tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69540811651532802252024-03-17T21:02:40.529-06:00Utah Birders | Birding Blog, Utah Birds, Utah Birding, Utah Bird IDUtah Birds, Utah Birding, and Utah Birders. Promoting the sharing of information, and the conservation of habitat for birds in Utah and elsewhere. We are a group of people who want to share what we know, and create a positive birding experience in Utah.Utah Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469804211127586442noreply@blogger.comBlogger516125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-46611151909197032342017-02-13T08:44:00.004-07:002017-02-13T08:44:58.656-07:00Gullstravaganza 2017 RecapAnother year and another Gullstravaganza in the books. This year we had a first in that we actually canceled the initial event due to weather. In the past we've gone full tilt regardless of conditions, but this year heavy snow put the kibosh on the initial offering. We weren't<br />
too worried as we had offered the trip a little earlier than normal this year, giving us plenty of time for a make up date. The only problem was our actual lack of availability through the end of the winter gulling season. With only few options, we settled on February 11, 2017--unfortunately the same day as Utah Bald Eagle Day, but it was out best option.<br />
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The Utah State Bird--the <b>California Gull</b>...</div>
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In the week leading up to the event we had high hopes with at least 8 species of gull reported so far in the month of February. But the weather, int he opposite end of the spectrum had different ideas. A major warm front passed and dropped 5-6 days of 50-60 degree weather on the valleys across northern Utah. What this meant was all that frozen water that helped concentrate the gulls in a handful of places was now open. There was no frozen water around the southeast edge of the Great Salt Lake. <br />
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The morning of the trip Kenny Frisch and I set out to do a quick scouting run. First stop Decker Lake... No gulls. Next was the Lake Park Facility... No gulls. Okay then Lee Kay Ponds... No gulls. This pattern wasn't very welcoming... We drove 7200 West along the west end of the landfill where luckily the overflowing playas had a small flock of gulls with 4 species--the regular 3 (California, Ring-billed, and Herring), and a Thayer's Gull to give us at least some variety.<br />
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<b>Ring-billed Gull </b>in the shallows</div>
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So with this in mind, we headed to meet the group. Although 37 people signed up a handful didn't show up. There seemed to be some confusion because apparently the Utah County Birders had a gull field trip on Saturday as well. But they cancelled theirs, and we got several emails from people asking if the trip was still on since they received an email saying it wasn't. It would have been cool if they would have sent their members an email saying their trip was off, but we were still offering one.<br />
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Part of the group looking at our main flock at 7200 West</div>
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We set out with a line of cars in tow and found ourselves at Lee Kay Ponds, where there were still no gulls. But a <b>NEOTROPIC CORMORANT</b>, provided nice looks perched and in flight with a Double-crested Cormorant. On to 7200 West where had we known our fortunes for the rest of the day, we would've remained for the entirety of the field trip. The flock here grew to around 500 gulls, still with the majority of the 3 species mentioned above. Eventually we relocated the<b> THAYER'S GULL</b> for the group, and added an adult <b>LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL</b> to make it 5 species on the year, at least besting our worst count by one!<br />
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<b>Lesser Black-backed Gull </b>in front of a <b>Herring Gull</b></div>
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WE did find one bird that initially caused a stir. It was a large dark-backed gull with a thick bill. It had an essence of a darker Western x Glaucous-winged hybrid, but seemed too dark, with a bill that wasn't quite bulbous enough, and wings that were perhaps too long. After some discussion amongst others we settled on <b>HERRING x LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL</b> which is a new hybrid for the trip. Truthfully it may very well even be a Herring X Great Black-backed Gull, but with our distant looks, and lack of experience with those mixes it really is impossible to say with certainty.<br />
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The big, nasty, dark-backed, big-billed presumed hybrid, <b>Lesser Black-backed X Herring Gull</b></div>
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There actually were lots of gulls in the area, but they were on the landfill, almost a mile away and showed no signs of leaving the trash pile in favor of the water. I shot a little video through my spotting scope to show the mass in the air...<br />
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A video posted by Tim Avery (@piranga) on <time datetime="2017-02-12T02:55:26+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 11, 2017 at 6:55pm PST</time></div>
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After an hour we headed up to Farmington Bay where there were hundreds of gulls scattered on the open water. Mostly Ring-billed with a few California and Herring mixed in, we didn't find anything else of note. Aside from the gulls there were a handful of <b>WHITE-FACED IBIS</b> around, as well as a huge flock of <b>AMERICAN AVOCET</b> that had arrived in the last week.<br />
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Flock of <b>White-faced Ibis</b> passing at Farmington Bay</div>
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We called the trip a day a little early since there weren't anymore gulls to be seen. Although we would have like some frozen water, and concentrations of gulls it's always a fun trip. Next year we may shoot for an even earlier date to make sure we can get it in before all the ice opens. That in combination with the fact DNR no longer does a carp kill will probably keep us doing an earlier trip in the future to make sure we see lots of gulls, and a great variety of species! Thanks to everyone who joined us this year and made for a great time!<br />
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Part of the group wrapping up the afternoon at Farmington Bay</div>
Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-14606386664935110862016-02-21T08:17:00.003-07:002016-02-21T08:18:26.519-07:00Gullstravaganza 2016 RecapAnother winter and another Utah Birders Gullstravaganza in the books. It comes and goes so quickly every year, to the point that I am already thinking about 2017 and our next event. Every year we seem to learn something new--some years it contradicts with things we've learned in the past, and makes this even ever changing to fit the year. This year we learned that when you have an early thaw, it can really throw things into turmoil if you keep a late February date for the event. Last year on the same weekend there was ice, wind, and snow. This year it was sun, mud and water. Anyways let's talk shop and get to it.<br />
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An impressive line of<b> Gullers </b>at the bay!</div>
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We had an absolutely great turnout for the event with 36 intrepid larus enthusiasts congregating at Farmington Bay for our annual gull trip. The group was a great mix of old and new faces and names, and ranged in age from little kids, to well seasoned birders. The weather was truly beautiful--sunny, and right around 50 degrees--something that isn't normal for this date. After the group was mostly there, we carpooled up and headed down west dike to see what we could find...<br />
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And what we found were <b>RING-BILLED GULLS</b>. Lots and lots of Ring-billed Gulls. In fact, at 1,200 individuals this was the most common species we encountered of the day. To be fair there were an estimated 2,500 gulls too far away to identify. Large rafts of gulls sat in distant corners of the bay, obscured by heat waves and distance. Notably there was no ice on the water, and the gulls were spread far and thin. Like a evenly buttered piece of toast, it seemed like the birds had been laid out evenly across the bay, making it difficult to scan and compare shapes and sizes, as often there weren't birds "nearby" to compare to.<br />
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Utah's State Bird...The errr, <b>California Gull</b></div>
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But this did not matter--we came for gulls so we looked for gulls! We started to pick out our second species, the Utah state bird, the <b>CALIFORNIA GULL</b> in small numbers mixed in with the Ring-billed. Eventually we came across a distant <b>HERRING GULL</b>, and finally a stop turned up 4 more Herrings close enough for everyone to get good looks. We might just be able to pull out enough gull species to make the day a "stravaganza".<br />
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Adult <b>Herring Gull </b>on what little ice remained...</div>
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Eventually we made it to the 4-way at the end of the road and scanned for gulls here. Notably present--much of the same from the drive in--except more California Gulls entered the fray. To the southeast there was a nice mix of the 3 species and the movement of gulls in and out out was promising. Eventually we turned up a 1st winter<b> LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL</b>. Then a second, and before the day was over Mike Hearell and Taylor Abbot picked out an adult that joined the raucous.<br />
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A small part of the group got looks at a <b>THAYER'S GULL</b>, but this usually common enough species was quite difficult to track down. After most of the party had left for the day we were able to find an adult in the area. 5 species of gulls for the day. Surprisingly this isn't the least amount of species we've had on this trip, and its only 1 less that what I would call "average". Still comparing this to last year where we had 7 species as well as hybrids, it seems tame. The three main reasons this years event didn't have the species count I always dream of, was due to the open water (lack of ice congregating birds), the fact DNR didn't do a carp kill here (still shaking my head on that one), and luck. In the previous couple days both Mew and Glaucous-winged Gull had been see here. Luck goes a long ways...<br />
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As the group parted, Mike, Taylor, and I made our way up west dike, and spotted an interesting Herring/Thayer's Type bird. The smallish (for a Herring) bird had a rounded head, smallish bill, large window on P10 underside--but had a yellow eye, and apparently quite a bit of black on the underside of the primaries. <b>So is this a tiny Herring, or an abberant Thayer's Gull?</b> Gotta love gulls!<br />
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<b>Herring or Thayer's?</b> You be the Judge!</div>
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I love this field trip though. Getting a large group of birders together to hang out for a couple hours, and just talk birds--gulls none-the-less! We did see a few other birds as well--I tallied 43 species on the afternoon. A small flock of <b>WESTERN GREBES</b> had arrived on the bay, while small flocks of <b>WHITE-FACED IBIS</b> and <b>SANDHILL CRANE </b>were present too. The<b> TUNDRA SWANS</b> were present in small numbers and at a distance as well. Near the entrance a flock of a dozen or so <b>HOODED MERGANSERS </b>were lounging on the water, And on Glovers Lane a C<b>ACKLING GOOSE </b>was hanging with a flock of Canada Geese as I took off for the day.<br />
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<b>Tundra Swans</b> against the Wasatch</div>
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In all we raised $150 for Great Salt Lake Audubon with this event this year--and we learned some things to help plan next years event. The truth is you never know what you're going to get till the trip happens. Weather, food, and so many other things have to fall into place just right. At the end of the day though, it was a great day spent looking at gulls with a fun group of Utah Birders!<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S27720679" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S27720679" target="_blank">eBird Checklist</a>Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-62634208449294313792015-12-01T08:29:00.002-07:002015-12-01T08:58:47.354-07:00Birding Mexico: Back to the YucatanEarly in 2014 I had the good fortune to secure a short trip to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico at basically no cost to me. With a little quick planning and a few bucks out of my own pocket I turned the trip into 3 packed days of birding at 3 awesome locations (<a href="http://utahbirders.blogspot.com/2014/02/birding-yucatan-coba-lake-ruins.html" target="_blank">Coba</a>, <a href="http://utahbirders.blogspot.com/2014/02/birding-yucatan-cozumel-island.html" target="_blank">Cozumel</a>, <a href="http://utahbirders.blogspot.com/2014/02/birding-yucatan-flamingos-at-rio.html" target="_blank">Rio Lagartos</a>). I ended up seeing 170 species including 51 life birds, picking up the majority of the endemics and a few personal favorites along the way. It was a great trip and I left with a deep appreciation for the area and its birds. Shortly after that trip my wife Sam and I took a trip to Panama, our last foreign adventure for nearly 18 months. Since then we had our first child, watched his first year of life fly by, and I birded quite a bit less than usual with the changes around the house. We were both itching to get out of the country for a few days, and decided this summer that we would take a November trip someplace warm, fairly close, and that we could do without breaking the bank. The Yucatan immediately jumped to the top of my list of places that met this criteria.<br />
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After spending a couple weeks looking at other options and pricing things out, I kept coming back to the Yucatan, and decided to just go for it. I booked a 5 night trip that would put us in the Playacar area I was familiar with, with day trips to Cozumel and Chichen Itza. This would mostly be a beach trip to relax in the sun--but if I played my cards right there were a few lifers I could pickup.<br />
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About 3 weeks before our trip I got a call that the resort we were staying at had a fire the previous day and they had to move us to another location--at first I was a little worried but it ended up being an upgrade and put us 1/2 way between Cancun and Playacar in the Playa Paraiso area which is surrounded by lush lowland jungle.<br />
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<b><b><span style="font-size: 30px;">DAY 1</span></b></b></div>
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<b>6 Days in the Yucatan!</b></div>
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We left Salt Lake on November 5th with an evening flight to Denver, then caught the red-eye for a short 3.5 hour flight to Cancun overnight. We arrived before sunrise to buckets of rain that slowly cleared as the sun came out and we arrived in Playa Paraiso. First bird of the trip as expected--<b>GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE.</b><br />
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We were checking in early so our room wasn't ready--while we waited we walked the ground where the birds started popping out of the wood works. First was a small flock of <b>YUCATAN JAYS </b>visiting a tree where they were enjoying some type of food. While we watched out of nowhere a <b>GREEN JAY</b> flew in just 10' away providing the best looks I've had before disappearing into the Mangroves. <b>SOCIAL FLYCATCHER and GREAT KISKADEE</b> along with <b>TROPICAL KINGBIRD and TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRD </b>were all quick to appear and remained constants at the resort throughout the trip. After getting our room keys a surprise <b>NORTHERN JACANA</b> was a nice sight before we headed to the pools to enjoy a little relaxation. My eyes kept wandering to the skies where <b>OSPREY, TURKEY and BLACK VULTURES, and MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRDS </b>appeared from time to time. It was easy birding and a nice change from the doldrums of the day to day around my home and office where I have spent most of the past few months.<br />
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<b>Great Kiskadee </b>showing its gorgeous cap</div>
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The afternoon brought a flyover <b>ROADSIDE HAWK</b> and a pair of <b>PLAIN CHACHALACAS </b>near one of the pools. Flyover <b>OLIVE-THROATED PARAKEET</b> were seen through the trip, why <b>MELODIOUS BLACKBIRDS</b> were heard winging all day every day. The beach wasn't much for birds--too many people. <b>LAUGHING GULLS </b>were omnipresent, while both <b>ROYAL and CASPIAN TERN</b> made flybys constantly. The occasional <b>NEOTROPIC and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT</b> as well as <b>BROWN PELICAN</b> would fly past, but nothing in great numbers.<br />
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Todays eBird Checklists:<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25721415" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso - Morning</a><br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25722297" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso - Mid Day</a><br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25726543" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso - Afternoon</a><br />
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<b><b><span style="font-size: 30px;">DAY 2</span></b></b></div>
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<b>Northern Jacana</b> on a flooded lawn</div>
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On our 2nd morning I took an early walk while the wife and kid slept. Bird life was scant as thunderheads were on the move and rain came and went. I managed to track down the <b>NORTHERN JACANA </b>from the previous day for horribly lit photos. I think one of the things I was most excited about was a White-nosed Coati hanging out by itself that let me get a pretty good shot...<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/coati_1.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>White-nosed Coati </b>on a lawn edge</div>
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I also turned up a pair of <b>YUCATAN JAYS </b>that allowed for better photos than my previous trip, but nothing worth writing home about. The only other new bird of the morning was a <b>GROOVE-BILLED ANI </b>hunting from a shrub patch along a side road. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/yucatan-jay_1.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Yucatan Jay </b>posing briefly</div>
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The rest of the day was spent relaxing which was the point of the 1st couple days. The most interesting thing I saw today and a couple other times was a <b>YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER</b> eating table scraps in the out door eating areas on the grounds. One was picking bread crumbs while the other was eating ice cream cone leftovers. It was odd but allowed really close looks!<br />
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Todays eBird Checklists:<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25742520" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso - Morning</a><br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25742490" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso - Afternoon</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 30px;">DAY 3</span></b></div>
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Today the plan was to hit Cozumel and pick up our rental car to drive to Chichen Itza on Monday--but Sam didn't feel well and we decided the boat ride wasn't the best way to spend a morning. I again decided to hit the grounds and see what I turned up--today the sun was out and that made all the difference in the world. I headed to the mangroves along the beach first thing where a few birds were already active. <b> YELLOW WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, and AMERICAN REDSTART </b>were all feeding in the open. My favorite find were a pair of <b>CINNAMON HUMMINGBIRDS</b> that sat on exposed limbs allowing photos--a species I hadn't taken picture of on my last trip.<br />
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<b>Cinnamon Hummingbird</b> before sunrise</div>
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After exhausting the mangroves and beach I moved inland until I eventually came across a cooperative <b>HOODED ORIOLE </b>that allowed me to take photos and watch it for about 20 minutes.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/hooded-oriole_1.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stunning<b> Hooded Oriole </b></div>
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I headed to a stretch of road along the resort golf course where I had birded the previous morning--this area seemed the most active and this morning it was action packed. I tallied 9 species of warbler including <b>HOODED, PRAIRIE, BAY-BREASTED, and MAGNOLIA.</b> The orioles were out in force with the highlight being 5 different species visiting the flowering bushes along the golf course. <b>BALTIMORE, ORCHARD, HOODED, ORANGE, and ALTAMIRA ORIOLE</b> made for a colorful morning.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/orchard-oriole_1.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Orchard Oriole</b> accompanied by a <b>Tropical Kingbird</b></div>
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As I made my way around a patch of tree there stood a <b>PLAIN CHACHALACA</b> standing on the lawn nearby. I was ecstatic as the lighting was perfect--pretty soon I noticed 2 more in the trees and the 3 birds eventually walked right at me, passing within an arms length and making their way to better cover.<br />
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Why did the <b>Plain Chachalaca</b> cross the lawn?</div>
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While I watched the goofy groundbirds pass out the corner of my eye a <b>GREEN HERON</b> moved through a nearby pond. The bird was quite accomodating and let me watch it closely for 15 or 20 minutes. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/green-heron_1.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Green Heron </b>pretending to be a plant</div>
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After I felt like I'd exhausted the trees, I made my way back towards our room when a flock of <b>OLIVE-THROATED PARAKEET </b>flew by and landed in a tree long enough for me to fire off one shot. A truck drove by and scared all the birds into the air. I was a little peeved as there hadn't been a vehicle anywhere near for about 20 minutes--such is life. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/olive-throated-parakeet.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Olive-throated Parakeet</b></div>
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It wasn't a bad morning with almost 40 species seen within a mile of my room. The rest of the day was spent at the pool, beach, and a quick trip to Playa del Carmen to pick up the rental for the rest of our trip.<br />
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Todays eBird Checklists:<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25760818" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso - Morning</a><br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25760874" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso - Late Morning</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 30px;">DAY 4</span></b></div>
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We finally made our way out of the city and away from the coast as we headed inland to Coba. I'd only been able to spend about 90 minutes here previously, and wouldn't get much more time today. In the future I wouldn't mind spending a couple days in the area, and really checking things out. The birding is great and you can get amazing looks and photo ops with some patience. But with a 15 month old in tow we kept to a pretty steady pace to see the ruins, and get back to the car before nap time. It didn't help that it was extremely hot and very humid making for a sticky time in the jungle--I personally love it!<br />
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<a href="hhttp://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tQWJaNn5_Rs/Vl26O5SrnhI/AAAAAAAADqs/xQDLa9AMU74/s640/us.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The family at Coba</b></div>
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We arrived a couple hours after sunrise so activity had peaked and things were waning. In the first big clearing with ruins where last time the bird activity was plentiful, the birds were sticking to the edges and there weren't nearly as many out in the open. I did spot a <b>SUMMER TANAGER</b>, and a few <b>GREAT KISKADEES</b> which were visiting an ant line. <b>RUDDY GROUND-DOVE and RED-EYED VIREO </b>were two of the only birds out in the open, while I could hear <b>YELLOW-WNIGED TANAGER and GARTERED TROGON</b> calling from the forest.<br />
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<a href="hhttp://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/ruddy-ground-dove.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ruddy Ground-Dove</b>... Not on the ground.</div>
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Walking the main trail through the jungle we came across a pair of <b>RED-THROATED ANT-TANAGER</b> hopping around near the trail. The lighting was abysmal and I wasn't able to get a photo of this species yet again. The forest was mostly quiet-accept for the seemingly abundant <b>WHITE-EYED VIREO</b> that kept appearing overhead. These visitors form up north were only outnumbered by <b>BLACK-THROATED GREEN-WARBLER and MELODIOUS BLACKBIRD</b>. And to dull things out I did spy a pair of <b>TENNESSEE WARBLERS </b>reminding me that not every warbler comes in bright and yellow!<br />
