[Birdtalk] ...and More Bohemian Waxwings in Davis County

[Kristin Purdy]

The BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS continue in the Fruit Heights neighborhood, Davis 
County, that Franklin Clawson described on November 18. This afternoon I was 
cutting through Fruit Heights on my way to Kaysville Ponds and saw two dense 
flocks of waxwings coursing over the neighborhood just west of US-89 and 
south of the US-89/200S-400S intersection. I decided to bird dog those birds 
and turned south on Country Lane from 200S (about two blocks west of US-89). 
I drove about a half-mile south on Country Lane found several mixed flocks 
of Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings, starlings and American Robins around the 
intersection of Country Lane and Raymond Road. One flock easily included 
more than 100 birds; there were others in the treetops.

The area has lots of ornamental pear trees, Mountain Ash and juniper shrubs 
to keep the fruit eaters coming back for more. I passed through again on the 
way home and only found robins and one Townsend's Solitaire, but Glenn 
Barlow found a small flock of Cedar Waxwings and starlings that also 
included one Bohemian at around 3:30 pm.

About 25 HOODED MERGANSERS are at Kaysville Ponds. Most are female-type 
birds, although at least three of the female-type birds are first-year males 
with yellowish eyes and black bills. I saw about five adult males. The 
mergansers seem to like to hide behind the island in the corner of the 
duckiest pond (the northern one) and on my last sweep I only came up with 
three Hoodies, although they hadn't flown.

I was surprised to see a raccoon sleeping in the tree on the west side of 
the next pond south (the middle one). The tree is very exposed and the coon 
was about 2/3 the way up.

Kris