[Birdtalk] Wasatch and Summit county birds

[Lu Giddings]

I suppose one of the upsides to birding on a gray winter day is all the
money one saves in sunscreen and mosquito repellent. There was
definitely no need for either today as I worked my way up Provo canyon
past Deer Creek Reservoir and Jordanelle Reservoir to Kamas and then to
the Soapstone winter terminus of the Mirror Lake highway. Despite the
gloom and cold there were a few noteworthy observations:

- both Deer Creek and Jordanelle remain more than 95% ice-free and both
host substantial waterfowl populations. Most of the birds were hugging
the far shore at Deer Creek; the steam rising from the lake surface made
it difficult to identify anything much smaller than Canada geese with
confidence. I did observe a single common loon at Deer Creek.
- a merlin was spotted atop a blue spruce near South Summit High School
in Kamas.
- a snow-covered field partially protected by warm springs along Lower
River road in Francis was occupied by nine Wilson's snipe busily feeding
in the soft mud.
- I did not see any waxwings of either flavor in any of my travels
today, nor rosy finches, nor any other irruptive species.
- I counted over 50(!) wild turkeys as one travels along River Road
between Midway and Highway 40 to Park City. When I passed at dusk over
two dozen birds were feeding immediately along the highway, while one
tree held 12 roosting birds and another nearby tree was decorated with
13 turkeys.
- the Mirror Lake highway was very quiet, although I have found that mid
afternoon and late afternoon are typically unrepresentatively much
quieter than morning visits during the winter. Other than numerous
Townsends solitaires, there wasn't much around.
- in a non-bird related note, I saw a deer slip and fall from a cliff in
Provo canyon. It fell roughly 20 feet but seemed more or less unharmed
by the drop. Since, for a brief interval, it was airborne, do I include
it on my day's trip list?

Lu Giddings

Total Count: 26 species
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Common Goldeneye
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Common Loon
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Merlin
Wilson's Snipe
Rock Pigeon
Western Scrub-Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Townsend's Solitaire
European Starling
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow