[Birdtalk] Bewick's Wren at Willard Bay

[Kristin Purdy]

I did my best to rack up a few species today in the attempt to catch up to
the state's leaders; I think I'm only a couple hundred behind and maybe if I
tried really, really hard....

A Bewick's Wren called me over to Willow Creek campsite #29 at Willard Bay
State Park, Box Elder County, today. The bird was calling its raspy alarm
note, reminiscent of Warbling Vireos. The wren hopped on the trunk and
branches of the very old and gnarled (or gnarley, if you prefer) tree in
that campsite.

A couple late migrants were in the park today--yet another Townsend's
Warbler in Willow Creek campground and west of the pond that actually has 
water,
a Spotted Sandpiper at the shoreline west of the marina (with many Killdeer) 
and a House Wren
along the west path to Eagle Beach from the Nature Trail parking area.

A "Myrtle" Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Four adult male Great-tailed Grackles were displaying in the top of a tall
dead tree in the dry pond adjacent to Cottonwood Campground.

I also saw good numbers of BONAPARTE'S GULLS that Colby reported; about 30 
were in the shrinking puddle that forms the extreme northeast corner of the 
reservoir and many more were flying over the body of water proper. In that 
same pool, there were about six Common Mergansers and one Red-breasted. I 
wonder where the other 294 went?

Kris