[Birdtalk] Deseret Ranch 7-7-07

[bacpab at comcast.net]

Utah birders-

Bill Fennimore from Wild Bird Center in Layton led a private trip to Deseret Ranch for Irma Kibler, Glen Barlow, and I this last Sat.  I was the lone Californian, so the terrain was all new, and a delight to see.  And the birding was one of the best days that I've ever had, both for the number and variety of birds and Bill's delightful enthusiasm, knowledge, and hospitality.  We had 109 species over a long day, and would have had more if we hadn't had a flat tire.  The furry things were out in numbers, too.  We saw moose, Pronghorn Antelope, weasel, Mule deer, Prairie Dogs, Yellow-bellied Marmot, Jack Rabbit, Uintah Ground Squirrel, and 7-Striped Chipmonks.  We don't get most of those critters in California.

The birds:

Canada Goose
Gadwall
Amer Widgeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Green-Winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Ruddy Duck
Blue Grouse, male displaying and female with at least 6 chicks
Eared grebe with babies
Western grebe
Clark's grebe
Amer White Pelican
DC Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Black-Crowned Night Heron
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Red-Tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Amer kestrel
Northern Harrier
Sora-the whole bird, not just a leg or beak or tail
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Amer Avocet with chicks
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Log-billed Curlew
Wilson's Phalarope
Cal gull
Forester's tern
Black tern
Rock Pigeon
Mourning dove
Common Nighthawk
Black-Chinned Hummingbird
Calliope Hummer
Broad-tailed Hummer
Rufus Hummer
Williamson's Sapsucker
Red-Naped Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker, both Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted
Oliver-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Peewee on nest
Hammond's Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Clark's Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
Amer Crow
Common Raven
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Amer Dipper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Mountain Bluebird
Amer Robin
Grey Catbird
Sage Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-Crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-Throated Grey Warbler
Western Tanager
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Sage Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyes Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Bobolink
Red-Winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Amer Goldfinch
House Sparrow

In addition, I took a drive out the causeway to Antelope Island Fri night and saw more Wilson's Phalaropes than I ever thought possible; Franklin's Gull, Cal Gull, and Ring-billed gull.  I loved seeing the Franklin's Gulls bobbing their heads up and down in unison to catch flies.  Equally fun was watching the Cal Gulls running with open bills to fly-catch.

All told, I have 13 new life birds, an appreciation for your beautiul state, and a new bird store guy and leader.  

Cheers,

Patricia Bacchetti
Oakland, CA