[TopOfUtah] Cache Co. Ferruginous Hawk, Albino N. Shoveler

[Ryan O'Donnell]

I birded several locations around Cache County today with Stephanie
Cobbold.  We were unable to relocate the Snow Bunting she reported
yesterday from the USU Forestry Station.  We did relocate two of the
three FERRUGINOUS HAWKS found by Craig Fosdick yesterday in Clarston.
These were my first of the year in the county and only my second and
third ever in the county.  They seem to be much more common just over
the mountains in Box Elder County.   A photo is here:
 
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Tsirtalis/FEHAsmall.jpg
 
Benson Marina had lots of American Coots, a few Common Goldeneye, both
Western and Clark's Grebes, and a couple of distant swans, but none of
the rare birds we were hoping for.  The Logan City Polishing Ponds, in
Benson, were packed full of thousands of ducks and other waterfowl,
mostly American Coots, Gadwall, and Northern Shoveler, but also
including Eared Grebes, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon,
Green-winged Teal, Mallards, and Canada Geese.  The most interesting
bird among these was a pure ALBINO NORTHERN SHOVELER.  (Identifying
albino birds can be tough because there are no plumage features to rely
on.  I beleive this bird's shape, size, structure, and especially bill
shape and size were consistent with Northern Shoveler, plus it seemed to
be associating with other normal-plumage Northern Shovelers.)  Two
distant digiscoped shots are here: 
 
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Tsirtalis/albinoNSHO.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Tsirtalis/albinoNSHO2.jpg
 
Good birding,
Ryan
 
Ryan P. O'Donnell
Department of Biology and the Ecology Center
Utah State University
5305 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-5305
 
http://home.comcast.net/~tsirtalis/