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Modified
Friday, April 4, 2003
Archived bird sightings: February 2003 Return to main bird sightings page Compiled by Bill Fenimore Beaver County 02/27 — Steve Summers saw 2 Eurasian Collared-Doves in the town of Minersville. They were in a tree near the corner of Main and 100 West. This is now a third location in Southwest Utah for this apparently rapidly expanding introduced species (the other being Cedar Valley and Washington City). Cache County 02/17 — Mike Todd observed a white phase Gyr Falcon in the fields just North of the E.A. Miller Beef packing Plant in Hyrum. It was seen on the ground and later perched on some irrigation equipment in the same fields. 02/09 — James Lofthouse reported a Merlin at 11000 South 800 East in Avon. Davis County 02/27 — Pomera France reported nearly 50 Bald Eagles in the trees just east of Goose Egg Island at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area (FBWMA). Terry Sadler helped Pomera find two Thayer's Gulls on the West side of the second bridge at FBWMA. Tony Jones and Pomera later observed a juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull and a 2nd winter Glaucous Gull. They were on the East side of the first bridge at FBWMA. Tundra Swans and American White Pelicans have returned to FBWMA too. 02/17 — Arlene Sant and Shirley Wilson observed a drake Long-tailed Duck at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. It was in the pond just North of Egg Island. It later flew North to the pond off Glover Lane and back again to the original location. 02/17 — Bill Fenimore saw an adult Male European goldfinch at one of his Farmington backyard Nyger seed feeders this morning at 9:30 a.m., while participating in Cornell's Great Backyard Bird Count. It is the third year in a row that the bird has made sporadic appearances between January and July in Bill's backyard. The bird does not have leg bands, although it is likely an escaped cage bird. It has been photographed by Arnold Smith, President of Wasatch Audubon and Keith Evans, past President of Wasatch Audubon and observed by Jack Rensel, among other birders. 02/11 — Arlene Sant and Shirley Wilson reported the Long-tailed duck, seen previously, on the North side of the Antelope Island Causeway. They also saw several Barrows Goldeneye. 02/09 — Carol Davis reported the Mockingbird previously reported on Antelope Island. It was in the trees on the East side of the road about one mile south of the Mountain View trail road. 02/09 — Dana Green reported the 8 snow buntings between mile marker 3 and 2 on the Antelope Island Causeway. At Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Dana reported an immature Glaucous Winged Gull at the 2nd bridge. 02/09 — Tony Jones, found an adult Glaucous Gull at the second bridge on the west side of the dike road at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. It was with about 8 Herring Gulls and 2 California Gulls. 02/09 — Dana Green reported the 8 snow buntings between mile marker 3 and 2 on the antelope Island Causeway. At Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Dana reported an immature Glaucous Winged Gull at the 2nd bridge. 02/09 — Tony Jones, found an adult Glaucous Gull at the second bridge on the west side of the dike road at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. It was with about 8 Herring Gulls and 2 California Gulls. 02/08 — Kris Purdy saw eight snow buntings on Antelope Island Causeway at the first bend headed west; mile marker 3-4. 02/06 — Bryan and Dennis Shirley observed a long-tailed duck at mile marker 3 near the shore on the Antelope Island Causeway. There were also 2 snow buntings between mile marker 2 and 3 on the South side of the causeway. They counted 174 bald eagles at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area (FBWMA). Justin Dolling, DWR Manager at FBWMA counted over 300 Bald Eagles the same day. 02/01 — The Layton Wild Bird Center group on its Saturday bird walk counted 130 Bald Eagles at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area (FBWMA). Additionally they observed 2 Great Egrets, a White-faced Ibis, and 6 American White Pelicans at FBWMA, along with the usual assortment of waterfowl. Garfield County 02/05 — Reed Stone, Glenn Barlow, Carol Jean Nelson and Robin tuck went to Boulder Mountain and found the Acorn Woodpecker in the same tree where it has been previously reported. Grand County 02/03 — Damian Fagan reported a Merlin in the town of Moab (vicinity of 100 N. and 400 E.). Millard County 02/28 — Bob Walters and June Ryeburn reported 18-20,000 Snow Geese at Gunnison Bend Reservoir near Delta over the weekend, as Delta celebrates the Snow Goose festival. Additionally, Bob and June reported 26 Common Grackles Northwest of Gunnison Bend Reservoir and South of the intersection at 1500 North 3000 West in Delta. On 3/1 they observed a Black Phoebe below the spillway at Gunnison Bend Reservoir. 