[Birdtalk] SL County & spring arrivals

[Colby Neuman]

Hi all,

Tim Avery and I birded Mueller Park (Davis County), the fields just north of
the SLC airport, 7200 W and the Lee Kay Ponds this morning.  After dropping
off Tim, I went back out and birded around the Salt Lake International
Center, Lake Park and Decker Lake.  Highlights included CATTLE EGRET,
SANDHILL CRANE, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, WESTERN KINGBIRD, DUSKY FLYCATCHER,
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, CHIPPING and BREWER'S SPARROWS.

We were not able to find the previously reported Varied Thrush at Mueller
Park.  We hoped we might hear it sing given the habitat, but we had no such
luck.  We heard many of the birds previously reported by Jeff.

We then went to the area just north of the airport.  At the intersection of
3300 N and 3200 W we encountered a large mixed flock of YELLOW-HEADED
(~600), BREWER'S (~150), RED-WINGED (25) BLACKBIRDS, EUROPEAN STARLINGS
(several hundred) and a male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD.  A WESTERN KINGBIRD
flushed off a fence just north of this intersection.  To the north of where
the 3200 W road bends west (left), there was a flock of at least 10 CATTLE
EGRETS (not easy in SL County) feeding alongside cattle.   Back south along
2200 W, we saw at least 3 SANDHILL CRANES continuing in the greasewood to
the west.

The ponds along 7200 W have had a number of shorebirds the past couple of
weeks, but we only found a single GREATER YELLOWLEGS today.  The second most
eastern pond at Lee Kay contained at least 3 RED-NECKED PHALAROPE.  Just
across (north side) the road from this pond, we found a single BREWER'S
SPARROW singing and a nice male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.  Several RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLETS and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS and a lone YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER were
also present in these bushes/trees.

At the Salt Lake International Center, I flushed an empidonax flycatcher
along the Billy Mitchell Road to the north of Harold Gatty Drive.  I lost it
pretty quickly in the wind and blowing trees, but between the short primary
projection, overall shape and bill shape, I feel pretty confident it was a
DUSKY FLYCATCHER.  The canal to the north of the international center
contained both WESTERN and CLARK'S GREBES.  Back south along Amelia Earhart
Drive (just west of the pond), a flowering tree next to the road had
multiple YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and a single ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and
CHIPPING SPARROW.  The north pond had several EARED GREBES and 3 LESSER
SCAUP and all the expected swallows (5 species), except Violet-green,
foraging over it.

Lake Park has great shorebird habitat along some of the ponds.  Several
pairs of BLACK-NECKED STILTS and AMERICAN AVOCETS appear to be setting up
shop.  A flock of 19 WILLETS were also foraging in one of the ponds.  The
pond on the NE side of the park had several pairs of REDHEAD, RING-NECKED
DUCKS and LESSER SCAUP.

Decker Lake had 17 pelicans and a single CLARK'S GREBE and CASPIAN TERN.

Finally, I watched the shoulder of Mt. Olympus this evening for migrating
hawks and while I didn't have many, I had an OSPREY (migrating), a PEREGRINE
FALCON (seemed like it could be a resident based on behavior) and at least 8
TURKEY VULTURES (not migrating).

More detailed lists can be found at ebird.org.

Colby
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