[Birdtalk] Dusky Grouse... FINALLY! and a lot more!

[Tim Avery]

I headed up into the mountains south of Strawberry for one last time this year,
hoping to finally tick off my nemesis for the year, Dusky Grouse
 Despite
almost 30 miles on foot, and many more on roads, I was still without a sighting
for the year.  I spent most of Thursday. 10/11, hiking the forest between
Center Canyon and French Hollow, hoping to scare one up, but after 6 miles the
only grouse was a RUFFED GROUSE, that I initially heard drumming, or at least
doing something similar.  I first heard the bird in a patch of spruce, and made
my way in to see a bird perched about 3 feet off the ground on a stump.

In the morning, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL flew past our car as we drove up the
mountain towards Center Canyon.  When I say flew past, I mean to say, almost
became road kill.  The bird passed within 2 feet of our headlights.  Before I
could say anything, my dad asked, "What kind of  Owl was that?", despite the
small size, he knew it was an owl, oh how far he has come


At the top of Center Canyon just after sunrise, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET Owl was
heard tooting just over a ridge.  This is the same area I photographed one last
month.

Around 9:30am in French Hollow I came across a female AMERICAN THREE-TOED
WOODPECKER, noisily in search of food.  2 more birds were heard nearby but not
seen.

And in the afternoon around 5:00pm as I was sitting on a ridge between Center
Canyon and French Hollow a flock of about 24 junco's came along feeding.  I had
already seen several hundred junco's during the day and had stopped paying
attention.  Luckily for me I heard a warbler chip, that sounded like a Myrtle's
Yellow-rumped.  Sure enough, in a small aspen was the bird.  But more strange,
about a foot away, was a pale gray (snow-gray as I described to my dad) headed
and backed junco.  The bird sported two very faint white-wings bars, and a
white belly.  I thought "White-winged Junco", but couldn't remember where that
subspecies was, or if it was a subspecies at all. I regretted not bringing my
SLR, but I wasn't up for carrying the extra weight on the hike.  When I finally
got back to camp I flipped open my Sibley and saw the bird on p.501, a 1st year
White-winged form Dark-eyed Junco.  I hadn't seen this subspecies, before, and
it was very surprisingly pale, which made it stand out as an odd junco.  I
believe there has been 1 previous report of this sub-species in Utah.

Location: French Hollow and Center Canyon (south of Strawberry Reservoir)
Observation date:     10/11/07
Number of species:     27

Ruffed Grouse - Bonasa umbellus     1 (drumming
 isn't it October???)
Northern Pygmy-Owl - Glaucidium gnoma     1
Northern Saw-whet Owl - Aegolius acadicus     1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     1
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     12 (seemed to be everywhere)
American Three-toed Woodpecker - Picoides dorsalis     3
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Dendroica coronata     4 (including 1 Myrtle's)
Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis     300
Pine Grosbeak - Pinicola enucleator     3

Today (10/12) started with finally ticking off my clear nemesis for Utah for the
year, Dusky Grouse.  Despite being a rather "common" resident species, I had
missed it time and time again, and this morning it was a matter of luck as 2
birds were seen crossing the road up to Center Canyon just before dawn.  A big
relief!  As we got to the top of the mountain, 2 falcon's came flying by the
ridge we were parked on, Peregrine's, maybe migrating?  I did a quick loop down
the ridge between Center Canyon and French Hollow, before dropping into the
hollow and hiking out on the north side of it.  Many junco's as with the day
before, all being Slate-colored and Oregon.  About 100 yards east of where I
had seen the ATTW the day before I came across what could only be described as
a "flock" of them feeding along a Boreal hillside.  There were at least 6
birds.  2 males were seen, as well as 1 female.  At least 3 others called. 
Several times birds were seen flying in between trees, as well as from the
ground to the trees.  I managed to get my dad on one of the males to see the
yellow on the crown, something he hadn't seen before.  I figured there were 6,
but easily could have been more as it was a large hillside.  There was also one
Hairy Woodpecker cavorting with the group.

On the hike out I heard a high-pitched whine which I thought was a waxwing
 at
first.  When I heard it a second time, I thought it wasn't quite right, and
sounded incredibly like BUSHTIT's.  And that would make sense, as we rounded a
corner and I looked up to find 12 in the top of an Aspen.  The location where
the birds were seen is 9120' in elevation.  Needless to say at such an altitude
I would never have expected to see this species


Location: French Hollow and Center Canyon (south of Strawberry Reservoir)
Observation date:     10/12/07
Number of species:     23

Dusky Grouse - Dendragapus obscurus     2 (FINALLY!!!!!)
Northern Harrier - Circus cyaneus     1 (migrant at 8500')
Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus     2
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     2
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     9
American Three-toed Woodpecker - Picoides dorsalis     6
Bushtit - Psaltriparus minimus     12
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Dendroica coronata     1
Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis     200
Pine Grosbeak - Pinicola enucleator     2

Finally as we drove out past Strawberry, I did a quick scan off Renegade Point,
and saw 4 COMMON LOON, and a boatload of coots!

The area in question can be reached by taking the Strawberry Reservoir turnoff
to Renegade Marina from HWY 40.   It's about 15 miles on pavement, at the
marina, continue onto the dirt road, about 5.5 miles into Trail Hollow.  There
is a turnoff to the left that mentions "Center Canyon" and "French Hollow",
take this and go 2 miles.  Stay left there where the road splits (the right
road goes to Center Canyon), and go another mile.  Here you can go right and
follow the road till it dead ends.  This road (closed to ALL vehicles) will
drop you into Center Canyon, its about 2,5 miles to the bottom and Willow
Creek.  If you go left its a mile to the French Hollow Trailhead (from here its
2.5 miles to Willow Creek in the bottom).  The area is fairly big, and is
covered with game trails.  August is a great time to get up and check this area
out, the roads are rough, and impassable without 4WD when wet.  I think the
area of French Hollow may be a good spot to look for Boreal Owl in the future.

Cheers

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