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Near one out of the way ruin I could hear the<b> BLACK-HEADED TROGON </b>calling from the forest--as I approached I could make out at least 3 different birds calling--then when I got to the edge and saw a few the birds started moving--5 trogons all within about 60' of one another. This species is all but guaranteed at Coba.<br />
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Bad shot of a <b>Black-headed Trogon</b> in the Jungle</div>
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We eventually made our way to the The Ixmoja Pyramid--the tallest such structure in the Yucatan at 137'. The Coba complex was apparently home to some 50,000 Mayans at one point--incredible given its remote location in the jungle today. As we walked up the path towards the pyramid, we came across a thick ant line crossing the road--about 3" to 10" wide in various places--it was a swarm and nearby in the trees I could see more <b>RED-THROATED ANT-TANAGERS</b> on the ground--but there were other birds including my lifer <b>RUDDY WOODCREEPER</b> of which several zipped form snag, to limb, to root, and branch. Despite the crappy lighting, I managed to make one pretty good shot!<br />
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Lifer<b> Ruddy Woodcreeper</b></div>
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<b>GRAY-HEADED TANAGER</b> accompanied the other birds, as well as<b> YUCATAN JAYS</b>. I spent some time scanning the understory trying to find other birds, but there wasn't much else--I caught up to the rest of the family at the pyramid which we took in as the sun beat down upon the opening in the jungle. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/gray-headed-tanager.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Gray-headed Tanager</b> following an ant line</div>
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It was hot--and the kiddo was getting grumpy, so we turned around an made our way back towards the entrance. I was able to snag one more lifer in a <b>WEDGE-TAILED SABREWING</b>--a rather plain species of hummingbird easily identified by its unique tail shape! We bought a few trinkets and snacks then hit the road and made our way back to the coast and our resort in time for lunch--Delicious tacos made fresh while we watched. The rest of the day was spent soaking in the sun, and enjoying the beautiful beach!<br />
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Todays eBird Checklists:<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25803863" target="_blank">Zona Arqueológica Cobá</a><br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25803937" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 30px;">DAY 5</span></b></div>
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With our last full day in Mexico, I started early and headed just a few miles up the coast to Yaax Che Jardín Botánico del Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín--a botanical garden. I had found this place on my last visit but didn't manage to make it there to look for birds--big mistake as this might be the best birding location along the coast between Cancun and Playa... I had a few hours, but when I got there the gate was shut--I was a couple minutes early and there was no where to park outside the gate which was right off the highway. So I did a loop and came back a few minutes later--<i>STILL CLOSED</i>! But there was a guy behind the gate. I hollered and asked why the gate was closed--he responded that it didn't open for another 30 minutes! This is always an issue when you bird in other countries--gardens, parks, and various places you may find yourself birding often go by their own schedule. If online it says 8am somewhere, they may open at 8--or 8:30, or whenever they decide to. After pleading with the guy, he let me in to park and I spent the next 20 minutes birding around the parking area. A flock of <b>YUCATAN JAYS</b> came through accompanied with my first stellar look at a <b>BROWN JAY</b>.<br />
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<b>Brown Jay</b> pausing before disappearing in the jungle</div>
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The park "manager" soon arrived and after talking for a few minutes he told me I was free to walk the grounds and as I only had about 75 minutes now I busted my tail down the trail. It was quiet but at the first pull out into an "exhibit" I whipped out my best pygmy-owl imitation and the birds came a flying. Various warblers from the states came in followed by a surprise <b>GRAY CATBIRD</b>, and finally a lifer--a <b>WHITE-BELLIED WREN</b>, who provided excellent looks.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/white-bellied-wren.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lifer W<b>hite-bellied Wren</b></div>
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I kept on down the trail where a <b>NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH</b> bobbed up and down in the middle of the road. Then form just off trail came the bellowing of a <b>THICKET TINAMOU</b>. It sounded like there may have been two and I made my way closer to the noise where eventually I had to be within 25'. But despite the scanning the undergrowth, I could never pick out the beast. My Tinamou list continues to grow, without having ever actually seen one...<br />
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At the next exhibit--a medicinal plants exhibit I spent a couple minutes unsuccessfully trying to coax birds form the forest. I made my way back to the trail passing a cactus garden and eventually coming around a corner and flushing a <b>GREAT BLACK HAWK</b> from the edge of the road. I saw where it landed and started sneaking towards it, when I heard a squeal form above--another one was perched staring down at me!<br />
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<b>Great Black Hawk</b> staring me down</div>
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It was an amazing look and I basked in the opportunity. All the while I could hear birds calling nearby and there was one call could never figure out. Looking into the forest I soon found a pair of <b>RUDDY WOODCREEPERS</b>, as well as a flock of <b>YUCATAN JAYS</b>. A <b>MANGROVE VIREO</b> passed by along with several warblers, and a <b>GROOVE-BILLED ANI</b>. As I walked up the path I noticed a few ants streaming across the road--I guess that explained the birds! I came around a bend to where I saw the other hawk land, and it flew as soon as it saw me--then out of the forest a voice hollered at me asking what I was seeing--it was another birder--from Canada.<br />
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<b>Ant Swarm</b> crossing the road</div>
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We started talking and I found out it was his first trip here--and he was with his non-birding wife. We started walking and talking birds when all the sudden we noticed the ant swarm had literally taken over the road--our path was blocked by 30' wide swath of ants rolling across the road--it was my first real ant swarm--and the birds were following. <b>RUDDY WOODCREEPER</b>, the jays, anis, and a few <b>RED-THROATED ANT-TANAGERS</b>. I finally managed a picture of the tanager, as there weren't many birds in tow to look at besides the above mentioned.<br />
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<b>Red-throated Ant-Tanager</b> following an ant swarm</div>
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It was great to see, but the number of birds following were a tad disappointing. We walked back aways to look for the hawk which had moved by now, but quickly found a small family of <b>SPIDER MONKEYS</b>! A great treat! We followed the troupe for a few minutes until they moved out of sight into the forest!<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/spider_monkey_2.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Spider Monkey</b> swinging through the trees</div>
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My time had wound down and I needed to run, so we bid adieu and I headed back toward the entrance--but not before I heard a squeaking of tanagers above me--<b>ROSE-THROATED TANAGERS</b>--a small flock moving through the tree tops! Ah, one of my top wants from the area previously, and just fleeting glimpses before they were gone and the forest was quiet again. I made my way to the entrance and talked briefly with the manager and paid my entrance fee--I think it was like 150 pesos--or about $10. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/11_November/20151111/yucatan-jay_3.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stunning young <b>Yucatan Jay</b></div>
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One thing I learned from a post on eBird that I will likely try to use in the future is swing by the afternoon before and talk to the manager to see if you can come in early and bird before the gates open. It's light just after 6:00am and that means 2.5 hours of light before the park opens. I read several reports from others who tried this and got permission. I may very well try this in the future--as it would have given me almost 4 hours here which would have been awesome. I ticked just over 40 species in my brief stop and made my way back to my hotel. I had to take the rental back and the rest of the day was spent on the beach and pool enjoying my last moments of the tropics before heading back north.<br />
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Todays eBird Checklists:<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25803923" target="_blank">Botanical Garden</a><br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25803798" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 30px;">DAY 6</span></b></div>
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We made a quick loop to the beach first thing in the morning--I hoped there might be a few birds on the sand. There wasn't much--just a few grackles and <b>LAUGHING GULLS</b>. <br />
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<b>Laughing Gull </b>on the beach</div>
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We packed our bags grabbed breakfast, then headed to the airport. Before we knew it we were on the ground in Salt Lake--50 degrees cooler than it had been 12 hours earlier... And the ever yearning for the tropics already coursing through my veins again.<br />
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Todays eBird Checklists:<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25803956" target="_blank">Playa Paraiso</a><br />
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I'd be lying if I said, I killed it birding this trip--just 89 total species tallied over the week. Of those 5 were lifers, while 21 were new for my Mexico list. Most of the birding was down from a lazy river, on the beach, or walking to and from meals. A departure from my usual trips, but a nice easing back into international travel with an infant. I still have a handful of endemics I need, and I have only grown fonder of this area with my 2nd installment.<br />
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<b>PHOTOS FROM THIS TRIP</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=1235" target="_blank">Photos from Playa Paraiso</a><br />
<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=1237" target="_blank">Photos from Coba</a><br />
<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=1236" target="_blank">Photos from Yaax Che Jardín Botánico del Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín</a><br />
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<br />Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-11563722441930907662015-07-17T12:09:00.003-06:002015-07-17T12:09:41.089-06:00Flammulated Owl VideoThere aren't a lot of videos of Flammulated Owls out there, and despite having seen 100's and photographed dozens, I have never tried to shoot video... until this week. I shot several short videos, the first of which I am posting here. The bird in question was less than 20' away and super cooperative. Check it out below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/25uGhYOz04g?rel=0" style="width: 100%;"></iframe>
Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-18679932408350270762015-05-22T08:13:00.000-06:002015-05-22T08:14:09.044-06:002015 Gunnison Sage-Grouse Days RecapSometimes nothing works out in your favor :) This years Gunnison Sage-Grouse Days looked like it was going to be a stellar weekend. The weather report a week out showed good weather with highs in the 70's--and with a lot of early migrants we could have a big weekend in San Juan County. But as the week progressed the weather changed, and by Friday it looked like Monticello was going to get slammed with wet and cold weather that may linger into Saturday. But we decided to give it a go regardless; after all the weather might miss, and we didn't have a backup plan.<br />
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On Friday the 17th, Chris Monahan, Kenny Frisch, and I left Salt Lake to bird our way down to Monticello taking in numerous stops at out of the way and underbirded locations in Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties. Our first stop at Soldier Summit wasn't too promising with no birds... Hopefully, not a sign of things to come. As we headed down Price Canyon near the Castle Gate we saw an <b>OSPREY</b>--the first of 4 for the day and my first of the year.<br />
A stop in Bear Canyon at the mouth of the canyon and we heard the first singing <b>LAZULI BUNTING </b>of the year, while in Helper on 1000 North east of US-6 we had <b>2 VESPER SPARROW.</b> In the parking lot at the Carbon Country Club an early <b>COMMON YELLOWTHROAT </b>was a nice surprise. Driving through Wellington we snagged the 2nd <b>OSPREY</b> of the day. At the Wellington Cemetery we were treated to a<b> TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, a LARK SPARROW</b>, and an<b> ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.</b> The cemetery sits on a high spot north of town and might be a really good check in May and September when migration is in full swing.<br />
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We checked out the East Carbon WTP where<b> 2 COMMON LOON, 16 FRANKLIN'S GULL, 6 WHITE-FACED IBIS, 1 LONG-BILLED CURLEW</b>, and Yellow-headed Blackbird provided some good desert birds. WE had passed through some great shrubsteppe on the way out where we snagged <b>SAGE THRASHER</b> for the trip. The habitat looked good for Sagebrush Sparrow and I figured on Sunday coming home we might try for it on a side road.<br />
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<b>Common Loons</b> at East Carbon WTP</div>
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We drove along the base of the Book Cliffs going south--at Water Canyon a <b>WESTERN KINGBIRD </b>was one of just a few birds present. Further south at the mouth of Horse Canyon a huge mixed flock of mostly Gray-headed Juncos with a few Pink-sided provided good looks. A <b>BLACK-THROATED SPARROW</b> here gave some great looks. Horse Canyon looks like it could be an awesome locations to visit later in the year when warmer. The Book Cliffs in general may be one of the most underbirded areas in the state.<br />
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In Woodside at the Price River, several <b>SAY'S PHOEBE and a flock of BREWER'S SPARROW </b>were the bulk of the birds present. Our next stop at the Green River WTP had a lot of good waterbirds including:<b> 2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 4 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WHITE-FACED IBIS</b>, a hybrid <b>GADWALL x MALLARD</b>, and around <b>100 FRANKLIN'S GULLS</b>. At Green River State Park a <b>SNOWY EGRET</b> was hanging out near the boat launch. After Green River we hit rain and the birding was pretty slow to Moab--the rain was coming down hard, and we mad ea side trip up the Colorado River to watch the water cascading off the cliffs. There were waterfalls everywhere.<br />
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When Red Rocks become <b>Waterfalls</b></div>
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In Moab we did have<b> 7 CASSIN'S FINCH</b> at Gail Lea's feeders where we had hoped to pick up Blue Jay, Brown Thrasher, or White-winged Dove (but didn't); and the wettest <b>COOPER'S HAWK</b> I've ever seen waiting out the rain.<br />
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Female-type <b>Cassin's Finch </b>in the rain</div>
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Our last birding stop of the day was at Ken's Lake where we had 2 more <b>OSPREY</b> for the day, as well as <b>13 WHITE-FACED IBIS, a MARBLED GODWIT, and lots of FRANKLIN'S GULLS</b>. Near the dam there were quite a few <b>SAVANNAH SPARROW</b> in the grass. As we drove into Monticello the temps dropped and it started to snow. We met up with the rest of the group for dinner at Wagon Wheel Pizza and had a good time talking birds, the weather, and the area. We cancelled the owling for the night given the weather--and in a rare moment opted to get a hotel instead of set up and then take down camp in the snow in just a few hours. I think we were all glad to do this and get a comfortable and warm nights sleep before going for grouse.<br />
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In the morning we woke to apparently clear skies, and temps hovering in the low 30's. The group met and we headed off towards the lek. Once on the dirt roads it became apparent things might turn south quickly--and they did on the first patch of clay we hit, with my truck sinking several inches into the road. We stopped and backed the group up--there was no way we would reach the lek today. I realized I had never been down here after a torrential down pour and despite having driven on the road when wet before, I had never seen it like this. It would likely need a warm day with lots of wind--or several days to dry out. This was a total bummer and threw us into recovery mode. Heading back to town and trying to clean some of the mud off our boots and vehicles, we formulated a different plan. Head south to Bluff, then spend the day birding back to Monticello. It wasn't grouse, but it was birding.<br />
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Heading south through Blanding we hit thick fog, before descending lower into the desert, and 50 degree weather and sun in Bluff. We headed west to Comb Wash to bird on the Lime Ridge where the open shrubby desert was green from the recent weather. Against the red rocks and distant Blue Mountains it was a gorgeous scene. A <b>WILD HORSE</b> provided a nice surprise, while the birding was slow and limited to just a few species.<b> BLACK-THROATED SPARROW and HORNED LARK </b>dominated the habitat--while <b>SAGE THRASHER and BREWER'S SPARROW</b> were also present in small numbers.<br />
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<b>Lime Ridge</b> and a Wild Horse</div>
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Back towards Bluff we stopped to check out Sand Island Campground, and the riparian habitat west of US-191 along the San Juan River. Here we were treated to our first <b>LUCY'S WARBLERS</b> of the trip as well as gobbling <b>WILD TURKEY, a LINCOLN'S SPARROW</b> along the river, and a surprise <b>WHITE-THROATED SPARROW</b> singing from across the river in the same patch of trees where we had one 2 years ago on this same trip.<br />
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<b>Lucy's Warbler</b> showing its crown</div>
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At the campground we had great looks at <b>CANYON WREN </b>and relaxed enjoying the morning sun. A quick stop at Navajo Twins Ponds in Cottonwood Wash was a little disappointing as the ponds were almost completely empty. There were a few birds but most of the usual suspects were missed. No waterbirds of any kind--but Mike Hearell and Taylor Abbott flushed a <b>WHITE-WINGED DOVE </b>from the west side of the ponds where one has been seen in the past. We stopped along Mission Road heading east out of town where we had Chihuahuan Raven last year. There were no ravens, but a large flock of <b>WHITE-FACED IBIS</b>, were accompanied by<b> 3 MARBLED GODWIT</b>, and a few <b>FRANKLIN'S GULLS</b> in a flooded field. Very cooperative<b> WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS </b>allowed for a nice photo op as well.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14826#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/04_April/201504_gusg-days/04-18/white-crowned-sparrow.jpg" /></a></div>
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Posing <b>White-crowned Sparrow </b>in Bluff</div>
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Making our way back north and up in elevation we headed to Blanding to check out the waste water treatment ponds south of town--always one of the best stops of the trip. And things were no different this year. 13 species of waterfowl graced the glassy water. <b>6 BLUE-WINGED TEAL</b> highlighted the mix which had a whopping<b> 61 CINNAMON TEAL</b> as well. <b>LONG-BILLED CURLEW, WHITE-FACED IBIS, FRANKLIN'S GULL, and EARED GREBE </b>rounded out the notable waterbirds, while <b>2 GOLDEN EAGLES</b> circle overhead. These ponds have been a stable source for <b>GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE </b>in San Juan County, with 3 present on our visit.<br />
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Keeping with the northward pattern we stopped at Recapture Reservoir, which seems to be lower and lower every year. This year it was only maybe 3 football fields long. That didn't stop the birds from using it--as usual a good assortment of waterfowl, grebes, ibis, gulls, and shorebirds were present. Of note were <b>MARBLED GODWIT, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, and FRANKLIN'S GULL</b>. Along the surrounding hillsides we added <b>RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, </b> all 6 swallow species,<b> BLACK-THROATED GRAY-WARBLER, and CASSIN'S FINCH. </b><br />
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<b>Gray Flycatcher </b>at Devils Canyon</div>
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Just a few miles up the road is Devil's Canyon Campground which is usually very birdy--but on this trip it was mostly quiet. We only tallied 12 species in almost an hour--but most were new for the trip like<b> GRAY FLYCATCHER, PYGMY NUTHATCH, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, and MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE. </b>Notably absent this year were finches and woodpeckers that usually keep us busy here.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14816#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/04_April/201504_gusg-days/04-18/osprey_2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Super cooperative <b>Osprey</b></div>
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We made our way into Monticello and to Lloyd's Lake on the west side of town. The lake wasn't uber-birdy, but we had great looks at an <b>OSPREY</b> that was perched low in a tree over the road--a local alerted us to the cooperative "Red-tailed Hawk" as he put it--and we quickly enjoyed a calling all Ospreys for the remainder of the trip Red-tails! We also picked up <b>WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH </b>for the day with great looks before continuing into the Abajo's for some mountain birding.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14825#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/04_April/201504_gusg-days/04-18/white-breasted-nuthatch.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>White-breasted Nuthatch</b> on the move</div>
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It was windy on the east slope and at Dalton Springs Campground there were few birds--6 species might have been the smallest checklist we've put together here. Driving around the north slope we had decent looks at<b> WILD TURKEY, WESTERN BLUEBIRDS</b>, and great views of Canyonlands below to the north. We ended up at Foy Lake where we had never birded before, and had a <b>REDHEAD and PIED-BILLED GREBE </b>on the water. Nearby in the trees we added <b>STELLER'S JAY, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, and TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE.</b><br />
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We jetted back across the mountains to town and eventually Clay Hill Road and the Monticello Waste Water Treatment Ponds. Again, the waterfowl numbers were impressive, with 13 species including <b>COMMON MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD, and 2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL</b>. We added <b>PEREGRINE FALCON</b> to the trip list as well as<b> VESPER SPARROW</b> before bring an official end to what was one of the strangest grouse days trips we've had. First and foremost, we had no grouse--and the weather had made for odd choices in how we birded. We saw some great birds but it was a little disappointing none-the-less. While most of the group headed northwards, we decided to see if we could make it to the lek, to possibly try again in the morning. The road out was still a muddy mess and a no go; but we tried another route in and made it fairly easy. It could be done. Then came the rains... It poured, and poured, and continued to pour. We headed south to Devils Canyon to camp the night and the rain only got worse. Eventually it broke long enough to set up camp, and turn in for the night--but the rains returned after dark for a couple hours. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14820#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/04_April/201504_gusg-days/04-18/sunset.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Sunset</b> at Devils Canyon</div>
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Luckily, by midnight it waned and was calm the remainder of the night. Early Sunday we headed to town and picked up Craig and Dale Provost who opted to stay behind and try again. We made our way back towards the lek on the back up road but the rain overnight must have come down in buckets as it was a muddy mess in places. I decided not to risk getting us stuck and called a stop to things. A Sunday morning in Monticello was not an ideal place to get stuck, especially when we can come back next year and so on.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14833#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/04_April/201504_gusg-days/04-19/church-rock_3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Church Rock </b>at Sunrise</div>
