Lava Point, Zion NP Birds (Year of the Woodpecker)

["Rick Fridell" <rfridell at burgoyne dot com>]

Hello,
Kristen and I spent Sunday and Monday (8/14-15) at Lava Point (Zion NP).
One of the avian highlights was huge mixed flocks working the conifers
between the Ranger's residence and the Picnic Area at Lava Point.  The
majority of the flocks are made up of Red-breasted Nuthatches and Mountain
Chickadees, however we also saw a female Hermit Warbler, and a few
Townsend's, Graces, Black-throated Gray, Orange-crowned, Virginia's, and
Audubon's Warblers, Brown Creepers, WB Nuthatches, and BG Gnatcatchers mixed
in.  Also loosely associated with these flocks were Hairy Woodpeckers,
Gray-headed Juncos, W. Bluebirds, Townsend's Solitaires, and a few others.
We did not see any Zone-tailed Hawks, however we were treated to 10
California Condors soaring in to an evening roost along Kolob Creek below
Lava Point. Other highlights included a pair of Peregrines, a Northern
Goshawk, Common Nighthawks, 3 Clarks Nutcrackers, and Red Crossbills.

I also got a county bird: a Three-toed Woodpecker working a dead tree
approximately 0.25 miles in on the West Rim Trail. Following the Acorn
Woodpecker, this is my second county woodpecker in an eight day period.
With the Red-headed Woodpecker back in January, more than half of the new
Washington County birds I've recorded this year have been Woodpeckers!
Since an Ivory-billed is probably out of the question, I'm heading out next
weekend to look for a Gilded Flicker or maybe a Gila, Pileated, or
White-headed Woodpecker. I'll keep you posted....Wish me luck ;)

Best Regards,

Rick Fridell
Hurricane, UT

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