[Birdtalk] Monte Cristo Area Birding

[Kristin Purdy]

Wasatch Audubon performed our annual bluebird nestbox survey today of four 
trails totalling about one hundred boxes near the entrance to the La Plata 
recreation property and along Ant Flat Road in Weber County, and along the 
Monte Cristo Highway (SR-39) and on private property just off the highway in 
Rich County.

Our results this year reflect the late spring, even though summer officially 
arrived at 5:59 PM yesterday. We found the usual three species--Mountain 
Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and House Wrens--using the boxes. However, unlike 
last year when the more advanced House Wren babies fledged in our faces when 
we opened the boxes to count eggs or nestlings, we found few nestlings this 
year. Surprising to me is that the only brood of nestlings along the route I 
surveyed was one family of Mountain Bluebirds. All other occupied boxes held 
only eggs so far, and Mountain Bluebirds are not usually the most advanced. 
It was also obvious that some of the egg-laying was not complete. One House 
Wren clutch only included two eggs; the others held up to eight. And not to 
have any House Wren babies was quite a surprise. Usually, the House Wrens 
take over the houses first to the detriment of the other species.

Another surprise on my route this year was that all 24 of the boxes were not 
occupied. Last year, every box was taken, even if only by an extra House 
Wren nest that the male might have built to attract a female. Several boxes 
on the fenceline were down, reflecting the heavy winter snow. My crew 
re-mounted the boxes on the posts as it might not be too late for some 
nesters to begin the annual cycle.

We also did some birding in the Monte Cristo area and saw a few mountain 
specialties including the Purple Martins reported last week at mile 48.9, 
intersection with Curtis Creek Road (three occupied nest cavities so far), 
two Western Wood-pewee nests and two Williamson's Sapsucker nest cavities. 
One of those is in the same tree a pair occupied last year across the road 
from Monte Cristo Campground; the other is in one of last year's Purple 
Martin nest trees. The martin nest cavity is occupied by Tree Swallows this 
year and I saw a male Williamson's Sapsucker in the same tree about three 
holes down from the swallows.

The bluebird trail I helped survey is on private property cutting east of 
the highway at mile 51.9. We saw Purple Martins overhead 6-8 times while 
walking the fenceline, and I believe these are different birds than the 
Curtis Creek birds 3 miles away.

One highlight for me was both recent and aging sign of grouse, likely Dusky, 
in Monte Cristo Campground. I'm referring to one large gray contour feather 
with an aftershaft (that's the recent sign) and two big piles of droppings. 
I suppose that piles of bird poop shouldn't make my heart sing, but they do. 
Forest grouse deposit considerable droppings when they dive into soft, deep 
snow in the winter to roost and those piles remain in place until destroyed 
by weather or traffic. The two piles I found near each other were on the 
paved campground road and indicate that Dusky Grouse winter there.

A lowlight for me is that I didn't hear or see any sign of Three-toed 
Woodpeckers in the campground (yet).

Kris