[Birdtalk] GSL festival trip report

[Colby Neuman]

Hi all,

Has a birding festival been happening here in Utah for the last four
days?  I'm sorry to ask such a stupid rhetorical question, but trip
reports or something would be nice from leaders or
participants...please...

Anyway, a group of hardy birders came along with me this morning to
learn a few bird songs.  The weather was not pleasant to say the
least, but I think we did about as well as we could given the weather.
 We drove up to Snowbasin Ski Resort from Mountain Green (exit 92 on
I-84).  We stopped at an overlook on the way up and listened to the
incredible song around and below us while occasional rain showers did
their best to soak us.  We were able to get some excellent comparisons
of the songs of WESTERN TANAGERS and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS.  Also,
several ORANGE-CROWNED, YELLOW, and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS allowed
good comparisons with other songsters such as WARBLING VIREO and
LAZULI BUNTING.

Other birds such as DUSKY FLYCATCHERS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, HOUSE
WRENS, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, CEDAR WAXWINGS, HERMIT THRUSHES,
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, CHIPPING, SONG and FOX SPARROWS, CASSIN'S
FINCHES, etc. sang from different points as well.

After working on completely becoming soaked, we decided to head to
Garr Ranch in hopes of drier weather (where it, btw, pretty much
rained the entire time).  However, there were a good number of
migrants in the trees.  Several WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, CEDAR WAXWINGS,
WARBLING VIREOS, YELLOW, WILSON'S and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, WESTERN
TANAGERS, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, 1 DUSKY FLYCATCHER (actually sang
once), 1 HERMIT THRUSH ('veeereeed' once), 1 BUNTING SP. ('bzzzzd' a
couple times) and a couple SONG SPARROWS and 1 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW
were some of the migrants observed and heard.  Due to the time, we had
to leave Garr Ranch earlier than I would have liked so I'm sure we
missed a few other migrants that were hanging out at the ranch.

Oh yeah, on the way back we saw three near basic plumaged BONAPARTE'S
GULLS on the north side of the causeway around milemarker 4 or 5?

Colby