Adventures of an ADD Birdwatcher

American Pika up on the Beaver Mountain!

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Better late than never…When I saw the post on Facebook by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources about a Mountain Goat watch on the Beaver Mountain in the Tushars, my heart sank…it was mid-way the time scheduled for it. Nevertheless, we loaded up and went anyway. Wow was I ever glad we did! Little did I know I would meet my very first American Pika!

Up in the Tushar Mountain range to look for Mountain Goats.

The Situation

The Beaver Mountain is located in the gorgeous Fishlake National Forest. Fitly so, it’s situated in the Tushar Mountain range in Beaver, Piute, Sevier, Garfield, and Iron Counties here in Utah. I’m used to going on Beaver Mountain from the little town of Junction over in Piute County. This time, however, we went in from the town of Beaver side of the mountain. How beautiful…You definitely want to take a camera and take the time to check out the rushing mountain stream running along side the road.  Take your shoes off to enjoy a quick toe dip in the water, or just relax from the sounds! You will see some stellar rock formations, and lots of trees including the beautiful Ponderosa pines, aspens, firs and spruce.

The Parade of Wildlife Begins!

Keep an eye out when on the mountain, literally, for anything that moves. If the weather allows, roll down your window, and be sure to listen. As you slowly drive the twisting, turning, (sometimes rocky washboard road up to 11,000 feet) you might catch a glimpse of…well, here is what happened to me when I did just that!

I was on the right side of the truck with the window down. Whenever you encounter small to medium sized rocks on the side of the dirt road…pay attention!

Rocky Road Rodents

Didn’t take long before the parade began. Looking out the window of the truck, there they were!

What a cute little chipmunk? Squirrel? It looks like the Golden-manteled Ground Squirrel… on the Beaver Mountain in the Tushar Mountain range. It briefly peaked out of the gap between the rocks before darting quickly back between them.
Not much further down the dirt road was a chipmunk, which appears to be the Cliff Chipmunk, eating some flowers. 
Was lucky to even spot this beauty! The Yellow-bellied Marmot was basking on the rock by the flowers. They love to eat flowers. Whenever you see lots of rocks with flowers accompanying them, look for Marmots!

Alas, Some Birds!

Keeping an eye out for the Mountain Goats, led to spotting all sorts of wildlife. This beautiful sparrow appeared atop a rock.

Not sure what kind of sparrow this is, but it was fluffed out due to the 56 degree temperature.

Falling in Love with a Rodent –the American Pika!

Looking on the absolutely kelly green colored peaks for Mountain Goats, will make you just go “WOW!” The perfect looking emerald grass is just breathtaking. It doesn’t look like even the first weed is growing there.

The north face of Mount Delano, the tallest peak in the Tushar Mountain range — sitting high at 12, 175 feet. This was HANDS DOWN for me in my top 10 of the most breath taking views I have ever seen. I hope one day to stand on the very top of Mount Delano! The immense expanse of all this perfectly looking grass is mind-blowing. It looks like an oil painting in a gallery of the outdoors while you are looking at it…painted by nature herself.

Riding along, we stopped along a cliff to take in the view. (This is the point you need to pay attention here.) As I got out of the truck, I observed a large amount of dark colored rocks with small flowers present…ding ding ding ding ding!!! 

Look in one spot on the rocks for a minute. Pay attention to ANY movement, and you will be surprised what you see! Meet my new love…the American Pika!
Trying to watch the American Pika as it scoots about on the rocks. Mount Belnap is in the background. Photo by Chad Price.

The American Pika is a unique mammal. It is becoming a “canary in the coal mine,” in other words, an indicator species regarding climate change. This means any change regarding them alerts scientists to take notes about the changes in the Pika’s biological ecosystem. Since this area is in the Great Basin area, there has not been the amount of snowfall this past winter that normally is present there. 

A Look at the American Pika Habitat

Also across from where the American Pika lives is the second tallest mountain in the Tushar Mountain range — Mount Baldy, sitting at 12,122 feet.

The American Pika lives in some VERY rugged territory and ONLY at this altitude in this type of only live in this type of environment.  This is a talus environment — talus is the accumulation of broken rocks at the base of cliffs or steep slopes.. Hearing it let out its call of “eeeeee” was the cutest animal sound I have ever heard. You would love it, too! The Pika can move extremely fast. It’s like someone speeded up the scene in front of you real-time! They collect grasses, flowers, plant materials to eat, and line their home they live in during the long cold winter. Due to the fragile environment there, the food chain is a short one in this alpine habitat. “Delicate” is the word.

A front view of the American Pika.

