[Birdtalk] 17Aug07-Lakefront: Hummingbirds and Shorebirds

[Tim Avery]

If you want to skip the report, there are links to hummer pictures taken at Garr
Ranch at the end of the email.

Spent this afternoon birding along the Causeway, at Garr Ranch and made a brief
stop at Glovers Lane.  Along the causeway from the entrance booth to MM5 on the
north side was shallow water and mudflats perfect for shorebirds.  The water
was not there two days ago, and this large amount of water was quite a
surprise.  Along with the water came a variety of shorebirds:

37 Snowy Plover
2 Semipalmated Plover
2 Black-bellied Plover
2 Killdeer
1 Spotted Sandpiper
~ American Avocet
~ Black-necked Stilt
7 Long-billed Curlew
2 Willet
8 Sanderling
1 PECTORAL SANDPIPER (about 200 meters north of MM6)
17 Baird's Sandpiper
31 Western Sandpiper
2,000 Peep species (500+ meters north)
~ Wilson's Phalarope
1,200 Red-necked Phalarope

Best variety of the fall thus far, although phalarope numbers are decreasing.
The large group of peeps was a good sign, as they have been all bu absent the
last couple weeks.  If water remains in the area to the north, this next week
could be very productive for shorebirding.

At Garr Ranch there was a hummingbird show.  I spent about 90 minutes watching
the 2 feeders on the porch of the old ranch house, and at times there were
nearly 30 Hummingbirds flocking to the feeders.  The number of Rufous
Hummingbirds made for a lot of interactions, and many a fight!  4 species were
seen in the time including:

20+ Rufous Hummingbird
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_05.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_06.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_07.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_08.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_09.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_10.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_11.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_12.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_13.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/ruhu_14.jpg

2 Black-chinned Hummingbird (adult females)
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/bchu_01.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/bchu_02.jpg

4 Broad-tailed Hummingbird (1 or 2 adult males, 1 adult F, 1+ juveniles)
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/btlh_07.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/btlh_08.jpg

2 Calliope Hummingbird (2 juveniles)
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/aug07/cahu_05.jpg

Other birds around the spring:

1 Cordilleran Flycatcher
1 Dusky Flycatcher
1 Western Wood-Pewee
4 MacGillivray's Warbler
4 Wilson's Warbler
1 Yellow Warbler
1 Warbling Vireo
Lots of Chipping and Lark Sparrows (80% juvenile)

At Glovers Lane there were a couple Forster's Terns, Pelicans and the other
regulars.

Good Birding

Tim
Salt Lake City, UT
tanager at timaverybirding.com
http://www.timaverybirding.com