[Birdnet] Goshawk and Others at AI today

[Kristin Purdy]

The Antelope Island CBC was great fun today and the count included some great birds. I served on Bill Fenimore's team along with Glenn Barlow, Wendy Loomis, Sharen Perry, Cindy and Steve Sommerfeld, Peggy of Millcreek and two birders whose names I didn't catch. We surveyed the island from the chain link fence about one-half mile south on the road to Garr Ranch to approximately two miles south of Garr. 

A nice feature of the day is that we began and ended with Barn Owls hunting around the big parking lot outside the kiosk; two at 8:00 and one at 5:30. 

Within our sector the first three highlight birds were all Northern lights--NORTHERN GOSHAWK, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD and NORTHERN SHRIKE. The goshawk was an adult hunting along the Russian Olives east of the road and south of the turnoff to Frary Peak. The mockingbird and the shrike were south of the ranch in a restricted area open to us only because we were doing the CBC. At one point we saw both birds in the same scope view because the shrike attacked the mockingbird. 

Other highlights were four falcon species including a young Peregrine on the causeway (not in our area) and a MERLIN at Garr Ranch. The Merlin was not wary of our birding crowd, did a flyover or two and obligingly sat in the Chinese elms over the picnic area long enough for Kathy and Joel Beyer to enjoy the bird, too.

We also saw two VIRGINIA RAILS, one at Garr and one near where we had seen the Northern Goshawk; AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, all of which were south of the ranch in the restricted area; and three BURROWING OWLS. None of the three was the one Tim Avery reported earlier despite our checking that burrow on the way south and north. Two owls were west of the road and south of one of the last rocky chukar slopes in a very open expanse as you headed south. Thanks to Steve and Cindy for guiding us to these birds and to a Rock Wren near the higher Frary Peak trailhead parking lot. Steve and Cindy also spotted another Burrowing Owl along the causeway on the way home. We saw all the birds at Garr to which Tim alerted us (thanks, Tim) except for the Cooper's Hawk and the Townsend's Solitaire; additional birds at Garr were the Merlin and a second HERMIT THRUSH. 

We strayed out of our territory again when the sun was low in the west while seeking the Ladyfinger Point wren trio that Paul Higgins has reported several times. We dipped on the Bewick's and Rock Wrens (although we heard it through the grapevine that Paul led Keith and Betty Evans and Jack Rensel to those birds earlier in the day), but we saw the Canyon Wren. 

Today's survey was also remarkable for some of the birds we didn't see--not even one gull. The number of small birds usually in brush and in Russian Olives along the road to the ranch was waaaaay down. We also missed a Golden Eagle. We had to work very hard for Chukars and thank goodness we picked up 12. The goshawk was our only accipiter despite the fact that Tim found three Cooper's Hawks within our sector. 

We dilly-dallied across the causeway in the twilight and saw the waterfowl at the big bridge including the SURF SCOTER Tim reported and a female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE among the Commons and the Buffleheads.  

The causeway team did not see Jack Binch's Snow Buntings either, but due to Jack's well-documented sighting (including a picture) the team will report the bunting as a count week bird. Thanks, Jack!

Kris
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