[Birdtalk] Lots O' Birds at Garr Ranch

[Kristin Purdy]

Since a couple from the east coast of Florida that I met at Garr Ranch today 
described the high number of birds at Garr as fallout conditions, I'll take 
their word that it was a good day.

Today's most numerous species at the ranch were Hammond's Flycatcher, 
Western Wood-pewee and Wilson's Warbler. These three were everywhere. If 
studying non-singing empids not on territory is your dream birding 
experience, you shoulda been there! The celebrity bird of the day was a 
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH that used the spring channel from the spring house all 
the way down to the phragmites, and the trees south of the fallen 
cottonwoods. This bird chipped a lot and it was much louder than any other 
species.

Other goodies at the ranch today included:

Black-chinned, Calliope, Broad-tailed, Rufous Hummingbirds
The remaining Empids classified as common or fairly common: Willow, Gray, 
Dusky, Cordilleran Flycatchers
Say's Phoebe
Warbling and CASSIN'S Vireos
House and Marsh Wrens
Nashville, Yellow, MacGillivray's Warblers
Western Tanagers
Lazuli Buntings
Black-headed Grosbeaks
Lincoln's Sparrow (another surprise; I don't know if the date is right for a 
southbound Lincoln's or not; seems early)

I was surprised to see hummingbirds feeding from the sunflowers east of the 
spring near the phragmites burn, only because I didn't know sunflowers were 
decent nectar producers. At first I thought it was a fluke because the bird 
I saw was low-hummer-on-the-totem-pole Calliope. I figured the bird didn't 
like the competition at the feeders from the more aggressive species (even 
though I also saw a Calliope there, too). But later I saw both Black-chinned 
and a Broad-tailed using the sunflowers and they weren't just passing 
through.

I also saw Burrowing Owls on the way home on the slope west of the Hollywood 
Comes to Antelope Island sign (road to Garr) and at milepost 6 on the 
causeway.

Kris 
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