[Birdtalk] Cache Co. Ferruginous Hawks

[Craig Fosdick]

Today I birded Hyrum State Park, Rendezvous Park (Logan), 1st Dam in Logan,
Clarkston, and Benson Marina; all locations are in Cache County.  Best
bird(s) of the day were three FERRUGINOUS HAWKS roosting in "downtown"
Clarkston.  Ferruginous Hawk is my 225th species seen or heard in Cache
County in 2008, and is a long-sought after county species.  All three birds
were at their roost trees at 345 pm; one bird was on the southeast corner of
100 S / 100 E; the other two were a tree on the ne corner of 100 E /
Center.  All birds were light-morphs.

There were not many other highlights from the day, although it was
enjoyable.  Hyrum State Park had a Spotted Sandpiper; duck diversity at
Hyrum continues to grow, but numbers are low, and Cache Co. is apparently
the only place in Utah that does not have/or recently had at least one
scoter spp.  Barrow's Goldeneyes are at 1st Dam; Benson Marina had a nice
evening "roost flight of >3,500 gulls plus a few raptors; I would assume the
gulls were primarily Californias, but the flight line was about 1/2 mile
east of my location.  Swans, most likely Tundras, were at both Hyrum State
Park and Benson Marina.

eBird checklists below.

Good birding, Craig.

Craig Fosdick
Logan, Utah.

Location:     Hyrum State Park
Observation date:     11/15/08
Notes:     Swan spp. probably Tundras, but did not get to study bill
structure before they took off.  4 adults, 3 HY.
Number of species:     31

Canada Goose     54
swan sp.     7
American Wigeon     3
Mallard     25
Bufflehead     7
Common Goldeneye     21
Common Merganser     2
Red-breasted Merganser     7
Ruddy Duck     1
Ring-necked Pheasant     2
Common Loon     3
Pied-billed Grebe     4
Western Grebe     4
grebe sp.     1
Cooper's Hawk     1
Killdeer     1
Spotted Sandpiper     1
gull sp.     120
Northern Flicker     2
Black-billed Magpie     4
American Crow     1
Common Raven     4
Black-capped Chickadee     8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     1
European Starling     X
Song Sparrow     1
Dark-eyed Junco     5
Red-winged Blackbird     5
House Finch     2
Pine Siskin     2
American Goldfinch     10

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)

Location:     Rendezvous Park
Observation date:     11/15/08
Number of species:     5

Mallard     6
Downy Woodpecker     3
Black-capped Chickadee     20
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     3
House Finch     2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)

Location:     First Dam
Observation date:     11/15/08
Number of species:     4
Mallard     40
Common Goldeneye     9
Barrow's Goldeneye     12
California Gull     15

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)

Location:  Clarkston
Observation date:     11/15/08

Notes:     Ferruginous Hawks roosting: one in tall cottonwoods at 100 E/100
S (se corner), and two at 100 E/Center, where two were in same tall
cottonwood ne corner of road.  Possible sapsucker spp. heard, not found.

Number of species:     10
Red-tailed Hawk     1
Ferruginous Hawk     3
American Kestrel     1
Eurasian Collared-Dove     20
Black-billed Magpie     3
Black-capped Chickadee     3
American Robin     1
European Starling     75
Dark-eyed Junco     5
House Finch     30

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)

Location:     Benson Marina
Observation date:     11/15/08
Notes:     Gulls, Great Blue Herons, raptors flying south to roost on
islands in Cutler Marsh. Two swans on water, third bird flyover headed to
roost, flying very low, wings did not make any noise.  Greater/Lesser scaup
had white patch on back left flank.  Clark's Grebe includes two HY still
begging and being fed by parent (but size ~same as parent).
Number of species:     11

swan sp.     3
Greater/Lesser Scaup     1
Common Merganser     12
Clark's Grebe     3
Great Blue Heron     5
Northern Harrier     4
Rough-legged Hawk     1
American Coot     75
gull sp.     3585
Northern Flicker     1
House Sparrow     12

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
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