[Birdtalk] Juab county birds

[Lu Giddings]

I ran a breeding bird survey this morning that traverses the area north of
the Jericho sand dunes. The route will never be confused with the Mirror
Lake highway, either in terms of scenery or numbers and types of birds, but
it's always a fun and interesting place to spend time with its short grass
desert and pinion-juniper habitats. The route was noteworthy for several
reasons.

-This is the first time in four years I've not observed burrowing owls,
golden eagles, or pinion jays, although burrowing owls were seen in three
places a few days ago while scouting the route. Other typical pinion-juniper
species seen along the route in years past such as grey flycatcher and grey
vireo were also no-shows. And western kingbird numbers seemed down along the
route compared to previous years.

- I saw more northern mockingbirds along the route today than in the
previous three years combined. Sage thrashers were also more common than in
past years.

- I was surprised to find a white-breasted nuthatch, a pine siskin, and
several chipping sparrows remaining in the junipers at an unseasonably low
(~5,000') elevation.

- Cherry Creek, superb riparian willow habitat and normally teeming with
birds, only produced a pair of yellow-breasted chats and a yellow warbler,
although last week it was a bit more lively with a male blue-winged teal,
male gadwall, male redhead, eared grebe, and numerous coots with offspring
(cootlets?) in the pond just south of the road.


Lu Giddings

 Species: 30
 Northern Harrier
 Red-tailed Hawk
 Long-billed Curlew
 Mourning Dove
 Common Nighthawk
 Ash-throated Flycatcher
 Western Kingbird
 Loggerhead Shrike
 Black-billed Magpie
 Common Raven
 Horned Lark
 Barn Swallow
 Juniper Titmouse
 White-breasted Nuthatch
 Bewick's Wren
 Mountain Bluebird
 Northern Mockingbird
 Sage Thrasher
 Yellow Warbler
 Yellow-breasted Chat
 Chipping Sparrow
 Brewer's Sparrow
 Lark Sparrow
 Black-throated Sparrow
 Sage Sparrow
 Western Meadowlark
 Brown-headed Cowbird
 House Finch
 Pine Siskin
 American Goldfinch
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