[Birdnet] Indigo Bunting in Ogden

[Kristin Purdy]

A male INDIGO BUNTING was singing on the slope east of the Bonneville 
Shoreline Trail (BST) in Ogden, Weber County, this afternoon around 12:30 
p.m. I was passing on the trail below the bird's location when I aimed my 
binocs at a ruckus that sounded like young Lazuli Buntings chipping alarm 
notes. The first bird I settled on was this male Indigo, then I watched him 
sing from multiple perches along the slope above me. He flew away a couple 
times, but returned to the same dead top of a scrub oak and used others for 
singing perches in the area as well.

My coordinates on the trail were:

41°13'13.5"
111°55'.38.3"
NAD 83

and I tied a piece of glo pink flagging tape with black polka dots alongside 
the trail.

Generally speaking, the location is on the BST east of St Joseph's High 
School at 25th Street. You can't get to the spot from the high school, 
however. The closest trailhead is at the east end of 22nd Street. The 
parking lot has signs warning you not to leave valuables in your vehicle and 
there's auto glass on the ground, so you might consider parking in nearby 
neighborhoods where there are people and houses.

>From the parking lot, walk east up the slope and follow trail markers to the 
Bonneville Shoreline Trail, heading south. You'll be walking a distance of 
about three blocks. Watch the neighborhoods below and to the west of you for 
St. Joseph's High School. A school bus was parked in the parking lot and 
there's a rectangular cement-lined retaining pond with water in it east of 
the school and easily visible from the BST. I hope the pink tape will still 
be tied east of the trail where I was.

The bird's location is not great for either birding or photographing because 
he's up a 45° slope to the east and I didn't see any footpaths leading up 
the slope. He was easily within 100 feet, however. Even at 12:30 p.m., he 
looked pretty dark due to the angle of the light. A late afternoon or 
evening trip might be the best bet and remember, he used dead perches above 
the leafy scrub oak canopies like the male hummingbirds do.

Kris