[Birdtalk] A Reservoir Run

[kristinpurdy at comcast.net]

Causeway? What causeway? I thought I was supposed to go the other way today and so I birded several reservoirs along the Wasatch Back: East Canyon, Rockport, Echo, and Lost Creek. 

Yesterday's cold front seemed to bring in more waterbird species, although no rarities. Here's what I saw:

East Canyon, Morgan County

Canada Geese
Mallards
BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, about a dozen; likely the same ones recently reported by Colby at the inlet end
Just one female of each: Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal
HOODED MERGANSERs; one drake and three hens near the dam; an additional three hens on the far shore, as this spot remains the most reliable location for this species each winter (yuk, yuk, yuk).
Common Loons, about a dozen
Common Mergansers
Red-breasted Mergansers
Ruddy Ducks
Eared and Western Grebes
Bald and Golden Eagles
American Coots
Horned Larks, American Pipits, Mountain Bluebirds

Rockport Reservoir, Summit County

Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Shoveler (just one hen)
Ring-necked Ducks
Lesser Scaup
Buffleheads
Ruddy Ducks
Common Loons, 20-25
Pied-billed, Eared, Western Grebes
Golden Eagle
American Coots

The phenomenal numbers of gulls were still staging at the inlet end as reported by Lu this past weekend. My lackadaisacal scoping through the mob revealed California and Ring-billed. A lone BONAPARTE'S walked on the mudflats below the Pinery Day Use area of Rockport State Park. 

Echo Reservoir, Summit County

Snow Goose, one juvenile
Canada Geese
Tundra Swans, five adults
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallards
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
HOODED MERGANSER, just one hen
Ruddy Ducks
Pied-billed, Western, and Eared Grebes

A Prairie Falcon that flew through my scope; I was able to pan with the bird as it cut across the reservoir. This falcon must have just eaten well because its crop projected so much the bird's upper chest looked like the keel on the bottom of a boat. 

Gulls--didn't pay much attention except that there were no Bonaparte's

Best birding at Echo was from the rest stop between exits 162 and 169 on I-80 East. All other birds were far away. Those at the inlet end were across an extensive mudflat and they began flushing when I was easily a quarter mile away, walking across the flat. The rest stop gave a good view of a mixed raft of ducks and grebes; the female Hooded Merganser was in this raft. The five Tundra Swans and the Snow Goose were on the east side within scope range of one of the entrances to the Rail Trail.

Lost Creek, Morgan County

Terrible! 

Two male Buffleheads
A dozen Ring-necks
One Western Grebe
One Common Loon

The trip to Lost Creek was salvaged by the last bird of the afternoon--a Townsend's Solitaire. I found the solitaire topping a big clump of hawthorne at the inlet end where Lost Creek empties into the reservoir. The bird was singing its beautiful warble. I was glad to hear this year-round singer since so many other birds are now silenced until spring. The funny thing about the sighting was that the solitaire was singing with its beak closed. I could see the throat fluttering and no other solitaires were there. How do they do that?

Reply if you'd like directions to any of the locations above.

Kris
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