[Birdtalk] Raptors in South Cache Valley

[Kristin Purdy]

I birded the Wellsville area today in the southwest end of Cache
Valley and then made a brief stop in Hyrum. My intent was to bird
newly-plowed fields for Horned Larks and any species that might be with
them, but I didn't see any Horned Larks and had to change my plan to
raptors. There were lots of American Pipits in the farm fields south of
6600S. and between 3600W. and 4000W., but they flushed from the roadside and
landed in grass too tall to look for a Sprague's Pipit--Ha!

What a variety of Red-tailed Hawks! I saw western, intermediate rufous and
dark morphs. The most interesting Red-tail was a juvenile light morph, but I
think it was an eastern bird. Does anyone know if a western juvenile light
morph can have a pure white throat? This bird's white throat (which was
bordered by dark brownish malars contrasting with the otherwise streaked 
brown
head with thick but short white supercilia) continued into a snowy white and 
unmarked upper breast, heavily marked
belly band and off-white, unmarked undertail coverts. The underside of the
tail was faintly banded with narrow pale gray and white bands with no
visible terminal or subterminal band. It perched facing me the whole time
and I didn't see the underwing.

All my references show the pure white throat on eastern birds; the only 
marking inconsistent with the eastern conclusion was how heavily marked the 
belly band was.

I also saw two Rough-legged Hawks, three Prairie Falcons, three Northern
Harriers, and three FERRUGINOUS HAWKS--a juvenile and two adults. American
Kestrels were all over the place, of course.

Best birdwatching occured at the small farm at 7300S. 4000W. where I watched
a juvenile NORTHERN SHRIKE and its very successful grasshopper hunting
forays. The bird flew a direct course into the mown wheat field across the
road from the farm and returned twice with grasshoppers and once with a
beetle. The shrike was still very tan with buffy accents around the head (it
nearly had buffy spectacles with no black in the lores or supraloral area,
and a short buffy spot at the malar area). The wingbar on the greater
coverts were nearly rufous still. Anyway, that was fun.

I made a brief stop at the Hyrum Cemetery and in 10-15 minutes watched a
large flock of RED CROSSBILLS feeding in the tops of spruce trees and heard
or saw both species of chickadees plus Red-breasted Nuthatches. I also saw a
Red-naped Sapsucker; that was a surprise.

Hyrum Cemetery is located just west of SR- on Main Street. The raptor area
was in the fields north and south of 6600S. in Wellsville. That street is
the first right turn as you enter Cache Valley from Wellsville Canyon on
US-89-91 or the last left before entering the canyon when southbound.

Kris