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We split with the Provost's and started making our way north, stopping to admire Churh Rock along 191 in the early morning light. Next at Ken's Lake we added<b> RED-BREASTED MERGANSER</b> for the trip and had great looks at flyover<b> OSPREY</b>. We made it into Moab and back to Gail Lea's yard where we were greeted upon arrival by a singing<b> BROWN THRASHER</b>, and then shortly after a calling <b>BLUE JAY, and WHITE-WINGED DOVE</b>. The hat trick in less than 15 minutes! The thrasher provided some great looks, and being only my second in Utah, I enjoyed taking some time to soak it in.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14829#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/04_April/201504_gusg-days/04-19/brown-thrasher_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Only my 2nd Utah <b>Brown Thrasher</b></div>
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We ventured across town to the Matheson Wetlands Preserve, which in all honesty, I had never birded despite the amount of time I have spent in this area of the state. Mistake on my part. We walked the boardwalk along the south end at the "main entrance" where there weren't a ton of birds. We seemingly eked out every species there, getting <b>LUCY'S WARBLER</b> here, then a<b> BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER</b> there, followed by a singing <b>ROCK WREN</b> in the distance, and a <b>NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD</b> from a nearby shrub. We decided to take a jaunt out towards the river and came into a small flock of<b> WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS</b>. We started pishing, and 20 feet in front of us a<b> GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW</b> popped up and posed for several minutes. I had never had such good long looks at one--and a alternate plumage adult to boot.<br />
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<b>Golden-crowned Sparrow </b>in Moab</div>
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While we watched the sparrow the unmistakable song of a<b> WHITE-THROATED SPARROW </b>came from trees directly behind the Golden-crowned. We about lost it--the only thing that could have made it a better day was if a Harrid's Sparrow had popped up for a 4 Zonatrichia day--that didn't happen. The White-throated provided great looks as well, and we enjoyed the great birds before moving on.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14853#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/04_April/201504_gusg-days/04-19/white-throated-sparrow.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>White-throated Sparrow </b>in Moab</div>
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We made a few more stops heading north eventually making it to Green River for lunch, and birding Silliman Lane and the Waste Water Treatment Ponds again. <b>MARBLED GODWIT, and BONAPARTE'S GULL </b>highlighted the waterbirds, while <b>350 FRANKLIN'S GULLS</b> were a big count for here. We ended up driving the Woodside Lower Price River Road towards the Book Cliffs, and had a nice variety of desert birds including <b>BREWER'S, VESPER, and BLACK-THROATED SPARROW</b> along with <b>SAYS PHOEBE and ROCK WREN</b>. This is one location I would like to visit later in the spring for migrants and breeders.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14845#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/04_April/201504_gusg-days/04-19/sagebrush-sparrow_2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Sagebrush Sparrow n</b>ear East Carbon</div>
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We checked the East Carbon WTP again, but there weren't any real treats this time around. We did find a couple <b>SAGEBRUSH SPARROWS </b>a little to the west and got great looks before speeding through Price, and back to Utah County. We made one last stop to show our buddy Chris a <b>WESTERN SCREECH-OWL </b>for a life bird. <br />
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<b>Western Screech-Owl i</b>n Pleasant Grove</div>
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On our way back to the freeway we added one last lifer for his trip list with a gorgeous pair of <b>SWAINSON'S HAWKS</b> at a nest site.<br />
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<b>Swainson's Hawk </b>top-side view</div>
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And just like that our 3rd Gunnison Sage-Grouse Days trip came to an end back in Salt Lake almost 900 miles later. Our group of 3 tallied 123 species for the weekend, while the field trip on Saturday netted about 100 just for the day. Not a bad weekend, and despite things not working out for us several times the overall weekend was a success--and next year will only be better!Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-46214913715442752782015-05-20T13:51:00.001-06:002015-05-20T13:51:42.444-06:00eBird Mobile iOS Beta Release First LookFor those who don't have an iOs device, or just want to see what it looks like without downloading, here are the first looks at eBirds new mobile app called, "eBird Mobile" from the beta release going on right now. The following is in the release from Team eBird:<br />
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Regular users of BirdLog will find that this app works much the same, with a few key improvements. The goal of the eBird app is to make a single, global data entry app for eBird. Using the former BirdLog code as a base, we transferred the existing functionality into the Lab’s development environment, solidified and consolidated the code, rebranded the app, performed some basic bug fixes, and made it free. Subsequent iterations of the app will focus on reworking the user interface, translations, and improving data out functionality. We have also begun development work for Android, and eBird Mobile should be available on that platform in the coming months.<br />
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<b>What’s new with eBird Mobile?</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Free – eBird Mobile is free.</li>
<li>Single global version – The eBird mobile app is available in a single consolidated version that works anywhere on earth.</li>
<li>Expanded languages – Offers species common names in many local language options, in parallel with the eBird web site. Four-letter quick entry based on common name and scientific name for all taxa globally, as on eBird.</li>
<li>Show rarities – Rare species are now indicated on the checklist view, prompting observers to provide more detail.</li>
<li>Refined start up screen – The ‘home page’ of the app has been reworked from a usability standpoint, making it clear how to get started entering data.</li>
<li>Continuity – App updates don’t cause you to lose existing unsubmitted lists or personal locations and startup is not delayed by taxonomic updates.</li>
<li>Data quality improvements – The app more closely matches functionality of eBird web for protocols, and prompts users to be more precise about location plotting.</li>
<li>Trip summary – Improved trip summary functionality makes keeping track of your trip list and day list fast and simple.</li>
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<b>So here are the screenshots--I'll post a review of the app after I've tinkered with it a bit...</b> The only thing I will say is I expected a better UI and experience right off the bat, hopefully performance is there to make up for the above...<br />
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<br />Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-31107513861900590442015-05-19T09:51:00.001-06:002015-05-19T09:51:53.734-06:002015 Marathon Birding RecapAs I left my house at 5:00am it was in a down pour... Things were not looking good. As I picked up my cohort Jeff in downtown Salt Lake, it was a torrential down pour... things could only get better. The drive into Davis County was wet wet wet. And as we got breakfast it seemed to get even wetter. Finally arriving at the Legacy Events Center to meet out group the rain was still coming down; but it seemed to have lightened a little--and to the west there was a shimmer of hope that the clouds would part and the weather might turn for the better. We kept our expectations reasonable--the rain could definitely damper our efforts--it was probably snowing above 8,000' so our mountain birding could definitely be rough. This was going to be a wet and wild Marathon Birding Trip.<br />
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Everyone that ended up going on the trip was on time and in the vehicles; but 2 participants didn't show up, and we wasted 15 minutes waiting and trying to get a hold of them--in the end we left late, and without the 2 no-shows. In the parking lot the first birds of the day were a flyover flock of <b>WHITE-FACED IBIS</b>; and singing <b>AMERICAN ROBIN, HOUSE FINCH, and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD</b>. We wasted no time making our way to Glover Lane, where birds were singing as if it were sunny and warm. <b>COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and YELLOW WARBLER </b>were heard quickly. Sitting in the middle of a wet field was an easy to watch <b>BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON</b>, while the ponds at the end of the lane provided the usual share of waterfowl and waterbirds--we were underway and I personally didn't mind the rain since the birding was off to a good start.<br />
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At Farmington Bay the gates were locked as usual and it took a few minutes to get in. We were greeted by a <b>GREAT EGRET</b> in the pond to the east, as well as<b> COMMON GOLDENEYE</b>, and 100's of<b> VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS</b>. Behind the restrooms <b>2 WOOD DUCKS </b>were nice to get out of the way. We snagged both <b>SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL</b> calling from the reeds, and <b>CASPIAN and FORSTER's TERNS</b> overhead. At Egg Island Overlook a very wet <b>SWAINSON'S HAWK</b> posed for the group int he small trees. Scoping form here we picked out a small group of <b>7 RED KNOTS</b> to the southwest--a fortuitous find as we would have none at the causeway later. We quickly nabbed our waterfowl needs and got a bonus<b> PEREGRINE FALCON</b> before turning around and heading out. Along the way we added<b> LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, and SANDHILL CRANE</b>. We were glad to get both <b>NORTHERN SHOVELER and AMERICAN WIGEON</b> which have been surprisingly difficult in the past. As we left a singing <b>LINCOLN'S SPARROW</b> at the restrooms was a bonus that eventually gave everyone great looks--and for the first year in many we struck out on Blue-winged Teal.<br />
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<b>Red Knots </b>at Farmington Bay</div>
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Heading towards the freeway we snagged <b>CALIFORNIA QUAIL</b>, which is never a sure thing so was technically a bonus bird for the day. Like every year adjusting our route, this year we threw in a loop the opposite direction of our trip--heading to Bountiful Pond, we hoped to maximize our migrant lists by hitting 2 migrant traps instead of just. It was rewarding as we were able to also add <b>CATTLE EGRETS</b> along Legacy Parkway--where <b>1,000's of WHITE-FACED IBI</b>S filled every field. The group only had to scan one flock to get lucky enough to pick out a <b>GLOSSY IBIS</b> for the day.<br />
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<b>Glossy Ibis</b> photo by Rachel LeBlanc</div>
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At Bountiful Pond we waded in ankle deep water through the flooded orchard hoping for migrants. There wasn't as much as expected but we did star to pick things out slowly. <b>YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, WILSON's, & MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS</b> were found. Several <b>GREEN-TAILED TOWHEES</b> were seen along the path around the west side of the pond. A <b>BARN OW</b>L flushed from the trees, while overhead swallows twittered about. On the water we snagged <b>COMMON MERGANSER and CLARK'S GREBE</b>. Feeling we'd exhausted the trees we left 15 minutes behind schedule for the day--but on time given we left 15 minutes late at the onset.<br />
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<b>Bobolink </b>at Shick Lane</div>
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The drive to Kaysville went quick, and we netted <b>2 BOBOLINK and WILSON'S SNIPE</b> at Schick Lane, before adding <b>GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE</b> at Jensen Nature Park. And just like that the rain subsided--the clouds parted and the sun graced us with its presence. The rest of the morning would be spent at Antelope Island, birding in ideal conditions. On the causeway we quickly pinned down <b>2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, 4 WHIMBREL and a SNOWY PLOVER </b>amongst the<b> 1,000's of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and SANDERLINGS. 10's of 1,000's of RED-NECKED PHALAROPE</b> dotted the water. We couldn't find any turnstones or dunlins; and not a peep in the whole bunch. But a 3rd cycle <b>LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL</b> was a bonus--as was an<b> AMERICAN PIPIT</b> along the beach. We plowed through our needs and headed to the end of the causeway where <b>2 PURPLE MARTIN</b> were drifting over the last bridge. At the marina we had 5 more including several gorgeous males that flew past at eye level.<br />
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Female<b> Purple Martin </b>at AIC</div>
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<b>Tim's Car </b>photo by Rachel LeBlanc</div>
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On the island<b> CHUKAR, ROCK WREN, and LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE </b>came quickly. At Lady Finger Point we flushed a<b> CANYON WREN</b> from the rocks, and a singing <b>NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD </b>were nice additions. Another flyby <b>PURPLE MARTIN </b>made 8 for the day. Along the loop road we added <b>SAGE THRASHER, GRAY FLYCATCHER, and a surprise BLACK-THROATED SPARROW</b>. That was followed by<b> BURROWING OWL and BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER </b>as well as the usual <b>LARK and BREWER'S SPARROW</b>. And yet another flyby<b> PURPLE MARTIN</b> made 9 for the day. We finished up the north arm of the island with <b>HORNED LARK and SAY'S PHOEBE</b>, as well as the usual <b>GREAT HORNED and BARN OWLS </b>at the corrals.<br />
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<b>Great Horned Owls </b>at Antelope Island</div>
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The drive to Garr Ranch was punctuated with a quick stop for<b> GRASSHOPPER SPARROW </b>which was perched up and singing on arrival. At Garr Ranch we ran into a fallout--kicked off with <b>PURPLE MARTIN</b> number 10 for the day.<b> WILSON'S WARBLERS</b> were dripping form the understory.<br />
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<b>Wilson's Warbler</b> at Garr Ranch</div>
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Various other warblers flitted about, and we were fortunate to find the <b>NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH </b>along the fence line at the east end of the spring. Our only <b>RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH</b> of the day would be here--<b>PINE SISKIN, WESTERN TANAGER, LAZULI BUNTING and WARBLING VIREO </b>were also nice additions. We did a clean sweep of the Utah <i>empids with all 5 regularly occurring species</i> found around the ranch grounds. After making the rounds we opted to head out knowing we'd done very well at the ranch and were already past 130 species for the day. The drive out netted our <b>NORTHERN HARRIER</b> for the day, and in Layton we saw plenty of <b>AMERICAN CROWS</b>.<br />
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<b>Northern Waterthrush</b> at Garr Ranch</div>
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On our way to get lunch in Ogden we added a pair of <b>WESTERN SCRUB-JAY</b> which is usually a miss for us--and after a short lunch stop we headed to Birdsong Trail at the mouth of Ogden Canyon. Here with a little coaxing we picked up<b> YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and FOX SPARROW</b> for the day as well as <b>BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD</b>. Overhead our first <b>TURKEY VULTURES</b> were a pleasant sight. Heading into the canyon, Mike suggested stopping at "The Oaks" to see if we could get a catbird and Calliope Hummingbird at their feeders. We had no such luck with those birds, but as we were getting ready to leave a small buteo emerged form the trees across the road and circled. Everyone looked and someone quickly yelled out Swainson's Hawk! But that wasn't right, the dark bird was very "broad-winged", and the pattern was just off. I fumbled to grab my camera as I stuttered that I thought it looked like a<b> BROAD-WINGED HAWK</b>. All eyes were back on the bird as it circled overhead. After getting my camera and finally focusing the bird made its way up up up eventually being dive bombed by a <b>SHARP-SHINNED HAWK</b>, as they both circled amongst the <b>WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS</b> overhead. A quick check of the field guide and it sunk in that we really did have a dark-morph Broad-winged Hawk. To gloat just a little (and for comfort confirmation) I sent the picture to Jerry Liguori with no text--his response was to excitedly ask <i>WHERE???</i> This was definitely the bird of the day for me.<br />
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Dark morph <b>Broad-winged Hawk </b>in Ogden Canyon</div>
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Getting our wits about us we continued. At Pineview we added a <b>BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER</b> before hitting Jefferson Hunt Campground. Here <b>CEDAR WAXWING</b> were added and finally<b> OSPREY</b> as we headed eastward towards Monte Cristo. This was the first year SR-39 had been open so we took advantage of a new route through the mountains. As I tallied the birds from the day we sat at 149. The car started guessing what 150 would be. Mike was confident that it would Mountain Bluebird, while a few of us ventured that Northern Flicker would be next. The radio from Jeff's car crackled,<b><i> "NORTHERN FLICKER"</i></b>. We cheered and eventually saw one ourselves. The next bird to follow--<b>MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD</b>. <br />
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The road to <b>Monte Cristo</b></div>
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Making our was up the mountains we eventually hit gray skies, then thicker clouds. We picked up <b>DARK-EYED JUNCO</b>, followed by <b>DOWNY WOODPECKER and RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER</b> in the same tree! Then we hit the clouds--literally, we drove into the fog and were greeted with snow and hail as we continued on. This could make things difficult. We had a small but reliable list of birds we needed to get up here--and with this weather it would be difficult. As we parked across from the entrance to Monte Cristo Campground the fog lifted enough to see around us--but all was quiet. I reluctantly ditched my flip-flops for hikers as it was even cold for my taste. We did pick up a calling <b>MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE</b>, but not much else. I heard what sounded like a chortling Pine Grosbeak; and a couple times it sounded like American Three-toed Woodpeckers called. But we couldn't pin anything down. Eventually a few people did hear <b>CLARK'S NUTCRACKER</b> (and we'd all see one 10 minutes later as we drove off the mountain); but the birding left a lot to be desired.<br />
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<b>Jeff's Car</b> 12 hours in to the day</div>
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Back in the cars we descended to the east and out of the clouds. We added<b> CASSIN'S FINCH </b>on the way down, but no other montane species. Monte Cristo was a bust and cost us a few species. Had the weather been different it probably would have been a great addition to the trip. We stopped in Woodruff briefly to look for Common Grackle to no avail. Driving along SR-16 south towards the Wyoming border through Deseret Ranch we picked up<b> CANVASBACK</b> for the day. We decided to cross the border and check out Woodruff Narrows Reservoir. <b>VESPER SPARROW</b> was picked up along the road in and at the lake we had <b>RING-NECKED DUCK</b>. Our other targets in the sage and on the water were missed, and we slowly made our way back towards Utah, stopping briefly in Evanston to pick up food for our last few hours on the move. Back in Utah we checked an old Ferruginous Hawk nest but there were none present. All in all our big loop to the east had been a waste. A few years ago we changed the route to leave the long drive up Logan Canyon, and down through Wyoming out. It was too much driving--too little birding--and in the end we could get more species spending more time int eh field closer to home. I think that holds true with this years experiment; its hard to say how much different things would have been on a sunny day; but on this day it was a miss.<br />
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<b>Common Loon </b>at Echo Reservoir</div>
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Down Echo Canyon we decided to stop at Echo Reservoir. Here we picked up<b> COMMON LOON</b> and<b> PLUMBEOUS VIREO</b> for the day, before making our way towards Henefer adding both <b>GOLDEN and BALD EAGLES </b>along I-84. We were getting short on daylight and I knew we could add at least one more songbird for the day with <b>AMERICAN DIPPER</b> at Jeremy Ranch Road. That was it though--we exhausted our last spot for Gray Catbird for the day without seeing one--and Swainson's Thrush really aren't back yet so that was another miss. Looking at our list we sat comfortably at 165 species for the day--we would have no problem at least tying our previous best.<br />
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Heading up East Canyon to look for nocturnal birds several in the group had a<b> BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE </b>for the day. I was a little worried when Ruffed Grouse wasn't on its usually booming log--it took a short hike but eventually we flushed a<b> RUFFED GROUSE</b> from some high grass making it 167 for the day, what we ended with last year. A few minutes later we called in a <b>FLAMMULATED OWL</b> for 168 and a new Marathon Birding record. Try as we might we couldn't get another Flammy to come in nearby; and no poorwills were heard calling. We might end up stalling with +1. At our next stop there were flammy's calling but we tried for other owls which we needed for the day. I heard a couple of screeches from the woods after doing a <b>NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL </b>whistle for a bit--and it was a couple minutes later when one finally whistled back making it 169.<br />
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<b>Flammulated Owl </b>from East Canyon</div>
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At Big Mountain Pass it took a little coaxing to get a <b>COMMON POORWILL </b>to respond making it <b><u>170 species on the day</u></b>--and we still had time to burn. But given the long day, and great numbers we opted not to stop and try for screech-owl and instead head back to Farmington. <i>We forgot to check the odometer, but the trip should have covered 305 miles or there abouts for the day. We got back right at 11:00pm for 16 hours and 45 minutes of Marathon Birding through 7 counties (+1 in Wyoming).</i> I was honestly shocked what we were able to see given the weather--it actually helped keep a lot of birds down probably which made picking up migrants easier than in the past.<br />
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It always amazes me how this trip transforms every year. After 10 years looking back its crazy to think that in the past we struggled to get 130 species on this trip. Each of the last 3 years we have topped 160 and as we keep refining 175 or 180 doesn't seem that far off. We never know how the trip will go, or what we really will see ad the unpredictability of migration, due to the rising and falling water levels of the GSL, the hit or miss nature of passerine migration in mid-May, and what routes will be open to drive. Every year we talk about adjusting the route a little bit and making subtle changes to get the most out of the day. So we'll have to wait and see what next year brings. As always thanks to Jeff for co-leading this trip; and Mike and Taylor for driving--the 2 extra sets of eyes has really mad ea difference. And especially thanks to the 6 hardy birders who showed up despite the horrendous conditions--it paid off!Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-31128875492996651152015-04-04T20:18:00.002-06:002015-04-04T20:28:37.791-06:00An Eastern Test<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you're unable to view the embedded video, please go here: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/rXmKRD">Flickr Video</a><br />
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As many of you know, I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio at the beginning of the year. I haven't done a whole lot of birding so far but I did get out to a state park today. I was able to get a video of one bird singing with a different species singing in the background. I thought if would be fun to share this video with you all so you could brush up on a couple of Eastern birds. I'll post the answer to what these two birds are in the comments in a few days, but go ahead and take a guess if you'd like.<br />
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The birding here seems promising now that the weather is warming up. I hope to be able to share some more details about my experiences here in the coming months. I just recently discovered that the Great Smoky Mountains are about as far away from me as St. George is to Salt Lake. I can't wait to go explore what looks to be an amazing place.<br />
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Good Birding,<br />
