The 2nd week in September is a good week to go birding in Utah.  The same can pretty much be said across the United States--this is the height of migration. With the best week of birding come so great birds and I have had a string of good luck past years during this time.  This year was no exception.

 Baird's Sparrow at Swede Lane - 09/09/11

On Friday the 9th I found a Baird's Sparrow at Swede Lane in Utah County.  Today I had a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at my feeder (ironically a year to the day from a sighting of the same thing at my house).  With rarities on my mind I decided to take a look into eBird and see what I personally had recorded during this week over the past few years.  Here's the list:

2011:
09/10/11 - Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Sandy, SL County)
09/09/11 - Baird's Sparrow (Sweded Lane, Utah County)

2010:
09/10/10 - Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Sandy,SL County)

2009:
09/07/09 - Scarlet Tanager (International Center, SL County)

2008:
09/12/08 - Magnolia Warbler (Magna, SL County)

2007:
09/09/07 - Black-and-white Warbler (Garr Ranch, Davis County)
09/08/07 - Prothonotary Warbler (International Center, SL County)

2006: I was out of state

2005:
09/11/05 - Wandering Tattler (AIC, Davis County)
09/11/05 - Parasitic Jaeger (Willard Bay, Box Elder County)

And those are just sightings by me.  I am sure if I ran the report in eBird that list would be 25 times as long.  I could probably pull similar information for other weeks, but the 2nd week in particular seems to be the winner.

 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Sandy, Utah - 09/10/11

So even though the birding in general hasn't been too hot this month, it is still a great time to find something incredible.  Keep you eyes to the skies and you may see something great!