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GSL BIRDING MAP & KEY |
AREA DESCRIPTIONS: |
1-10 | 11-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-40 | 41-49 | ||
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TRIP REPORTS: |
1-10 | 11-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-40 | 41++ | ||||
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GREAT SALT LAKE
BIRDING TRAILS
TRIP REPORTS FOR SITES 41 & UP |
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[101] BLUE CREEK VALLEY
by Les Talbot (1/24/04) |
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This trip was advertised as Raptor Heaven but there were actually very few raptors around because the valley was covered with several inches of frozen snow, hiding any food source. Keith and Jack said that, without the snow cover, this was a good area for raptors, so we’ll try it again another time. Actually, the trip might have been better named Horned Lark Heaven. Being in the lead vehicle, Tyler and I got to see several flocks of Horned Larks along the way. They would fly up ahead of us as we approached. I checked to see if any Longspur were mixed with the larks but had no luck. After reaching the Utah-Idaho border we retraced our path and headed for Lampo Junction. Between Thiokol and the turnoff to Salt Creek the trip got more interesting. On that leg we saw several raptors, Chukar, Great Blue Heron, Killdeer, and Common Snipe. We stopped at Salt Creek but all of the water there was frozen over. While waiting his turn to use the facilities Jack spotted several American Goldfinch feeding in the brush. Our final stop was at Mayor's Pond in Brigham City to look for the Greater Scaup. The south side of the pond was open water and there were a lot of waterfowl taking advantage of it. We saw the Greater Scaup there, as well as some Lessers and both Common and Barrow's Goldeneye. The pond was a highlight for me. I have been seeking my 200th bird for a long time and the Greater Scaup accommodated me by being there. Charles and Linda Maybe from the Thatcher area met us at the Exit for Blue Creek Valley. They are planning on joining WAS and to be active participants in our activities. We welcome them. The other human participants were: Jack Rensel, Wendy Loomis, Pat Bean, Joyce Overdiek, JoAnne Cole, Shirley Lee, Sharen Perry, LaRaye Sheridan, Beth Anderson, Lynn Carroll, Jeanette and Brian Nosker, and Les and Tyler Talbot. The feathered friends who joined us for the trip were: Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Prairie Falcon, Chukar, American Coot, Killdeer, Common Snipe, Northern Shrike, Black-billed Magpie, American Crow (about 30 in Harmon's parking lot looking for breakfast), Common Raven, Horned Lark, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow, and a couple of unidentified raptors. The sun was behind them and we couldn't see any details. Happy Birding – Les |
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[101] BLUE CREEK-HOWELL VALLEY
by Les Talbot (6/9/01) |
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Eight of us went in search of Grasshopper Sparrow. Participants were: Gayle Allen, Joe Jeffords, Shelly Kremer, Joyce Overdiek, Ann Pearce, Jack Rensel, my son Tyler Talbot and I. It was a great day with a clear sky and a temperature of 68 when we left Ogden. It did warm up into the high 70s and low 80s by the time we finished at noon. Shelly took us to a group of fields on the outskirts of Brigham City to look for Bobolink. We saw several males. Jack put his scope on one of them sitting on a fence post. It was very impressive. I was so excited about seeing them that I left the field trip book on top of Shelly's car. It fell off about 1/4 mile down the road and scattered all of the data all over the road. We then went to the Plymouth turn-off and went west of the Nucor Plant. We were able to see Grasshopper Sparrows there. One even had a grasshopper in its mouth. While there we saw four Mule Deer. One was a buck. From there we traveled west for several miles and saw quite a few birds (see list that follows.) At the end of the trip we saw a Swainson's hawk sitting on her nest. It was a great trip, especially since we saw both target birds where Shelly said they would be. Birds sighted: Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Golden Eagle, Gray Partridge, Long-billed Curlew, Mourning Dove, Western Kingbird, Common Raven, Bank Swallow, Green-tailed Towhee, Brewer's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Horned Lark Non-bird species: Six Mule Deer |
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[102] BEAR LAKE
by Les Talbot (5/11/02) |
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When I left home a spring storm was brewing. The temperature was 45 degrees and rain was threatening. By the time I got to 2nd Street it was raining. At the top of Logan Canyon I drove through snow and fog. In Garden City I met Mort & Carolyn. A few minutes later Bob Brodstein, Janet Kilhefner, Bonnie and Ted Cookson joined us. While waiting for everyone to show up we saw a few Common Grackle. By the time we left Garden City it had started to rain. It rained all day. At the Refuge's boat dock it was very cold and windy. Bob said we were about two weeks early. Birds numbers were low but we did see 50 species.
