[Birdtalk] A Great Day of Birding - CITY CREEK CANYON, SL CEMETERY, ANTELOPE ISLAND - 2/23

[Jeff Bilsky]

This morning Carl Ingwell and I headed up to City Creek Canyon to find
WINTER WRENS and we got a great look at one. The STELLARS JAYS seemed to be
really getting rowdy with each other as well.

Location:     City Creek Canyon
Observation date:     2/23/08
Number of species:     9

Downy Woodpecker     X
Northern Flicker     X
Steller's Jay     X
Western Scrub-Jay     X
Black-capped Chickadee     X
Winter Wren     X
American Robin     X
Song Sparrow     X
Dark-eyed Junco     X

We then headed over to the SL Cemetery and were able to scope a very
cooperative MERLIN and marvel at it. What a cool bird. Then Carl did some
Extreme Birding driving to get us a look at a CEDAR WAXWING flock just
outside the cemetery but no Bohemians.  We also cut through downtown and saw
a messenger perched on Moroni's trumpet. You guessed it: PEREGRINE FALCON.

Location:     Salt Lake City Cemetery
Observation date:     2/23/08
Number of species:     11

Red-tailed Hawk     X
Merlin     X
Rock Pigeon     X
Northern Flicker     X
Black-billed Magpie     X
Mountain Chickadee     X
Red-breasted Nuthatch     X
Townsend's Solitaire     X
Cedar Waxwing     X
House Finch     X
Pine Siskin     X

Then I met up with Tim Avery to do some Redpoll chasing at Antelope but we
couldn't find the Goldfinch flock despite some very enthusiastic pshing as
well as desperate pleading, shouting, and swearing and of course, a handful
of false alarms. We did get great looks at a PRAIRIE FALCON on the Causeway
and both kinds of SHRIKES on the island. There was also an unexpected TUNDRA
SWAN flyover. Then we went and found the RED SHOULDERED HAWK in the spot its
been seen lately - and I finally got a great look at it after we were
circling back and forth around the fields where it is hanging out trying to
get it to sit still. Of course when I finally saw it close up was when we
were leaving and it decided to sit in a tree right next to the road. I swear
that bird has an agenda to mess with people.

Location:     Antelope Island
Observation date:     2/23/08
Number of species:     8

Chukar     X
Northern Harrier     X
Loggerhead Shrike     X
Northern Shrike     X
Common Raven     X
American Robin     X
White-crowned Sparrow     X
Red-winged Blackbird     X
American Tree Sparrow X

Location:     Antelope Island  Causeway
Observation date:     2/23/08
Number of species:     3

Tundra Swan     X
Rough-legged Hawk     X
Prairie Falcon     X

Great Birding,

Jeff Bilsky
Salt Lake City
Jbilsky at gmail.com
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