[Birdtalk] 14Sept07-Lakefront: SABINE'S GULL, WHIMBREL, etc...

[Tim Avery]

Thanks to Kris for posting the report of the SAGU for me.  After checking the
Colorado list this morning, and seeing reports of multiple SAGU and a LTJA, I
changed my birding plans for the day and headed out to Antelope Island, hoping
that with the strong south winds birds would be staying to the shoreline along
the causeway, making it easy to look through the birds for something out of the
ordinary.  The gull was a juvenile, with a nice scalloped gray back, and wide
black tail band.  I first spotted the bird about a 1/4 mile west of the rock
jetty that is on the north side.  The bird was on the south side of the
causeway just before 2:00pm, and slowly made its way east over the next 30
minutes. I left the bird between MM 3 and 4 on the south side.

http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/sagu_01.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/sagu_02.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/sagu_03.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/sagu_04.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/sagu_05.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/sagu_06.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/sagu_07.jpg

At about 2:30pm as I continued east, about 40 yards east of MM4 on the north
side of the causeway was an adult WHIMBREL.  I had stopped to take pictures of
the dust blowing across the dry lake bed when some movement on the norht side
of the road caught my eye.  I snapped one quick picture with my 55mm lens, then
went to my car to switch back to the 400mm.  As I was taking off the small lens
I heard the QUIQUIQUIQUIQUIQUI call as the bird took off flying back west along
the north side of the road.  I watched it till the heat waves on the road made
it impossible.

http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/whim_01.jpg

While watching the gull, a large bird of prey came soaring over my car and
continued east along the causeway as well.  By the time I got my binoculars on
the bird it was 300 yards east, and I was quite surprised to see an OSPREY!  A
first for me at the causeway.

In the morning around 10:00am north of MM5 were 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPER, these
birds were keeping close company with about 500 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER.  Another odd
sighting was the number of Killdeer feeding on the mud flats.  I counted 137
birds just within 50 yards of the road.

There was a lot of bird movement at Garr Ranch.  And even after being at the
ranch an hour I was still finding new birds.  A WINTER WREN (possibly the same
bird although it hasn't been seen in over a week) and a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET
were present, as well as an out of place Black-capped Chickadee.  Also, there
was one Wilson's Warbler that really must have been hurting after fighting the
south winds all night.  The bird let me sit within 2 feet for over 20 minutes
just watching it.  It was often sitting under logs, and on the ground near the
base of  bushes trying to stay inconspicuous.

http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/wiwa_01.jpg
http://timaverybirding.com/photos/sept07/wiwa_02.jpg

Highlights for the day:

AIC 9:45 - 10:30am

 500~ BAIRD'S SANDPIPER
   2  PECTORAL SANDPIPER
  23  Western Sandpiper
   4  Long-billed Curlew
   2  Sanderling
  36  Red-necked Phalarope
 104  Wilson's Phalarope

Garr Ranch (with Steve Coleman) 10:50 - 1:20pm (good number of migrants)

   1  Western Wood-Pewee
   4  Hammond's Flycatcher
   2  Dusky Flycatcher
   1  Cordilleran Flycatcher
   1  Willow Flycatcher
   1  Warbling Vireo
   2  Cassin's Vireo
   1  Black-capped Chickadee
   1  WINTER WREN (seen briefly near downed tree across pond)
   1  Ruby-crowned Kinglet
   1  GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (still hanging out)
   2  Hermit Thrush
   1  TOWNSEND'S WARBLER (1 female)
  14  Wilson's Warbler
   4  MacGillivray's Warbler
   2  YELLOW WARBLER (getting late?)
   1  Nashville Warbler
  26  Yellow-rumped Warbler
   3  Western Tanager
   2  Lazuli Bunting
   7  Chipping Sparrow (1 Adult, 6 juvenile)
  10  White-crowned Sparrow
   1  CASSIN'S FINCH

AIC 1:40 - 2:40pm

 500  Northern Shoveler (on the mudflats)
   1  SABINE'S GULL
 150  Franklin's Gull
 400  Ring-billed Gull
 500  California Gull
   1  Snowy Plover (w/ BASA)
  40  Baird's Sandpiper
   1  WHIMBREL
   4  Long-billed Curlew
 103  Red-necked Phalarope
   1  OSPREY

Not a bad Friday on the the lake!

Cheers

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