[Birdtalk] Southern Utah Birding

[Merrill Webb]

Birders
I traveled to Southern Utah over the week-end making
stops at Chicken Creek Reservoir in Juab County on the
way, and then visits to Ivins and Gunlock Reservoirs
before reaching Lytle Ranch Preserve on the Beaver Dam
Wash after dark.  Was able to spend about five hours
birding the ranch Saturday morning before leaving for
St. George.  Had a trip list of 95 species.  Would
have had 100+ but on the way back to Orem on Sunday I
drove drove steady rain for four and a half hours. 
Not a pleasant drive.  Anyway, here is my list.  It is
nice to see spring migrants for a change.

Chicken Creek Reservoir and environs (south of Levan
just off I-15):
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ringt-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Ring-necked Pheasant
Eared Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Swainson's Hawk
Golden Eagle (nest in ledges east of I-15)
American Coot (hundreds)
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Willet
Long-billed Curlew
Western Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Eurasian Collared Dove (Levan)
Mourning Dove (Levan)
Common Raven
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Western Meadowlark

For the Southern Utah locations the following
abbreviations apply: I = Ivins Reservoir,  G = Gunlock
Reservoir, L = Lytle Ranch and St. = St. Geroge.
Gadwall, G
Mallard, I and L
Blue-winged Teal, L
Cinnamon Teal, I
Green-winged Teal, G
Ring-necked Duck, I
Lesser Scaup, I
Red-breasted Merganser, G
Ruddy Duck, I
Gamgel's Quail, L
Peid-billed Grebe, I
Horned Grebe, G
Eared Grebe, 200 plus, G
Western Grebe, G
Double-crested Cormorant, G
Great-Blue Heron, L
Turkey Vulture, Santa Clara
Osprey, (3) I
Sharp-shinned Hawk, L
Common Black Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk, Santa Clara
American Kestrel, L
American Coot, I
Killdeer, I and L
Spotted Sandpiper, I and L
Bonaparte's Gull, I
Ring-billed Gull, I
Eurasian Collared Dove, Santa Clara and St.
Mourning Dove, Santa Clara, L and St.
Great Horned Owl, 3 between Gunlock Reservoir and the
town of Gunlock plus 3 at L.  (all audibles)
White-throated Swift, L
Black-chinned Hummingbird, Costa's Hummingbird and
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (all at 2 feeders at the
ranch)
Belted Kingfisher, L
Ladder-backed Woodpecker, L
Gray Flycatcher, L
Black Phoebe, G and L
Say's Phoebe, L
Western Kingbird, (10-15) L
Loggerhead Shrike, Beaver Dam Slope
Bell's Vireo, (4-6) L
Plumbeous Vireo, L
Common Raven, L
Violet-green Swallow, (close to a hundred) I and G
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, I and L
Cliff Swallow, I and G
Barn Swallow I and L
Verdin, L
Rock Wren, G and L
Canyon Wren, G
House Wren, L
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, L
American Robin, L
Northern Mockingbird, L and St.
Crissal Thrasher, L
Starling (most places, except at L.)
American Pipit, L
Phainopepla, 15-20 at L
Lucy's Warbler, L
Yellow Warbler, L
Yellow-rumped Warbler, L
Green-tailed Towhee, 8 at L
Brewer's Sparrow, L
Lark Sparrow, L
White-crowned Sparrow, L and St.
Great-tailed Grackle, St.
Bullock's Oriole, St.
House Finch, everywhere
Lesser Goldfinch, L and St.
House Sparrow, L and St.
As you can see, Lytle's Ranch was a good place to be
(50 species for the morning); and I expect that (at
least from my many visits to the ranch) this next
week-end will be even better for you who are
contemplating such a visit.
For those of you who have read this far I have saved
the best birds for last.  In the cottonwood forest
upstream from the irrigation pond I watched a Least
Flycatcher for a couple of minutes while it foraged
from the low branches of what understory is remainging
after the devastating floods two years ago.  Near the
ranchhouse I started out in the early morning with a
Golden-crowned Sparrow feeding with a small flock of
White-crowned Sparrows.  At almost the same spot four
hours later I watched a male Black-and-White Warbler
foraging creeper-like on the trunk of a large
cottonwood.  A nice way to complete the morning's
effort. 
Make it a good day.
Merrill Webb

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