[Birdtalk] Huntsville, Willard Bay, Antelope Island (WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS / SANDHILL CRANES/ HUNDREDS OF SNOW GEESE)

[Bryant Olsen]

Most Snow geese in northern Utah seem to congregate around West Corine, just north of BRMBR. Although I see a few flocks flying over, the only place I see them on the ground in large numbers in there. However, this year they are starting a spring hunting season on Snow Geese(maybe the reason for all the air boat activity?) so it will be interesting to see if the birds start turning up in large numbers in other places. They are known for there extreme waryness. Also maybe the corn feilds around West Corine are still frozen over and there is no food there yet?
Good Birding
Bryant olsen
--- On Sat, 2/28/09, Jeff Bilsky <jbilsky at gmail.com> wrote:
From: Jeff Bilsky <jbilsky at gmail.com>
Subject: [Birdtalk] Huntsville, Willard Bay, Antelope Island (WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS /  SANDHILL CRANES/ HUNDREDS OF SNOW GEESE)
To: "Birdtalk" <Birdtalk at utahbirds.org>
Date: Saturday, February 28, 2009, 11:07 PM

A long day of birding.
Lists at the bottom. Highlights here:
I started by going after BARROW'S GOLDENEYE and it was quite easy - first bird I looked at when I got to the 21st South Jordan River Parkway area. It was the only one I saw there, but a good looking male bird. 




Then I decided to join in the WHITE WINGED CROSSBILL craze and found Paul Higgins' Huntsville City Park group quite easily. The singing EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES made for a nice background soundtrack. 

Then I headed back down to the valley and stopped by the Willard Bay area. The coolest thing here was a singing AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. I coaxed him a bit, but pretty neat to hear this bird in song. Also, two SANDHILL CRANES flew in and landed in a field. First ones of the year for me. The water had open areas and was packed with ducks. The X's below mean lots of em. There was one 
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT making for the second one of the day as I had seen one fly by the spaghetti bowl downtown earlier in the morning.

The highlight of my day was at my next stop - Antelope Island causeway. There were TUNDRA SWANS around and a single  LONG-TAILED DUCK remained at the last bridge, on the South side now - hanging with some GOLDENEYES. While getting ready to leave and head out, I saw a large flock of birds flying from the North heading South by South-east. They were SNOW GEESE in large numbers. They flew back and forth from North to South and back again several times - I am not sure what the behavior was exactly - they seemed somewhat confused to me but maybe they were just looking for the ideal place to put down for the night. There were a lot of different groups around and they'd split off and come back together some North some South. It was crazy and I decided to play storm chaser and get myself underneath them if I could. I watched and tried to predict where they would be - I waited in the field to the South East of AI and eventually I was rewarded with some great
 looks. I've compiled a video to detail the sheer numbers there were (several hundred) - who needs Delta????? Wow. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yza7y9hLPRc


My guess is this group set down somewhere in the vicinity of the Shorelands Preserve and will be gone tomorrow. 





Location:     Jordan River Parkway - 21st S - 33rdS

Observation date:     2/28/09

Number of species:     2



Common Goldeneye     5

Barrow's Goldeneye     1


Location:     Huntsville, Weber County, UT, US

Observation date:     2/28/09

Number of species:     14



Bald Eagle     1

Red-tailed Hawk     1

American Kestrel     1

Sora     X

Eurasian Collared-Dove     8

Northern Flicker     1

Black-billed Magpie     X

Black-capped Chickadee     2

Red-breasted Nuthatch     5

American Robin     7

European Starling     X

Dark-eyed Junco     5

Red-winged Blackbird     X

White-winged Crossbill     15


Location:     Willard Bay State Park

Observation date:     2/28/09

Number of species:     27



Canada Goose     X

Mallard     X

Canvasback     X

Redhead     X

Ring-necked Duck     X

Common Goldeneye     X

Ruddy Duck     X

Ring-necked Pheasant     1

Double-crested Cormorant     1

Bald Eagle     2

Northern Harrier     1

Red-tailed Hawk     2

American Kestrel     2

American Coot     X

Sandhill Crane     2

Mourning Dove     1

Black-billed Magpie     X

Common Raven     2

American Robin     8

European Starling     X

Spotted Towhee     6

American Tree Sparrow     5

Song Sparrow     7

White-crowned Sparrow     X

Dark-eyed Junco     X

Red-winged Blackbird     X

House Finch     X



Location:     Antelope Island  Causeway

Observation date:     2/28/09

Number of species:     6



Snow Goose     X

Canada Goose     X

Tundra Swan     X

Northern Shoveler     X

Long-tailed Duck     1

Common Goldeneye     5


-- 
Jeff Bilsky
Salt Lake City
jbilsky at gmail.com
www.endlesswilderness.com








 
 


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