Utah County Birders Newsletter
December 2008
Contents
December Meeting
Provo Christmas
Bird Count
Upcoming Field Trips
Merrill's Musings
Bird of the Month
Field Trip Report - Loon Loop
Backyard Bird of the Month
November Hotline Highlights
DECEMBER
MEETING:
Thursday,
December 11th.
Christmas Bird Count Preparation - We
will receive instruction and assignments for the Provo CBC.
Please bring your field guides with you, we will be quizzed on birds that might
pose an identification problem. Final assignments will be made for areas to
cover during the count, and folders will be distributed to area leaders.
Meet at 7:00 PM in the Bean Museum Auditorium on the BYU Campus.
PROVO CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT:
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Please circle December 20th on your calendars so you can avoid conflicts.
Get your Christmas shopping done early. Come to the Utah County Birders Meeting
on Thursday, Dec. 11th or contact Merrill Webb at 801-224-6113 or
merrill_webb@yahoo.com.
We will compile the results at 6:15 P.M. at the Utah County Academy of Sciences,
940 West 800 South, Orem. We are not meeting in the same building as last year.
We will meet in the new Activity Center (Brick Building North of the parking
lot). We will have much more room in the activity center.
Please Bring a Pot Luck dish to share. Don’t miss the compilation. It is great
fun. Even if you can’t make the count you are still welcome to join us for the
compilation.
FIELD TRIPS:
December 20 (Sat):
Provo Christmas Bird Count - Please circle December 20th on your
calendars so you can avoid conflicts. Get your Christmas shopping done early.
January 2009: Friday 1/30 - Sunday 2/1:
St. George Winter Bird Festival - Make your own travel and lodging
arrangements.
Click here for a Festival Brochure
We are actively recruiting people to lead local half-day field
trips, any time, any place. If you would like to lead a
field trip or if you have any ideas for this year’s field trips, please contact
Lu Giddings at -
seldom74@xmission.com.
Merrill's Musings
By Merrill Webb
The Audubon-sponsored Christmas Bird Count has
been an annual occurrence in the Provo area since 1973. The six counts in Utah
that year have now grown to a total of twenty-one, reflecting the increase in
numbers of birders in the state over the last 35 years. And, if you were so
inclined you could participate in a different count every day in Utah during the
two and half week count period sandwiched around Christmas day. I read an
account in one of the yearly count summaries that Chandler Robbins, the
originator of the North America Breeding Bird Survey, and the lead author of the
Golden Field Guide, Birds of North America, participated in 21 straight
CBC’s during the Christmas season a number of years ago.
Having been involved with the Provo count since
its inception, I decided to look back over each of the 36 counts since that time
and provide a brief summary of each year’s results. As we prepare for this
year’s survey on December 20, I hope that your reading of the following accounts
will encourage you to get out early and search for rarities in your respective
areas.
Short History of Provo Christmas Bird Counts
Year
# of Birds # of Observers Unusual Birds
# of Utah Counts
1973 55 4
Cinnamon Teal (7), ?
Bohemian Waxwing
(540),
Harris’s Sparrow (1)
1974 78 17
Evening Grosbeak (97), 6; SLC high
Goshawk (1),
Short-eared Owl (2) with 84 sp.
1975 68 12
Double-crested Cormorant (9), 7; SLC high
Chukar
(2) with 82 sp.
1976 63 12
Greater Yellowlegs (4), 5; SLC high
Evening Grosbeak
(11) with 84 sp.