The Pika is an Indicator Species

No one wants to be THE symbol for climate change, but the American Pika is disappearing. Already, they are gone from one third of their places in Nevada and Utah.  As temperatures continue to rise, the American Pika has no where higher to go…It is already as high as it can go. Climate change, vegetation, predators, and a lack of adequate snowfall can be its demise.

Pikas are in the order of Lagamorpha (hares/rabbits and pikas) and one of the North America’s toughest mammals. Why? Because they are one of the few mammals that exist their whole lives in the harsh environment above the treelines at this high altitude. Interesting note, they take flowers and grasses and let them dry in the sun to store in their homes for the winter to eat. It keeps the plant material from getting moldy.

American Pika looking over its territory.
While I was watching the American Pika, a Mountain Bluebird distracted me with its brilliant blue feathers as it landed on the peak of a rock.

And the Mountain Goats

Regardless of all the excitement with the other wildlife I saw, we finally saw some Mountain Goats.  The goats would have probably been much more visible on the other side of the grassy Mount Delano, but nevertheless, we were glad to see these. The use of a scope on a tripod helped us to zoom in much closer than this photo I took.

The rocky shale bluff was a wonderful place for the Mountain Goat mom and her kid to take a break.

What an Experience!

You have to see it to believe it…This was truly an experience to be in the presence of such tall mountains, such unique and beautiful creatures, and the taking in of this exquisite vista. Hope to go back again and scale to the summit of Mount Delano and see the herd of Mountain Goats before the winter sets in here. 

Remember, look in one place for a few minutes and look for any movement, and you too will have a wonderful trip on the Beaver Mountain in the Tushars!

Happy Birding,

Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve

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Back in June I got the opportunity to wile away some very hot temperature time at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve on the eastern side of the Great Salt Lake. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of information there, along with its great birding opportunities. Not bad for just a short drive north from Salt Lake City.  Thanks to the Nature Conservancy for this great place! 

About the Preserve

According to the free pamphlet you can pick up at the Preserve, the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve includes 4400 acres of wetlands with its accompanying habitat. There is a great southwestern restroom over on the right that began my trip, with birds landing on the posts of it. 

A Western Kingbird sits atop the posts of the southwestern arbor at the restroom building of the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve.
The restroom building fit in beautifully with the look of the habitat at the Preserve.

There is a wonderful wooden boardwalk and sandy path that meanders among the many grasses there. It’s perfect for anyone…strollers, wheelchairs can maneuver well there. I would stress that you ARE out in the wide open at the Preserve. Winds, direct sun, and temperature are things to truly consider when going here. Dress appropriately for the season of the year that you visit. Be sure to bring water, sunscreen, hat, and bug spray. It was very hot that day even with all of the above items taken. I’ll admit that I did not make the entire walk around the Preserve due to the heat. Hopefully I’ll go back on a cooler, maybe even cloudy day next time!

They have an audio tour you can use free on your smart phones which would be good to download to your phone prior to going there. The highlight of structures there is the big modern looking open air pavillion. Information such as pamplets can be retrieved here as well as other useful and interesting information posted there. The view from there is incredible!

Due to the low amount of rain and snow run-off this year, there wasn’t as much water as I had expected. Again, I was there in June.  In other words, visiting there at different times of the year would be a good idea for variation in water levels as well as birds.

A small area of the wetland with various types of marsh grasses growing there.

Checking it Out

All near the Great Salt Lake, there are many birding spots to visit. This one didn’t disappoint. The Nature Conservancy protects around 12,000 acres of habitat there which does include the Shorelands Preserve. I was surprised that the Preserve boasts more than 250 species of birds that can be seen there at different times of the year. Most of the birds, I learned, migrate here from as far as the Artic, to all the way down in South America…JUST to come the THIS Preserve!

I enjoyed over 30 exhibits of information beautifully illustrated and photographs. 

You encounter a great map of the Preserve as you begin walking down the boardwalk.
The Preserve has an aerial photograph of your relationship at the Preserve to the surrounding area near the Great Salt Lake.
The way cool open air Pavillion is not to0 far a walk from the entrance. And, it’s a great place to cool off should it be very hot on your walk.
Nice view across the grassy habitat at the Preserve towards Antelope Island. Pay attention in this grass. You may think there is nothing there, but keep looking…birds abound!
The boardwalk was nice to walk on and gives a great place to stand and peer into the grasses or into any water near it.
Some of the plants that can be seen there.
Different types of marsh type grasses are clearly seen there.

What Birds were There the Day I was There?