Species seen were: Pied-billed Grebe, Western Grebe, American White Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Tundra Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback, Redhead, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, two Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Willet, Dowitcher (based on range maps, I would say they were Long-billed), Wilson's Phalarope, Franklin's Gull (about 100 in a field north of Fish Haven), Ring-billed Gull, Northern Flicker, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Marsh Wren, Robin, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird (about 100 in a farmer's corral), Brewer's Blackbird, Common Grackle, House Finch, and Pine Siskin.
Even though it was cold, and rainy it turned out to be an enjoyable trip. This seems to be a very productive area for birding and well worth the time and effort. I would like to thank Bob and his friends for offering his condo. The potluck at his place was a welcome addition to the trip.
I left Bob's at about 3:00 p.m. The sun came out just before I left. The lake was a real deep, beautiful turquoise color. I was looking forward to getting the scope out and scanning the lake from the observation point at the top of Logan Canyon. But no such luck. It was still foggy when I got there. Once I got down below Sunrise Campground I was out of the fog, back in the sunshine and had an enjoyable drive back home. |
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[102] BEAR LAKE
by Les Talbot (5/20/00) |
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Four thirty a.m. came very early. For someone who likes to sleep in until 8:00 on Saturdays, it was hard to get up. But the events of the day made it well worth it. Lee & Paula Shirley, Martha Ann Albretsen, Randy Lemon, Tyler & I met at Harmon's on 2nd Street at 6:00 a.m. At 6:20 we headed for Garden City. There we met up with Karen Stock, Bob Brodstein and his friend Janet Kilhefner, Elaine Wonsavage from Park City, Shirley Lee, Joyce Overdiek and Pat & Marv Rothhaar. Our first stop was at Fish Haven, for those who wanted lottery tickets. Between there and Paris we saw a flock of fifty Sandhill Crane and a large f lock of American Crow. Just before we got to the refuge Lee spotted an American Bittern. Altogether we saw three bittern. They were the highlight of the trip. Tyler got excited when we saw a Peregrine Falcon, his favorite bird. We stopped for lunch at the beginning of the Salt Meadow Unit. We saw three Forster's Tern, a Spotted Sandpiper, a Marsh Wren, and a Common Yellowthroat. The wren was flying back and forth from its nest to the south side of the canal. Canvasback nest on the refuge and we were lucky enough to see some of them. There were a lot of Yellow-headed Blackbirds in the area. From the Refuge we drove east on the Paris-Dingle Road looking for Bobolink but didn't see any. South of Dingle we walked down a lane to look for the Bobolink. We spotted two Snowy Egrets. One kept chasing the other out of its territory. There was a large flock of Canada Geese in a large field to the northwest of the lane. On the refuge we saw two broods of young geese. The day ended at Bob's condo for a cookout. While there we counted our totals for the day and came up with 64 species. As Lee said, "Any day you see more than 50 species is a good birding day." |
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[102] BEAR LAKE
by Keith Evans (5/23/98) |
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On May 23, Bob Brodstein, Ernie and Jeanne Perkins, Bill and Donna Spinks, Ted Cookson, Betty and Keith Evans, and Karen Anne Stock enjoyed a great day in the vicinity of Bear Lake. We met at the junction of U.S. 89 and Utah 30 in Garden City and birded north on U.S. 89 to Paris, Idaho, then east, taking in the Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge, to Dingle, Idaho, then completed the circle across the north end of a very full Bear Lake. We then went to the Brodstein summer cabin to enjoy evening visiting, storytelling, and eating. All in all a great day, complete with just over 80 species of birds and a full stomach. Bird species for the trip included: Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Clark's Grebe, American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Canada Goose, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Canvasback, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Sora, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Willet, Spotted Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Common Snipe, Wilson's Phalarope, Franklin's Gull, California Gull, Forster's Tern, Mourning Dove, Rock Dove, Great-horned Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Lewis' Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Western Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Black-billed Magpie, American Crow, Common Raven, Marsh Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Yellow Warbler, Savannah Sparrow, Bobolink, Spotted Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Bullock's (Northern) Oriole, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Cassin's Finch, and House Sparrow. |
| (You will find more information on Bear Lake HERE) |
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[103] GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS and BOBOLINKS
by Les Talbot (6/08/02) |
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I really don't invoke the gods to send bad weather on our trips. However since I have been leading them it seems to me that we have had more than our share. Saturday was no exception. When I left home it was 60 degrees with winds from the NNW at 17mph and gusting to 33. When we got to the Plymouth exit it was really cold and windy. We did see the Bobolink and Grasshopper Sparrows. There were three male Bobolink in the northeastern part of Brigham City. We saw four Grasshopper Sparrows just north and west of the steel plant at the Plymouth Exit. After seeing the sparrows we drove to the top of Johnson's Canyon, dropped down into White's valley, and drove south to Interstate 84. Near the top of Johnson's Canyon the sun came out, the wind died down and it began to warm up.
