Utah County Birders Newsletter
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Contents
August Meeting
Upcoming Field Trips
Captain’s Log
Bird of the Month
Field Trip Report
- Mirror Lake Hwy
Field Trip
Report - Liedy Peak
Backyard Bird of the Month
July Hotline Highlights
AUGUST MEETING:
Thursday, August 11th, 2016
Potluck up South
Fork - 7:00 pm.
Everyone is invited! Bring your friends and family! This year our potluck will
be up Provo Canyon at South Fork Park. This is the park midway up the South Fork
road in Provo Canyon. To get there, drive 5.4 miles from the mouth of the canyon
to the South Fork turnoff at Vivian Park. Turn right up South Fork and follow
the road 1.7 miles to South Fork Park. We will try and grab one of the
pavilions. Bring a food item to share. Map:
https://goo.gl/maps/LTiVt8XYeFp
Saturday,
August 6th, 2016: 8am - mid afternoon. Deloy Pack has offered to lead a trip
to Pat Jividen's place in Tabiona on
Saturday, August 6th. Meet at the North side of the Harmon's parking lot on 800
N. in Orem at 8am. First stop will be the Reid's place in Hannah where the group
will spend half an hour or so, and then to the Jividen's place. Black-chinned,
Broad-tailed, and Rufous Hummingbirds are a good bet, and Calliope Hummingbirds
are possible (Pat and the Reid's have both seen them at their feeders).
White-breasted nuthatches as well as other mountain birds are also possible.
Plan to carpool and return via Hwy 35 around mid afternoon. Bring a camp stool
or chair, and lunch/snacks.
Saturday, August 13th, 2016: 7am - late afternoon.
In search of migrating shorebirds. Meet at the American Fork Park
and Ride lot on Pioneer Crossing. We will follow shorebird reports north to
Antelope Is., Farmington Bay, or Bear River Refuge
depending on what's being seen and where. Bring a lunch. Led by Keeli Marvel
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 Keeli at -
keeli.marvel@gmail.com
Utah County Birders Captain’s Log:
August 2016
by Keeli Marvel
I was doing a little thinking and a little research while preparing to write the
article this month, and I discovered Wikipedia has a whole page devoted to
“Twitcher’s Vocabulary” (which you can find here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitchers'_vocabulary)
While I don’t generally hear it used a whole lot around here, in many birding
circles a twitcher is what you call a person who chases birds - generally rare
ones - which often require long distance travel to go see them. The worst thing
that can happen when you’ve driven a long ways to see a bird is to not see it.
This is what in the bird world is called dipping. I’m not sure why. I tried to
look up the history of the term dipping, and still haven’t found it (I’m dipping
on the etymology of dipping). If anyone knows, please do share. (Side question-
has anyone dipped on a Dipper lately?) The reason I mention this is I’ve been
dipping on the majority of target birds I’ve gone after lately so I was thinking
about how brutal it is to have a hobby where the target is so… well…flighty and
predictably unpredictable.
I dipped on the Little Gull and the Common Tern and the Horned Grebes at Powell
Lake. I’ve dipped twice now on Gray Jays and twice on Calliope Hummingbirds. I
dipped on Black Swifts a couple of times (but to be fair, that is a hard species
to get). I dipped on the Little Blue Heron. Am I a glutton for punishment?
Maybe. More and more I find myself having to find other ways to justify my
birding trips. At least I got a good hike in. At least we got to see xx species.
It’s never as satisfying as actually getting to see the target bird. But hey, I
actually have gotten some good hikes in lately, and I can report that the
wildflower bloom this year was phenomenal. I’ve fallen back on taking pictures
of wildflowers and getting lifer mammals instead. This last weekend while hiking
Bald Mtn. with Sam in the Uintas she pointed out a Cliff Chipmunk to me. Lifer
Cliff Chipmunk! What else do you do when Ptarmigans and Gray Jays are nowhere to
be found?
Anyone else been dipping a lot lately? I feel your pain. Hopefully with
migration starting up here in the next few weeks the tide will turn and my luck
will change. Guess we’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll be out there not finding the
next rare bird.
Happy birding! (or hiking or mammal lifering or whatever gets you back out there
after a dip).
Keeli Marvel
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photo by Jeff Cooper |
Rufous Hummingbird
(Selasphorus rufus)
by Eric Huish
[Rerun article from August 2013]
There are a few bird arrivals we all look forward to each year.