I’m sure there were many more birds there than I saw. As I mentioned, I cut my walk short due to the heat. However, I did see some of my favorites!

Red-winged Blackbirds always get my attention with their sounds. This particular one was singing while perched atop the spent cattails.
Northern Harrier being ran off by a smaller bird.
It appears a Northern Harrier bird of prey was being challenged by a smaller bird. The smaller bird was chasing it. Perhaps the Harrier got to close to the smaller bird’s nest.
Have not ID’d this bird yet, but it surely is pretty sitting among the Preserve’s many grasses and cattails!
I heard a rustle in the grass near the edge of the boardwalk. Peering into the knee-high grass, I saw a tiny fledgling and this bird. The photo is not clear, but it was the size of a type of grouse.

What You Can Expect to Learn at the Preserve

Amazing to me just how many species migrate just to be here at the Preserve. As you’re walking along the winding boardwalk, you will encounter some really cool information….directly ON the boardwalk under your feet! They have metal signage about the width of the planks of the boardwalk with a diagram of a certain bird, a map of where they’re from, mileage to get to the Preserve and some other info about the bird placed on them.

This particular sign on the the boardwalk planks was about the magnificent White-faced Ibis.

These are just a few plank info signs I saw:

  • White-faced Ibis flies 1,800 miles twice a year from southern Mexico to the Preserve.
  • American Avocet flies 1,600 miles from southwest Mexico to arrive at the Preserve in late March.

As you walk the boardwalk, you’ll arrive at a great place with huge information stations to see, read and learn about some of the great migratory birds to the Preserve. Be sure to read both sides of the stations!

Each of the huge information stations is chockerblock full of interesting information on migrating bird species to the Preserve, as well as great identification photos to help you with what you may see there.
An example of one side of an information station educating about the American Avocet.
A small portion of great facts about the White-faced Ibis.

My Take

Overall, I was impressed with the vastness of this Preserve. You can see forever from there. It was clear that going there at different times of the year would give you a better idea of the many different birds there. Make sure the weather is cooperative with your visit. The direct sun, even while wearing a hat, was hot. Select a comfortable day to go there and wear comfortable walking shoes. The Nature Conservancy supplied some great visual aids to learning about the birds that visit there. The maps and charts helped clarify their migrations, food, and other great topics.

Would I go to the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve again? Absolutely!

Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area

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A great place for you to visit in early spring up in northern Utah is the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. It will not be a waste of your time! Such was my experience since I had a few hours to spend there.  My drive inside started off rather well. The wind was howling, not too cold, and I was glad there was waterfowl galore to be seen!

What IS Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area?

Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area plays host to various marshes, tidal flats, open salt water (it is adjacent to the Great Salt Lake). The management area was built in 1935 and now the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources manages the area. The landscape there is also home to some freshwater ponds. Many types of tall grasses grow there which provide food and shelter for birds. During both the spring and fall bird migrations, there are many types of waterfowl you can observe there. Geese and ducks begin checking in during February, while shorebirds and wading birds arrive March to April. 

The wooden sides were gone on this nest, but she was still there!

What Can You Expect During the Year?

Some birds begin nesting in March at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. March through August is typically breeding and raising baby birds time, so part of the area is closed to provide the birds safety during this crucial time. Many species breed and nest at Farmington Bay, and there are some closures to the area during that period. Fall migration begins in September, followed by winter, in which Tundra Swans and Bald Eagles are mostly present.

How to Get Around There

The area is fed by the Jordan River and is managed with dikes, canals, and other methods to control the habitat. You can view from your vehicle or get out of it. Have a bike? The paths are flat and great for biking. Do you like photographing or like to video wildlife? If so, this is a great place for doing so.  Bring binoculars and of course your camera! Even recording the sounds with your phone is way cool! Be sure to dress for the season you visit.

Who was There?

Driving into Farmington Bay, there were the previous year’s Cattail grasses lining the drive. Lots of sounds were coming from them and had to be investigated!

When I was driving in, the previous years’ cattails were a tan beige color. Cattails provide the perfect place for the Red-winged Blackbird and the Yellow-headed Blackbird. Rolling down the car windows can provide a second sense for locating and observing just who is lurking in the tall grasses. Their dark contrast of black against the tan grasses made them fairly easy to listen to and observe.

It was incredibly windy there the day I went, but mild in temperature. There were white caps on the waters and some birds seem to have been struggling trying to fly in the winds. The first foray of birds I encountered driving in were American Avocets, Northern Shovelers, American Coots and Canadian Geese.

Some of the Birds That Were Seen There

American Avocets were in their breeding plumage, and were foraging for food against the brisk winds.