Even though it was very windy we still managed to see 32 species and possibly one more. They were: American White Pelican, Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, Cinnamon Teal, Prairie Falcon, Killdeer, Long-billed Curlew, Franklin's Gull, Mourning Dove, Burrowing Owl, Say's Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, possibly a Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Rock Wren, Robin, Brewer's Sparrow, Lark Sparrow (Lee and I saw two of them mating on the wing), Grasshopper Sparrow, possible Lazuli Bunting, Bobolink, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, and House Sparrow.
Participants were: Ingrid Paine, Sharen Perry, Pam Kramer, Keith Evans, Adam Kozlowski, Jack Rensel, Lee Shirley, and Les Talbot. Even though we have had more than our share of bad weather, each trip has been very productive and rewarding. Seeing a lot of birds certainly makes it worth the time and effort of getting out when the weather is not perfect. |
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[104] LEE KAY POND
by Les Talbot (3/22/03) |
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The sky was overcast and it was cold and windy but eight of us were determined to bird a new area, the Lee Kay Ponds, Liberty Park, and the Salt Lake City Cemetery. My directions to the ponds turned out to be a comedy of errors. I rode with Sharen and Lynn. We were watching a bird when we were supposed to be paying attention to the Bangerter Highway exit and ended up going to the Salt Lake Airport Terminal. Security was conducting random searches of vehicles. Fortunately they waved us through. Then we missed California Avenue because the cross streets on Bangerter are not obvious. We eventually arrived at the ponds. Carolyn, Mort and Shirley were already there. Kris Purdy met them at the ponds. The ponds had a lot of waterfowl on them. There were several pelican sitting on the water. Mort said a DWR person told him the pelicans arrived the night before. There were a lot of California Gull on the east end of the pond. We decided to check out the Cougar Park Nature Preserve to see if the Burrowing Owl were there. They weren't. The Preserve is just south of 6200 S. in West Jordan and on Cougar Lane, which is the second street west of Salt Lake Airport Number 2. There is a playground on the south side of the preserve. It is not hard to find if you know where you are going. I sort of got lost because I thought it was at 6400 S. and next to the airport. Actually it is about 6400 S. but you have to turn off of 6200 S. to get to it. Mort, Carolyn, and Shirley decided to skip the preserve when we got disoriented and went to 7800 S. to look for an access to the Jordan River Parkway. They found it and saw a House Sparrow. The rest of us didn't have much luck there either. We saw two Canada Geese, a pair of Mallards, a White-crowned sparrow, and an unidentified sparrow. After lunch we headed for the Salt Lake Cemetery. We were well rewarded for going there. We were out of the wind and it was quite a bit warmer. We saw several species of birds. We spotted a Red-tailed Hawk carrying twigs in its talons. We saw it land on its nest. Another Hawk was sitting on the nest. The trip is one that definitely should be repeated again. Some of you may want to visit the Lee Kay Ponds. The easiest way to get to them is to go south on I-15 and take the westbound I-215 exit in Woods Cross. Stay on I-215 until you get to California Avenue. There is a major exit there and it is well marked. Turn west onto California Avenue and continue going west. The ponds are located about ˝ mile west of Bangerter Highway. Participants were: Sharen Perry, Lynn Carroll, Gracie Romer, Terry Van Buskirk, Carolyn and Mort Somer, Shirley Lee, and Kris Purdy. At the ponds we saw: Eared Grebe, American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Canada Geese, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, American Coot, California Gull, Franklin Gull, Ring-billed Gull, American Crow, Raven, European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird and Brewer's Blackbird. At the cemetery: Mourning Dove, Northern Flicker, Black-billed Magpie, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Townsend's Solitaire, American Robin, Dark- eyed Junco, House Finch, and Pine Sisken. Kris said she kept hearing Goldfinch but we did not see any. |
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[105] CASCADE SPRINGS
by Les Talbot (6/28/03) |
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This was a new area for us. There was a lot of water at the spring and quite a few fish in the water. It was a really nice day and a beautiful place to visit. There were quite a few Yellow Warblers there but we heard more than we saw. We did see a MacGillivray's Warbler which was a lifer for me. We also saw a raptor soaring really high in the sky. We decided it was probably a Cooper's Hawk. After walking around the springs the group split up. Keith and Mort decided to take the dirt road to Midway while the rest of us went back to the Alpine Loop and over to Provo Canyon. We stopped at Vivian Park for lunch where we sat under a bowery and were entertained by Tree Swallows building a nest on one of the lights. We stopped at Bridal Veil Falls to look for Black Swift. Although we didn't spot any we did see several White-throated Swifts. Perhaps if we went earlier in the year we would be able to see more types of birds coming through on migration. It is definitely a good area to check out at different times of the year. Participants: Keith Evans, Joyce Overdiek, Bob and Sharen Perry, Lynn Carroll, Janice Burk, Mort and Carolyn Somer, and Les and Tyler Talbot. Birds observed at Cascade Springs: Cooper's Hawk, Rufous Hummingbird, Warbling Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler and Chipping Sparrow. Observed in Provo Canyon: White-throated Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Cliff Swallow, Tree Swallow, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Song Sparrow and Western Meadowlark. |