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BilskyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-47922863768978274162015-02-27T06:00:00.000-07:002015-02-27T08:01:41.380-07:00When Subspecies Matter in eBird or in generalSo I've grappled with this for some time. When do subspecies matter in eBird? You're going to hear a lot of people say that being as specific as possible is always going to be better than generalizing. There are numerous users whose lists are filled with subspecies--even when the subspecies is the only form present of a species at the given location. Team eBirds official stance is this:<br />
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At eBird we believe it is important to allow birders to collect as much information as specifically as possible. </blockquote>
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Pretty vague, but they also say this a few lines later in their help document about subspecies:<br />
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For this reason, we try to allow this possibility for those that feel comfortable making these identifications. If you are not comfortable, or do not understand what the subspecies group refers to, please enter your sightings at the species level.</blockquote>
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This is going to be the average eBird user; and in 99% of subspecies cases, the species level is going to be enough information to cover the local taxa. But Team eBird does end with this:<br />
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A final benefit for entering subspecies groups is that if they are ever split, we will automatically update your lists as appropriate... We encourage you to try to learn more about the eBird subspecies groups in your area and identify them when possible.</blockquote>
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So their stance does actually appear to be use them if you feel comfortable, it will benefit you and us. But I think they are overselling it a bit. There are a few species here in Utah I have a bad habit of "subspecielizing" (yeah I just made that up) birds when I create a checklist. Namely these are "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler, and "Red-shafted" Northern Flicker. These are 2 cases where I got in the habit of doing it a long time ago, but I am going to stop. The reason is simple--in both these cases the subspecies I am naming is the default species found here. This is common knowledge and from a database perspective if this species ever does spilt they will be able to generalize in the east and the west which form was being reported. There are several states where this will be problematic, but in those states the solution should be to note either subspecies. In Utah it really only would matter to note the "Myrtle" subpsecies of Yellow-rumped Warbler as it is going to have far fewer reports and since its not the nominate subspecies it is worth noting. Same for Yellow-shafted Flicker--reports on a yearly basis can be counted on our hands. This can be taken into account if a split occurs.<br />
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<b>"Myrtle" Yellow-rumped Warbler</b> is not the expected species in Utah</div>
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I also have stopped noting "Western" Red-tailed Hawk. I do always make note of "Harlan's", and if any others ever showed up here, I would note them as well. <br />
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Composite shot of a <b>"Harlan's" Red-tailed Hawk</b> in Lehi, Utah</div>
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There are also a number of subspecies that I would never take the time to report. "Northern" Mallard, "Blue form" Great Blue Heron--I mean come on these are redundant. These are again the default subspecies here, and the average birder isn't looking to identify forms of Great Blue Heron. Obviously, if a "White form" GBHE shows up I think most birders would take the time to note it... but in general this seems ridiculous. Mallards even more so--99.99% of Mallards in Utah are "Northern". Taking the time to note this in a checklist isn't adding value at the subspecies level. The .01% of times you see a "Mexican" taxa it is well worth noting.<br />
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The not rare or notable <b>"Northern" Mallard</b>--it's just a Mallard, come on.</div>
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Green-winged Teal is another one I don't note--obviously "American" is going to be the typical one here--if I ever saw a "Eurasian" I would take note immediately--that happens quite rarely here in Utah. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_scrub_jay" target="_blank">Western Scrub-Jay</a> is another one folks--if by some miracle a "Coastal" or "Sumichrast's" showed up here definitely worth noting. But the "Woodhouse's" form is the only species known to occur here--so we probably don't need to note it. Let's not even talk about the subspecies within these subspecies. The list goes on, Steller's Jay, Marsh Wren, and Spotted Towhee. <br />
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It is indeed a<b> "Woodhouse's" Western Scrub-Jay</b>--but it's the only subspecies in Utah.</div>
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But then there are birds I "subspecielize" (I really like this term) that I see the real value in. These are one where multiple subspecies occur in the same area at certain times of year and worth noting. Dark-eyed Juncos anyone? This is the obvious case where noting a subspecies has a value. It is not uncommon to have 4 subspecies at once during migration, when the local and migrant populations are both found--or even during the winter months. This is one of the rare cases where a common species really does need it. I also note subspecies within "Merlin" as we seem to get a good mix of "Taiga" and "Prairie"--obviously "Pacific/Black" is well worth noting. <br />
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It is worth noting your <b>"Pink-sided" Dark-eyed Junco</b>... or any subspecies for that matter</div>
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On the flip side we leave A LOT of these subspecies that are generally the expected subspecies off the checklists. This is the way I like it and the way I am going to do my listing going forward to keep things clean, succinct, and obvious. As a birder I challenge you to know subspecies and recognize them--that is something well worth doing. But for checklists in eBird I don't much see the point of noting the obvious ones. If splits ever do occur on most of these, the team at eBird will probably write an algorithm (if they haven't already) to correctly filter the split subspecies into their categorically correct species bucket in a given region, time of year etc.<br />
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But to each their own right? Thsi post is not to tell you NOT to use subspecies. It is one persons opinion on the need for it i ncertai cases. Do what you feel comfortable doing and what you want to do to track your sightings. I'm just one dude doing things one way! What are your thoughts on subspecies in eBird.<br />
<br />Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-54750446533619838802015-02-23T06:00:00.000-07:002015-02-23T11:10:56.936-07:00Gullstravaganza 2015 RecapIt seems like just yesterday we were wrapping up the 2014 Gullstravaganza. The crazy thing is that was 13 months ago. 2014 was one of our best gulling events--the best up till that point in variety of gulls and number of participants. This year we decided to put all our eggs in one basket and finally just move the event to Farmington Bay WMA for its entirety instead of moving form location to location, This likely had some advantages and disadvantages, but it made for a more relaxed event and much easier planning.<br />
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As has become the norm, we had a good number of sign ups with 33 people signing up for the event, despite a competing field trip led by<a href="http://www.jerryliguori.com/" target="_blank"> Jerry Liguori </a>and Hawkwatch International... Queue a little Seinfeld humor... "<i>Hello Jerry!!!</i>"<br />
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Okay, so that was ridiculous... :) In the past we have tried to plan this even when nothing else is going on, but this year we knew there were conflicts ahead of time--luckily the one we expected to cut in to ours--Snow Goose Festival--was actually a week later than expected (good for us and likely very bad for them as the geese have already started moving on...eek.).<br />
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So anyways, to the event. After a slow start with gullers arriving we quickly realized Jerry was trying to poach our trip attendees by having his trip block the road to look at some boring<b> BALD EAGLES</b>. He even went so far as to "accidentally take" one of our gullers in his car until the chap realized he'd been duped into the wrong group. We straightened things out and eventually 23 birders were rallied to head out for the gulls! 4 more joined us shortly after for a total of 27 attendees this year. Down from what we expected but the weather report likely caused some last minute dropouts--and those who Jerry promised photo-ops with ;) None-the-less we were here to gull and gull we did.<br />
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Heading into the marsh we stopped briefly to look at an adult <b>LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL</b> that was hanging out at the air boat launch on Dike Road at the carp pile. Due the the unseasonably warm weather we've had the eagles have mostly moved out, leaving the piles of fish for the gulls to take advantage of without any competition.<br />
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Adult<b> Lesser Black-backed Gull</b> taking flight</div>
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We scanned the water to the east as well where around <b>1250 TUNDRA SWANS</b> were on the water, and hundreds of ducks including a few <b>CANVASBACK</b> were present. Most of the winter divers were all together gone with just a few <b>BUFFLEHEAD </b>and <b>COMMON GOLDENENEYE</b> in the mix. To the end of the road we wandered setting up shop to scan a flock sitting on the mud a couple hundred yards out. The prize in this group was a gorgeously white <b>GLAUCOUS GULL </b>that stood right out amongst the other gulls.<br />
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<b>Glaucous Gull</b></div>
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As we watched and tallied more <b>LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS</b>, a couple<b> THAYER'S GULLS</b>, and numerous<b> HERRING GULLS</b> things were looking good. Along with just a couple <b>CALIFORNIA GULLS </b>and plenty of <b>RING-BILLED GULLS</b> we had 6 species of gulls in 30 minutes. That's how to start a Gullstravaganza! As we were about to pack up and head to another spot to set up for a bit, a very pale gull flew i and landed. I caught it running across the flats before it sat down and immediately ran for my scope. This had to be an<b> ICELAND GULL</b>!<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14626#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/02_February/20150221/iceland-gull_2.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
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"Kumlien's"<b> Iceland Gull</b></div>
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After a few minutes trying to get a good look at the wing tips I was 99% certain it was a Kumlien's Gull. The bird had sat down and quickly tucked its head but it was sitting next to several Herring Gulls with a Thayer's nearby for comparison. I assumed this had been the same bird Kenny Frisch and I found a month ago and it gave everyone long looks as it sat there until we moved on. Everyone's scopes were trained on the bird--gull species #7 for the day in less than an hour. The bird was a lifer for a handful of attendees--as was the Glaucous Gull.<br />
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Entrepid Gullers!</div>
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About this time a squall was making its way across the lake and had ht Farmington. The wind picked up out of the north and headed towards us, bring wind, rain, and finally snow. We convened the vehicles in the parking lot on the west side of the 4-way where I told the group it was up to them whether they stayed or left. I didn't know what the weather was going to do, but it didn't look pretty. What I did know is we were here to look at gulls and not going to leave quite yet. About 10-15 birders stayed or birded around Farmington for the next hour. We set up about 60' from the carp pile where <b>HERRING GULLS</b> were starting to filter in.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14620#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/02_February/20150221/herring-gull_2.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Herring Gull</b> in Flight</div>
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The light was fantastic as the sun kept mostly out even though it was bitterly cold. The snow passed quickly and the birds didn't seem to mind our presence as they fed. More birds joined the fray and eventually a couple 1st winter <b>THAYER'S GULLS</b> made an appearance allowing for some great up close study.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14642#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/02_February/20150221/thayers-gull_7.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Thayer's Gull</b></div>
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One of the biggest surprises for the day was actually the lack of gull abundance. In fact on the day I counted just <b>23 CALIFORNIA GULLS</b>. That is an astonishingly low count for the event, and even for Farmington Bay this time of year. The few that were present did provide some great opportunities to study next to the massive Herring's.<br />
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<b>California Gull</b></div>
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The other surprise was that by my count the Herring Gulls actually outnumbered all other gulls combined--that includes <b>RING-BILLED GULL</b> which typically follows California in numbers. Herring Gulls outnumbered the others 280 to 259. Those numbers are also a low count for the event in terms of total gulls. Now there were several hundred (maybe even 1,000) over the dump a couple miles east that you could see swirling with binoculars. But I didn't count them for the list since they were unidentifiable, and outside Farmington's boundary.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14635#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/02_February/20150221/ring-billed-gull_2.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Ring-billed Gull</b></div>
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As the day wore on the group dwindled to about 10 die hard gull watchers, braving the cold, snapping photos, and talking gulls, cameras, and other things bird and birding related. This was a Utah Birders event to a tee!<br />
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We did have a bit of excitement i the afternoon watching the carp pile as a very pale gull came flying in from the east. Initially I thought it was the Iceland Gull and was stoked I would be getting killer flight shots. And killer shots I did get--<i>only the bird wasn't the Iceland Gull!</i><br />
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<b>So what is it?</b></div>
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After it landed it was apparent the primaries were too dark and the bird seemed odd. I thought about Thayer's Gull, but it was very pale, and was a hefty looking bird with a bulkier than normal bill. Hybrids came to mind with the obvious choice for a bird this pale with a bi-colored bill being a Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid--also known as a Nelson's Gull.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=14616#top_display_media" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/02_February/20150221/gull_09.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
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Certainly has a<b> Herring-ish </b>face...</div>
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I stuck to that as the name until I got home when I started to wonder if I was looking at this thing all wrong. One of the major issues with late season gulling is that birds get bleached losing some of their color making them appear "whiter" than usual. The bird was on the small size for the hybrid in question, but not too small. Looking at it I could see some Herring features which is why I clung to the idea of a hybrid. I have had several others look at it and the opinions are varied. From very bleached out Thayer's Gull, to Something with some "Herring in it", to Glaucous-winged x Herring. Glaucous x Herring has been ruled out but the jury is out on what this bird is. I could certainly be swayed to Thayer's Gull, albeit the lightest I've ever seen--but I feel reservatons based off seeing it next to Thayer's and Herring in the field. Regardless, it was a very cool bird.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/02_February/20150221/gull_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/02_February/20150221/gull_03.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
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A <b>gorgeous gull </b>regardless the species!</div>
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Mid-way through the afternoon we wrapped things up and called it a day! The 5th annual Gullstravaganza was in the books with 7 species of Gull! As always this is my favorite trip of the year, as many birders still overlook gulls, and they continually provide us with unique individuals that can make for a difficult time ID'ing. And as usual I was stoked with the excellent turn out. As with years in the past my mind is already turning with ideas for making next years event even better.<br />
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A big thanks to Kenny Frisch for co-leading the trip this year. And of course a big thanks to everyone who attended, from Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Summit, and other surrounding counties. There were attendees from Millard County as well as Wyoming; and even one guest from Scotland (although he currently lives here).<br />
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eBird Checklist for this years event:<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S22009728">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S22009728</a><br />
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Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-63045125351021194612015-02-20T08:41:00.002-07:002015-02-20T08:41:41.889-07:00eBirding Your Home TownI've been tied a lot closer to home the past 6 months with the addition of a son to our family. It's meant I don't manage to go birding for as long, or as far from home as usual. I've still managed to do a lot of birding, but really changed my pattern. One thing I have decided to work on is building out locations in and around Sandy, Utah creating a patchwork of personal birding location in eBird to micro list as I go about my day to day. It's actually really simple and ends up keeping me in tune with what birds are where around my current home town.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xMnpbMr8eio/VOdQKkGpxSI/AAAAAAAAC0E/6Ht0Zq1yaa4/s1600/hotspots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xMnpbMr8eio/VOdQKkGpxSI/AAAAAAAAC0E/6Ht0Zq1yaa4/s1600/hotspots.jpg" height="322" width="400" /></a></div>
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My personal locations in blue--hotspots in red.</div>
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It started rather simply a couple years ago. I had my house as a personal location, my neighborhood as another, and then I created a spot for a woodlot along my drive home from work. There are two hot spots along my routes to and from work--the <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L1143493" target="_blank">Sandy City Cemetery</a> and <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L1105892" target="_blank">Dimple Dell Park</a>. I also created a location a few years ago at La Caille for the trail down to Quail Hollow Park, that is now listed as <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L479607" target="_blank">Little Cottonwood Canyon -- Mouth (incl. La Caille)</a>. <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L1179522" target="_blank">Larkin Sunset Gardens</a> also has a hotspot but I rarely make it up the road to this location. East of I-15 and in Sandy City these are the only hot spots. There are a couple spots long the Jordan River, and of Course the <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L894186" target="_blank">Sandy Urban Fishery</a>. But you get the idea, there just aren't a ton of birding spots on the map. So I changed that.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G_Ikvc2d0-o/VOdUN_szJcI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/pT83NUuPQb0/s1600/trax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G_Ikvc2d0-o/VOdUN_szJcI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/pT83NUuPQb0/s1600/trax.jpg" height="195" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Sandy -- Porter Rockwell Trail at 10600 South</span></div>
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I started by creating two spots along the Rail Trail (Trax)--one at 9000 South and another at 10600 South. The locations were named accordingly Sandy -- Porter Rockwell Trail and Sandy -- Expo Station @ 9000 S 146 E. I decided to use the eBird naming schema for locations in a given area. Since these were all personal I used Sandy as the location with each sub location following dashes. Next I added Lake Hills Cemetery on State Street, and then another location along 10600 south at about 1050 East just past the Dimple Dell Rec Center. I also had a location that I rarely used listed at the Sandy Amphitheatre, which I adjusted to Sandy -- Quarry Bend and Amphitheatre. From here I branched out and while out and about in the past week I created 3 location along the I-15 corridor just east of the freeway. One near 9000 south at the old Classic Fun Center where a small ditch has a marsh habitat. I also created two locations around the Southe Town Mall. One north of the mall along Centennial Parkway where a tiny pond is surrounded by marsh. And another along the freeway the length of the west side of the mall where these is an expansive marsh.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-viteOjlhjnw/VOdUl23hTOI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/Lq3eJ5sW-nQ/s1600/southtowne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-viteOjlhjnw/VOdUl23hTOI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/Lq3eJ5sW-nQ/s1600/southtowne.jpg" height="195" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sandy -- South Towne Center Marsh</div>
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Deciding I needed to break Sandy down even more I decided to create locations at a number of local parks: Storm Mountain Park, Lone Peak Park, Bell Canyon Park, Pebble Brook GC, Falcon Park, Flat Iron Mesa Park, and Quail Hollow Park.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jF_VKp0FLFM/VOdVKCSLr0I/AAAAAAAAC0g/Xuvb88FTpYY/s1600/flat-iron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jF_VKp0FLFM/VOdVKCSLr0I/AAAAAAAAC0g/Xuvb88FTpYY/s1600/flat-iron.jpg" height="175" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sandy -- Flat Iron Mesa Park</div>
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I didn't create spots for every park, but ones I pass or spend some amount of time at on a monthly basis. My goal going forward is to submit at least 1 list per month at each location in Sandy, and eventually work on getting a list for every week of the year to create a full data set for these locations. It won't be comprehensive but will give me a good overlay of the entire city!<br />
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Generally the lists contain a lot of Rock Pigeons and European Starlings--a realistic look at what most urban birding looks like. But the lists get sprinkled with Mourning and Eurasian Collared-Doves, Americn Robins, Western Scrub-Jays, Black-billed Magpie, American Kestrel, House Finches and Sparrows, California Gulls, etc. Just for laughs I have submitted 61 Checklists for the Sandy Ciy Cemetery--comprising exactly 14 species! With this micro birding there are far more checklists than species generally.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=-199" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2012/01_January/20120121/american-kestrel.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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American Kestrel</div>
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On a daily basis I try to enter lists when I stop at lights or keep an eye out for birds while driving. I also usually stop at one or two locations on the way home for a just a couple minutes to listen to what's calling. It gives me the opportunity to fit in a little birding every day away from my home and office. It has also made me really aware of specific birds that have set up territories along the route. I have 2 spots where I know American Kestrel are on territory; 1 Red-tailed Hawk that frequents a certain woodlot; and of course the specific locations where you almost always find American Crow in the city. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=304" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2013/01_January/20130105/american-crow.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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American Crow</div>
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So if you can't get away from home as much as you'd like, or you prefer birding locally, without a car, on foot, bike, or scooter I suggest creating your own patchwork of local birding locations and working on micro listing your area. Not only will you provide valuable data for citizen science, but you'll really get to know the birds around you.<br />