Northern Shovelers were in the foreground “dabbling” their bills back and forth screening the water for food.
Thanks to a zoom lens on the camera, I could see a close-up of a gorgeous Northern Shoveler.
Love was definitely in the air as American Coots chased each other on top of the water…as if running on top of the water itself!
Seems the nest box had seen better days is this marsh, but this Canadian Goose was sitting on her nest in what was left of the box anyway. The wind was kicking for sure!
Driving slowly along the path I saw some movement down in the shallow muddy grasses. There retrieving its food, was the beautiful and irridescent White-faced Ibis! My first time ever seeing one!
One of the nicest songs to hear is that of the Red-winged Blackbird, and it was singing!
Just above the cattails is a beautiful Northern Harrier soaring as it looks for an unsuspecting meal.
Flying just above the water are beautiful American White Pelicans. They don’t dive into the water like their Brown Pelican cousins on the eastern seaboard.They coral the fish together to eat them.
I barely even noticed this beautiful Great Blue Heron due to its camouflage in the tall grasses.

All in All

After visiting the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area I was really impressed with the waterfowl there. The close proximity you can get even from a car to observe the birds was incredible. The paths made it such that you could even hear the sounds the birds were making. It was nice to get out of the car, but the fact that you can take photos right from your car was a big advantage to me there.

Check it out online before you go to know when the best time would be for your visit, and when it’s hunting season there (if you plan to have a quiet visit). For seeing some great waterfowl, this is one place you don’t want to miss!

Happy Birding,

 

 

 

Exploring the Beautiful Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge!

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Little did I know how cool this western Refuge in northern Utah of wetlands bordered with snowy mountaintops would be. Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was full of migratory birds and even some other interesting mammal wildlife. The sounds of the large Tundra Swans overhead and in the water was a true ensemble of an avian choir! Although I’m used to the refuges back east in the oak, pine and swamp forests with their accompanying vast wetlands along the rivers, creeks and sounds of my North Carolina, I found this Refuge to be one of expansive beauty all its own.

It’s a good idea to go visit the website of a refuge if you can BEFORE you go so you have an idea of what to expect. Make special notes of things you don’t want to miss while there, and download or print a list of birds, etc. to look for. This will give you time to familiarize yourself with the common resident and migratory wildlife at the particular time of year you go there.

A Little about Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

  • The refuge consists of around 80,000 acres of open water, mudflats, marshes and uplands  that flow into the Great Salt Lake
    • mudflats (mud deposited by tides or rivers)
    • marshes (low-lying land that gets flooded during wet seasons or tides, and stays waterlogged at all times)
    • uplands (areas of high or hilly land)
  • About 250 species of birds visit here to eat, breed or migrate through
  • Part of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem
  • Due to the draining the area for irrigation back in the early 1900’s, there was a loss of marshes. A huge outbreak of avian botulism occurred. As a result, it killed millions of birds in the early 1900’s. Local people and sportsmen petitioned Congress to establish a refuge for wildlife in the marshes in the Brigham City area of Box Elder County in Utah. On April 28, 1928 President Herbert Hoover established the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
  • It lies in the Great Basin Hub of the Pacific Flyway for migrating birds.
  • It has various mammals that live there in addition to waterfowl and other birds.
This huge sign goes over the street downtown in Brigham City, Utah about the Refuge.

Getting around on the Refuge

The visitor center was closed as we were there on Sunday. Obviously, that would have been a great place to start for information.  However, there was a stationary information station just outside the gate that allowed us to get some of the pamplets for the refuge and see larger information posted on the station.

The information at the outside the gate station shows some of the birds you might encounter here, and a topographical map.
Below the colorful poster was an enclosure attached with pamplets. One was about the Refuge, what could be seen during all four seasons, the best way to observe the Refuge and wildlife. Another was a bird list that could be seen. It informed if the bird was common, uncommon, occasional, rare, permanent, there during which season, and if was migratory. The other pamphlet (not shown here) was equally as important…the hunting and fishing regulations guide.

Once we saw that the best way to observe this great place is to bike or drive their 12-mile tour route, we were excited.  As we began our drive, we rolled down our windows to listen out for any sounds we might could hear. It certainly didn’t take long before we heard a most familiar sound to this North Carolina gal…the beautiful singing of a Red-winged Blackbird in the reedy marsh grass growing alongside the road!

First Bird Encountered…the Red-winged Blackbird!

