[Birdtalk] Horned Grebe at Little Dell

[Kristin Purdy]

This morning, a HORNED GREBE was swimming at Little Dell Reservoir in Salt Lake County in the small inlet on the west side adjacent to mm 2 of SR-65. The bird had gained most of its spring gold-striped football helmet head plumage, but the body still looked positively wintry. A smattering of common waterfowl and a Lesser Yellowlegs picking delicately along the grebe's shoreline rounded out the bird life there. 

I visited several other reservoirs along the I-80 and I-84 loop on the way home--Rockport and Echo in Summit County and East Canyon in Morgan County. Rockport was the best of the three, although I didn't see any birds of significant rarity. A couple Barrow's Goldeneyes continue at the inlet end with the rest of the waterfowl including Canada Geese, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallards, Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teal, Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneyes, and Common and Red-breasted Mergansers. An active group of gulls continue out on the water's surface; all were California except for one Ring-billed. 

Lots of lovely loons (25) in sleek and velvety breeding plumage were distributed across the reservoir. However, too many of them had black bills (all of them) and not enough had yellow bills (none of them) for my taste. Hmmph. 

Neither of the other two reservoirs were post-worthy. 

Kris
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