[Birdtalk] Cache Co. Blue Grosbeaks, Nasville W., etc.

[Ryan O'Donnell]

I birded around Cache County with Craig Faulhaber today.  We started up
Deep Canyon in the Wellsville range, just north of Mendon.  Birding was
very slow here with a total of eight species in about an hour and a half
of hiking, but we did see one NASHVILLE WARBLER, a first for me.  
 
We next went to the Logan Wetlands, a.k.a. Sue's Ponds, just west of the
Logan Landfill.  There were hundreds or maybe even thousands of
Franklin's Gulls but nothing unexpected or new for the year.  Shorebirds
were sparse, with a few killdeer, a stilt, and a dowitcher that I assume
was a long-billed, but I didn't really check.  On the road to the south
of the Logan Landfill, we saw and heard three BLUE GROSBEAKS, one adult
male and two females/immatures.  Blue Grosbeaks have been seen several
times along this road this year, and the presence of multiple
females/immatures may indicate that they successfully bred here.
 
We finished for the day at Rendezvous Park and the Logan River Golf
Course trail, which was almost eerily quiet.  We saw only four species
here in about a half hour or so of walking before the storm hit, and we
had to rush back to the car amid falling branches.  One of those four
species was a juvenile WOOD DUCK, though.
 
I'm trying to see as many species in Cache County as I can this year,
and now that the fall migration is well under way there are a few
species that I've somehow missed which might be leaving the area soon.
I'd appreciate any tips you can offer (off-list might be best to avoid
clogging the listserves) on finding these species in Cache County this
year:
 
VIRGINIA'S WARBLER: I've only heard of these from Green Canyon this
spring, but I wasn't able to find any.  Are there any other reliable
locations for this species in the county?
 
AMERICAN BITTERN: There was a report this spring from along the Mendon
road, I think, but I tried there a few times and never saw or heard this
species.  Will they still be singing this time of year, and do you know
of any other good places to hear them?
 
SAGE THRASHER: I saw Craig's report of one of these at Sue's Ponds a few
weeks ago, but apparently missed that bird.  Is there anywhere you know
of where they might be hanging out?
 
Thanks for any help you can offer.
 
Sincerely,
Ryan
 
Ryan P. O'Donnell
Department of Biology and the Ecology Center
Utah State University
5305 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-5305
 
http://200birds.blogspot.com