[Birdtalk] Friday morning raptors

[L. D. Giddings]

I started this brisk Friday morning by driving south to Nephi and
working my way north through Mona, Elberta, and Goshen. Most notable
were the raptors. In addition to the red-tailed hawks, American
kestrels, and northern harriers one can usually expect to see, the
following were also observed:

- three ferruginous hawks were seen at various points east of Mona
reservoir and a fourth was spotted in Elberta
- my first rough-legged hawk of the season was seen east of Mona
reservoir
- a merlin was spotted in Elberta, and also a pair of great-horned owls
were observed roosting in a nearby tree
- A Harlan's red-tailed hawk was observed in Mona.

Mona reservoir did not have nearly the birds it did last Sunday.
Although there were four American white pelicans, roughly a dozen
western grebe, and a few dozen eared grebe on the water there were fewer
ducks which were mostly along the eastern bank and very difficult to see
clearly. I also have to confess to a moment of temporary excitement upon
spotting what I thought was a pair of snow geese in the company of a
small flock of Canada geese on Goshen reservoir. However, when I checked
them through my scope, I discovered they were a pair of white domestic
geese swimming very confusedly in and around about two dozen Canada
geese decoys.

No turkeys were harmed during the observation of these birds,

Lu Giddings