1977 91 29
Swainson’s Hawk (1), 7; Provo
Plain (Juniper) Titmouse
(5), (91)
Northern Shrike (2)
1978 79 22
Willet (1), Marbled Godwit (2), 7; Logan (82)
Wilson’s Phalarope
(10),
Harris’s Sparrow (2)
1979 88 19
Barrow’s Goldeneye (1), 8; St. George
Snow Bunting
(4) (88)
1980 89 22
White-faced Ibis (1), 8; Provo
Greater Yellowlegs
(2), (89)
Clark’s Nutcracker
(1),
Saw-whet Owl (2)
Year
#of Species #of Observers Unusual species
#of counts
1981 82 30
Turkey Vulture (4), 10; Kanab (86)
Common Gallinule (Moorhen),
House Wren (2)
1982 79 28
Hermit Thrush (1), 10; St. George,
Orange-crowned Warbler (1),
(92)
Red Crossbill (12)
1983 84 24
Eurasian Wigeon (1), 11; St. George,
Peregrine Falcon
(3) (94)
1984 96 22 Least
Sandpiper (14), 11; St. George,
Band-tailed Pigeon
(1), (105)
Winter Wren (1), Varied
Thrush (1),
White-throated Sparrow
(1),
Snow Bunting (1)
1985 101 50 Tundra
Swan (2), Thayer’s Gull (6), 11; Provo (101)
Blue-winged Teal (1),
Glaucous-
winged Gull (2), Lewis’s
Woodpecker (1),
Swamp Sparrow (2), Red
Crossbill (3),
White-winged Crossbill (15), Pine Grosbeak (4),
Evening Grosbeak (163)
1986 83 47
Peregrine Falcon, (1) Pygmy Owl (1), 11; SLC, (90)
Snow Bunting (3), Brown-headed
Cowbird (1), Harris’s
Sparrow (3)
1987 89 42
Chukar (15), Ruffed Grouse (2), 12; Provo
Red-naped Sapsucker
(2), (89)
Rock Wren (4), Winter
Wren (1),
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
(5),
Black and White Warbler
(1)
1988 96 59
Sandhill Crane (1), Wilson’s Warbler 10; Logan
Swamp Sparrow (2), Red Crossbill (2) (98)
White-throated Sparrow
(2),
Evening Grosbeak (69)
1989 96 65 Wood
Duck (1), Oldsquaw (1), 12; Provo
Blue (Dusky) Grouse
(1), (96)
Thayer’s Gull (1), Mt. Bluebird (4),
Red-naped Sapsucker (1),
Lincoln’s
Sparrow (1)
Year
#of Birds #of Observers Birds of Interest
# of Counts
1990 93 55 Am.
White Pelican (2), 13; Logan
Red-shouldered Hawk (1), (95)
Greater Yellowlegs (5),
Lesser Yellowlegs (4), Least Sandpiper (19),
Franklin’s Gull (1), Vermilion Flycatcher (1)
1991 107 42 Wood Duck
(1), Cinnamon Teal (2), 13; Provo
Turkey Vulture (1), Am. Avocet (21), (107)
Red-shouldered Hawk (1),
Greater Yellowlegs (19), Least Sandpiper (1),
Say’s Phoebe (1), White-throated Sparrow (5)
1992 94 46 Glaucous
Gull (1), House Wren (1) 13; SLC,
Savannah Sparrow (2), Rosy Finch (382) (103)
1993 95 49
Red-breasted Merganser (12), Lesser ? ?
Yellowlegs (7), Glaucous Gull (1)
1994 103 54 Hooded
Merganser (19), Surf Scoter (1), 12; Provo
Western Grebe (1), Am. White Pelican (1)
(103)
Franklin’s Gull (1), Saw-whet Owl (1)
No. Mockingbird (1), Golden-crowned Sparrow (1)
Gt.-tailed Grackle (13)
1995 98 46 Horned
Grebe (1) Wood Duck (12), 11; Provo
Long-billed Dowitcher (2), (98)
Nashville Warbler (1), Swamp Sparrow (1)
1996 105 57
Trumpeter Swan (1), Grtr. Scaup (1), 13: St.
Surf Scoter (1), Sandhill Crane (2),
George
Thayer’s Gull (1), Glaucous Gull (1), (109)
No. Waterthrush (1), Snow
Bunting (1),
Red Crossbill (20)
1997 97 65
Peregrine Falcon (2), W. Screech Owl (7), 14; St.
Golden-crowned Sparrow (1) George (105)
1998 89 51 Green
Heron (1), Mourning Dove (3) 14; Silver
Juniper Titmouse (1), Winter Wren (2) Reef (107)
Swamp Sparrow (1), White-throated
Sparrow (1), Harris’s Sparrow (1)
1999 87 54
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1), 14; St.