The fact that you could just pull off the road here at Bear River to observe and listen to them was great. 
  • 7.5 – 9.5 inches tall, wingspan 12 -14 inches
  • Weight:  1.1 – 2.7 ounces
  • Habitat: riparian thickets, both freshwater and brackish marshes, some fields
  • Nest:  dried cattail leaves, sedges…they line it with fine grasses and connect them to the reedy grass stalks or twigs. Can be in cattails, marsh grass
  • Food:  seeds, grains, berries, wild fruit, insets, caterpillars, grubs
  • Hangs out in groups or flocks
  • Permanent resident in most of the U. S.  Check your local field guides for occurrence in your area.

Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are listed on the brochure of the Refuge as both a common and a permanent year-round resident. As spring approaches nationwide, the four “flyways” will heat up as birds fly north…the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific to be exact. Birds will be flying up north as far as, well, about as north as you can go. These include ocean birds traveling across the seas. So soon there will be a spring change over here of non-resident birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Enjoy this video of one singing that I made at the Bear River MBR:

Now this brings me to an encounter I’ve never had at a Refuge before…

Hunting at a Refuge? Yes and with REGULATIONS to Guide You!

We stopped off the side of the road after we left the main gate to the visitor center so I could get just outside the car door and “shoot with a camera” a few photos of the Red-winged Blackbird. As I was taking photos,  a car pulled up alongside my spouse’s driver side of our vehicle with their passenger side window rolled down. The guy was in dark camouflage and said, “I can shoot a bird here. I can hunt.” Oh boy…city has come to country I thought. I’m not a hunter, but I could see that they might could hunt here during certain hunting seasons if it was allowed. However, we could tell this guy really didn’t know if he could or not, but he was ready.

I got back into the car and my husband handed him through the window,  the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Hunting and Fishing Regulations brochure. The guy wasn’t sure if he could hunt right now, but again he was ready. We told him we didn’t know the hunting season for ducks. (I’m not a hunter and am not familiar with hunting regulations by any means.) The guy pulled off and we continued on discussing what had just happened.

What is That Photo-bombing My Bear River Photo?

The Red-winged Blackbirds were putting on a concert and I wanted to get a few more photos, maybe even video their singing. So, off to the side of the road went. The guy had pulled off, too. That was when I noticed he had an out-of-state car tag on the back of his car. I began to take some snaps and lo and behold there he was…wading in his waders down into the river’s edge with his rifle horizontal at the hip. Not a bird in sight but my Red-wings, in which I said to them “Sit still…Elmer Fudd is in the house! Don’t move an inch!”

Bear River…and Elmer Fudd…and his car parked just off the road.
From page 3 of the Hunting and Fishing Regulations, the highlighted are clearly says no hunting or shooting from within 100 yards of primary Refuge roads. This road we were on was the main refuge road to get to the auto-12 mile one way route through the wetlands. That would be the shortest 100 yards for sure from his car to where he was standing in the edge of the water.

After I got back into the car, we were still discussing this guy. Being unsure of just what he was hunting and as a new birder to this area, I certainly would have a hard time ID’ing some of the geese here. I did manage to get a photo of the back of his car with an out-of-state license plate as he drove past. We resumed our driving looking for and at different birds. We were still heading towards the official auto-tour paved 12 mile route to experience the drive through the wetlands to observe birds and other wildlife at the Refuge.

What a Ring Around His Neck…

It wasn’t long before my spouse stopped and exclaimed, “There’s a Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchiucus)!” That was a first for me. He was standing out in the middle of a field of yellow tan grass in all his colorful glory!

What a beautiful array of color for the eyes in this yellow-tannish grassland!
The pheasant didn’t stand still in the field for long. He broke out in a trot, then went airborne across the road over to the adjacent field. I was surprised at how fast they could run across the ground. It was quite a fanfare.

Beginning the Auto-Route at the Refuge

Just to the right of the chart key, is a dotted road going one way around the marsh. This would be the auto-route through the wetlands.

We finally pulled into the parking lot where there was an observation tower, and a covered picnic pavillion to begin the tour. There was couple in the parking lot unloading their bikes. And you guessed it…Elmer Fudd’s car was there, too. About the time I stepped out of the car to start taking some photos of a bird that landed on the pavillion, I heard two gunshots directly in front of me coming from the burned black section just off the parking lot. The shot was soon followed by a hull-a-ba-loo of squawks and honks from about 5 Canadian Geese who took off in flight in the opposite direction from the gunshot. The couple and I spoke about the gunshots and the male cyclist was pulling out his cellphone to call a friend to let him know what was going on here. 

They began their cycling and we proceeded on the auto-route. I’m not sure just what the procedure would be in inquiring about something like this. The couple said they thought hunting season for ducks was over two weeks prior, but I had no idea. It concerned me that the hunter proceeded without knowing the season or regulations.

