[Birdtalk] 3 questions

[Bryant Olsen]

I go up there at least a couple times a year(see a set of photos from there at  http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanto/sets/72157605673000687/ ) and maybe can help with some of your questions. Belted Kingfishers are common along most rivers and streams in Utah and the rest of the country so your probably right with your ID on that one. However, the owls you heard may have  actually been the winnowing of Snipe. Although I have heard what I do still believe may have been Boreal Owls in the Uintas, last year when I report hearing them there on birdtalk, and posted a recording, many other birders poited out that what I had really heard was the winnowing of a Snipe, which are common up there near wet meadows. Their winnowing  call(made by their wings in flight) are extreamly similar to the calls of a Boreal owl. Screech Owls shouldn't be that high. They are usually found at lower elevations, especially in Cottonwood Groves.More info on your Purple Martin
 sighting would be helpful. Were did you think you saw them? There are no KNOWN colonies in the Uintas, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.Last year I discoved one near Strawberry Reservor. Birding can always throw you unexpected suprizes, thats why its so fun.
Good Birding
Bryant Olsen

--- On Mon, 7/6/09, Utah Birds <utah_birds at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Utah Birds <utah_birds at yahoo.com>
Subject: [Birdtalk] 3 questions
To: "birdtalk list" <birdtalk at utahbirds.org>
Date: Monday, July 6, 2009, 5:46 PM

Birdnet Email -- from the website‏
 
It was submitted by Susan Gray on Monday, July 06, 2009 at 16:26:01
 
Subject: 3 questions 
 
Email_Address: smcmillan50 at hotmail.com 
 
Message: I went camping up at Christmas Meadows this weekend. We drove up to Evanston, WY one day and on the way home I am pretty sure I saw a Belted Kingfisher overlooking a river - he was perched on a telephone line. Is that a possibility? He looked exactly like the pictures I have looked up, so I am almost positive, but didn't know if that was rare or not. 
 
Also, my phone died this weekend, I had all of my birding data on it, so I think I lost my life list (ugh) - unless it backed up, which I won't know until I get the replacement. My question is, what does everyone use? Should I get National Geographic's software, or iBird (I have an iPod). Any recommendations? Has anyone used Winged Explorer - that is what I used on this old phone that died. 
 
The first night we were there I heard several owls (I think Boreal and western screech)- I woke up several times and heard them all through the night. Second night, I heard one western screech owl and he was flying all over, but just at first dark then it was silent the rest of the night (at least when I woke up - which is a lot because my air mattress leaked). I thought it was unusual for there not to be as many the second night - why would that be? 
 
Other birds I saw: robin, chipping sparrow, white crowned sparrow, mountain bluebird, gray jay, red tailed hawk, white throated swift, barn swallows, downey woodpecker, green-tailed towhee (thank to an earlier posting I was able to identify that), and I am pretty sure I saw a purple martin. 
 
Thanks for any help - still new to all this, I appreciate all the kind responses I have gotten earlier. 
 
[Please respond to smcmillan50 at hotmail.com ]
 




      
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