Gt.-tailed Grackle (20) George (100)
Year
#of Birds #of Observers Interesting Species
# of Utah Counts
2000 106 58 Wood
Duck (2), Grtr. Scaup (1), 16; St. Geo.
Common Moorhen (1), Red-shouldered (108)
Hawk (1), Red Crossbill (50)
2001 101 43
Double-crested Cormorant (1) 16; Provo
Gt. Egret (1), Ross’s Goose (1) (101)
Cinnamon Teal (5), Ferruginous Hawk (1),
2002 94 47 Clark’s
Grebe (1), Am. Avocet (100), 17; Logan
Eurasian Collared Dove (10), (99)
Mourning Dove (170), Lewis’s
Woodpecker (1), Harris’s Sparrow (2),
Brown-headed Cowbird (10)
2003 93 41 Wood
Duck (9), Western Sandpiper (4), 18; Logan
Eurasian Collared Dove (9) (98)
2004 95 41 Wild
Turkey (14), Sandhill Crane (82), 20; Silver
Am. Avocet (156), Eurasian
Collared Reef
Dove (28), Red Crossbill
(16) (104)
2005 101 37 Least
Sandpiper (80), Mew Gull (1) 20; Kanab
No. Pygmy Owl (2),
Saw-whet Owl (1), (108)
American Tree Sparrow (76)
2006 100 42
Barrow’s Goldeneye (1), Gt. Egret (1), 21; Provo
White-faced Ibis (1),
Eurasian Collared (100)
Dove (61), Short-eared
Owl (2),
Mountain Bluebird (5),
Savannah Sparrow (1),
Swamp Sparrow (1), Fox Sparrow (1),
Black-Rosy Finch (50)
2007 97 44
Eurasian Collared Doves (80), 21; SLC
Brown Creeper (23), No.
Shrike (2), (106)
White-breasted Nuthatch
(4),
Bohemian Waxwing (239), White-throated
Sparrow (1), Gray-crowned
Rosy Finch (165),
Black Rosy-Finch (25)
In the last couple of years there has been a
continual loss of valuable habitat within our count circle which, I believe,
will make it more difficult to find some of the unusual birds that have helped
make us a leader in the state. One major loss has been the Geneva Steel cooling
ponds where waterfowl congregated when Utah Lake froze over. Accessibility to
certain areas, especially along the north shore of Provo Bay, has hampered
efforts to survey that area. So, what we need this year is a lot more
observers. Encourage everyone you know who has helped in the past, and try
recruiting some new observers. The more eyes—the better our chances will be for
finding the species we need.
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Snow Buntings - photo by Keeli
Marvel |
Plectrophenax nivalis
by Keeli Marvel
This month’s bird of the month is the Snow Bunting. I chose to highlight this
bird because of the chance (hopefully) many of us have gotten recently to see
one up close, and somewhat closer to home at Lincoln Beach. While we
unfortunately do not get a chance to see the full breeding plumage here in Utah,
I think this bird is beautiful and unique in breeding and non-breeding plumage
alike.
The Snow Bunting is classified in the Emberizidae family that includes other
groups such as sparrows and longspurs. It is one of the few buntings that occur
here in the U.S., and the only one that is observed fairly regularly here in
Utah, with the bulk of the other bunting species occurring across the Eurasian
continent. The Snow Bunting’s wintering habit stretches across the northern
United States (including the northern part of our state) and up through Canada.
Their breeding range is from Alaska east to Greenland and Iceland, with a good
portion of it occurring well above the Arctic Circle.
Because of their harsh habitat, Snow Buntings have adapted to survive subzero
temperatures as low as fifty-eight degrees below zero using adaptations such as
tunneling under the snow in grass or shrub patches in order to keep warm. They
have been observed to bathe in the snow, and are fairly opportunistic in their
food selection. Their preferred habitat is dry tundra, rocky shores (like Utah
lake and the Great Salt Lake), grassy or stubble fields or sand dunes, and
coastal shores where they forage on the ground for things like seeds, insects,
and caterpillars. Coastal birds have even been observed taking small crustaceans
and mollusks.
