[Birdtalk] The Monte Cristo Range

[Kristin Purdy]

I visited the Monte Cristo Range in Weber, Cache and Rich Counties today to 
spend some time with those high mountain specialties. A few highlights:

I stopped at mile 41.1, the Dry Bread Pond turnoff, to check on a PURPLE 
MARTIN location that Scott Baxter discovered last year. Two pairs of martins 
are occupying the same nest cavities just off the road on the left where the 
fenceposts block vehicle traffic; both nest trees still sport my pink 
flagging tape from last year. The birds didn't seem all that active and the 
males are still carrying aspen leaves like green dinner plates between their 
mandibles into the nest holes. This site is about 100 feet into Cache 
County. At one point I looked away from the nest area to see a sleek and 
dark bull moose moving along a road a hundred or so yards away. I looked 
again a couple minutes later to see a cow moose trotting after him, ears up 
and alert and just as fine looking.

At least one male/female pair of WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS toyed with me for 
about three hours as I chased them along the fir-covered slope at the south 
end of Monte Cristo Campground between Group Unit 2 and the highway. They 
called their wheezy call, they drummed, they preened, they loafed, but not 
once did they show a pattern or appear to visit a nest cavity or sap wells. 
The stinkers. I did not check the nest tree across the highway that a pair 
has used for the last couple years.

CLARK'S NUTCRACKERS were relatively active over that same fir area in the 
south end of the campground and up to four at a time perched in the dead 
tops of fir trees. Cassin's Finches appear to be the local law enforcement. 
They were quite agitated by the presence of the nutcrackers and perched with 
them, calling constantly and diving at the nutcrackers when they changed 
perches or flew. The Cassin's were even more aggressive than the robins. The 
nutcrackers, of course, paid no attention.

A couple Hammond's Flycatchers were very active today and I watched one 
forage low near Group Unit 2 while her presumed mate called high overhead. I 
think there's another pair on that slope as well.

Many other high mountain birds were present, of course, very actively 
foraging. I also saw Mountain Chickadees, a Brown Creeper, a Golden-crowned 
Kinglet, Hairy Woodpeckers, Western Tanagers, and the air is filled with the 
incessant song of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

A Red Squirrel relocated her baby as I watched her carry the mouthful of 
fluff-with-a-tail and deposit it in the hollow top. The baby was about as 
big as a chipmunk and I had to look twice to make sure Mom wasn't actually 
carrying a prey item.

And finally, for you wildflower nuts, Striped Coralroot is coming up in the 
dark shade under the firs at campsite 18. I don't think it's rare or 
anything, but I find a parasitic orchid that survives by living off fungus 
to be kind of cool.

The Monte Cristo Range is accessible from SR-39 through Ogden Canyon in 
Weber County, or at the northeast terminus of the highway in Woodruff, Rich 
County, around mile 67. The campground is located at about mile 47.8. Sure 
is pretty up there.

Kris