[Birdnet] Mew Gull, Longspurs - Salt Lake County Big Day

[Tim Avery]

This morning (Sunday 01/13), Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld and I set out to do a sort of Salt Lake County Big Day.  Minus of course the owling, and a drive up to Alta for Rosy-Finches.  We started in Murray and visited Old Farm, where no Wood Ducks were found.  We headed to Decker Lake which was abuzz with activity, the highlight being an adult MEW GULL on the south half of the lake.  The bird wasn't really associating with any of the other gulls.  Several GREATER YELLOWLEGS were also present as well as 2 HERRING GULL.  

http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=500&pos=9

We made the quick jaunt over to the Jordan River at about 2400 South where we were skunked by Barrow's Goldeneye.  Fortunately, we made a 2nd stop at 2100 South where both a male and female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE as well as the only BUFFLEHEADS of the day were found.  At Lee Kay Ponds were very few gulls that luckily had a single adult THAYER'S GULL mixed in.  Along the frontage road to Saltair from 7200 West we struck out on Horned Larks, but were treated to a PEREGRINE FALCON perched on a pole out in the mud.  Saltair was it's usual dead self.

http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=500&pos=11

We traveled down 8400 West which was socked in with fog for most of the drive along the west bench.  In one of the only patches of clear we had a PRAIRIE FALCON fly right up the road and over the car. and still no Horned Lark.  In Herriman Steve spotted a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in some pines on a private drive.  The EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES are taking over the area, where at least 15 were seen.  

We moved up Rose Canyon and called in 6 JUNIPER TITMOUSE, which brought with several MOUNTAIN and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE as well as a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH.  

http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=500&pos=6

After leaving Rose Canyon we headed east on 12600 South, where we finally had a few HORNED LARKS fly past the car.  We scanned through what was about 100 birds before continuing on.  It couldn't have even been 5 minutes when Steve pulled over and said he thought he saw something.  The something was a cloud of HORNED LARKS swirling over a field to the north of 12600 South at about 5000 West (from the light at 4570 West travel west about ½ a mile till you reach the fields on the north and the housing development to the south).  We turned around and pulled off to start trying to look through the birds.  At first glance it looked like a couple thousand birds.  But as we got out and started watching, it was apparent that this flock was much much larger.  Wetried to scan as much as we could with the moving swarm, luckily on several occasions, LAPLAND LONGSPUR could be heard rattling against the chatter of the Larks.  I saw 2 or 3 single longspurs in flight, and Steve saw several others.  At one point a small group of 12-15 longspurs passed on the tail end of a flock.  We roughly estimated that the flock numbered around 7,500 birds, by far the largest flock of larks any of us had seen.  I called Colby Neuman who headed out to try for Longspur, and later said that 7,500 was probably conservative, and 10,000 seemed likely. 

As we drove along 12600 South at about 1800 West I spotted a flock of incoming birds, as they passed over the roof I looked through the sun roof and saw the rufous undertail and yellow tips of around 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWING.  We again turned around and drove in the direction the birds flew.  It only took a few minutes to track down the flock which also sported a few CEDAR WAXWING.  The birds were hanging out at about 2025 West and 12405 South feeding on berries on the ground and in the trees.

http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=500&pos=15

We made a quick stop at the Jordan River where we picked up 2 AMERICAN PIPIT, MARCH WREN and around 10 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.  The highlight here were 2 CINNAMON TEAL on the north side of 12600 South, and a flock of 500~ CANADA GEESE coming in to land to the south of the road.  We left the river and headed back north, deciding to head to Fairmont Park and Forest Dale Golf Course, which lacked our birds of need.  From here it was up to the Cemetery to try for a few montane species.  We were able to find about 40 RED CROSSBILL, 15 PINE SISKIN, 2 CASSIN'S FINCH, a few BROWN CREEPER and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and a calling Quail, the only of the day.

We scoured the avenues in search of Steller's Jay, but instead found a MERLIN near the Foothills "protected area".  After working west through the hills tyring to find Rosy-Finches up on the slopes, we went to City Creek Canyon where we were greeted by a STELLER'S JAY and a flyover GREAT BLUE HERON.  At the entrance station were 3 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, 6 BROWN CREEPER, a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, DOWNY WOODPECKER and surprise SONG SPARROW.

Finally we went back south to Old Farm again, and again, no Wood Duck.  I thought I heard a Ruby-crowned Kinglet as we left, but the bird didn't respond to pishing, this being probably one of our bigger misses during the day.  Our last birds were 8 MOURNING DOVE in the Sommerfeld's yard just before it got dark.  We missed the kinglet, Pied-billed Grebe, Redhead, and a number of other species that are currently around.  Not a bad day with 77 species tallied in the county in 9 hours.

More Pictures: http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=500

Good Birding

Tim
Salt Lake City, Utah
tanager at timaverybirding.com
http://www.timaverybirding.com
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