[Birdtalk] Blacksmith Fork Canyon Day

[Connie McManus]

I drove up Blacksmith Fork Canyon today (took the day off and lucked out
with the weather!).  Coming into Hyrum, I saw a huge flock of birds, chased
them, but they flew into LeGrand Johnson's quarry and I didn't want to
attempt birding in there with all the graders, dump trucks, etc plus the No
Trespassing signs at the gates. So I don't know what they were.  They were
too dark for  horned larks and too small for starlings.  I am a little
miffed at not having had a chance to take even a teensy little peek at them
through the binocs.  Overall, the birding up the canyon today was poor,
hardly anything was out in spite of the lovely sunshine.  I saw a
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK at the mouth of the canyon.  On a sad note, up the canyon
where the river widens into a marshy place, there was a deer swimming around
in the open water, trying desperately to get out, but couldn't manage it.
It had apparently broken through the ice as it was crossing the river and
fell in.  I don't know if it ever made it out or not.  When I came back from
Hardware Ranch, I thought I saw it laying on its side on the ice on the far
side of the river from the road.  Poor thing.  Anyway, I looked around
Hardware Ranch for a good long while and saw absolutely nothing except the
elk.    I finally gave up and started to drive back to the valley when I
spotted a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE perched in a cottonwood keeping company with
a  MAGPIE.

when I got home, I tried to get more photos of the American Tree Sparrow
that comes to my feeder and also the Song Sparrows (of which there are now
2),  but they were not cooperating, which was too bad as the light was
great.   I gave up on that, too.  After about an hour, I came back to check
on the feeders and the entire table was covered with RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS
(approx 25 or 30, males and females) and one NORTHERN FLICKER.   Then, le
piece d'resistance...  a NORTHERN HARRIER flew across my yard.  It passed by
the east side of my house and was just  6 ft off the ground (it barely
cleared my 6 ft fence) and about 8 ft from my window.

You know, some day I'm going to have to quit working and just watch birds.
I am really curious to know just what does come to my yard during the day.
Good birding!
-- 
Connie McManus
Nibley, Cache County, Utah
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