A Furry Swimmer…

Again, I got out to look at birds landing in the grass and looked down into the water near the road and a Muskrat was swimming across the water from the grass to the other side to the grass.

Sometimes Muskrats get confused with Beavers and Nutria. Muskrats are half the size of a Beaver, and has an 8 – 10 inch rat-like tail. Beavers have flat ones. The Muskrat’s tail will serpentine in the water behind it, and helps propel it through the water. Also, Beavers store food for the winter, where as Muskrats need to eat plant material everyday. Nutria are smaller than a Beaver, but larger than a Muskrat.

See the video below I made of it swimming.

Next, an Encounter of the Tundra Swan Kind…

If you’ve ever seen them, and heard them, Tundra Swans are unforgettable. Their flocks are not known for being quiet. Every year during migration back home in North Carolina, Lake Mattamuskeet is filled with these. I guess you could call it the eastern counterpart to Bear River MBR.  Between the sounds of these guys, and all the other migratory birds floating in the water, the sound is incredible. Well, Bear River MBR was to be NO different where sound was concerned. It was noisy! Everyone was talking at all at once!

Here are a few items to note about the Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus):

  • Size:  47 – 58 inches tall, wingspan 6 – 7 feet
  • Weight:  14 pounds
  • Breeds on the Arctic Tundra 
  • Nest: a mound of grass, moss, and sedges located near a body a water
  • Food: aquatic vegetation and roots of submerged plants
  • Fly with their necks straight out and feet behind
  • Noisy!

Tundra Swans flying with necks outstretched, and their black feet out behind them.

Northern Harriers Put on a Show

While seeing the Tundra Swans was fascinating, the next birds we found were really cool to see. We surely pulled over to watch the acrobats of two Northern Harriers birds of prey. Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus) remind you of an owl in the face. They have a face that looks similar to an owl. There’s a noticeable white rump patch visible from their backside in flight.

  • Size:  20 inches tall, wingspan: 42 inches
  • Weight:  10.6–26.5 ounces
  • Nest: on the ground and out of sticks and grass with a fine lining
  • They rely on hearing like an owl to help find their prey, hence the facial shape.
  • Year-round resident here in Utah; check your local field guide for occurrence in your area.
  • Males may have several mates at once.
  • Food: small mammals, frogs, snakes, small birds or carrion
  • Fly low over the ground when looking for food.
  • Couples “skydance”

It’s possible these two were doing the “skydancing”  ( a flamboyant flight display) in my photos. Both sexes can perform this. The female can turn over on her back in flight and put her talons towards the male. Have not ever seen this type display before.

Closeup of one of the Northern Harriers. Notice how the face resembles an owl?
And, the acrobats begin!…”Skydancing” Northern Harriers.
Flying about over the Refuge.
I really like this photo! Notice the coyote that photo-bombed the Northern Harriers in the left center of the photo?
And the sky dancing continues!

My Take on the Refuge

It was well maintained. The birds were wonderful to see and the other mammals as well. I would think spring would be fascinating to see at breeding time. It would have been nice to go inside the visitor center, but since it was closed, we may incorporate that into a spring-time visit to the Refuge.

Check your state to see if there are any local refuges or preserves that you can visit. Check out all the information that is posted throughout the park and make notes, or take photos of them with your phone for later reference. Don’t forget to be still and listen.  Look in one spot to see if you peripheral picks up any additional movement of birds, small mammals or reptiles. Visit it online beforehand so you will be familiar with it before visiting. Also, visit it in different seasons for a variety of birds!

I surely am glad to have visited this Refuge. Can’t wait to go back!

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Happy Birding,

St. George, Utah Winter Bird Festival

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Having never been to a bird festival before, I was quite excited for the opportunity to go to one. When I saw the St. George Winter Bird Festival on Facebook, I knew that it would be helpful to me in learning the birds in Utah since I just moved to southern Utah a few weeks ago. Also, it would be a great way for me to meet other birders in the state who share my passion for beautiful birds! So, off to the Tonaquint Nature Center in St. George we went! 

On the way down, we were in a heavy snowstorm. As we drove further south, we ran out of the snow…thank goodness!

The official birding pin on the left is that of a Verdin bird. The other pin was purchased in the hope that I just MIGHT see a Greater Roadrunner. I promptly pinned the both on my pink Pungo National Wildlife Refuge pink ball cap!

