Houston Gal Gets Life with Dixie Birders.

["William J. Hunter" <dixiewili at redrock dot net>]

Greetings.

Yesterday morning, Saturday, October 12, 2002, the Dixie Birders were out
and about. One of our guests, Martha from Houston, TX was able to pick up a
lifer early in the morning before returning to the Huntsman Senior Games to
pick up her medals. While Martha, and her quest Iris (from CA), returned to
the games, the rest of us (Brigham City, Cedar City, St. George) dauntingly
spent the day in the field.

Our quest this day was more habitat variation rather than a selected
species. Places birded were Sunbrook Golf Course, Baker Dam Reservoir,
Mountain Meadows, Pine Valley, and Southgate Golf Course.

Note some of the unusual birds found, though the total species count (36)
was not impressive.

SUNBROOK: I caught this on the way to meet the group and we returned later
in the day to verify my findings. The Common Terns have left, but two have
shown up at Quail Creek Reservoir. If you see one bird there who has a
legless left leg, than it was one of the same birds found at Sunbrook
earlier.
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Greater White-fronted Goose - 4
Mallard
EURASIAN WIGEON   YES!!! For years there have been various reports of one
turning up at Southgate. I¹d given up. But there, yesterday at Sunbrook
about 8am (and again on our return around 4pm), in with several American
Wigeon sits this beautiful bird, an adult male in nonbreeding plumage.
American Wigeon
³AFLAC² One white duck.

BAKER DAM RESERVOIR: Very windy here and at our next stop, Mtn. Meadows.
Common Loon - 1
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe - 3
Mallard
Bufflehead
American Coot
American Pipit

MOUNTAIN MEADOWS: Birding to the North of the monument appeared to be the
best, though the wind and time of year kept numbers way down.
Mallard
Merlin - 1
Northern Flicker
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon¹s)
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco - 3 (Oregon)

PINE VALLEY: This included the town of Pine Valley, then following the road
East toward the campgrounds which are closed this time of year. Next time
remind us not to go here during UEA.  It didn¹t matter that the campsites
were closed, there were people every where. And then the 4 raging, love sick
bulls, bellowing their frustration didn¹t help matters either. We didn¹t
stay long, but long enough for some interesting birds.
Mallard
Cooper¹s Hawk - 1
Red-tailed hawk - 1
Golden Eagle - 1
VAUX¹S SWIFT - 1 (This bird came into view while observing the flight of the
Lewis¹s Woodpecker, otherwise we would never have seen it.)
Northern Flicker
Steller¹s Jay - 5
Western Scrub-Jay - 3
Clark¹s Nutcracker - 7
Common Raven - 33+
Mountain Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
TOWNSEND¹S SOLITAIRE - 8 (They certainly weren¹t solitary on this day as
several were together. Extremely vocal with their warbling song and
individual notes from high in the Ponderosa Pines.)
American Robin
European Starling
White-crowned Sparrow
Pine Siskin - 7

SOUTHGATE: Our last stop, after checking Sunbrook, before heading home.
Pied-billed Grebe
American White Pelican - 1
BLACK-NECKED SWAN - 1 (Last year there was a single bird that wintered at
Quail Creek Reservoir/Stratton Pond. Could this be the same bird? It sure is
beautiful.)
Canada Goose
Mallard
American Wigeon
Ring-necked Duck - 53+
American Coot
Great-tailed Grackle

Good birding.
Dixie Willie
St. George


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