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If you'd like me to share any of my personal locations with you just let me know--I don't suspect a lot of folks go birding at many of these places, but if more than one were interested I would certainly love to add more data from more birders!Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com165tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-48070759341766915652015-02-11T08:47:00.003-07:002015-02-11T08:47:27.476-07:00Status and Distribution of "Western" Flycatcher in Utah?Sorry to get scientific with the post title--but this post will delve a little or a lot bit in to the realm of science--depending on how you want to look at things. I am not a scientist or a biologist, but on a daily basis I analyze data, and use that data to make predictions, hypotheses, and come up with solutions to problems. Today I'm not solving a problem, but more or less looking at a problem and proposing some ideas. These ideas came to fruition after a phone call with Rick Fridell about a number of reports in eBird of Pacific-slope Flycatcher. Back in 2006 Rick and I found 2 empids at Red Hills Golf Course in January. Both birds represented the first winter records of empids in southwestern Utah--and the only in eBird for Utah during the winter months. Historical information about empids in Utah is quite lacking so there may be some from pre-2000, but the data just isn't there to look at.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ipZ2fF_qfI0/VNWdAxwHd1I/AAAAAAAACzQ/gEPBiu8GBHE/s1600/empids.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ipZ2fF_qfI0/VNWdAxwHd1I/AAAAAAAACzQ/gEPBiu8GBHE/s1600/empids.png" height="192" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the birds was rather straight forward and was a DUSKY FLYCATCHER. The other bird was a bit more troubling as it was a "WESTERN" FLYCATCHER, so either a Cordilleran or a Pacific-slope Flycatcher. At the time the general though was--it's winter, it's a Western-type Flycatcher, it's not calling, so it's best left to just "Western" Flycatcher species. However, conventional wisdom at the time suggested that ONLY Pacific-slope Flycatchers over-wintered in the interior southwest, with a handful of reports annually in southern California and Arizona along the Colorado River. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/00old_images/janu06/wefl_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/00old_images/janu06/wefl_01.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Dusky Flycatcher</b> in St. George from January 2006</div>
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But I'll digress, at the time I left it as just a spuh and moved on. Later that same week, Rick found another "Western" Flycatcher in Washington County, making it 3 empids in one week in winter. Fast forward to this week and the phone call I had with Rick. I am for the time being helping review sightings in Washington County on eBird--Rick will be taking over in the near future, but I was doing some cleanup and noticed he had submitted a handful of reports for PSFL. In all 11 reportfrom the spring and fall. This was unexpected for me; even more so was that one checklist from May 27, 2012 had 5 PSFL included on the report. Unprecedented in Utah.<br />
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If you don't know Rick, quite frankly he's probably the best birder in Utah hands down. He's been responsible for numerous state first records, and finds great birds on an almost weekly basis down in Washington County. So when Rick added these birds to his lists, he immediately had my attention. Basically what Rick shared with me, was that birders in Arizona and Nevada birding at lowland habitats during migration were not finding Cordilleran Flycatchers, ONLY Pacific-slopes. During the spring calling birds were identified by their audibles, and based off banding projects it was basically assumed that all Western's at these sites were actually PSFL's. What?<br />
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This one really through me for a loop. Although I was sure this species migrated through Utah, I thought that it was impossible to say for sure which species we were actually seeing during migration. De-facto I called everything in Utah a Cordilleran--even birds not calling. Have we been doing this wrong for years? Is it only safe to identify on territory or calling Cordilleran Flycatchers? Were we actually seeing Pacific-slope as the majority of valley and lowland Western Flycatchers during migration? Was this a Pacific-slope Flycatcher?<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/00old_images/images_00/cofl_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/00old_images/images_00/cofl_01.jpg" /></a></div>
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Migrant <b>"Western" Flycatcher</b> at Fontenelle, Wyoming in May 2005</div>
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Due to inland location and overall elevation it was ID'd as a Cordilleran.</div>
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However, Fontenelle, is a "lowland" trap by Wyoming standards.</div>
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The assumption that the lowland birds are all Pacific-slope seems to go hand in hand with the idea that Cordilleran Flycatchers migrate through the mountains and highlands to their wintering sites, predominately in the mountains and pacific slopes of south central Mexico. Parallel ideas are that of birds like Cassin's Vireo, Townsend's, Nashville, and Hermit Warbler, and Rufous Hummingbird. All of these species are rare and some non-existant in spring in Utah. Some do show up occasionally, but these are predominantly only fall migrants in Utah None-the-less they are only found during migration--like the speculation of PSFL and its occurence here.<br />
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Hermit Warbler interestingly are rarely if almost never found away from high elevation sites with a coniferous component in the interior southwest during the fall. While all the others tend to show up at various elevations and habitats. <br />
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So I've droned on--but lets actually look at some maps I generated via eBird and customized to show information about Cordilleran and Pacific-slope Flycatchers.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1kBUgnmH5aU/VNWZGOfAlzI/AAAAAAAACyo/Jeypr0pz1cc/s1600/western-range.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1kBUgnmH5aU/VNWZGOfAlzI/AAAAAAAACyo/Jeypr0pz1cc/s1600/western-range.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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This first map shows the year round range (via actual detections in eBird) of both COFL and PSFL. COFL is shown in blue; strictly in the mountain west through central Mexico. PSFL is show in red from Alaska to southern Mexico on of all things the Pacific coast and slopes. The purple blocks represent overlap where both species have been or are reported. Much of this is migration and winter grounds. Note the interior range of PSFL into Washington State and Canada almost directly north of Utah.<br />
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Do we assume these birds migrate "around" the Great Basin, following the Sierra Nevada slopes and the coast, north and south during migration, or is it more likely they shoot straight over one or both directions? Looking at this map is seems almost impossible that this species misses Utah, and that in all likelihood a large number pass through at least during the fall; but presumably also during the spring.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pod2dzow91Q/VNWamMari2I/AAAAAAAACy0/dDSocXG7Cq4/s1600/cordilleran-range.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pod2dzow91Q/VNWamMari2I/AAAAAAAACy0/dDSocXG7Cq4/s1600/cordilleran-range.jpg" height="404" width="640" /></a></div>
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The map above shows year round Cordilleran Flycatcher reports from eBird specifically in southwest Utah. The light green spots represent breeding reports from what mostly appear to be high elevation sites as they should. The blue and orange dots represent migrant reports You'll notive that while there are numerous locations around the light green dots, there are alos some out in low laying areas; notably around Las Vegas and St. George. The dark green spots represent overlap where birds have been reported at a minimum of at least spring and/or fall migration and the breeding season. Again the majority of these dark dreesn show up at the high elevation sites. ONe thing to note is that there are no winter records from this region.<br />
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Well what about Pacific-slope Flycatcher reports? Below shows the map of reports year round from the same region as above. Take a look...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NZrasdNPqZg/VNWawkYwfzI/AAAAAAAACy8/mnhuz9wXXC8/s1600/pacslope-range.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NZrasdNPqZg/VNWawkYwfzI/AAAAAAAACy8/mnhuz9wXXC8/s1600/pacslope-range.jpg" height="404" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are obvioulsy much fewer reports on this map; and that is expected. Afterall a large portion of the map is high elevation coniferous forest around Flagstaff, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and throughout southern Utah. This is the breeding habitat of COFL. Of note there are no breeding season reports from this area; there were several reports from the first week of June at lowland sites around Las Vegas which presumably are late northbound migrants.<br />
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The interesting thing about this map is the clear data points to the west, southwest, and south of Utah, basically everything around our fair state. Yet in Utah; nada. There is something wrong with this picture, and had Rick not brought this to my attention, I don't know how long I would have gone before actually looking at these maps. I think its a fair assumption that the lack of reports in Utah is not due to the fact that they don't occur here; but instead is due to the fact that physically they look the same as our Cordilleran Flycatchers. How many Pacific Slope Flycatchers have been right underneath our noses? I pulled up the list of Cordilleran Flycatcher sightings just from Lytle Ranch. Every record occurs in spring or fall migration and in all there are only 22 individual birds reported from 17 dates. That's actaully very slim numbers in comparison to let's say Dusky Flycatcher where there are over 50 indicvidaul reports.<br />
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The last figure I created below is of the winter reports of both species of "Western" Flycatcher. In pink you can see PSFL, and in blue is COFL. The purple dots along the Pacific slope in Mexico represent overlapping reports.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_NWPRspMmsw/VNWa9LkGB4I/AAAAAAAACzE/D8jLF68i2eU/s1600/western-winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_NWPRspMmsw/VNWa9LkGB4I/AAAAAAAACzE/D8jLF68i2eU/s1600/western-winter.jpg" height="382" width="640" /></a></div>
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Aside from 4 or 5 wintter reports in America for COFL--all east of El Paso, Texas; all other reports in the lower 48 in winter are of PSFL. Notably in the desert southwest in rizona, California and along the Colorado River. So what does this mean?<br />
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I went into eBird and changed all my spring/fall lowland sightings in Washington county to Cordilleran/Pacific-slope Flycatcher. There are now 16 reports in queue to be reviewed for PSFL in Washingtong County during the spring or fall with an additiaonl 7 or 8 Pac-slope/Cordilleran already approved. I used that nomenclature for the time being as it is safest. However, where Rick has heard the vocalizations it can likely be said his birds were indeed PSFL.<br />
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But what is the true extnet of this species in Utah? Does it extend beyond the reaches of Washington County? Realistically how mnay Western Flycatchers submitted to eBird from lowland sites around the state were heard vocalizing? And what is the typical migration pattern for Cordilleran Flycatcher? I for one will be taking more time to listen and make sure I know this vocaliztion this spring whne I hit the field:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="220" scrolling="no" src="http://www.xeno-canto.org/164566/embed" style="width: 100%;"></iframe>
Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-44659459867806496472015-02-05T10:52:00.001-07:002015-02-05T10:52:33.761-07:00eBird and the Issue with DomesticsSo I love <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a>--you know this if you've read my posts in the past. I have a few gripes with some things they do wrong--its a fact that the software is pretty amazing, but there are some very easy ways to make improvements that will give users much more control over how they view data. One such improvement that I haven't spoken about in the past is the ability to filter out DOMESTICS. Love them or hate them (I'm in the latter camp) I've never seen the point in having the ability to add domestic birds into checklists; and then display that data in search results and lists for locations. Simply put the birds ARE NOT WILD! They are not recognized as wild species, and in my opinion they clutter things up in the data. Some people really seem to enjoy putting them on their checklists though. As birders we know they occur and in general know where they occur. So why put them on checklists?<br />
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I am having trouble finding <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a>s official reasoning for this, although I suspect on some level it is because they do have an impact on native wildlife; and perhaps there is some interest in local populations of domestic fowl, etc. So I can be okay with these being available as inputs on checklists and outputs in data. But what I would love to see is the ability at a user level to either HIDE ALL domestics in submission forms and in output data as a setting. If I could go in and switch a toggle that says I don't want to see this; for me personally it would be an improved experience. There could also be the ability to filter them out in data outputs. This is actually still my biggest gripe with species maps, lists, and other data outputs. The general lack of filtering ability. The filters they have set in place are location, season, and year based. All great tools. But more complex filters to hide or show "spuhs", domestics, hybrids, etc would be really useful when looking at output data. Here is an example...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GQc00HMtNKE/VNOptjDwADI/AAAAAAAACxM/H7JRrQtgcJ8/s1600/slic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GQc00HMtNKE/VNOptjDwADI/AAAAAAAACxM/H7JRrQtgcJ8/s1600/slic.png" height="317" width="640" /></a></div>
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I pulled up the bar chart for the Salt Lake International Center. Right at the top of the list we have2 domestics, then a either/or (that's like Ross's/Snow Goose). A few more down is another domestic, then a spuh. All said the list has the 197 wild species + 22 "other taxa". These others are the domestics, the hybrids, the spuhs, and the either/ors. It's all valuable data, but maybe I am a purist and only truly care about actual wild occurring species.<br />
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Now to be honest this isn't a bad list by any means--197 to 22 is a okay ratio. Let's look at a bigger less manageable list--the Utah statewide bar chart. 458 Species and 168 other taxa.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sdLCX7Gj1pw/VNOp0nHf0aI/AAAAAAAACxU/U_s6hjDoV6o/s1600/utah.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sdLCX7Gj1pw/VNOp0nHf0aI/AAAAAAAACxU/U_s6hjDoV6o/s1600/utah.png" height="640" width="580" /></a></div>
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Out of the first 15 "species" line items, 8 are OTHER TAXA. Now waterfowl in general is like this since there are lots of hybrids and domestics. But going down the list, almost every section of 15 species has 1 of these other taxa. Gulls are particularly ugly as well!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fhiZdGSgBfo/VNOp9PELiwI/AAAAAAAACxc/mNTJuoe-txQ/s1600/gulls.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fhiZdGSgBfo/VNOp9PELiwI/AAAAAAAACxc/mNTJuoe-txQ/s1600/gulls.png" height="534" width="640" /></a></div>
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Okay so how do we take care of this. Much like my suggestion to add the ability to toggle on or off invalid sightings on the maps page; there would be a simple filter on the bar charts or any page that has output data that would allow us to filter this other junk out. A quick redesign of the top of each table and it would be easier to read, and create a nice placement for a filter button.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_RQX-kanRmM/VNOqJLJKNCI/AAAAAAAACxk/wr9-3fZ6Cr4/s1600/filter_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_RQX-kanRmM/VNOqJLJKNCI/AAAAAAAACxk/wr9-3fZ6Cr4/s1600/filter_1.png" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
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I already feel better jsut cleaning up the table header :) So lets see what would happen when you click the "Filter This Checklist" button.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7vuLH4T9qE/VNOqWa6-OkI/AAAAAAAACxs/j8jpAF0gcBw/s1600/filter_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7vuLH4T9qE/VNOqWa6-OkI/AAAAAAAACxs/j8jpAF0gcBw/s1600/filter_2.png" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
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You would be able to filter by time of year, date, a number of toggles for what species types you want to see, and hell, lets even throw in the ability to show invalidated reports--this will eb my life long goal with <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a> I think. So if we were to go through and turn all the species filters off except for wild like so:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64XP8JaTvVg/VNOqw-FT6LI/AAAAAAAACx0/TQW0rGmWwBE/s1600/filter_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64XP8JaTvVg/VNOqw-FT6LI/AAAAAAAACx0/TQW0rGmWwBE/s1600/filter_3.png" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
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The output would change and we would see the following, removing all the spuhs, hybrids and such--giving us a real total for the wild species in Utah:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KGk5jq3OfuA/VNOrUh4ZlOI/AAAAAAAACx8/cU1AHadee5w/s1600/filter_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KGk5jq3OfuA/VNOrUh4ZlOI/AAAAAAAACx8/cU1AHadee5w/s1600/filter_4.png" height="330" width="640" /></a></div>
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And of course just for laughs if we were to go in and adjust the toggle for invalid reports the screen would change ever so slightly to now show invalid species in a red (the abundance marker would be red as well), and next to the species total would list the invalid species as well, keeping thisngs clean.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9nHFloF0qY/VNOrw-hxWSI/AAAAAAAACyE/ICtZ9zuPsh8/s1600/filter_5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9nHFloF0qY/VNOrw-hxWSI/AAAAAAAACyE/ICtZ9zuPsh8/s1600/filter_5.png" height="350" width="640" /></a></div>
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Maybe its just me, but this tool can be used in so many ways, and make <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a> even better for its users. I've seen some crazy stuff put on checklists in the past. Park ducks and gees from an aviary. Emu and Ostrich from what are obviously farms. Guineafowl on private property; a number of exotic ducks again on private property, or public ponds operated by private entitities. I am a birder, and I really only have an interest in teh free flying wild stuff. Don't get me wrong there are some free flying escapees--and I think that is a hole other classification of birds that we could add into the database--the ability to mark something as a free flying escapee on a checklist would add a new dyanamic. Mandarin Ducks, Bar-headed Geese, Pochards, Budgies, etc.<br />
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Free Flying Escaped<b> Bar-headed Goose</b> in Provo</div>
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What I am getting at is I don't really care what they allow people to put into the system. I get the importance of tracking domestics (to a certain extent); but that's not something I will ever do. Adding more rich features to enhance the user experience of the data output will only make <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a> more valuable to its users, researchers, and team <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a>. <br />
<br />Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-69526196464490724852015-02-03T22:30:00.002-07:002015-02-03T22:31:44.156-07:00Northern Pygmy-Owl: The Death BlowSorry that it's a little shaky. I didn't grab my tripod and trying to hand hold for video usually doesn't work out to great. Needless to say the last 3-4 seconds of this video show how fierce this tiny little owl is:<br />
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This winter has seen a higher than usual number of detections of Northern Pygmy-Owls. Winter is usually the best time to observe these owls in Utah but this year it seems to be a banner year. This individual was seen in the town of Rockville, Utah right along the busy Highway leading into Zion National Park. <br />
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We watched it drop and take the mouse out, before finally putting it out of its misery, and after a few minutes starting to dig into its catch.<br />
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Of all the pygmy-owls I've seen this was by far the coolest interaction I've had! What are some of the experiences others have had with this species this winter, and in winters past?<br />
<br />Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-56232821904406142122015-02-02T09:19:00.002-07:002015-02-02T09:19:44.045-07:00January 2015 Review, February PreviewWow, what a January! Looking back in all the years I've lived in Utah I can't remember a year starting off with such a bang. For starters I don't think anyone can help but notice the big month Kenny Frisch had. <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/top100?locInfo.regionType=subnational1&locInfo.regionCode=US-UT&year=2015&sortBy=num_species" target="_blank">Just check out the eBird Top 100</a>... He destroyed the biggest January record which was 158 species in 2013 by Dennis Shirley. That 158 was impressive, <b>but Kenny topped the charts at 177 species for the month!</b> I personally had my biggest January ever, so there must have been something in the water. In comparison, in 2007 when I did my Utah Big Year I got 122 which seemed like a lot of work... In fact I didn't hit 170 till March 31st! I guess I have some competition this year!<br />
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Kenny's month is actually the biggest winter month ever in Utah--that's November, December, January, February, and March! So congrats Kenny!<br />
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January was a big month in general with <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/GuideMe?src=changeDate&getLocations=states&states=US-UT&parentState=US-UT&reportType=location&monthRadio=on&bMonth=01&eMonth=01&bYear=2015&eYear=2015&continue.x=25&continue.y=3" target="_blank">177 verified eBird reports</a> and a handful of sightings that have yet been reviewed--the month total will likely be somewhere in the mid 180's. That's a big January!<br />
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<i>Some of the birds were down right impressive. How abou</i>t:</div>
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<b>Laughing Gull (2nd report ever)</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/87040768@N02/15667086464/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7491/15667086464_ab451a561d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/87040768@N02/" target="_blank">Mike Hearell</a></div>
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<b>Purple Finch (2nd or 3rd report)</b><br />
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photo by Tim Avery</div>
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<b>Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (2nd report)</b><br />
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photo by Tim Avery</div>
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<b>Brown Pelican (between 5-10 reports)</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bubblesteph/16028728248/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8583/16028728248_c08d982f64_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bubblesteph/" target="_blank">Stephanie Greenwood</a></div>
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<b>Red-headed Woodpecker (3rd non historical)</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/01_January/20150111/pygmy-owl/red-headed-woodpecker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/01_January/20150111/pygmy-owl/red-headed-woodpecker.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
photo by Tim Avery<br />
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<b>Iceland Gull (5-10 reports)</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/01_January/20150123/iceland-gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/01_January/20150123/iceland-gull.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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photo by Tim Avery</div>
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Those are some great birds! The weather this January was very un-January-like and that could have impacted things. Although the expected snows and winter storms that often bring in great birds from the north never materialized, great birds still showed up. Southern Utah saw handfuls of great stuff, and most of the birds were long staying so lots of people got to see them. Is this type of January the new normal in Utah? It would drastically change birding going forward, seeming more Arizona-like than what we're used too.<br />
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How's February looking so far? Well Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, so 6 more weeks of winter... I hope not. Or I guess if today's forecast is how those 6 weeks will go I am okay with that. What does that mean for birding? IF it continues to be mild the birding should be much like it was throughout January. Expect some early northbound migrants, or earlier than normal arrivals and departures for the month. This includes geese, gulls, and swans. February albeit being typically a slow month in Utah for birding, has a few notable events this month.<br />
