[Birdtalk] Cache Co. Greater Scaup, No. Shrike, Harris's Sparrow, Hooded Merg., etc.

[Ryan O'Donnell]

I had a great day of birding around Cache County today with Stephanie
Cobbold and Craig Fosdick.  We started at Benson Marina where we were
unable to find the Northern Mockingbird that Ron Ryel saw last weekend.
Several Horned Lark flocks around the valley held no surprises.  Bald
Eagles seemed common - I didn't count but I'd guess we saw between 4 and
8 today.  One was keeping watch over a mule deer carcass that had been
hit by a train in Cache Junction.  The birding picked up speed in
Trenton, where we found one HARRIS'S SPARROW among White-crowned, Song,
and American Tree Sparrows, with one Marsh Wren.  The look was
dissatisfyingly brief so Craig and I will be returning tomorrow to try
to get a photograph.  Just a half-mile or so down the road we found an
adult NORTHERN SHRIKE.  A photo is here:
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Tsirtalis/NOSHsmall.jpg
Our final stop for the day was at the Logan River Golf Course, which was
packed with waterfowl, including Canada Geese, Mallards, Ring-necked
Ducks, Redheads, Canvasbacks, Lesser Scaup, American Coots, Bufflehead,
Gadwall, American Wigeon, and Common Goldeneyes.  There was also one
female HOODED MERGANSER which was a good find, but was then bettered by
a single female GREATER SCAUP.  The Greater Scaup was a first in the
county for all of us.  This long-range photo shows the GRSC at the right
with three Ring-necked Ducks:
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Tsirtalis/GRSC1small.jpg
And this photo (is even worse, but it) shows the GRSC at left with a
female Lesser Scaup at right for comparison:
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Tsirtalis/GRSCandLESC.jpg
 
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://200birds.blogspot.com