In late summer when birding reaches a lull we all wait for the first Rufous
Hummingbirds to show up at our feeders, usually mid to late July. I have always
found Rufous Hummingbird Migration interesting. Every year I get several Rufous
Hummingbirds visiting my feeders every day on their fall migration from late
July to mid September. But I have only once seen a Rufous here in the Spring -
on April 25, 1998. Rufous Hummingbirds migrate in a big circle following the
flowers. They winter in Mexico. In spring they follow the blooming flowers up
the coast of California when our mountains are still covered in snow. They
summer in the Pacific Northwest. Then when the mountain meadows are in full
bloom they migrate South through the interior West and we get to see them at our
feeders.
Rufous Hummingbirds are one of the easier hummingbirds to identify here in Utah.
We don't get Allen's here (probably). Most male Rufous Hummingbirds are bright
orange all over and adult female Rufous also have a lot of rusty orange color,
even a few shiny feathers on the throat unlike our other female hummingbirds we
see in Utah. Immature birds can be tricky and some can be very difficult to tell
apart from immature Broad-tailed or Calliope.
Rufous Hummingbirds are energetic and fun to watch so put out a hummingbird
feeder and enjoy.
If you would like to write an article for the Bird of the Month, please contact Machelle - machelle13johnson@yahoo.com
Click here for past 'Birds of the Month'.
Field Trip Report
Mirror Lake Highway - July 9th, 2016
by Keeli Marvel
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photo by Keeli Marvel |
We had a large group – over 20 people – show up for
the field trip up to Mirror Lake Parkway. It was good to see some new faces,
too! We stopped at the fee booth a few miles outside of Kamas to regroup and
birded for a few minutes picking up highlights such as FOY Gray Catbirds and a
few other species. From there, we went on to the Lower Soapstone Basin road and
parked by the bathrooms. Highlights there included a nesting Red-naped Sapsucker
that we were able to get really good looks at and a Golden-crowned Kinglet
showing off his golden crown. There were also probable sightings of a Nashville
Warbler. From there we traveled up to the Bald Mountain Trailhead where we
parked and walked up the hill to the northeast. A pair of Mountain Goats made an
appearance up on the cliffs for us with their hair blowing majestically in the
wind. We also had great looks at Cassin’s Finches, Chipping Sparrows, Mountain
Bluebirds, and had a probable Rosy Finch sighting by a couple of birders in our
group. We finished up the trip with a walk around Mirror Lake between the picnic
area and the lower parking lot. Part of the group got great looks at a nesting
American-three Toed Woodpecker and other members of the group got to see Pine
Grosbeaks. Other highlights included Rufous Hummingbirds and one Clark’s
Nutcracker. Thanks to all who attended! Complete checklists at each stop can be
found through the links below.
Mirror Lake Hwy Fee Booth:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30629852
Lower Soapstone Basin Road:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30630439
Bald Mountain Pass:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30630513
Mirror Lake:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30630563
Happy Birding!
Field Trip
Report
Liedy Peak - July 30th, 2016
by Bryan Shirley
6 birders spent half a day hiking around
Liedy Peak in Uintah County searching for Ptarmigan, but
it was not meant to be. Most of us did add a few points to our Utah County
Birders challenge score
with good birds like Gray Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, American Pipit, etc. It was a
disappointment to not
find the Ptarmigan, but we had a good time and enjoyed the scenery. Now we are
just going to have
to find some other good bird to make up for missing the 3 point ptarmigan!
July 2016
Jack Binch - Sandy
Nothing really unusual, but I sure enjoyed the adult male Rufous Hummingbirds that arrived on the 14th and a couple are still here.
Jeff Cooper -
Pleasant Grove
It was nice to see Rufus Hummingbird again.
Suzi Holt - Payson
Mine is
definitely the Rufous Hummingbirds those little stinks have come in with
a vengeance this year and rule the feeders. The Broad-tailed and Black-chinned
barely have a chance. The wasps have also been really bad. You have to be
careful when you are outside so as to not get stabbed in the war zone :) Love
these little guys they bring sunshine to my life everyday!!!
Eric Huish - Pleasant Grove
Rufous Hummingbirds!
Keeli Marvel - Saratoga Springs
My Backyard bird was again a family of Western Kingbirds who fledged on
my front gutter. Glad the babies finally flew the coop because the parents got
really nervous every time we wandered out the front door.
Milt Moody - Provo
A nice male Rufous Hummingbird showed up as well as another batch of fledgling Black-headed Grosbeaks.
Leena Rogers - Provo
It's that glorious time of year! Have enjoyed watching brilliant male Rufous
Hummingbirds dive bombing each other around our yard and feeders.
Report your favorite backyard bird
each month to Eric Huish at 801-360-8777 or
erichuish@gmail.com
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