[Birdnet] Fwd: Painted Bunting at Fish Springs

[Utah Birds]

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Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:37:41 -0600 (MDT)

It was submitted by Matt Mills.
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Subject: Painted Bunting at Fish Springs

Email_Address: mattymills2005 at yahoo.com

Message: Hi all,
Thanks to Milt for forwarding my phone messages on to the list!

Randy Larson, Aaron Robinson and I stopped off at the Thomas Ranch Watchable Wildlife area at Fish Springs last night - it was blowing pretty hard and off and on rain. The male PAINTED BUNTING was first spotted moving about low in the cottonwoods and then was calmly foraging on the ground about the picnic tables and on the road. This morning, in much calmer conditions, it was seen in the same general area, foraging on the ground and moving about low in the trees. It was also seen on the east side of the road in the lone 
tree there.

Randy managed to take 3 or 4 good photos which I will post later tonight when he is able to fwd them along.

There is also an adult RED-SHOULDERED HAWK roosting in this same group of trees which we flushed both last night and this morning. This morning it perched briefly and allowed for good views from the back. I'm not sure if it is an Eastern or a California bird as I did not get prolonged views of the front of the bird (or just how easy it would be for me to tell the two subspecies apart). Either way, it was a beautiful adult Red-shouldered Hawk.

Finally, there is a female SCARLET TANAGER also close to the picnic benches, foraging high in the cottonwood trees. I saw it briefly last night in the wind, but this morning I had excellent views in the morning sunshine as the bird calmly moved about. Western Kingbirds are common in these trees as well, and I almost passed it off as just another kingbird, just as a heads up.

We were unable to obtain photographs of the hawk or the tanager, but hopefully they stick around so that somebody can get pictures. We saw the birds at 8:30 pm on July 24th and again at about 10:30 am on July 25th (today).

Thanks
Matt Mills
Provo
mattymills2005 at yahoo.com

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