02/14 — David Allan observed a BLACK PHOEBE at Gunnison Bend Reservoir near Delta. It was hanging out in the marshy area just south of Sherwood Shores. The Snow Geese are beginning to arrive for their annual spring stopover too. Utah County 02/09 — Eric Huish and KC Childs reported the Varied Thrush still at Salem Pond. 02/09 — Eric Huish and KC Childs reported the Varied Thrush still at Salem Pond. 02/08 — it has been a strange winter with many unusual sightings. Todd Black reported a Swainson's Hawk at the Pleasant Grove exit off I-15. This is the earliest that I remember a Swainson's Hawk reported. 02/06 — Josh Heward reported a Varied Thrush at the South end of Salem Pond. It was between the road (close to the road on the ground) and the pond right at the South end where there is a picnic area with a fireplace. Salem, a small town 5 miles east of Payson has a residential area built around a 5 acre pond. The GPS coordinates for Salem Pond are N 40 02.996' W 111 40.454'. 02/03 — KC Childs, reported a Glaucous Winged Gull at the Provo Marina. It was at the point where the Provo River enters Utah Lake. Washington County 02/07 — Eric Huish and KC Childs viewed a male Anna's Hummingbird in Charlie Sheards backyard in Leeds. They saw a GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW at Red Cliffs and a GREATER SCAUP at Straten Pond. In the city of Washington they saw 5 INCA DOVES. At Lytle ranch they saw many of the usual suspects and upon leaving they saw a BLACK TAILED GNATCATCHER. Bill Hunter reported a Great Egret on the Sun River Golf Course Pond and at Southgate in St. George. Wayne County 02/11 — Nate Hart reported sighting a gyrfalcon at the Bicknell Bottoms. The Bicknell bottoms are at the base of the boulder mountain. He saw the gyrfalcon on January 28th. Nate has worked at a science center in New Hampshire with raptors and rehabbed various types of raptors, including peregrine falcons, Merlin, and red-tailed hawks, so he is quite positive on his ID. This is a white color phase gyrfalcon. Weber County 02/26 — Kristin Purdy reported a Merlin on a telephone pole at 5:00 p.m., in Shadow Valley subdivision in Ogden. The pole is just behind 1546 Shadow Valley Drive. There was a Lewis' Woodpecker in the same area. 02/14 — Kris Purdy saw a Merlin along Shadow Valley Drive on the very tall line of rusty telephone poles that run north-south across the Ogden bench. Kris also reported a Lewis' Woodpecker on the very same pole later that day. 02/09 — Kris Purdy observed the Western screech Owl again at Beus Pond (off 4300 South behind Weber State campus in south Ogden). The owl roosts in a cavity in a multiple-trunked tree at the south end of the pond along the path. One of the multiple trunks sports a Wasatch Audubon hopper-style feeder. The tree is easy to find—the cavity isn't. The birder doesn't have to leave the path to see the owl, if it's visible in the cavity at all. The trunk with the cavity is the second-western most trunk, and the hole is 15-20 feet high, facing southeast, at a spot where the trunk widens. A curving snag suspended only by other branches hangs in front of the cavity. The Layton Wild Bird Center Saturday morning bird walk group observed a Merlin along the Riverdale Parkway in Riverdale. It was at the bridge crossing the Weber River at the Riverdale Civic Center. You can access the Riverdale parkway off Riverdale Avenue at 700 West. Turn South on 700 West and go to the first left which crosses the Weber River. 02/06 — Bryan and Dennis Shirley observed a White-throated Sparrow at the Ogden Nature Center. It has been seen near feeder number 2. 02/04 — Kris Purdy has observed a Merlin on successive days, 02/03 and 02/04 on the very tall line of rusty telephone poles just east of Old Post Road in the Shadow Valley subdivision in Ogden. 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 (801) 525-8400 |
