It has been about a month since my last post, though not because I have had nothing to talk about. It seems other things in life sometimes get in the way and by the time I have had the chance to sit down and compose my thoughts, I was simply too tired to make much sense. So I put it off time and time again, thinking that maybe next week I would feel more up to writing. Well, I decided not to put it off any longer and share some of the things that have happened over the last four weeks.
I think I mentioned that we were going out to the levee later in the day after completing my last post. It turned out to be a very nice evening. We saw some of the early arrivals to the lake, including some Cinnamon Teal and a couple of Redheads, but the real finds on this early March evening included Greater Scaups, a Common Goldeneye, and some Tundra Swans. The scaups were together in the moat-like area inside the airport boundaries among the grasses and I at first mistook them for goldeneyes, but as we traveled along the south end of the airport, we caught sight of a lone Common Goldeneye swimming close to the water's edge. As if that was not enough, we soon spotted two Tundra Swans eating in a field at the end of one of the runways. As we watched these amazing birds eating, a car full of college students who were driving the levee stopped and asked us what we were looking at. They said we looked like a couple of ornithologists, so they were wondering what the birds were. Initially misidentifying them, I said the looked like Trumpeter Swans, bring a joking comment about them sounding like Miles Davis from the driver. We talked for a few moments, the driver not being very serious, before we were left alone again to watch the birds.
Continuing our drive around the airport, in a bay of Utah Lake we spotted at least six more swans in the water, along with shovelers, coots, and some other ducks that were too far away to identify. Then we saw a Red-tail Hawk sitting in the top of a tree surveying the fields for dinner.
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| Greater Scaup |
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| Common Goldeneye |
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| Tundra Swans |
On the 12th, we decided to walk along the paved trail that runs along the eastern fence of Utah Lake State Park. This is a nice easy trail that, this time of year, allows one to view the fields east of the lake that are often filled with birds. This year was no exception. Though they all were a little too far away to photograph, through the binoculars we saw many Tundra Swans, Canada Geese in abundance, Killdeer, Northern Shovelers, Mallards, Cinnamon Teal, and Northern Pintails taking periodic flights above us. We even spotted a Downy Woodpecker in the tree above our heads when we first set out. It was fun to see so many birds enjoying the flooded fields.
One week later, we took another drive around the levee and saw more wonderful birds. In addition to the Tundra Swans, Cinnamon Teal, and coots, we saw something rather special. As we were driving along the western side of the road, we spoke with a man in a truck who worked with the wildlife management of the area. He told us that on the south end of the airport, hanging out with some Canada Geese, was a lone Snow Goose. We soon got to a point where we could see it from a distance, but it was close enough to the grasses at the end of the airport that I did not think we would get a better look at it. As we reached the one break it the grasses that I thought would give us the best chance of seeing the Snow Goose, it took to the air and started to fly east away from us. It was great to see it in flight, but I was disappointed that I would not have a chance to get a photo as this was the first Snow Goose I could ever recall seeing. To my delight, the goose made a graceful turn and circled around behind us, landing in the moat.
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| My First Snow Goose |
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| Dining Kestrel, dinner hanging behind the branch |
The evening's delights did not end there. We saw a Bufflehead that quickly made for shelter behind the grasses before I could get a good shot, and a kestrel in the top of a tree dining on a rodent that looked almost as large as he was. Later, as we drove back toward Provo, we saw three Sandhill Crane's in a field fairly close to the road. That would have been a great end to the evening, but as we turned back onto Center Street, heading east, we were greeted by this amazing sight.
It's a little hard to see because they blend in so well, but there were at least 15 Sandhill Cranes in this field. Most of them are just below where the mountains end in the photo. I have never seen so many in one place at one time. It was quite the sight.
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| Five of the 15 or more Sandhills in the field |
Just two days later I saw something else amazing. As we were walking our nephew home after a visit, in an ornamental plum tree not far from where we live, we saw at least a dozen Cedar Waxwings. The number is not what was so surprising. We were able to stand right beneath the tree, not more than 18 inches from a coupe of them, and watch them up close. They are such beautiful birds and it was amazing to see them up so close. I hurried back home to get my camera, afraid that maybe they would move on before I returned, but there they were. They were a little more wary of me with my camera, but I could still see them close and I got some great shots. Here are just a couple.
On the 30th, we went back out to the lake for a morning trip, accompanied by our friend Bob. The activity was not as good as it had been earlier in the month, but we started the day by seeing a Downy Woodpecker up close, as well as a Ring-necked Duck, the year's first Song Sparrow, a few Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds, and some Tree Swallows. We also spotted a Clark's Grebe out on the lake and a Townsend's Solitaire leaping for insects flying just above the road.
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| Ring-necked Ducks |
Later in the day, we saw two Golden Eagles as we drove along Canyon Road near Day's Market. They were sitting on a telephone pole, big as life. We also stopped at the Lower Hobble Creek Wildlife Management Area and walked out toward the lake a bit. In spite of the strong winds, we saw some Killdeer near the creek, and as we got closer to the lake, we saw some coots and Green-winged Teal.
At other times during the month, we spotted Pied-billed Grebes, Gadwalls, and a Turkey Vulture riding the thermals very close to home. March turned out to be a very fun month for birds. I have seen 58 species so far this year, and the feeder has started attracting House Finches, with Quail and Eurasian Collared Doves eating the seed knocked onto the ground by the sparrows and finches. April looks to be exciting as well. Though a recent trip to the levee did not present anything new, we are headed down to Zion National Park in less than three weeks and that should add some to the total. Maybe this will be the year we are luck enough to see some Peregrin Falcons or a California Condor. I am sure there will be more trips out to the levee before them, possibly even a trip to the Bear River Bird Refuge if we can fit it in.
