[Birdtalk] Nesting Lewis's Woodpeckers in Liberty

[ConnieM]

Okay, I followed Kris' instructions and did NOT end up in Idaho!  I found
the fence with the pink hairband and the Lewis' Woodpeckers!  What gorgeous
birds they are!  I watched them fly around --- making a sharp ascent, then
plunging down and landing so perfectly.  I saw the nest hole, the male stuck
his head out for a while before flying off.  Great birds to see.
I also heard the multitude of warblers.  I searched for a long time to try
 to see one, but no such luck.  I went up the the North Fork Park (they were
singing enmass all along the way) hoping to get a siting of them, but no
such luck.  It was a great way to spend the afternoon on my way home from
work.

Other birds I saw:

Bullock's Oriole
Hummingbird spp (heard it and caught only a fleeting glimpse)
Robins
Mourning doves
Eastern Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Barn Swallows

Happy Birding to all!

ConnieM
Nibley, Cache County, Utah

On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 7:00 PM, Kristin Purdy <kristinpurdy at comcast.net>wrote:

> It's taken three visits and much gnashing of teeth, a few mosquito bites
> and
> liberally calling this species bad names, but I finally scratched an itch
> today and located nesting locations of several LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS in
> Liberty, Weber County. The area is the same as where they consistently
> winter, but I've never known them to nest here. I've seen one bird or a
> pair
> around a particular cottonwood near the road to the Swanson Environmental
> Center at the end of East Shaw Drive. The others are across a meadow from
> that spot and are more easily seen from 2250E. in Liberty. This spot is
> about a half-mile south of the entrance to Weber County's North Fork Park
> and the road is a residential neighborhood bordering pastureland.
>
> The birds at 2250E. are the best bet to observe and I saw at least three
> there, including one that landed on the pavement several times and was
> gleaning bugs and worms. The woodpecker took these items to a dead
> cottonwood in a row of cottonwoods in a field south of the road by 75-100
> yards. I watched the bird both wrangle one of the worms and enter a cavity
> several times. All three are active in this area and were relatively easy
> to
> observe in flight (oh--and on the pavement 25 feet away). I observed these
> birds from N 41°21.922' W111°53.606' (NAD 83).
>
> The bird(s) along the road to the environmental center are not easy to
> observe because the suspected nest tree is across a barbed wire fence and
> rushing stream and the cavity faces away from the road. However, the area
> is
> MacGillivray's Warbler heaven and a stroll up the road will give the
> listener a chance to study many singing males. I observed from N41°21.734'
> W111°53.942' (NAD 83) and saw a bird in the area or approach and leave the
> tree on all three visits.
>
> Here's how to find each spot:
>
> 2250E., Liberty:
>
>> From the intersection of SR-39 and SR-158 at Pineview Dam, drive north on
>>
> SR-158 just over 4 miles to the stop sign in Eden. Turn left (west) and
> drive 3 miles to the stop sign in Liberty. Turn left (west) on 4100N. and
> drive .3 miles. Turn right (north) at 3300E. and drive 1.4 miles. The road
> will become 3100E as you proceed north. Just after crossing the North Fork
> of the Ogden River, turn left (west) on North Fork Drive. Drive 1.1 miles
> on
> North Fork Drive and turn left (west) onto 5950N. where you'll see a sign
> for Ben Lomond Trailhead and North Fork Park. Drive .4 miles on
> 5950N. and turn left (west) at a squirrely street sign that says 5850N. TO
> 2250E. Drive .1 miles and park near the 90° turn. Scan the field to the
> south and west for the woodpeckers. Look for a piece of glo pink flagging
> tape with black polka dots on the fenceline; that's my tape (new tape
> scheme
> ;^D) and the nest cavity is in the line of cottonwoods in the field south
> of
> that spot. You'll need to see a bird fly to it to find it.
>
> Swanson Environmental Center: Same directions as above, but drive north on
> 3300E. 1.3 miles and turn left (west) just before the North Fork of the
> Ogden River onto East Shaw Drive. The pavement ends; continue until you
> reach a wrought iron archway over the road that says Swanson Environmental
> Center. Park there. Even though it says keep out, the staff told me they
> have no problem with birders walking the roads and trails (the center is a
> property of the Weber County School District). Walk .1 miles up the road
> from the arch and watch for glo pink tape with black polka dots on the
> fence
> on the right. The cottonwoods where I've seen this bird(s) is across the
> fence and stream from this spot. Just remember, though, the opportunity to
> see this bird or birds isn't as good as the ones across the meadow.
>
> I'm interested to know if anyone tries to follow the directions above and
> ends up in Idaho.
>
> Kris
>
>
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>



-- 
Connie McManus
Nibley, Cache County, Utah
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