[Birdtalk] GSL Birdfest Southshore Fieldtrip

[Tim Avery]

To quote Colby Neuman almost a year ago, 

"Has a birding festival been happening here in Utah for the last four
days?  I'm sorry to ask such a stupid rhetorical question, but trip
reports or something would be nice from leaders or
participants...please..."

Minus Merrill's report, I have yet to see any results of any other field trip this year...

Yesterday (05/17), I was joined by 23 birders and 4 drivers to check out a few locales along the south shore of the Great Salt Lake.  In just half a day of birding 3 locations we tallied 85 Species!  Our first stop was a behind the gates tour of the Kennecott Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve.  Highlights included 10 SNOWY PLOVER, 15 LONG-BILLED CURLEW (including at least 2 freshly hatched young), a flock of 50 White-faced Ibis, including one bird that appeared to be a GlossyxWhite-faced hybrid, 2 EASTERN KINGBIRD, 1 FERRUGINOUS HAWK, a flock of 200 RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, 7 MARBLED GODWIT, 2 CASPIAN TERN, 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPER, numerous singing BREWER'S SPARROW and SAGE THRASHER.  There were 4 vans as part of the trip, and at one point the 4th van fell behind.  That group later told us (2 hours later...) that they had seen an AMERICAN BITTERN fly out of a canal when they fell behind, glad we had those radios.

We cruised down 7200 West, which water wise is now restricted to 2 small ponds.  On the one nearest the road were: a LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, WILLET and a few American Avocets.

Our next stop was Lee Kay Ponds.  Highlights here included: 4 COMMON GOLDENEYE, including a male displaying for a female, 20 MARBLED GODWIT, 1 LEAST SANDPIPER, 40 RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, numerous FORSTER'S TERN, and 2 LARK SPARROW about 200 yards west of the west pond along the dirt portion of California Ave.

We finished out by making a stop at the Salt Lake INternational Center, which was pretty dead by all accounts.  Highlights here included: 2 PINE SISKIN (rather late on the valley floor), 1 HAMMOND's FLYCATCHER, several BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK.  Warblers were scarce, with only 2 YELLOW WARBLER, 1 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, and a nice WILSON'S WARBLER to boot.  CHIPPING SPARROW, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and Western Kingbirds rounded out the mix here.

Good Birding

Tim
Salt Lake City, Utah
tanager at timaverybirding.com
http://www.timaverybirding.com
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