Whites Valley Specialties

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

This morning an intrepid group of Great Salt Lake Audubonners headed to 
north-central Box Elder County to Whites Valley seeking Gray Partridge, 
Sharp-tailed Grouse and raptors.  I suppose I could end this post by 
simply telling you we saw Gray Partridge, Sharp-tailed Grouse and 
raptors, but that would make this post waaaaaay too brief.    

In preparation for finding partridge, there were 
hopes...dreams...prayers...scouting...intelligence-gathering from 
hunters and landowners of the valley...and then a covey of about 30 Gray 
Partridge crossed the road in front of us on our drive to the valley 
from the interstate.  The spot was 2-3 miles from the interstate exit 
(the whole road to the southeast corner of the valley is 4 miles long) 
and at the only place where another dirt road enters from the east.  All 
the partridge eventually flew across a narrow plowed field west of the 
road and several stayed along the edge where we studied them with an 
army of spotting scopes.  

Three or four partridge sat fatly among clods of dirt like gray and rust 
bowling balls.  We had the opportunity to study their orange and tan 
faces, rust barring along the sides and flanks, and one bird's 
indistinct brown 'horseshoe' on her belly.  In addition, the rust outer 
tail feathers were quite apparent when the birds initially flared while 
landing along the sagebrush edge.  Whoopee!  The event was a life bird 
sighting for some of our participants.  

The number of Mountain Bluebirds at the southeast end of the valley was 
significant.  We also saw good numbers of breathtakingly blue bluebirds 
at the first turn north through crop fields.  Other birds making an 
appearance were American Pipits, Horned Larks, Western Meadowlarks, a 
Prairie Falcon, an American Kestrel and lots of Red-tailed Hawks, 
Northern Harriers and Common Ravens.  

Our group spread out in a Sharp-tailed Grouse dragnet at the north end 
of the valley east of the double silos (private land) and ended up 
flushing 10-15 Sharp-tails in ones, twos, and threes on the round trip.  
In addition, we flushed another covey of 8-10 Gray Partridge when we 
reached the slope on the east side.  

Please be aware that virtually all of Whites Valley is private and 
posted 'No Trespassing'.  Landowners have experienced vandalism of farm 
equipment and occasionally, hunters hunting without permission.  
Visitors off the road may be questioned by either landowners or DWR law 
enforcement officers.  The landowner who granted me access in advance of 
today's trip was very accomodating toward birders, but PLEASE make sure 
you have specific permission before you enter posted areas.   

We stopped at Salt Creek WMA on the way home.  The most common bird 
sighted was the Ivory-billed Gallinule skillfully identified by Steve 
Sommerfeld.  These birds look very, very similar to the American Coot.  
Eagle-eye Deedee O'Brien spotted one Canvasback among Redheads, 
eagle-eye Geoff Hardies spotted a pair of Ruddies, and eagle-eye Steve 
spotted Gadwall.  Other species sighted were Greater Yellowlegs and 
American Avocets, Western and Pied-billed Grebes, an American Pelican, 
Great Blue Herons, White-faced Ibis, Mallards, a Snowy Egret, a handful 
of resident and migrant sparrows, Marsh Wrens, and the ugliest bug I've 
ever seen, which Sylvia Gray suggested was related to the Jerusalem 
Cricket.  

If you use the photo blinds, be aware that a Barn Owl and Barn Swallows 
have used the west blind too and you might want to take along a bottle 
of Lysol.  Eeeeuuuuw. 

Additional partridge, grouse, and waterfowl watchers included Cindy 
Sommerfeld, Roberta Wherritt, Dave Hanscom, Taz Harrington, Candy 
Zaffis, and Julianne Peterson.  

Whites Valley is located 4 miles north of Ranch Exit 32, I-84.  Salt 
Creek WMA is located west of Bear River City and north of the Box Elder 
County Landfill.  To reach Salt Creek, take I-15 to exit 365, Corinne.  
Turn west on SR-13 and pick up SR-83 in Corinne.  Drive west to 6800W 
and turn right (north).  Drive north to 6800N and turn left (west).  
Watch for the intersection with signs directing travelers south into the 
landfill or north into Salt Creek.  Turn right and drive until you reach 
the parking lot at Compton's Knoll where you'll find an elevated viewing 
area, handicapped access to a photo blind at water's edge, and a pit 
toilet.  

Kris

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