Friday’s Bird Festival Events We Attended…

The festival began on Thursday morning, but we didn’t arrive until later that evening. The schedule for the three days looked just great. Thursday had short distance local field trip out to look and observe certain birds. Also, an Owl ID and Ethics course, followed by an “Owl Prowl”. (More on this in another paragraph.)

Friday morning we began by attending a fantastic presentation by Dr. Joseph Platt, a St. George avian ecologist, on the “Raptors of Southern Utah.” It helped to clarify some worries I had in trying to ID all the various raptors here. He taught us about how different stages of growth have different plumages on the raptors and can present some difficulty in trying to ID them as a beginner. Also, he helped with long necks vs. shorter necks in silhouettes, rounded ends of tail feathers vs. square ends. We learned about the California Condors and how they are a recipe for extinction just by their behavior, how close they were to extinction, and the many efforts to bring them back to a bigger population of them.  There are 19 birds of prey in southern Utah and he excited all of us with his stories and pictures about them.

Biking and Birding Along the Virgin River

We loaded up the bikes for the bird festival to especially do this bike path. When we arrived there, we were an hour late due to presentation overlap. The group had already embarked on the trail, so we got on the path and knew we would run into them at some point, which we did.

The Virgin River under the bridge.

The Virgin River is a winding river, much narrower than what I’m used to back east in North Carolina. Nevertheless, it was beautiful with its riparian buffers, rocks and of course, BIRDS!

A first time bird for me, Abert’s Towhee. It’s in the sparrow family and was a beautiful almost chestnut color.
The Verdin, the official bird of the festival, sitting high atop a tree.
Sideview of the Verdin.
Going out on a limb here until further ID, but it looks like a House Finch.
Backside of what seems to be a House Finch.
Along the bike path…there’s a big bird in the tree.  Do you see it?
Bike path scenery…
Looks like a Beaver had been hard at work on this tree trunk…
Be still my heart…we were biking along and then my dream bird stepped out onto the path! The Greater Roadrunner!
Seeing this Roadrunner made my day! He wasn’t as large as he could be, but nevertheless, seeing it was grande indeed!
Still trying to ID this one. Its song was incredibly beautiful. Took a few minutes to find where the song was coming from and was pleasantly surprised when we did!
These two were in a big field high up in a tree. The one on the left was alone, but then the one on the right flew in. Appears to be Red-tailed Hawks, but still working on their ID. The various different colors of morphs in the raptors here is going to be a challenge for me.
A farm where the hawks were.

Live Raptor Presentation Delivered!

Nothing was going to do until we went early Saturday afternoon to the Live Raptor Presentation by Hawkwatch International.  A live Great Horned Owl named Katori, and another raptor, Aymara, a Swainson’s Hawk, was brought in for us to learn about and see firsthand. You can learn more about these two particular birds, and their story of why they are at Hawkwatch. 

As the handler taught us about Swainson’s Hawks, Aymara sat on his arm. What a beautiful raptor!
Aymara, a Swainson’s Hawk.
Katori, a Great Horned Owl, sits atop the handler’s wrist. What big eyes it had!
The eyes are amazing. Here are some amazing owl facts you can check out. We sure learned things we didn’t know about their eyes!

Up Close for Inspection…

Another birder was there with deceased species often found in Utah for you to see. Since I like to hold things in my hand for proportion, I took the opportunity to hold a few of these and further inspect them to learn more about their coloration and size for identification in the field.

Lazuli Bunting…
Western Meadowlark. Looks very similar to our Eastern Meadowlark back in NC…
Black-chinned Hummingbird…

Time to Prowl…on the “Owl Prowl”

About 8pm Friday night, we attended a short presentation by biologist Cordell Peterson on Owl Identification and Owl Ethics. We learned just how camouflaged an owl can be in a tree, their unique sounds, the various sizes and habitats they live in. He also introduced us to the various sounds of them by listening to an app that conservation and raptor biologist Neil Paprocki had us listen to as Cordell spoke about each owl. Afterwards, we all went outside to listen for owls.

We then left and traveled to a golf course to listen and look for owls. Not long after arriving, a dark silhouette was spotted on the end of the branch of a Cottonwood. It turned out to be a Great Horned Owl. It was way cool, and COLD!

Saturday’s Events Attended

In the morning, we dropped in on Ken Hinton’s “Introduction to Birding” presentation at the Nature Center. He has a accounting background and birding is a hobby he enjoys. It was very informative and we learned how much more fun it is to have someone to bird with on your adventures and other items of interest. He urged everyone to not think they had to start out with expensive binoculars and cameras to get started birding. His passion for birding was contagious as he taught and shared with us about birding.

