[Birdtalk] "Myrtle" Warbler, etc. in Cache County

[Ryan O'Donnell]

Craig Fosdick and I hit a few birding hotspots around Logan this
afternoon.  At the Logan Fish Hatchery, just north of the Logan
Landfill, we found the SNOWY EGRETS previously reported by Buck, among
other usual suspects (but didn't relocate the Lesser Yellowlegs).  At
Sue's Ponds, just west of the Logan Landfill, we had my first
WHITE-FACED IBIS of the year, a group of 87.  RUDDY DUCKS were in full
courtship mode, performing an entertaining show.  We both heard one call
note that sounded like a tern or Bonaparte's Gull, but we couldn't
locate the bird and we only heard it once (there were many CALIFORNIA
GULLS and several FRANKLIN'S GULLS around).  Rendezvous Park was our
final stop and it was packed with people, but still turned out decent
numbers of birds.  We had one "MYRTLE" YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER along with
the more-expected "AUDUBON'S" subspecies.  We were surprised to see a
lone BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON perched high in the bare trees along the
river: this was a park first for both of us.
 
Craig and I have both noticed interesting imitations in our local
EUROPEAN STARLINGS.  At my house, one starling has perfected a
Ring-necked Pheasant call, and at Craig's house a starling has been
heard imitating a Yellow Warbler and an American Pipit.  I've also heard
several owls singing around town lately, including a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL
in my yard last week.
 
A record shot of the Myrtle Warbler is here:
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Tsirtalis/DSC_7218esm.jpg
 
Ebird checklists are pasted below.
 
Good birding,
Ryan
 
Ryan P. O'Donnell
Department of Biology and the Ecology Center
Utah State University
5305 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-5305
 
http://home.comcast.net/~tsirtalis/
 
____________________________________________
 Location: Logan Fish Hatchery
Observation date: 4/19/09
Number of species: 11

Canada Goose 35
Gadwall 4
Mallard 2
Northern Shoveler 2
Snowy Egret 2
Swainson's Hawk 1
Black-necked Stilt 4
American Avocet 8
Franklin's Gull 10
California Gull 35
European Starling 8
 
 ____________________________________________
Location: Logan Mitigation Ponds (Sue's Ponds)
Observation date: 4/19/09
Number of species: 20

Canada Goose 2
Mallard 4
Cinnamon Teal 1
Northern Shoveler 7
Redhead 6
Ring-necked Duck 2
Lesser Scaup 8
Ruddy Duck 7
Pied-billed Grebe 2
American White Pelican 2
White-faced Ibis 87
American Coot 20
Killdeer 3
Black-necked Stilt 2
American Avocet 2
Franklin's Gull 8
California Gull 100
Black-billed Magpie 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Yellow-headed Blackbird 5
 
_____________________________________________
Location: Rendezvous Park and Logan River Golf Course
Observation date: 4/19/09
Number of species: 14

Mallard 5
Ring-necked Pheasant 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Mourning Dove 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Black-capped Chickadee 3
American Robin 10
European Starling 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1
Song Sparrow 4
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Yellow-headed Blackbird 2
American Goldfinch 1