[Birdtalk] Hyrum, Porcupine, Mantua Reservoirs

[Kristin Purdy]

I headed north today to check Hyrum and Porcupine Reservoirs in Cache County 
and I squeezed in a scan over Mantua in Box Elder on the way home. Very 
little was happening at either Hyrum or Porcupine. Hyrum sported a few 
Common Loons, Western and Eared Grebes, a couple female Canvasbacks, five 
Common Mergansers, Ruddy Ducks, Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls. Two 
Franklin's were mixed in with the Ring-bills on the east side. Porcupine 
hosted exactly TWO birds, one Common Loon and one Double-crested Cormorant.

I did learn some valuable information at Hyrum, despite the lack of bird 
activity--you can walk down to the beach from the closed gate at the east 
beach entrance (a mile southeast of the main park and near the intersection 
of Center and 500 South Streets) even though a red sign on the gate warns of 
the winter closure beginning on October 1. I wanted to walk down there to 
check a mysterious bird I saw from the main state park and spoke to Ranger 
Floyd A. Powell at the Visitors Center. He told me the gate closure only 
applies to vehicle traffic and anyone who has paid their fee is welcome to 
walk down, despite the red closure sign. Another sign lists walk-in fees. 
This area is just above the spot where Lu Giddings found several 
White-winged Scoters in 2004. My mysterious bird was a female Canvasback.

The highlight of the trip was watching a Ferruginous Hawk kiting along 
Baxter Ridge just north of McMurdie Hollow Road and northwest of Paradise.

I stopped briefly at Mantua Reservoir. Most of the birds there are coots; I 
also saw two HORNED GREBES straight out from the boat ramp. A few bay ducks 
have arrived, including Lesser Scaup and Canvasbacks.

Kris