[Birdtalk] Calliope Hummers at The North Arm

[Kristin Purdy]

Buck Russell's report of a Calliope Hummingbird in Logan yesterday inspired me to visit The North Arm Natural Area in Ogden Valley, Weber County, this afternoon to see if any Calliopes are there yet. I'm pleased to report that Mother Nature's rhythms are amazingly predictable. Two males have set up territories in the same places as in the last 2 years; in fact, one of them is using the same tree. 

You can find these hummers in several ways: First, if you visited these hummers in the last 2 years, just go back to the same places and wait around until you see them. They don't leave their perches for very long.  

Second, you could navigate to them using these GPS coordinates:

The north hummer:

N 41*17.615'
W111*49.603'

The south hummer:

N 41*17.551'
W111*49.536'

Third, you could follow these directions. After crossing over the North Fork of the Ogden River on the wooden footbridge, turn immediately left (south) and follow the meandering path south. DON'T take the path west because you'll run into water on the trail. Meander south until you reach an interpretive sign with a roof that's entitled, "The Ultimate in Wildlife Condominium Living". Turn right (west) and walk west until you reach the "T" intersection. From this point, one hummer is north and one is south. Look north about 40 yards and you'll see an aspen on the west side of the trail whose tallest branches are dead. That's the hummer's tree. If he's not there, wait a minute for him or walk north around the next curve past the aspen about another 40 yards and look for him on dead branches of tall shrubs on the left side of the trail. That's where he hung out 2 years ago and I saw him there once today.

I marked the aspen I described with pink-lavendar surveyor's tape.

To reach the second hummer, turn south at that "T" intersection and walk until the trail takes a 90 degree left turn, then backtrack 20-25 yards. You may see my pink-lavendar tape on the right (west) side of the trail anyway before you reach the point where I've directed you to backtrack. The bird is using the top dead branches of shrubs there, too. 

I didn't really bird The North Arm today; I just checked for the hummers. But I did hear a Yellow-breasted Chat calling in thick brush about 20 feet west of the north hummer. 

The trailhead parking lot of The North Arm Natural Area is located at mile 3.8 of SR-158 in Eden. The highway begins at Pineview Dam. 

Kris
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