The breeding coloration of the Snow Bunting is also likely another adaptation to
their snowy breeding habitat. During breeding season they lose all color except
black on their backs and wings and may appear completely white when seen in
flight from below, like a very large snowflake flitting across the sky. Snow
Buntings are monogamous and the males set up and compete for the best breeding
territory weeks before the females return from their wintering grounds. They
build cozy nests nestled far back in rock cracks and crevices and line them with
feathers and fur to keep the eggs warm. The female stays on the eggs almost
constantly to keep them warm, and relies on the male to feed her for the entire
two weeks the eggs are incubating.
One thing I found really interesting about Snow Buntings was the way they
developed their breeding plumage. At the end of the summer, the males molt and
have the brownish black backs streaked and spotted with cinnamon on their sides
and face. However, underneath the colored feather tips, their back feather are
pure black and the body feathers are all white (regardless of the color on top).
The males develop their bold black and white breeding plumage as their feather
tips wear off, and will actively rub them on the snow until the bright white and
jet black feathers are all that are left just in time for breeding season to
begin.
I’ve only been able to see a Snow Buntings a total of two times, the first time,
I spotted a pair last winter hopping around on the rocks next to one of the
bridges on the Antelope Island Causeway, and once this winter again hopping
around the north jetty rocks at Lincoln Beach. I really enjoyed learning about
the unique attributes of this species, and hope you all get a chance to see at
least one this winter!
Sources:
Smithsonian Birds of North America, by Fred J. Alsop III
National Audubon Society The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley
Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds: Snow Buntings webpage found at
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Snow_Bunting_dtl.html#sound
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Utah County Birders at East Canyon -
15 Nov 2008
photo by Eric Huish
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Field Trip Report
November Loon Loop - 15 November 2008
Trip Report by Lu Giddings - led by Lu Giddings
A UCB field trip to Deer Creek reservoir, East Canyon reservoir, and Antelope
Island Causeway was held today. It was a beautiful day to be out birding. A bit
cold in the morning, but by afternoon things were lovely.
Trip highlights include:
- Bald Eagles at Deer Creek reservoir, East Canyon reservoir, over the freeway
as we drove through north Layton, and Antelope Island Causeway.
- Barrow's Goldeneyes and Hooded Mergansers near the inlet end of East Canyon.
- It was amazing to see how few birds were frequenting the usually teeming
waters at the Big Bridge on the causeway. However, over the course of roughly 90
minutes, we spotted a female black scoter, a female long-tailed duck, and what I
believe was a first winter female white-winged scoter. We did not see the surf
scoter or the snow bunting. It was also quite remarkable to see the tens of
thousands of northern shovelers along the north edge of the causeway, and what
appeared to be several thousand swans a few miles north of the causeway.
Backyard Bird of the
Month
November 2008
Steve Carr - Holladay
Cooper's Hawk - Showed up 3 times in one day and stayed for 15-30 minutes
each time.
Lynn Garner - Provo
American Goldfinches at my stocking feeder.
Alona Huffaker - Springville
The Spotted Towhee(s) I hear when I go out to feed the dog.
Eric Huish - Pleasant Grove
Townsend's Solitaire - Outside the kitchen window during a big family holiday
meal.
Milt Moody - Provo
A female Downy Woodpecker that was interested in my dead May Day Cherry
tree.
Cheryl Peterson - Provo
Downy Woodpecker - It has been several months since I have seen one in my
yard.
Bruce Robinson - West Jordan
Scrub Jays - They have so much personality!
Dennis Shirley - Elk Ridge
37 California Quail, 1 Chukar.
Alton Thygerson - Provo
Spotted Towhees - a pair of these ground feeders amongst the backyard
shrubs.
Bonnie Williams - Mapleton
House Sparrow - The only species I got on my Thanksgiving Bird Count.
We would like you to share your favorite backyard bird each
month. Please send your favorite bird at the end of the month to newsletter@utahbirds.org
or call 360-8777.
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