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<a href="http://wildlife.utah.gov/gslnc-events.html" target="_blank">Bald Eagle Day </a>- Sat, Feb 14th</div>
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The ever-popular Bald Eagle Day will be on Saturday, February 14, 2015. Viewing times will vary depending on which site you'll be visiting: Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Split Mountain/Green River from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Rush Lake Ranch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.<br />
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<a href="http://www.utahbirders.com/trips" target="_blank">5th Annual Gullstravaganza</a> - Sat, Feb 21st</div>
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Every winter as California Gulls congregate on the edges of the Great Salt Lake to search for food at nearby landfills, parks, wildlife management areas, and anywhere that may have open fresh water--other gulls that stray from their normal winter ranges end up mixed in.This creates one of most unique inland gulling hot spots in the nation. Along with the thousands of California Gulls are smaller numbers of Ring-billed Gulls, and decent numbers of Herring Gulls. Mixed in with those you are likely to find a few Thayer's Gulls. Aside from those 4 species a handful of others show up every year including: Glaucous, Glaucous-winged, Mew, Lesser Black-backed, Western, and Iceland.<br />
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<a href="http://deltagoosefestival.com/" target="_blank">Delta Snow Goose Festival</a> - Feb 27-28th</div>
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Early each spring, thousands of Snow Geese begin their 3,000 mile voyage home to Canada's northwest territories. Starting from where they winter in Southern California & Mexico, these travelers navigate their way home with amazing precision and faithfulness. Delta, Utah is privileged to be situated along their annual migration route. Come join us for this year's annual Delta Snow Goose Festival! Bring your camera and be ready to join the fun.<br />
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2015 is off to a great start, an this should be a great February for birding in Utah!Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-33966088418499688862015-01-19T22:48:00.002-07:002015-02-02T09:25:57.651-07:00The Sweet 16: Utah's Next First State RecordsThe last few years has been a great time for birders finding bird species never before seen in the state. Just 2014 itself produced several of this state first records- a young Streak-backed Oriole down in St George found by Russell Schreiner (I know it was technically found in late 2013, but most birders saw it in 2014), a Salt Lake City foothills Mississippi Kite flyby found by Jerry Liguori and a dapper Nelson's Sparrow found by Bryant Olsen at Farmington Bay.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf7yjErtLvE/VL2eoSvHMqI/AAAAAAAAEHQ/S3SFMnZWlQ4/s1600/IMG_8989.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf7yjErtLvE/VL2eoSvHMqI/AAAAAAAAEHQ/S3SFMnZWlQ4/s1600/IMG_8989.5.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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State first Streak-backed Oriole</div>
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State first Nelson's Sparrow</div>
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2015 has already gotten off to a fast start for new birds with a new state first record being found by Matt Pendelton at Lee Kay Ponds, a juvenile Laughing Gull that has been extremely cooperative and given many birders views of their first Utah Laughing Gull and in some cases their lifer Laugher.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cg09xuydRHI/VL2gTCst6AI/AAAAAAAAEHk/U4MLcwAlhiY/s1600/IMG_0143.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cg09xuydRHI/VL2gTCst6AI/AAAAAAAAEHk/U4MLcwAlhiY/s1600/IMG_0143.5.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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2015's first state record, a juvenile Laughing Gull</div>
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Lucky for birders, 3 out of the past 4 newest birds to Utah stuck around a while and enabled many birders to go chase them down and add to their lists. It happens though that a few of these species were on a list that I concocted of my own a year or so ago of what I thought could be the next species to be added to the official Utah checklist. I had Mississippi Kite on that list as well as Laughing Gull since their were a number of sightings for both in states surround Utah (more so for Mississippi Kite) and gulls and raptors often complete long migrations which can serve as a catalyst for vagrancy. Streak-backed Oriole and Nelson's were not on my list due to the limited records of them in states around Utah and in case of the Nelson's, its secretive nature. </div>
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With all of these state firsts since my unofficial list, I decided it would be fun to put down my official list here of what I think the next state first birds will be. I narrowed my very long list down to 16 birds that I expect to be found next in the state. I tried to get it down to 10 but I felt I was leaving off too many good candidates and I also wanted to have many different types of birds represented. I will give my reason why I think that these birds will be the next species and even some tips to help birders try to find them for themselves. I know that this list has given me some focus of where to look so I hope that it will help out other birders as well. </div>
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I used ebird to plot distribution maps of the last 10 years for the species I thought would show up next. I also left out 3 species with are confirmed for Utah on Ebird but aren't on the official Utah checklist- a 1st cycle Slaty-backed Gull found by Ryan O'Donnell at the Logan Landfill, Chihuahuan Raven in San Juan county by Tim Avery and others and an Eastern Meadowlark also found by Tim Avery in Blanding. All 3 have photos on Ebird that look fine for each of those species to me and the Utah moderator seems to agree.</div>
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So without further ado....</div>
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<b>The Next 16 Utah State Firsts (I think)</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1) Tufted Duck</b></span></div>
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Tufted Duck pair (picture by <a href="https://flic.kr/p/dWrrvk" target="_blank">Prank F</a>)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v_MlmFrT9Rg/VL1cqyrBHLI/AAAAAAAAEHI/420GOlPmHf0/s1600/TUDU.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v_MlmFrT9Rg/VL1cqyrBHLI/AAAAAAAAEHI/420GOlPmHf0/s1600/TUDU.jpg" height="352" width="640" /> </a></div>
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Tufted Duck distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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While in the last 10 years, the only Tufted Duck records away from the Pacific Coast have been in Colorado, there are also records of these species from Arizona and Idaho (with even some Utah birders seeing the Idaho bird). Ducks are typically long distance migrants often breeding up in the tundra or taiga and wintering down in areas like Utah. It seems like only a matter of time before a Tufted Duck gets found on one of the mountain reservoirs or even at a place like Farmington Bay in the winter. In addition to looking like a scaup or Ring-necked Duck, they often tend to hang out with them when one is found in the US. However look for an all black back and white sides on males (in addition to its namesake tuft) and females look for a dark maroon breast contrasting with paler gray-brown sides. </div>
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I chose Tufted Duck over <b>Black-bellied Whistling-Duck</b>, even though Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks will show up in unexpected locations, because as of now there are no records of it north of Arizona. However they also seem like a species that will show up sooner rather than later, especially with their expanding Arizona population.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2) Blue-footed Booby</b></span></div>
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<b> </b>Blue-footed Booby Adult and Juvenile (photo by <a href="https://flic.kr/p/i8SF4N" target="_blank">Ferdi de Gier</a>)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UY_aTBRrgN4/VL1chV8xEHI/AAAAAAAAEE4/3oo2LL4c-dc/s1600/BFBO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UY_aTBRrgN4/VL1chV8xEHI/AAAAAAAAEE4/3oo2LL4c-dc/s1600/BFBO.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Blue-footed Booby distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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Free the boobies! There are no records of boobies in Utah yet, but that doesn't mean there won't be one in the future. Blue-footed Boobies breed in the Gulf of California and each year their tend to be a few overshoots north, some years like 2014 there are many overshoots with dozens being reported in the Salton Sea. One even made it up to Lake Havasu, where I got to see it on a trip down to Arizona. There are even a few records of birds in eastern New Mexico which made me choose the Blue-footed as the most likely booby to show up in Utah although eventually a <b>Brown Booby</b> will be found. The best time to look for Utah's first Blue-footed Booby seems like August or September after a storm hits southern Utah from the south and in one of the reservoirs in Washington County and/ or Lake Powell.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3) Harris's Hawk</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t6WtJEu6nro/VL2ttuylPBI/AAAAAAAAEH0/4WVIvnoOmws/s1600/IMG_3123.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t6WtJEu6nro/VL2ttuylPBI/AAAAAAAAEH0/4WVIvnoOmws/s1600/IMG_3123.5.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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One angry Harris's Hawk</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q0vX8kVUs_0/VL1cmE4YCmI/AAAAAAAAEGA/s4X_K5FB_e4/s1600/HAHA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q0vX8kVUs_0/VL1cmE4YCmI/AAAAAAAAEGA/s4X_K5FB_e4/s1600/HAHA.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Harris's Hawk distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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Harris's Hawk seems like a natural to be on the Utah checklist. There are a number of records in nearby Nevada so it seems like one could just follow the Mojave Desert into Utah. Some records in Montana and Colorado though suggest that one could show up just about anywhere else in the state. However any Harris's Hawks found outside of Washington County should be scrutinized as falconry birds since they are one of the more common falconry birds due to their social nature as Harris's Hawks hunt cooperatively in groups. Keep your eye out the next time you are in southeastern Utah for this gorgeous raptor that sports rufous shoulders and a white tail band and rump.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4)</b> <b>Ridgway's Rail</b></span></div>
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<b> </b>Goodbye Clapper Rail, Hello Ridgway's Rail (photo by <a href="https://flic.kr/p/hTbweX" target="_blank">Gregory Lis</a>)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83X4JHa9LBk/VL1cpXGS8ZI/AAAAAAAAEGw/fX8KmmWCZUk/s1600/RIRA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83X4JHa9LBk/VL1cpXGS8ZI/AAAAAAAAEGw/fX8KmmWCZUk/s1600/RIRA.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ridgway's Rail distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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The ABA's newest species, the Ridgway Rail, was recently split from Clapper Rail which is found on the Atlantic coast. Ridgway's Rails breed as close as the Salton Sea and an individual could easily get blown north into Utah. There are records from nearby Overton WMA and even a record west of Utah in Nevada. It seems like most records are either from January or April/ May so keep an ear open for them if you visit any marshes in Washington County in those times of year. </div>
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I chose Ridgway's Rail over both <b>Black Rail </b>and <b>Yellow Rail</b> since even though neither of those species have been reported in Utah, both tend to be more secretive than Ridgway's Rail and will be harder to find. Black Rail also breed near Lake Havasu and along the lower Colorado River so could follow a similar pathway as Ridgway's into Utah. Listen for them as well in Washington County marshes. Yellow Rail has a spotty distribution in the west owing to its very secretive nature but prefer wet grassy meadows making a spot in northeastern Utah like Bear River Meadows a likely locale. Listen for its call that sounds like two pebbles being hit together. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5)</b> <b>Great Black-backed Gull</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDZV_GSeqVc/VL21T5iSq7I/AAAAAAAAEIE/eZNNbD0-oAg/s1600/IMG_7572.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDZV_GSeqVc/VL21T5iSq7I/AAAAAAAAEIE/eZNNbD0-oAg/s1600/IMG_7572.5.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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Great Black-backeds dwarf all other gulls<b> </b></div>
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Great Black-backed Gull distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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Great Black-backed Gulls are the largest gull in the world and should be easy to identify when one finally shows up in Utah. There are many records nearby in Colorado and it is only a matter of time before one shows up at one of the regular winter gull hotspots. In addition to its massive size, dwarfing all other gull species, the blackness of its back will stand out as it is even darker than Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 1st cycle birds are also easy to identify with their massive black bills and black-and-white checkered upperparts.</div>
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I chose Great Black-backed Gull over the other gulls that haven't been seen in the state since there seems to be a pattern of them showing up in Colorado which could lead to one in Utah. <b>Ross's, Black-headed </b>and<b> Ivory Gulls</b> have all shown up in the west in states around Utah, but their vagrancy patterns are more random than the Great Black-backed. Those species would also be more likely at a spot like the Antelope Island Causeway rather than the typical wintering gull spots.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6) Arctic Tern</b></span> </div>
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When will one of the world's longest migrants show up in Utah?</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rdCBJirzkhY/VL1cgNMHKSI/AAAAAAAAEFI/H8BIYDi4ucQ/s1600/ARTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rdCBJirzkhY/VL1cgNMHKSI/AAAAAAAAEFI/H8BIYDi4ucQ/s1600/ARTE.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
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Arctic Tern distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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From what I can tell, Arctic Tern has to be one of the most overdue state firsts on this list. It has been records in every state in the west... except for Utah. With a gray belly, it can look like a Common Tern, but has gray and white wings with small dark tips, a smaller head and bill and a longer tail. The best time to look for them in Utah should be the last 2 weeks of May and the first week of June as well as the entire month of September. So if you see a Common Tern during those times, make sure to double check it to make sure you aren't really looking at one of the longest distance migrants in the world! One could show up anywhere in the state but Antelope Island or Farmington Bay seem to be as good of a place to look as any.</div>
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I chose Arctic Tern over <b>Elegant</b> and <b>Royal Tern</b> as the next state first tern due to the sheer number of sightings across all parts of the west. Elegant and Royal Terns do seem likely to show up in Utah in the near future as well (Elegant especially) but would seem to be most likely to be seen in Washington County if one were to show up since they tend to be found more to the south west.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7) Blue-throated Hummingbird</b></span> </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fygGCTF2JSU/VL28s_J5xGI/AAAAAAAAEIc/4sn34Zv2yuk/s1600/IMG_0594.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fygGCTF2JSU/VL28s_J5xGI/AAAAAAAAEIc/4sn34Zv2yuk/s1600/IMG_0594.5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Large and in charge- the Blue-throated Hummingbird</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kbQVtYoZGZs/VL1cjnJZoVI/AAAAAAAAEEg/MCPsBTy7thU/s1600/BTHU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kbQVtYoZGZs/VL1cjnJZoVI/AAAAAAAAEEg/MCPsBTy7thU/s1600/BTHU.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Blue-throated Hummingbird distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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The second largest hummingbird in the US (only smaller than the Magnificent), the Blue-throated Hummingbird is another species that seems like it is only a matter of time before it shows up in Utah. There have been several records in Colorado including one just across the border in Grand Junction. If its large size isn't enough of a clue that you have a special hummingbird at your feeders, also note the slow wingbeats (slowest of any US hummer), the white stripes on its face and its giant tail with white corners. You can even listen for it to make its frequent high pitched <i>seek</i> call. Look and listen for one at a hummingbird feeder in southern Utah, most likely in the summer. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8) Crested Caracara</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wSkb_ekY6gk/VL2-8_lYBAI/AAAAAAAAEIo/bfaIrg49TKM/s1600/209304_635596736918_7599361_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wSkb_ekY6gk/VL2-8_lYBAI/AAAAAAAAEIo/bfaIrg49TKM/s1600/209304_635596736918_7599361_o.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> </b>Coming to a field near you- a Crested Caracara</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IDfGiw1GK5o/VL1ckGzGlCI/AAAAAAAAEFU/z1vGaH_FWpA/s1600/CRCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IDfGiw1GK5o/VL1ckGzGlCI/AAAAAAAAEFU/z1vGaH_FWpA/s1600/CRCA.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Crested Caracara distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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The Crested Caracara, the national bird of Mexico, is a goofy looking ground-loving falcon. It seems a likely candidate to show up in Utah soon due to records in just about every state around Utah and even Montana and because of a population boom happening in Arizona. Just like other falcons, they like hanging out in open areas but rather than perching up high, they like to hang out low and are adept at walking on the ground with their long legs. The Washington and Hurricane fields east of St George are a likely location for Utah's first caracara to show up.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9) Pacific-slope Flycatcher</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3119/2512542259_d6fd00061c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3119/2512542259_d6fd00061c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Is this a Pacific-slope Flycatcher? Or a Cordilleran? (photo by <a href="https://flic.kr/p/4Q2rh8" target="_blank">Linda Tanner</a>)</div>
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Pacific-slope Flycatcher distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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The first of two flycatchers on the list, the scientific name of the Pacific-slope Flycatcher says it all- <i>difficilis</i>. Virtually identical to the widespread-in-the-state Cordilleran flycatcher, the Pacific-slope is only a little drabber. The calls of the birds are different even though they do sound similar. In the song of the Pacific-slope, listen for the ptik note to have the first syllable lower than the first (in the Cordilleran, the first syllable will be higher than the second). However this only helps if the birds are singing so the best chance of finding the first Pacific-slope Flycatcher will come in the spring. The last two weeks of May and first week of June look like the best time to find one as well as August and October and make sure to record the song if you can. Pictures can't tell the two apart. Pacific-slopes migrate very near to extreme southeastern Utah with a record a few miles from Lytle Ranch even which seems like the best place to find the state's first. Additionally any 'Western Flycatcher' found in Utah winter will be a Pacific-slope. There are numerous winter records of Pacific-slope Flycatcher in Arizona where they winter in low numbers, but Cordillerans do not winter in the US, so take note of any 'Western Flycatcher' found in Utah in winter.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10) Dusky-capped Flycatcher</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5202/5288862337_91073c9e8f_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5202/5288862337_91073c9e8f_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> </b>The somewhat poorly named Dusky-capped Flycatcher (photo by <a href="https://flic.kr/p/94mNvF" target="_blank">Ron Wolf</a>)</div>
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Dusky-capped Flycatcher distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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The Dusky-capped Flycatcher seems like another possibility for Utah in the future. There are nearby records in Nevada and it seems to be extending its range northward. It is also a regular vagrant into Southern California so it would only take one to go the wrong way and head into Utah. As usual, Washington County would be the most likely place for the first encounter of this small Myiarchus flycatcher. It is smaller than the two other likely species in southeastern Utah, Ash-throated and Brown-crested, with more contrasting plumage.</div>
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<b>Greater Pewee </b>and<b> Eastern Wood-Pewee</b> are also honorable mention flycatchers for state firsts as Greater Pewee comes close to southern Utah and Eastern Wood-Pewees have been found in most states in the west. Double check and weird Olive-sided Flycatchers or Western Wood-pewees you find. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11) Sprague's Pipit</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/7088920489_3235912d52_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/7088920489_3235912d52_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A normally hard to see Sprague's Pipit (photo by <a href="https://flic.kr/p/bNqz64" target="_blank">Terry Sohl</a>)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uRlH3pSdYR4/VL1cqOfbo_I/AAAAAAAAEG8/ihdu8nTDI18/s1600/SPPI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uRlH3pSdYR4/VL1cqOfbo_I/AAAAAAAAEG8/ihdu8nTDI18/s1600/SPPI.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sprague's Pipit distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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Sprague's Pipit looks like another good candidate for state first because of the logic of how birds get from point A to point B. They breed to the north of Utah in central Montana but some also winter to the south of Utah in Arizona and southern California. The easiest route for migration looks to be directly over Utah for such birds so it seems like one will be seen eventually. Sprague's Pipits can look like juvenile Horned Larks so make sure to look for the lack of primary projection on Sprague's, as well as pale legs and a thinner bill. The blank faced look as well as stockiness and shorter tail make it look different from other pipits. Look for one it its preferred habit- short grassy fields in September and October and listen for its nasal high pitched call, squeet.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12) Blackburnian Warbler</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1d901b3127ccefdfc08b4ad0500000040O00IbuW7dq1ZsQe3nw4/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00103557079720110721031203408.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1d901b3127ccefdfc08b4ad0500000040O00IbuW7dq1ZsQe3nw4/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00103557079720110721031203408.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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The unmistakeable male Blackburnian Warbler</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ng3FPq4egSE/VL1ciG92QpI/AAAAAAAAEEw/p33UK9ngwyQ/s1600/BLWA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ng3FPq4egSE/VL1ciG92QpI/AAAAAAAAEEw/p33UK9ngwyQ/s1600/BLWA.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Blackburnian Warbler distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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Now we enter the "I can't believe this warbler species hasn't been seen in Utah" phase of the list. As you can see from the map, Blackburnians have been found all around Utah and even within a few miles of Utah at Dinosaur National Monument. As with a lot of the species on this list, the best time for finding one is the last two weeks of May and the first week of June as well as the month of September. They are unmistakeable by both sight and sound with a call that continually rises until it hits pitches that I assume only dogs can hear. Look for them in all of the usual migrant traps in Utah whether they are around the Great Salt Lake or desert oases. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13) Black-throated Green Warbler</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nde36cTYi7w/VL3UleHFhfI/AAAAAAAAEI4/g_40EkjNqVM/s1600/Warbler%2C%2BBlack-throated%2BGreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nde36cTYi7w/VL3UleHFhfI/AAAAAAAAEI4/g_40EkjNqVM/s1600/Warbler%2C%2BBlack-throated%2BGreen.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> </b> A very blurry Black-throated Green Warbler</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HNEMF6LXAPQ/VL1cixHMxII/AAAAAAAAEEo/WLQzKpnw83s/s1600/BTGW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HNEMF6LXAPQ/VL1cixHMxII/AAAAAAAAEEo/WLQzKpnw83s/s1600/BTGW.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Black-throated Green Warbler distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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Another warbler I am surprised hasn't been seen in Utah, the Black-throated Green Warbler is the eastern counterpart to two fall only Utah warblers, the uncommon Townsend's Warbler and the only found in Washington County, Hermit Warbler. Like the Blackburnian, it nest to the north of Utah yet migrates around the Rockies... for the most part. There are records in every state around Utah for this species as well. It looks like a Townsend's Warbler, but has greenish upperparts. Like the Blackburnian, they are most likely to be found in spring during the two weeks of May and the first week of June, but in the fall they are more likely to be found in October. In spring listen for its musical call zee zee zee zee zee zo zeet and look for it in the usual migrant traps across the state.</div>
