[Birdtalk] A Visit to the Uintahs to Look For the Broad-billed Hummingbird.

[Glenn B. Barlow]

Merrill Webb and I ventured into the Uintahs today in search of the Broad-billed Hummingbird.  We followed the instructions given below. Regarding the instructions, the only camp site we could find, overlooking the intermittent stream and small aspen trees, was just north of (before) the stream and on the right-hand side of the road going toward Soapstone Basin.  Perhaps we were not looking in the right place.
 
On our way to the basin we saw several Sandhill Crane in Midway, as well as in Francis.  Just prior to Kamas, in Summit County, we also saw a small flock of White-faced Ibis.
 
After leaving the Mirror Lake Highway, as we climbed the switchback road to the basin, we were surprised by a mature Northern Goshawk dashing across the road in front of us, from right to left (down hill).  What a spectacular sight!
 
Down the hill from the camp site we stationed ourselves where we could overlook the "intermittent stream" and see several small groups of Monks' Hood flowers, that were beautiful in their dark purple color.  Merrill saw a hummingbird near the stream visiting one of these flowers, but could not see the front of the bird before it vanished.  We were visited, however, by a American Three-toed Woodpecker.  It was so close that Merrill could see the three toes clearly.  In the same area we saw American Robin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Mountain Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco (with a white outer tail feather in disarray), and  further on near the larger river, a mature and juvenile Red-tailed Hawk and an unidentifiable empid.  We left the area because of the increasing rain.
 
We then decided to visit the campgrounds near Mirror Lake, where we continued to be visited by a rather heavy drizzle.  Near camp site 65, mentioned previously by Jack Binch, Merrill saw a Clark's Nutcracker, Pine Grosbeak and 6 Red Crossbill.  Later on we saw several of the grosbeaks, as well as the nutcrackers.  We later added Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Cassin's Finch and Pine Siskin.  (I am sure I am leaving some out.)
 
Then, we visited Trial Lake campground, where we could not locate anything of note, except a birder from UCB, who, with her husband, was entertaining grandchilren.  (I apologize for not knowing her name.)  South of the Lake Washington group camping area Merrill was able to find a pair of Three-toed Woodpecker.  He called to me, but I did not respond from his truck.  He was afraid of scaring the bird so came back to the truck and awakened me.  (Those early morning trips to Orem, etc., just do me in.)  These birds were close to the road and low down in a tree.  It was nice to hear their tapping on the tree, which sounded exactly like their call on Stokes Western Birds.  It sounded somewhat like a dropped ball bearing or marble.
 
As we returned to Orem via Midway and Charleston we were saw an Osprey on the telephone post, prior to the large osprey nest on the telephone/power lines on the road from Midway to Charleston.  At Charleston we could not locate the grackles in the park, but did see several Barn Swallows skimming the park lawn.
 
It was a very nice day in a superb birding area, especially after the showers stopped!
 
Glenn
 
PS - Please forgive the misspellings and poor grammar.  GBB
----- Original Message ----
From: Eric Huish <poorwill_ at hotmail.com>
To: birdnet at utahbirds.org
Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2007 7:56:59 AM
Subject: [Birdnet] Fwd: broad billed hummer location


----------Original Message------------------------
>From :  Angie Branch <moabgirl at gmail.com>
Sent :  Tuesday, July 31, 2007 10:50 PM
To :  "Eric Huish" <poorwill_ at hotmail.com>
CC :  Roostertael at aol.com, pinkstring at xmission.com
Subject :  broad billed hummer location


Hi Eric,
Wow, such positive feedback. I know how rare a broad billed hummer is in 
Utah, due to this I was quite apprehensive to post it. Perhaps one of you 
will see that orange-billed hummer and validate my sighting.  :)

As far as the location, I did not want to post it till I could  match my 
memory with a mapping program (something I could not do from work) If only 
the hummer was sitting on a feeder. That would  make everything a bit 
easier. I have sent out e-mails for GPS cordinates to the campsite. If I get 
a response I will forward them too. Hopefully my directions are such that 
they are not necessary.

>From Kamas take E HWY 150  (mirror lake hwy) about14.5 miles to soapstone 
basin road turnoff (south). This is also the turn off for the dump station 
and you will cross the provo river. From the turn off drive about 2.8 miles 
to an intermittent river, marked by a shallow ravine full of willow bushes, 
that runs perpendicular to soapstone basin road. The river is just north of 
a fork in the road. Just north of the river there is a dirt road to the east 
(left). Drive/walk to the campsite at the end of the dirt road. I saw the 
broad-billed hummer to the south of the campsite, towards the river. It was 
sitting on an aspen branch in the young aspen trees growing at the ravines 
edge. I only saw it for a few min before it took off south over the river. 
What I observed was the bill- orange-red with a black tip, slightly down 
curved. The back was green but as the light hit turned blue iridescent. 
Belly white. I was so overcome with the orange bill and "blue-ness" of the 
bird that I didn't even note the buzz sound as it flew off. It was one of 
those moments were you stop and appreciate what we all love as birdwatchers 
and forget the birder, within us, that wants  to systematically lock down 
every detail.  I have seen broad billed many times before. In Arizona I 
wouldn't hesitate to call it a broad billed.  There were many broad tailed 
hummers also in the area and I saw calliopes in the field south of the 
ravine to the west of soapstone basin road. The willows are saturated with 
warblers and flycatchers! lots of juveniles! I would walk the north side of 
the ravines edge over looking the river for the broad billed hummer. Perhaps 
the fields north of the river would  also be productive for hummer species.

Here is what I also saw walking along the ravine from the campsite moving 
west:
red tailed hawk, northern flicker, American robin, ruby crowned kinglet, 
dark eyed junco, willow flycatcher, lazuli bunting, western tanager, orange 
crowned warblers, yellow warbler, macgillivray's warbler, gray flycatcher, 
green tailed towhee, Wilson's warbler, pine siskin, song sparrow, black 
headed grosbeak, heard olive sided flycatcher, yellow rumped warbler, 
warbling vireo, Nashville warbler, cassin's finch, chipping sparrow, winter 
wren, broad tailed hummer, calliope hummer, and Rufus hummer. I am also 
pretty sure I heard common yellow throat and black throated gray warblers, 
but I am not as familiar with their calls.

Thanks for posting this on Utahbirds. You were right to suspect others would 
be interested. :)

If needed, I will fill out a bird sighting record.
Angie

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