[Birdnet] ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, Gulls during SLC CBC

[Tim Avery]

Of all the birds I could have expected to come across during the Salt lake CBC this morning, a hummingbird was not on my list.  Yet just before 9:00am as I pished near a thicket on the north side of the Bountiful Cemetery, a small "tip-tip tip tip" call and the flutter of a very small bird emerged from the thicket.  I was stunned to see a hummer and hurried to get it in my binos.  The bird had dark central patch on the gorget, a bold white line above the eye, and a flash of green down the flanks.  I was fairly certain it was a female ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD.  The bird landed in the tree and I hollered for the rest of my team to scurry over.  I think they thought I was joking, as by the time they arrived the hummer had vanished.  It took 5 or 6 minutes but with a little squeaking, the bird emerged yet again, and 3 out of the other 4 memebrs of the gorup were able to see the bird.  My second look confirmed my initial thought.  The bird again disappeared rather quickly and was not seen again.  Jeff Bilsky cmae up with the idea that the bird was hanging around the cemetery due to the rather nice supply of fresh flowers (albeit not in the ground) that were scattered throughout the area, and that seems to make sense.

During the CBC potluck another group mentioned that they also had a Hummingbird sp. in Salt Lake County.

In any event, the bird in Bountiful was near the cement building on the north side of the cemetery, on the east side of the bulding.  

We also had a large gray falcon near Mueller Park, but were unable to confirm the ID, although my initial reaction after ruling out Goshawk was that it was a Gyr.  So keep your eyes out.  And the flock of Waxwings on the NSL/Bountiful Bench has grown, to the small number of at least 1200 birds. I know you're thinking I am nuts, but in a picture I snapped of the flock I did a count of the image and came up with 1128 birds which didn't even have the whole flock in it.

I've posted some pictures here:  http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=482

Also at Lee Kay ponds was a 2nd winter GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, a 2nd winter GLAUCOUS GULL (found by Pomera Fronce), an apparent hyrbid Glaucous-winged x Western Gull and another hybrid that I think may be a Herring x Glaucous/Glaucous-winged.  Here are pictures of the first hybrid mentioned: 

http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=483

Good Birding

Tim
Salt Lake City, Utah
tanager at timaverybirding.com
http://www.timaverybirding.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://secureserver.securesites.net/pipermail/birdnet/attachments/20071215/e43e6288/attachment.htm