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The 3rd eastern warbler that hasn't been seen in Utah yet but has records all over the west is the <b>Mourning Warbler</b>. All the same caveats of the other two apply to this species like timing and location, but it will be harder to find since it is more of a skulker than the other two, much like its western counterpart, the MacGillivray's Warbler. However look for its lack of eye arcs to differentiate it.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>14) Red-faced Warbler</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2950/15475198665_81feeaff99_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2950/15475198665_81feeaff99_h.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yet another warbler that hasn't been seen in Utah... yet (photo by <a href="https://flic.kr/p/pzurq6" target="_blank">Tom Benson</a>)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8elFfUPOeuc/VL1coiATpeI/AAAAAAAAEGk/-lEZCd75wF0/s1600/RFWA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8elFfUPOeuc/VL1coiATpeI/AAAAAAAAEGk/-lEZCd75wF0/s1600/RFWA.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Red-faced Warbler distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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The next two are birds with large ranges in Utah that come oh-so-close to Utah. The first is the Red-faced Warbler, a very colorful bird of montane forests in canyon areas. You can see that it has come near the border of Utah north of the Grand Canyon. The best bet to see one would be in an area of Ponderosa Pine forest like that along Kolob Terrace Road where one might be found singing up in the pines. Look for them in the summer.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>15) Hepatic Tanager</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dB6SRAu826g/VL3kDVqmgWI/AAAAAAAAEJI/mDhfQSHj2pI/s1600/IMG_0036.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dB6SRAu826g/VL3kDVqmgWI/AAAAAAAAEJI/mDhfQSHj2pI/s1600/IMG_0036.5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> </b>The subtlety beautiful Hepatic Tanager</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K8OJVLa-bJ8/VL1cm6LZfMI/AAAAAAAAEGM/T57utI2jleM/s1600/HETA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K8OJVLa-bJ8/VL1cm6LZfMI/AAAAAAAAEGM/T57utI2jleM/s1600/HETA.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hepatic Tanager distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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Like the Red-faced Warbler, the Hepatic Tanager is also an Arizona native that has been reported close to Utah. However it seems more likely to get to Utah first. There are many more reports of it from the Grand Canyon region and it does tend to stray northward into Colorado on a regular basis. They resemble Summer Tanagers but are drabber overall, especially on the upperparts for males as well as females. However they would utilize different habitats in Utah. Summer Tanagers are found primarily in riparian areas especially where cottonwoods are found. Hepatic Tanagers, like Red-faced Warblers, like montane forest in canyons so some of the areas in Zion and Kolob Terrace Rd would be likely spots where the first state record bird would be found.</div>
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<b>16) Bell's Sparrow</b></div>
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<a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7382/12546404704_78d8001042_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7382/12546404704_78d8001042_b.jpg" width="640" /></a> A Sage Sparrow no more, meet the Bell's Sparrow (photo by <a href="https://flic.kr/p/k7FB1u" target="_blank">Tom Benson</a>)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gKarogOn5vM/VL1cgicO_8I/AAAAAAAAEFA/I9-Gjn3shBA/s1600/BESP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gKarogOn5vM/VL1cgicO_8I/AAAAAAAAEFA/I9-Gjn3shBA/s1600/BESP.jpg" height="354" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bell's Sparrow distribution over the last 10 years </div>
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The final bird on my list of the next state first records has been living near Utah, but just in secret. Recently split from its very close relative the Sagebrush Sparrow, the Bell's Sparrow is primarily found in California as well as western Nevada and Arizona, probably. More study is needed into the distribution of these two species as well, especially the interior subspecies, canescens, of the Bell's Sparrow which looks remarkably like a Sagebrush Sparrow. Look for a darker malar and a lack of streaks on the back as well as less streaking overall on the Bell's Sparrow. Look for for them in similar habitats to the Sagebrush Sparrow ie sagebrush most likely in winter when Bell's Sparrows tend to migrate to the east. Basically scrutinize any Sagebrush Sparrows found in Washington County in the winter as it could be a state first bird.</div>
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So there is my list of the next species I expect to be Utah firsts. I hope this list helps Utah birders know what to look for, when to look for and where to look for the species that no one has seen yet in the state. I'm sure most of these birds have been in the state before but now someone has to just go and find them. And I am hoping that person is me! </div>
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Additional honorable mentions: King Eider, Black Vulture, Piping Plover, Red-necked Stint, Groove-billed Ani, Northern Hawk-Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Couch's Kingbird, Hutton's Vireo, Cave Swallow, Sedge Wren, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Cerulean Warbler and Eastern Towhee.</div>
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Kenny Frischhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734829016074996623noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-39350460258578542322015-01-16T08:17:00.000-07:002015-01-16T08:29:05.757-07:00Red-headed Woodpecker in Utah a.k.a. Lightning Strikes TwiceOn December 27, 2004 I was one of the lucky few who were able to see a Red-headed Woodpecker at Wilson's Peach and Pecan Orchard in Hurricane, Utah. The bird was found by Merrill Webb and although I was on my way back to Salt Lake and almost to Cedar City, I returned to Hurricane for this once in a birders lifetime rarity in Utah--or so I thought.<br />
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I saw the bird and a number of others did over the following weeks. Fast forward almost 10 years and jump 5 miles to the east at another Pecan orchard and lo and behold what shows up but another Red-headed Woodpecker, this time found by Rick Fridell. I didn't think I would make it down to see this bird, but no biggie since I'd seen the one 10 years ago. But last week I was able to make it down and saw the bird--my 2nd Utah Red-headed Woodpecker.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/01_January/20150111/pygmy-owl/red-headed-woodpecker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2015/01_January/20150111/pygmy-owl/red-headed-woodpecker.jpg" /></a></div>
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As you can see, I only captured the finest images possible of RHWO here in Utah... Okay that might be a little bit of an exaggeration... Or just a lie. These photos sucked, but I wasn't after award winning shots--just documentation!<br />
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So what are the odds that this species would show up again, in such close proximity to where one showed up 10 years ago? The birds were definitely different--the 1st one was an adult, and this years bird was a juvenile. Let's think of southern Utah as a haystack. There are likely dozens of pecan orchards around the Southwest part of the state, and plenty of other fruit trees as well. The southwest is plentiful in both these respects, so if we were to include Arizona, Nevada, and Southern California the number of orchards would explode and the haystack would be enormous. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W0K1fC4O4AU/VLknorvVgqI/AAAAAAAACuY/8WMsrW-j7Gg/s1600/orchards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W0K1fC4O4AU/VLknorvVgqI/AAAAAAAACuY/8WMsrW-j7Gg/s1600/orchards.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
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Google Map of the current Orchards in Hurricane and La Verkin. There are actually way more nut trees in what used to be orchards but are now neighborhoods. The green dots represent the 2 locations of the RHWO sightings in the area.</div>
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As per eBird including the 2 Utah sightings, there are 8 previous reports of Red-headed Woodpecker int he desert southwest. The number of actual historical sightings is likely higher, but for brevity lets use eBird for our sample.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8owv0emWiJs/VLkp3IYOPnI/AAAAAAAACuk/Pe9wBmJ4VsU/s1600/PREV-SIGHTINGS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8owv0emWiJs/VLkp3IYOPnI/AAAAAAAACuk/Pe9wBmJ4VsU/s1600/PREV-SIGHTINGS.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>All records are from the winter, and they are:</b></div>
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1) 12/22/1988 to 01/02/1989</div>
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Winchester Canyon Rd. at Cathedral Oaks Rd. field, Santa Barbara, California</div>
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2) 10/20/1990 to 10/28/1990</div>
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Portal, Cochise, Arizona</div>
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3) 11/04/1991</div>
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Pahranagat NWR, Lincoln, Nevada</div>
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4) 11/29/1991 to 05/02/1992</div>
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Continental Maintenance Yard, Pima, Arizona</div>
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5) 08/03/1996</div>
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Flagstaff - Highway 89 near Silver Saddle Road, Coconino, Arizona</div>
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6) 11/02/1997 to 05/05/1998</div>
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Marana Pecan Grove, Pima, Arizona</div>
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7) 12/27/2004 to 01/29/2005</div>
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Wilson's Peach and Pecan Orchard, Washington, Utah</div>
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8) 12/14/2014 to Today</div>
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Hurricane, Washington, Utah</div>
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<b>There are also 5 outlying records from western Colorado and New Mexico:</b></div>
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08/14/1982</div>
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South Fork, Rio Grande, Colorado</div>
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04/23/2006</div>
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Durango, La Plata, Colorado</div>
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11/09/2007</div>
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Kirtland, San Juan, New Mexico</div>
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06/14/2011</div>
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Escalante Forks, Mesa, Colorado</div>
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06/27/2012</div>
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South Fork, Rio Grande, Colorado</div>
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East of these area the species has more outlying records, but becomes more common along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, and on the front range in Colorado. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ehLcMrRTys/VLkq4bA9ciI/AAAAAAAACus/LanT1GwkkxM/s1600/range.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ehLcMrRTys/VLkq4bA9ciI/AAAAAAAACus/LanT1GwkkxM/s1600/range.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The yellow shows the extant of "typical range</b>, with the white border represeneting the limit. on the west in Colorado and New Mexico.</div>
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All together told there are just 13 reports in 30 years in the southwest. The proverbial haystack.<br />
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Of the 13 records there are 2 from the same location in Colorado 30 years apart. I'm not sure if this is the "exact" same location or a general area, so where the birds were seen could actually be a wider berth than the hot spot on eBird. But none-the-less its still pretty impressive. The only other location with 2 reports form the "Same" location is the 2 birds from Hurricane, Utah. In Utah the exact distance was 5.9 miles from one orchard to the other, across rather barren desert.<br />
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There are 2 ways of looking at this. 1 is that its sheer coincidence that both birds were found at pecan orchards 5 miles apart. The other is to say its not a coincidence but the habitat is very specific and for a vagrant to show up at such a location is such proximity to another is a pattern. No matter how you look at it, its still a needle in a haystack. And with only 2 variables for a sample size there is no way we can realistically look at it as a pattern. We can assert that Pecan Groves provide an ideal wintering ground for this species, based off the Utah reports and the one from Arizona. I would wonder if some of these other locations also had pecan trees or were nearby pecan or nut orchards.<br />
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Red-headed Woodpeckers mostly eat nuts such as acorns, beech nuts, and pecans during the winter months, caching food for later use. So the attraction to nut orchards has some legitimacy.We also know that this species is migratory and winters across the southern United States. So it is most likely to show up in the winter months at a nut orchard in the southwest. As per the previous reports 8 of the 13 are from winter months, and 7 of these were from the extreme south and west of the reports. 4 summer reports from western Colorado could be remnants of historical breeding sites, or even extralimital "non-breeding breeding" individuals.<br />
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The overall lack of sightings in the desert southwest shows that this species is essentially a vagrant to the area. With its penchant for nuts, if it does show up an orchard is the ideal location to find one. But the odds of it being the same location or a nearby location have to be astronomical. <br />
<br />Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-39022171723416414662015-01-06T09:08:00.000-07:002015-01-06T09:08:01.544-07:002015 Utah Birders Challenge!It's that time of year again--we announce this years Utah Birders Challenge. This year we decided to step away from challenges involving photos and instead focus our efforts this year on... EBIRD! This year's challenge is a multi-faceted challenge with several different "challenges within challenges", or as we like to call it, eBird Inception. The actual challenge is quite simple and straightforward, but we've added in a few "bonus" challenges for extra points. Unline in years past where there is 1 clear winner, this year anyone who completes all the tasks associated with the challenge is a winner--the question is, will anyone complete all the tasks to be a winner?<br />
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So right off the bat we can tell you there are 1000 possible points up for grabs if you complete all the challenges. What do you get if you manage to reach that goal? We're working on a prize package and reaching out to several local companies for donations for the winners. Besides a small prize package you will also ge the limited edition 2015 Utah Birders Challenge Sticker--we will only print one for each person who reaches the goal so it will truly be limited. You'll also get bragging rights. This year anyone who competes can basically brag that they beat Jeff Bilsky since he might only manage a few points from his distant new home. Let's jump right into the challenge!<br />
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This year we want you to submit 1 complete eBird checklist for a birding location in Utah every day of the year. It can be any location; your home, your office, your drive, a lunch break birding sessions--whatever you can manage. It must be a traveling count or a stationary count and can be as short as 1 minute. For every day you submit a checklist you will earn 1 point, for a total possible 365 points this year, just by submitting a checklist.<br />
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Now things get interesting. We want you to try and submit 1 complete eBird checklist this year for every county in Utah during the calnedar year. This means there might need to be a little planning to make this possible, given Utah's large size. For each county you submit a complete checklist, you will recieve 3.45 points, for a possible 100 points if you were to submit a checklist for every county.</div>
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But hold on you can really tack on those points if you submit additional complete eBird checklists from every county this year. After your initial checklist, you can submit up to 10 more checklists, from different locations, for an additional 10 bonus points per county. So if you were to submit 11 checklists each form a different location in a county you would earn 13.45 points for that county--the inital 3.45 points for the 1st list, and an additional 10 points for each different location. If you managed to get 10 for each county you would earn an additional 290 points for the year.<br />
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Now if you've done your math you know that 365 + 100 + 290 = 755. This means there are an additional 245 points available to each participant. The way to earn these is simple: 5 bonus points for each eBird birding hotspot write up submitted for the Utah Birding Spots page on Utahbirders.com (http://utahbirdingspots.blogspot.com/) for up to 49 locations. We want to see if we can get a hot spot write up for every location by the end of the year, so we can have a complete guide to Utah Birding locations, with maps, photos, links to eBird lists, and the ability for users to comments and add information going forward. We have a small portion of these hot spots done, but have a listen of almost 1300 we need information for--and no one knows those places like the birders who go there. <br />
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If you want to work on the bonus points for locations, please contact us at utah.birders@gmail.com so we can set you up to do so, and make sure folks aren't double creating locations.<br />
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<b>AND THAT'S IT!</b></div>
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If you'd like to compete in this years challenge click below to sign up:</div>
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<a class="sign-up-link" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1aKSAc15HIdm58m_GdHEP1icXpkCFYYzzH44tPfhD960/viewform" target="_blank">SIGN UP NOW</a>
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<b>BUT WAIT... THERE's MORE!!!</b></div>
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For anyone interested in a side challenge just for the fun of it we are challenign you all to do a NON HOME-COUNTY BIG YEAR. The idea is simple. Do a county big year--in a county where you don't live! SO if you live in Salt Lake County, choose another county and do a Big Year!<br />
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There are no points, no awards, just your own personal satisfaction, and a little good humored ribbing between other birders as you try to find as many birds as possible in a county you don't live in this year--if you happen to have homes in 2 counties--choose one of the other 27 available... :)<br />
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<i>GOOD LUCK! and GOOD BIRDING IN 2015!</i></div>
<br />Utah Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469804211127586442noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-41677062366411505302014-12-29T13:51:00.001-07:002014-12-29T13:51:22.612-07:00Saying Bye to BilskyIt was December 2007 when I first met Jeff Bilsky. He had gotten into birding over the past year and was joining me on his first CBC. We were doing the Bountiful Quad of the Salt Lake CBC--along with another young birder I hadn’t met, Carl Ingwell. I don’t know if any of us knew the friendships that would come out of that day, but 7 years later I can say I’m glad I went birding with Jeff and Carl that day.<br />
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The weather that year was atrocious. Howling winds, freezing temperatures and snow! But it was a great day of birding. Perhaps the most notable sighting of that day was an Anna’s Hummingbird hanging out at the Bountiful Cemetery. This seemed so odd to me, but Jeff came up with the idea that the bird was hanging around the cemetery due to the rather nice supply of fresh flowers (albeit not in the ground) that were scattered throughout the area. This eye for detail would be something that Jeff brought on every birding trip.<br />
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That day we saw the largest flock of Bohemian Waxwing I’ve ever seen in Utah--we estimated around 1,200 birds in the flock over the Bountiful bench. And we ended the day looking for Gulls in the midst of a blizzard. I think Jeff and Carl spent most of the time in the car--I figured it would be the last time I ever birded with them and that I likely ruined their spirit--I was wrong.<br />
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For someone just picking up birding mid life Jeff was a natural. By the time I met Jeff I was at an exhausted point in my Utah Birding adventures, and a new friend dred new breath into it for me. Where I might have called it a morning, Jeff was always up to check on more bush or patch of trees. We’ve long joked he always wanted to pish another bush before we go. I can’t count the number of road trips, camping trips, bird chases, hikes, strolls, stakeouts, owling nights, and ridiculous birding misadventures I’ve had with Bilsky. From continually outdoing ourselves on the Marathon Birding trip each year at the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival, to a failed Big Day attempt a few years ago, to the creation of Gullstravaganza, and the Park City CBC Jeff has had a huge impact on birding in Utah.<br />
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It was a few years after we initially met, that Carl, Jeff, and I came up with the idea for the Utah Birders Blog. At first it was just a place to share our thoughts on birding in Utah, but in a few short months it grew into a website, and a new birding llisterv and organization in Utah, the Utah Birders. I think at a base level we all wanted to see something different in the Utah Birding community, and it wasn’t going to happen the way things were--so we took it upon ourselves to make something the way we thought it should be--and man, it took off like we hoped and has been an amazing ride.<br />
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Outside of birding I’ve always thought of Jeff as a good friend--someone I can shoot the shit with about all things--not just birds. When I got married he was one of my groomsmen--of my friends that have come and gone over the years, Jeff has been one of the most reliable people I know. I’ve got lots of great Bilsky stories, but I won’t share them here today--instead I’ll say this--thanks for being a good friend, and everything you’ve done for the Utah Birding Community.<br />
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This week Jeff is on his way to a new job in a new state and Utah will no longer be his home. While it sucks as one of his friends, I wish him the best, and hope he can have a similar effect on others in his new backyard. And of course I look forward to any ridiculousness that occurs when you’re back here for business and some birding. Good Birding Jah-Bilsky!Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-54772266388233318512014-12-16T11:59:00.003-07:002014-12-17T16:44:20.035-07:002014 Park City Christmas Bird Count <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xIvyhNnVFlI/VJCA34IOnPI/AAAAAAABS2A/soitoCGTJCU/s1600/dp%2Bwood%2Bduck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xIvyhNnVFlI/VJCA34IOnPI/AAAAAAABS2A/soitoCGTJCU/s1600/dp%2Bwood%2Bduck.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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Courtesy of Dale Provost
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We had a great count this year as birders bundled up on the coldest day in two weeks to assist in Park City’s 4th CBC. With a little snow on the ground and cold winds, birders were joined by a small high school group from the Oakley School and recorded a Park City CBC record, 65 species. The warm weather over the past weeks has left most bodies of water unfrozen; so many waterfowl and gull species were viewed.
