Compiled by Bill Fenimore
Wild Bird Center, Layton, Utah
Davis County
11 September 2002, Chris Wood, Tour leader of a Wings Tours group called Bill Fenimore of the Wild Bird Center to report a McCown's Longspur on the road to Fielding-Garr Ranch, on Antelope Island State Park. The bird was spotted about 80 meters south of a crosswalk with a number "10" painted on it which is near an informational sign that talks about the Utah silk industry. The bird was feeding on Bison manure on the road.
Wednesday morning, September 11, Chris Wood, a tour leader with Wings reported a McCown's Longspur along the road going to Fielding-Garr Ranch on Antelope Island State Park. The bird was feeding on manure on the southbound side of the road, near a cross walk with the #10 painted on it, as well as an information sign talking about the Utah Silk Industry. The bird was approximately 80 meters South of this sign.
Tuesday, September 10, Perla Piper reported a roosting location of approximately a dozen Turkey Vultures. It is located at 900 East and 500 South along Davis Blvd. in Bountiful. The birds are seen in the morning leaving the roost and later in the afternoon returning to it.
Saturday, September 7, the bird walk to the East Kaysville Wilderness Park led by the Wild Bird Center turned up a Cassin's Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, a Calliope Hummingbird and the usual suspects.
Sunday, Sept. 8 at Fielding Garr Ranch on Antelope Island, Kathy and Joel Beyer reported Townsend's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Cassin's Vireo, Plumbeous Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Rufous Hummingbird and Townsend's Solitaire. A juvenile Northern Mockingbird was seen along the road to the ranch, in the trees by the "Springs and Wetlands" pullout, which is a little more than a mile from the ranch.
Grand County
Tuesday, Sept. 3, recent bird
sightings in the Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve Moab, Utah: greater
yellowlegs; solitary and spotted sandpiper; western and least sandpiper;
calliope hummingbird; olive-sided flycatcher; dusky flycatcher; warbling
vireo; red-breasted and white nuthatch; house wren; Townsend's, Nashville,
and orange-crowned warbler; American redstart; northern Waterthrush;
green-tailed towhee; lesser and American goldfinch.
Damian Fagan, Colorado and Green Rivers Area Program Manager, The Nature
Conservancy of Utah, P.O. Box 1329, Moab, UT 84532, (435) 259-4629 phone,
(435) 259-2677 fax
San Juan County
Jim Hook of Bluff, Utah reported a breeding pair of Summer Tanagers in Bluff. It is the first time he has seen this species in Bluff since moving there 15 years ago.
Salt Lake County
Saturday, September 7 Bob Walters of DWR reported 11 Turkey Vultures at a roost at Knudsen Corner, approximately Holliday Blvd and 6200 South. A Lewis's Woodpecker was seen at the Old Mill Corporate Center #2 located at 6200 South Exit off I-215.
Sept. 3, Waterbird survey — last one of the season!
7:00-10:00. South shore (east of Saltair, west of Airport — general
vicinity of 10200 West and I-80) approximate 5 mile stretch.
Bob Huntington, Deedee O'Brien, and Ann Neville Reporting: Eared Grebe
1000 (there were thousands more on the water far away); White Pelican 1;
Great Blue Heron 1; Black-crowned night heron 6; White-faced Ibis 4;
Canada Goose 1; Mallard 6; Snowy Plover 11; American Avocet 2,177; Willet
2; Long-billed curlew 2; Marbled Godwit 2; Spotted Sandpiper 1; California
Gull 259; Ring-billed Gull 25; Franklin gull 248. Also saw a couple of
nighthawks very near the beach and a Peregrine.
Ann Neville, Wetland Manager, HSEQ — ISSR; 801 569 7204 office
Summit County
Friday, September 6, Tim Gorman reported 6 White-tailed Ptarmigan. The birds were at 11,400 foot elevation, 1/2 mile northwest of Cliff Lake on the upper Henrys Fork Drainage. The area is 9.5 miles from the trail head. Directions for those intrepid birders wanting to add a White-tailed Ptarmigan to their life list: take I-80 East to Fort Bridger Exit 34. Follow the signs to Mountain View and take Hwy 410 South approximately 6-7 miles. Go South onto a gravel road for another 12 miles to the road sign for Henrys Fork and National Forest Road #017, turn left onto #017, go 3 miles to National Forest Service Road #077, go 5 miles on #077 (West) to the Henry's Fork trail head.
Uintah County
Monday, Sept 2, Ron Brunson at 1407 E. 5000 N. in Vernal had the Brown Thrasher in his yard again. He first reported it on Aug. 19th. There were also cat birds, Virginia Warblers, Orange Crowned Warblers, Wilson's Warblers, a Great-tailed Grackle and a partial albino Robin that had snow white wings and tail, Green-tailed Towhee, and House Wrens.
Utah County
Wednesday, September 11, KC Childs reported seeing Semipalmated Plovers, Western Sandpipers, and possible Baird's Sandpiper; also Black Necked Stilts, Western Grebes, Ring Billed Gull, Franklin Gull, California Gull, and Caspian Terns, where the Provo River enters Utah Lake at Utah Lake State Park. KC also had a new yard bird which was a White Breasted Nuthatch.
Saturday, September 7, Sid Westerman (801) 553-2229 reported a variety of interesting birds in Goshen Canyon including a potential pair of Palm Warblers. Although he tried to video the birds, the weather didn't permit getting good video. Additionally, Sid reported a female Blue Grosbeak, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-Breasted Chat and Blue Gray Gnatcatcher at the mouth of Goshen Canyon. At the 1.5 mile into the Canyon (where the road crosses the stream) he saw Warbling Vireo, Wilson's Warbler, Cordilleran Fly Catcher, Green-tailed Towhee, and Nashville Warbler. At 2.2 miles into the Canyon on a small dirt road on East a Golden Eagle, Spotted Sandpiper, Yellow Warbler, Hose Wren and the pair of potential Palm Warblers. To reach Goshen Canyon take I-15 to the Santa Quin Exit, go West to Goshen, then South to the fork in the road at the mouth of the Canyon. Go left on the main Hwy. into the Canyon.
Washington County
On Tuesday, September 10, Lonny Boring and Bob Showler reported four Greater White-fronted Geese at the Southgate Golf Course main pond in St. George.
September 7, Saturday, Charlie Sheard and Bill Hunter reported the following birds at SR-9 (Hurricane) Sewage Ponds: Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER: Bird: Foraging on southern shore of the middle "puddle" of what is called the Northwest sewage pond, at waters edge; Killdeer, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Yellowlegs, Western Sandpiper, Wilson's Snipe and Wilson's Phalarope. At the inlet area of Quail Creek Reservoir they reported three species of wren: Bewick's Wren, House Wren and Winter Wren. Good observation and comparison of Wrens. All in same rocky habitat and at times, side by side on rock and in the Desert Almond. This was an excellent opportunity to compare three species of wrens within the same Chaparral habitat. Also, of interest: Gray Flycatcher and Verdin.
Thursday, September 5, Rick Fridell reported a possible adult American Golden Plover in non-breeding plumage at the SR-9 Sewer Ponds (Northwest Pond), in Hurricane, UT. Kevin Wheeler and Rick will look for it Friday morning in better light to make a positive identification.
To report bird sightings and/or hear recorded information, please call the Utah Bird Line at (801) 538-4730. You may also send e-mail to: frnatent@earthlink.net or BirderB@aol.com.
Wild Bird Center
1860 N. 1000 W.
Layton, Utah 84041-1858
(801) 525-8400
www.wildbirdcenter.com/lay