Slough. I am sure other species nests will be lost due to the flooding.
Other notable bird today was a single Horned Grebe.
Avocet numbers were down from 2 weeks ago. Pelican numbers were up. I saw my first Short-eared Owl in this area today. 20 plus Savannah Sparrows.
I will be going out again tomorrow and Sunday morning. Hopefully I won't drown. Got stuck in the mud quite a few times today and waded through waist high water where it was dry land just two weeks ago.
From: "Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy@comcast.net>
Reply-To: "Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy@comcast.net>
To: <birdtalk@utahbirds.org>
Subject: [BirdTalk] Blue-winged Teal
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 16:34:02 -0600
I saw two pairs of BLUE-WINGED TEAL today at The North Arm Nature Area of Pineview Reservoir in Weber County. The teal were along the east side of the area; I was above them looking down from the Old Highway.
The trail system in The North Arm is flooded as The North Fork of the Ogden River is over its banks. I was prepared for wet trails and wore knee-high rubber boots; however, before I crossed the footbridge over the river I was wading through foot-high water and turned back. The habitat has changed from a merely deciduous riparian corridor to swamped forest. The change got my hopes up and I looked for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. I didn't find even one. I've heard they're quite elusive.
Kris