Two Pygmy-owls in East Canyon

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

The NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL that has been consistently reported in East 
Canyon, Morgan County, on SR-66 between mile marker 4 and 5 became two 
owls this afternoon.  Gee-willikers!  It's great to report my own 
sightings of this species instead of somebody else's.

I first saw a single pygmy-owl on the downslope shoulder of the road at 
mile 4.3.  After a short observation, the bird flew north and I headed 
south.  Lo and behold, I saw the owl again on the wire at mile marker 4. 
 The short time between the sightings made me suspicious.  Within a half 
hour or so, both birds appeared along the road with me in the middle 
about 100 yards north of mile marker 4. One bird was using the powerline 
to hunt. Eventually, both owls flew across the open pasture area below 
the road to the trees lining East Canyon Creek. 

A conscientious birder has cleaned up the rainbow of surveyor's tape 
that has marked previous sightings because the roadside was starting to 
look pretty trashy.  Now the only tape that remains is the new, 
pale-pink/lavendar tape I placed at my first sighting at mile 4.3 and 
the last sighting of the two owls, about 100 yards north of mile marker 
4.

Other birds in the canyon this afternoon include the "usual" species for 
this area--Bald and Golden Eagles, two Canyon Wrens in the red rocks 
high above the road between mm 4 and 5, and about a dozen Wild Turkeys 
above the road at mm 5.  East Canyon Reservoir is almost completely 
closed in.  The only species I saw on the ice near a small patch of 
water were Canada Geese and Mallards. 

Kris

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