[Birdtalk] Lakefront Birding 15-May07

[Tim Avery]

Birded along the lakefront today in hopes of finding a Least Tern or any 
new northbound migrants.  No Least Tern's :(

Lee Kay Ponds 8:15 - 8:45am
  1 - COMMON TERN (Alternate plumage with a ton of black in the primaries)
  26 - Forster's Tern ( I think this is the most I've seen here)

Willard Bay State Park (willow Creek Campground) 1:00 - 2:00 pm
  2 - Gray Catbird
  2 - Western Tanager
  13 - Bullock's Oriole
  21 - Yellow Warbler: http://timaverybirding.com/photos/may07/ywar_01.jpg
  7 - Yellow-rumped Warbler
  3 - Wilson's Warbler
  2 - Common Yellowthroat
  7 - Cedar Waxwing
  3 - Great-tailed Grackle
  12 - Black-headed Grosbeak
  6 - Western Kingbird
  1 - Downy Woodpecker
  42 - American Robin (high concentration)

Antelope Island Causeway 2:30 - 3:00 pm and 4:45 to 5:15 pm
  3,500 - Wilson's Phalarope
  200 - Black-bellied Plover
  1 - SPOTTED SANDPIPER (a first for me on the causeway)
  1 - Marbled Godwit
  303 - Sanderling

Garr Ranch 3:20 - 4:15 pm
  1 - Western Tanager
  2 - Wilson's Warbler
  3 - Yellow Warbler
  2 - Black-headed Grosbeak
  7 - Western Kingbird
  2 - White-crowned Sparrow
  1 - Bullock's Oriole
  3 - "big" Great Horned Owl chicks: 
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/may07/ghow_03.jpg
  1 - face only a mother could love: 
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/may07/porcupine_01.jpg

Antelope Island 3:00 - 3:20 and 4:15 - 4:45 pm
  1 - Grasshopper Sparrow (singing in the same place as usual)
  3 - Burrowing Owl
  4 - Lark Sparrow
  2 - Vesper Sparrow
  2 - Brewer's Sparrow

And a pretty cool display as 3 Red-winged Blackbirds mobbed a pair of 
Harriers:

http://timaverybirding.com/photos/may07/noha_02.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/may07/noha_03.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/may07/noha_04.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/may07/noha_05.jpg

Notably lacking for this date were ANY Empids, more warblers and 
tanagers as well as buntings.  And not seeing any Eastern Kingbirds was 
a surprise.

Good Birding

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