[redcliffs] WFO field trip to Lytle Ranch 9/30

[Rick Fridell]

Hello,

Today (9/30) we had our second Western Field Ornithologists field trip to
Lytle Ranch (Washington Co.).  There was a bit more bird activity today than
on Thursday's trip. The orchard was again hopping, and provided great study
opportunities for sapsuckers.  There were probably 20 or more Red-naped
Sapsuckers, with the majority being hatch year birds.  The highlight again
today was a Red-breasted Sapsucker.  Today's Red-breasted Sapsucker was of
the 'ruber' or northern subspecies.  I'll have to doublecheck photos, but
I'm rather sure the one observed Thursday was of the 'daggetti' or southern
subspecies.  Anyone visiting to look for this bird, should watch for a
sapsucker with a complete red head and red extending well down the breast to
the yellow belly. Also the dark back with very limited yellow/ buffy
spotting, is very distinctive.  Be careful as there was another sapsucker
with a red head that appeared to be a hybrid RN X RB, or a hybrid backcross
with a RB, and John Dunn also observed a more typical hybrid RB X RN
Sapsucker in the orchard.
Additional highlights included a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk observed
between the orchard and the pond, nice scope views of a calling Crissal
Thrasher perched up in a desert willow, and a bright orange female Summer
Tanager. A complete list is attached below.

Regards,

Rick Fridell
Hurricane, UT


Species observed (by one or more of the trip participants):

Gambel's Quail
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Hammond's Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Western Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
Cassin's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Common Raven
Barn Swallow
Brown Creeper
Cactus Wren
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Hermit Thrush
Crissal Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Summer Tanager
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed and Oregon)
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
House Sparrow