[Birdtalk] SUSC, HOGR, LISP, HETH @ AIC

[Tim Avery]

Ran out to AIC from 11:30 to 3:30 today and had a nice array of birds. 
Highlights were as follows:

Along the Causeway

1 SURF SCOTER
1 HORNED GREBE
2 BARROW’s GOLDENEYE
400 Common Goldeneye
36 Bufflehead
60 American Pipit
23 Horned Lark
1 Prairie Falcon
2 Northern Harrier
2 American Kestrel
54 Common Raven
2 Western Meadowlark

The scoter was in the small patch of open water on the south side of the last
bridge.  IT appeared to be injured as when it tried to fly it was only able to
flap for 3 or 4 seconds and then crash.  The grebe was on the north side diving
near the rocks northeast of where the water comes out.

On the Island

2 Barn Owl
2 Rock Wren
1 Canyon Wren
110 Chukar
1 Rough-legged Hawk
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Cooper’s Hawk
5 Northern Harrier
11 American Kestrel
1 Loggerehead Shrike
8 American Tree Sparrow
3 White-crowned Sparrow

The owls were at the corral, and the wrens were in the area described earlier by
Paul Higgins.  I flushed a large flock of around 100 Chukar from these rocks. 
The Tree Sparrow’s were along the road to the ranch.

Garr Ranch

1 LINCOLN’s SPARROW
1 HERMIT THRUSH
1 Virginia Rail
2 Great Horned Owl
1 Yellow-headed Blackbird
70 Pine Siskin

The Lincoln’s Sparrow was initially heard giving a chip note and was working the
grass just south of the “ice house” at the ranch.  The Hermit Thrush was about
100 feet south of here where you turn left to head around the south end of the
main grove of cottonwoods.  The rail was in its usual spot at the spring, and
the owls were in the tree 30 feet south of the spring over the fence.  The
siskin were in one large flock that landed in the trees over the picnic area.

Good Birding

Tim
Indianapolis, IN and Salt Lake City, UT
tanager at timaverybirding.com
http://www.timaverybirding.com
http://www.birdtography.com