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[106] RUBY MOUNTAIN
by Les Talbot (8/20-2/04) |
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Are you looking for a change of pace, beautiful scenery, and a new place to bird? If so, give the Ruby Mountains, southeast of Elko, Nevada a try. This was my first trip there and I was really impressed with the beauty of Lamoille Canyon, where we stayed. The canyon was formed by glaciers and hanging valleys are found all through it. Above the campground are several active beaver ponds and outstanding scenery at a place called End of the Road. Over forty miles of scenic trails begin there. Pat & Bill Williams, Shirley Lee, Lynn & Brad Carroll and Tyler and I visited the area August 20-22. We were lucky enough to have campsites close to each other so we could spend our non-birding hours visiting. The campsites are close together but separated by native shrubbery which gives you the feel of privacy. If you go it is best to make reservations, which you can do by calling 1-877-444-6777. Shirley came to our campsite at 5:30am. (4:30am Nevada time) to see if we were up yet. We left camp around 7:30 and worked our way up the canyon. There is a nature trail a little ways up. Arnold Smith had told me to scope the cliffs there for Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat and Himalayan Snowcock. We saw White-throated Swift, Red-tailed hawk and a Long-tailed Weasel. The weasel was playing hide and seek with us. He would dart around an interpretive sign, poke his head out and go hide again. It did this for several minutes and then darted off. Our next stop was at the End of the Road. We hiked up the trail that heads to the pass, at the top of the canyon. There were a lot of Clark's Nutcracker feeding off the pine cones. We saw several smaller birds along the trail, a Kingfisher and a Red-tailed Hawk. That afternoon we hiked the Nature Trail and saw a Downy Woodpecker. Upon returning to camp Bill and I visited with four people from Walla Walla, Washington. They had left camp at 5:30 that morning and hiked 1,000 ft. above Island Lake and flushed 17 Snowcock. Other people in camp told us that the sheep and goats came down the mountain behind camp. We scoped the area at dusk and were rewarded with the presence of five goats. Saturday morning Pat & I met two women from the Lahontan Audubon Society (LAS). They told us that LAS had put together a birding map of Nevada, which you can get for $4.00 from Carole and Ron Conkey, Lahontan Audubon Society, 1865 Eastlake Blvd., Washoe Valley NV 89704 The next day Tyler and I had to rush back home, so we left early. Pat, Shirley, & Bill were going to visit Mary's River, north of Deet, Nevada, and Lynn was going to go back up to End of the Road. Altogether we saw 17 bird and three mammal species: Red-tailed Hawk, White-throated Swift, unknown hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, a flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, unknown vireo, Clark's Nutcracker, American Crow, maybe a Chestnut-sided Warbler, Brewer's Sparrow, maybe a Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and maybe American Goldfinch. Long-tailed Weasel, Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel, and Mountain Goat. |
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[107] KENNECOTT INLAND SEA SHOREBIRD RESERVE
by Les Talbot (9/25/04) |
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The best description for this trip is WOW! It was a beautiful, warm day with clear skies and we saw a total of 60 species. Twelve us met Ann Neville at the Reserve and the fun began. The ponds had large flocks of ducks and geese on them. They were quite skittish because duck-hunting season was upon us. Most of the shorebirds had already flown south for warmer climes. The highlight was a perfect view of a Barn Owl. Anne knew where it was roosting and flushed it for us. It landed in a shrub, facing us and we were able to see a full frontal view. After the Reserve we visited Lee Kay Ponds. They also were alive with ducks and geese. The ponds are always a good place to visit. We observed the following avian friends: Pied-billed Grebe, Western Grebe, American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, White-faced Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Canada Goose, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Northern Harrier, Swainson's Hawk, American Kestrel, American Coot, Snowy Plover, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Western Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Phalarope California Gull, Forster's Tern, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Barn Owl, Loggerhead?? Shrike, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Horned Lark, Barn Swallow, Marsh Wren, American Robin, Sage Thrasher, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Vesper Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, and Peregrine Falcon. The following attended the trip: Joyce Overdiek, Paula & Lee Shirley, Sharen Perry, Keith Evans, Shirley Lee, Martha Ann Albretsen, Wendy Loomis, Bob Ryan, Cal and Sharon Andrus , Carolyn & Mort Somer and Les Talbot |
| HOME |
GSL BIRDING MAP & KEY |
AREA DESCRIPTIONS: |
1-10 | 11-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-40 | 41-49 | ||
|
TRIP REPORTS: |
1-10 | 11-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-40 | 41++ | ||||