Conclusion…

The St. George Winter Bird Festival was fantastic. My take below on it:

  • We learned a lot great information to help in our birding
  • Met some incredible birders with a passion for birding
  • Came away with an even deeper connection and appreciation for birds and their habitats. 
  • Was a great opportunity to get educated by professionals in this field in a way that we could understand. 
  • Learned through field trips how to spot, look for and listen for birds.
  • Had up close personal viewing of birds both alive and deceased to examine behavior, sounds and colors.
  • Enjoyed casual exercise through biking and how you can bird at the same time.
  • There were additional field trips we didn’t get the opportunity to go on. They fill up fast so if you want to attend a birding festival, so be sure to register early for them.

Zion National Park, Santa Clara River, biking along the Virgin River, local ponds and washes, Beryl Junction raptors, Reservoirs, Ranches, and a walk around the beautiful Tonaquint Nature Park would have been cool to have been on, but we couldn’t do all of them.

Check out your local state bird clubs and the internet for bird festivals near you in your state. I promise you’ll love the opportunity to learn about birds and make new friends at the same time! Ahhh…Till the next festival!

Happy Birding,

 

Ferruginous Hawk – White as Snow

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On a brief trip into town for lunch, I went a different route than Main Street. Being new to Richfield, somehow I wound up on another road. When I was approaching a stop sign, I saw a big fluff of snow at the very top of a small grouping of some type of spruce trees. It wasn’t odd that snow was on the ground, but of all three of the trees I was looking at, the only blob of snow on them was on the very tip top.  Pulling off the side of the road, I stepped out of the truck with the camera to take a closer look. Wow, was I ever surprised. The blob of snow was the biggest, whitest bird of prey I had ever seen. It even seemed to be wearing pants (feathers) down its legs. There before me was my introduction to the absolutely gorgeous Ferruginous Hawk! 

I enlarged and zoomed in on this photo, but from a distance, all I could see was a big snowball of white. The angle of the Ferruginous Hawk to me in the truck didn’t show all of its markings.

It Moved!

As high as the tree it was in was, the hawk took flight. I snapped photo after photo of it as best I could as it flew.  Sometimes, you see something and dismiss it as being a bird. Taking a second look, pulling off the road to further look with binoculars or a camera may give you a different perspective of what you’re seeing. The only thing that made me pull off, was that there was no snow anywhere on those trees except on the top. It seemed weird on this beautiful sunny blue sky day, that there would be a huge clump of snow just on the tip top branch with all of the sun shining, and no snow anywhere else on the trees.

What a beautiful hawk. The legs were covered with a chestnut color going all the way down the leg to the golden yellow feet.
Closeup of the above photo. The yellow on the beak against the light gray on the head was stunning against the blue sky.

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)

  • Size:  22 –  28 inches, wingspan 56 inches. This hawk is one of the largest buteos. It’s latin name “regalis” means kingly or royal.  Buteos are large winged raptors that have large bodies.  
Beautiful large wings flapping as the Ferruginous Hawk took flight from the tree.
  • Habitat:  open grasslands, deserts. Sits atop fence posts, electrical poles. Seen in small canyons.
  • Food: ground squirrels, prairie dogs, pocket gophers (known here in Utah as “pot guts”), rabbits, rodents, snakes, lizards, some birds, large insects.
A tiny Uintah Ground Squirrel, better known here in Utah as a “pot gut.” Very cute little rodent!
Side view of a Pot Gut (Uintah Ground Squirrel.)
  • Nest:  in areas of cottonwood trees, willows, and swamp oaks. In an isolated tree, ledges or rock, power pole or other man-made structure. May use sticks, cattails, cow dung, or grasses to line it with.
  • A resident here in southern Utah, but consult your local birding field guide for your area.

Ferruginous Hawk Territory

When you see a bird that you’ve never seen before, ask yourself these questions:

  1. Is it migratory to my area?
  2. Am I in its most preferred habitat?
  3. Is it alone, or with a mate perhaps?
  4. Is it eating? If so, what is it eating? Is there an ample supply there of what it’s eating? If a mammal, reptile or other bird, is the “meal” a normal resident of that type of environment?

The answers to these questions may help you to see your bird again near or at that same location. In my case, I went back to the road with the three tall spruce trees. They were in the only house there as it was in the middle of vast farm and pasture lands. There were NO other trees present. It could sit high atop them and survey the pastures for some unsuspecting “meal” to show up. Two days later, I saw another Ferruginous Hawk near that area in flight. It might have even been the same one. So, try to visit the same area you saw your bird in again, particularly at the same time of day if possible. You just might see it!

Happy Birding!

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