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This year’s highlights included Wood Ducks, a Prairie Falcon, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Ruffed Grouse, American Tree Sparrows, a lone Killdeer, and great views of Bald and Golden Eagles.
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Special thanks goes to all our drivers and anyone who allowed us to view their feeders and backyard birds.
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Nate Brown
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220129649222132679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-4027124482793986162014-12-01T10:39:00.004-07:002014-12-01T10:40:34.446-07:002014 Utah Birders Park City Christmas Bird Count<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>When: Sunday, December 14, 2014</b></div>
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<b>Time: 8am - 6pm</b></div>
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<b>Sign Up at: <a href="http://utahbirders.com/cbc">utahbirders.com/cbc</a></b></div>
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We are pleased to announce the 4th annual Utah Birders Park City Christmas Bird Count and invite you to participate! The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a census of birds performed annually in December and January by volunteer birders. The purpose is to provide population data for use in science, especially conservation biology--though many people participate just for fun.<br />
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The 2014 Park City CBC will take place on Sunday, December 14, 2014 starting at 8am and going until 5:00 PM (It's dark by then up here). We will split up into several teams to cover areas from Jordanelle north to Jeremy Ranch and from Summit Park east to Rockport and Peoa.<br />
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For more information and to sign up visit <a href="http://utahbirders.com/cbc">utahbirders.com/cbc</a><br />
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We will begin meeting at 7:30am at the Park City Bread & Bagel:<br />
<a href="http://bagels.adamfehr.com/pcbb-area-map/">http://bagels.adamfehr.com/pcbb-area-map/</a><br />
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The CBC is a free event, but we encourage anyone who participates to donate $5 to our ongoing conservation effort for birds here in Utah.<br />
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If you have any questions feel free to visit us at <a href="http://utahbirders.com/cbc">utahbirders.com/cbc</a>, or contact us at <a href="mailto:utah.birders@gmail.com">utah.birders@gmail.com</a> or call Tim at 801-440-3035 or Nate at 970-978-1804 <a href="mailto:natebrown3@hotmail.com">natebrown3@hotmail.com</a>.<br />
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<a class="sign-up-link" href="http://utahbirders.com/cbc" target="_blank">SIGN UP FOR THE CBC HERE</a>Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-91891153884953799372014-09-19T08:22:00.001-06:002014-09-19T08:26:31.943-06:00NEW Historical Data in eBirdAfter my <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a> "quality" posts last week, which started as a commentary on making historical checklists more valuable, I laughed when I logged into <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a> this week and noticed "historical" was now an option for entering a checklist! <br />
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Team <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a> has basically stated that to make data even more concise they've changes a few things. Historical would be used in place of incidental, or either traveling or stationary counts. Here is what they have to say about historical data:<br />
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The value of entering historic data into the <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a> database cannot be overstated. These records help build historic perspective in the database, and allow us to look farther back in time when conducting analyses. In these cases it's good to have as much supporting documentation available for the old records as possible, and be prepared to field questions from our regional editors about the validity of the data. All <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a> records are treated the same way, going through our data-vetting procedures, and historic data are no different.</blockquote>
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Historic data entry does have a few caveats though <a href="http://help.ebird.org/customer/portal/articles/973960-entering-historic-data?b_id=1928" target="_blank">which you can read about here</a>.<br />
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But there is more. Team <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a> apparently also wants all counts to be either stationary or traveling. If you are birding, or a heavy portion of what you are doing is birding, they want you to use those count types. Here is a quote directly from an email that was forwarded to me about the change:<br />
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Our goal is to encourage people to use Stationary and Traveling counts. These are the two principal types of surveys that provide the most useful data (aside from some specific surveys we may have in the drop down menu for particular projects). When we have start time, duration, distance, we can do much more with the data particularly when coupled with a yes to the question about whether all species were detected.<br />
After looking through a large amount of data, it became clear that there are two different ways that people were using the "old" Incidental protocol. One was for historical data entry where people were simply missing values but had made an attempt to survey an area for a reasonable amount of time. The other was for current checklists. Of current checklists, we found tens of thousands of records with one or two species where people said they were answering yes to the question, are you reporting all species. This is NOT the intent of that question and we needed to address it.<br />
The question that I'll paraphrase as "Are you reporting all birds" has a temporal component. In order to report "yes" to the question of are you reporting all species of birds, there must be a dimension of time, otherwise the answer doesn't make much sense. If someone spends 5 minutes surveying for birds or 10 hours, there will be very different number or birds detected. The same is true for distance. If we have no information on this, it doesn't help much to have an answer of Yes to this question.</blockquote>
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You'll now see this message near the submit button on your checklist if you select incidental--and you can't change it to "complete checklist". This means that even if you stop for 1 minute to bird a location--and you are really birding and only see 2 species, you would submit a stationary count as opposed to incidental. It's a great way to improve data quality.<br />
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I talked with some friends recently about dozens of old field notes from when I did field work in Wyoming. 99% of those notebooks aren't in <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a>--along with 10+ years of birding before that. I have 1,000's of historical checklists just laying around that one day I want to enter in <a href="http://www.ebird.org/">eBird</a>--and now there is a count type specifically for them! To that I say hooray! I will also have to start using the stationary and traveling more often when I make a quick stop while birding. I guess those minutes are important data not to be dismissed as incidental after all!Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-47880598597802962852014-09-04T07:00:00.000-06:002014-09-04T13:14:47.866-06:00Making Your eBird Data More Valuable PART DEUXHere is my reply to ALL the replies form yesterday post...<br />
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<a class="sign-up-link" href="http://utahbirders.blogspot.com/2014/09/making-your-ebird-data-more-valuable.html" target="_blank">Read Part One Here</a><br />
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Wow, what a great batch of comments, first I must commend Shyloh, Mike, and Kenny for publicly sharing their views. <br />
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The 11 anonymous posters had a varied mix of feelings and thoughts, and some obviously didn't want to share their names despite such strong convictions. I want to respond to every comment so bare with me while I go through them...<br />
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<b>Anonymous 1:</b><br />
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This seems like pretty blatant trolling--you say you don't care, but the time you took to post this with your feelings shows otherwise. You say, "I know what I saw", which is fine, but if your sightings seem questionable, and have little details, their addition to the public data poll is a bit careless. Like I mentioned, I am okay with people using eBird to just track their personal sightings for themselves--its a great tool for that. However, for anyone that feels this way, I highly recommend going into preferences and checking the "hide my data" checkboxes for eBird Alerts, and Top 100 under the data privacy section. If your sightings are just for your personal use as you say they are, there is no need to have them included in these very "gamified" areas of eBird as one other commenter noted. My last criticism of your response was not having the time to enter a bunch of lists. You have time to go birding, you have time to enter at least one list, and you have time to comment on this blog. So time is on your side I would argue, and the little amount of time it takes to break 1 list into 3 or 4 seems well worth it this day in age.<br />
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<b>Anonymous 2:</b><br />
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Great comment. As I mentioned to Anonymous 1 this is the logical thing to do for others, and for yourself for a multitude of reasons.<br />
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<b>Anonymous 3:</b><br />
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I see the first comment got you riled. I have to say I disagree with your first point--eBird has many uses, and personal lists are a valid reason to use the program--its unfair to tell someone to use a notebook because they don't give a shit about science when the software is available for free and their data can be invalidated from the pool. As to your second point, I do tend to agree, but if someone doesn't use it to help with the scientific effort, their data is so minuscule in the bigger picture, that in 150 years it really won't matter. Those "Rare" birds they report, probably were mis-identifications, so their exclusion from the data pool is probably for the better. And as to your 3rd point--haha, spot on my friend.<br />
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<b>Anonymous 4:</b><br />
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I think in general in our local area--Utah, or even just northern Utah, the majority of eBird users are aware of what sightings are legitimate, and which are questionable. I would be lying if I said I didn't brush off a number of alert species based of the observer. In our community there are a handful of eBirders who don't so their sightings justice by taking photos of rarities they reports, or providing any meaningful information on the sightings for both eBird and their peers. Before eBird it was much the same with the "RBA" or just on the listserv's. In birding credibility is earned not through documentation. If a supposed great birder never documents his/her sightings, but constantly reports rarities, it begs to question the legitimacy of the sightings. IF other give chase and can't track down the reports, it also leaves you to wonder. But a photo, and re-chaseable birds create reputations and credibility amongst the community. I expect every level of birder from beginner to expert to provide the same level of documentation in eBird for the sighting to really resonate with me. This is completely aside of the scientific aspect of eBird, but more on the who is full of shit front.<br />
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<b>Anonymous 5:</b><br />
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As I mentioned before, this is an opinion, and someone who just uses it for themselves is not breaking rules or being selfish---eBird has many uses. I do believe people who use the applications should contribute more, but by no means do they have to, and by no means are they "doing it wrong". But they should take care to remove themselves from alerts and listing.<br />
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<b>Anonymous 6: </b><br />
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This is true--however an X can denote a count that is too high for a decent estimate. Many birders don't feel comfortable, or can't estimate high counts of birds. It sounds crazy but I have done this exercise with people to see how they estimate, and counts are wildly off sometimes. If it wasn't an easy to count exact count, it may be best to leave it as X--this data is still important and useful. I always try to put a number in, and in 99.9999999% of my individual sightings there is a count, whether exact or an estimate. It definitely adds value even with estimations though!<br />
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<b>Mike:</b><br />
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Woot an name and a face! You are nuts, a nutty nut job, blah blah blah. Just kidding of course, I just figured a name made it easy to call you out! In general it seems like you feel how I feel. I'm okay with people using the program how they see fit--I love when there are more details, and it lends credibility, and its better for the data pool.<br />
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<b>Kenny:</b><br />
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You really are crazy... Crazy in a good way. I think a lot of people miss the communal aspect of eBird--whether or not you want to be part of that community, you are if you report rare birds, and take part in the Top 100. These things are far less important that high value checklists, but they have become a big part of eBird. You said it best though, "We should all strive to be a better part of the birding community since who can understand the highs and lows and adventures of birding best than other birders?" Providing better data inherently makes you a better part of the community--and our growing community here is proof of that!<br />
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<b>Shyloh:</b><br />
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Where do I even start with you man... You're the dude. You make the point right off the bat, "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH SELFISHLY USING EBIRD!!!" And Like I said, I agree--use it as you see fit, its there for many different reasons, so to each their own. <br />
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At the end of the day it really doesn't matter--like I told you, they're just birds man. But I like to think that striving for a strong community, with birders that respect one another includes some great self checking, as well as community checking--which helps build a great data pool. If someone reports rarities often, or even not so often, but rarely produces chase-able birds, or documents their sightings it effects not only the data pool, but chasers and listers--the community. Regardless of how people use eBird, if you report a rarity on a checklist, you should expect some level of scrutiny from others, that's just human nature, and a big part of birding--and quality documentation and information helps eliminate some of that. <br />
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I would never tell anyone "this is how you should use eBird", but I sure as hell think there are ways we can all make our checklists more valuable not only for the community but for ourselves! And I think that is a lot of what others are getting at too--just a tad more forceful.<br />
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<b>Anonymous #7:</b><br />
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Shyloh, wanted to tell you "LOL"...<br />
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<b>Anonymous #8:</b><br />
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Holy moly. I will just say this, well played sir. You hit the nail on the head.<br />
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<b>Anonymous #9:</b><br />
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This is a great point with all others aside--as volunteers, having to wade through the muck, it sucks. Whether a user cares about listing, or conservation, or whatever, a sighting that lacks documentation makes their lives harder. I have talked to several moderators who routinely throw out specific users sightings because they are so riddled with mistakes, and absolutely no documentation that it's better for the data pool to just remove them. I can see eBird eventually coming up with a way to block certain users from the data pool based of reviewer recommendations because of just that.<br />
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<b><u>AND NOW MY FINAL THOUGHTS...</u></b><br />
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Let's just be real about our sightings for a second--on a personal level. In the end on either side (community/data pool versus selfishness), it comes down to do you care about being right, or thinking your right? <br />
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I personally would rather be able to look at my sighting, have documentation, and be able to say I am 100% sure of that--and so is everyone else that sees it, than have a sighting with no documentation that begs the question, is this reliable data. Simply putting a tick mark on a checklist for a rare birds shows a lack of understanding why that bird is rare/flagged, and the importance of documentation for data quality, especially when its not just a checklist for keeping a life list, but one used for building a data set for a location. In the end the reviewer can simply invalidate the sighting, but then it seems counter intuitive to the whole process. I don't think its asking to much for even a crappy photo--almost everyone carries a digital camera with them, and rarely are birds so flighty that even a distant, blurry, out of focus, or partially hidden bird can't be photo'd. It seems so simple, and useful to the whole idea of building the data pool.<br />
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One solution to this is creating user groups in eBird for different types of players in the "game". For the selfish, I use it to keep my life list, there could be a user type where all data is separate from the community pool. Then there could be scientific users, and typical users, so on and so forth. You could even go to a pay model which is a whole other blog post...<br />
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No matter what reason you watch birds, if you are using eBird you have made yourself part of that community, and we're glad to have, and I hope we all can work to make the community stronger in the long run! At the end of the day every birder is different, and uses eBird for many different reasons--I just hope that everyone realizes that we can all strive to make things better!<br />
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Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-14894300030994544212014-09-03T08:16:00.002-06:002014-09-03T08:17:19.359-06:00Making Your eBird Data More ValuableI recently posted a response to a thread on UBIRD about historical checklists and incidental counts in <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a>. There were 3 main topics I talked about.<br />
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<ol>
<li><b>Adding valuable sighting information to historical vagrants/rarities</b></li>
<li><b>Splitting larger generic checklists into smaller location specific checklists</b></li>
<li><b>Removing possibly bad data or in particular mis-identifications</b></li>
</ol>
The email didn't go in to a ton of detail on these topics, just my brief overview of why I felt it was important. But I wanted to expand on that, and give a few real world examples of the issues, and what I've been doing to try and practice what I preach. I've had a few interesting conversations about the subject, and gotten different perspectives and personal opinions on the matter. It brought up a couple things that I thought were also worth talking about.<br />
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I talked to several people who mentioned their #1 reason for using <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> was to keep track of their sightings for themselves above all else. The data after all was being provided free of charge by the birders/observers, and that in itself was valuable despite the quality of the data. It would be a lie if I didn't say that was also WHY I initially started using <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> back in 2004. It was an easy way to track my own sightings, I was after all filling up several notebooks a year with lists and this was an easier way to keep those lists, and manage them. For this reason I was quite cavalier with my locations. I often did counts for entire days for a county, or along 100 mile section of road. My lists were less for science than my personal needs.<br />
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There are in fact a lot of <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> users who <b><i>ONLY</i></b> use <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> for this very reason, and that's perfectly acceptable--it's a great tool for that--but it's also so much more.<br />
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Now I also talked to one person who mentioned that sometimes they just put in a list for a whole weekend because they wanted to keep track of the birds they'd seen, but they'd visited 10 places, seen 150 birds, and didn't want to take the time to go enter individual checklists for every place they went. That's another one I could relate to--I've done exactly the same. Creating and submitting checklists can be time consuming, and for some they just don't have the time to get granular. Some data is better than no data after all.<br />
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<b>Cape May Warbler</b> from Lytle Ranch... Less than 5 ever reported in Utah.</div>
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And yet one other person who kept very detailed lists of species seen never added details, photos, or any information to their lists. In their opinion they were already providing high quality data, and felt that the need to add more details was benign. In the long run there will be so much data that these details won't matter--the pictures, notes, etc. And again, I have done the same, I get it, and in some cases I whole-heartedly agree. I have heard the argument that in 150 years someone might be looking back at some data and see a report of a Cape May Warbler in Utah with no associated data. The report was validated but without any supporting data because I was experienced with that species. But how would those people know who I am? Honestly, I hope I leave some type of impact on birding in Utah in my life time, whether small or big--I would hope with a little digging someone can figure out who I was--especially in this digital age. But I digress, I also see the flip side, and that's where this whole blog post got started. Let's talk about those bullet points.<br />
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<u><b>Adding valuable sighting information to historical vagrants/rarities.</b></u></div>
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Over the years I have slowly become more and more methodical with my checklists. This means being more granular with locations, and more detailed with subspecies, and adding specific details about flagged sightings. This is a personal choice, to try and make my checklists not only more valuable to researches, and those using the data for scientific purposes; but also, for other birders to be able to glean them for data, and for me personally to be able to look back and see details about a sighting all in one place. As of the writing of this I have submitted 3226 <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> checklists for Utah. As that number grows it becomes harder and harder to look at specific checklists with flagged sightings and remember all the details. So thus started the drawn out process of going back and adding those details.<br />
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<b>Utah's 1st documented Bay-breasted Warbler</b></div>
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I started with my taxonomic life list for Utah and started working my way down. I specifically wanted to concentrate on adding details to species with less than 25 reports ever for Utah--with more details being added to the rarest species--those typically with less than 5 reports ever.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2010/09_September/20100918-ybfl/ybfl_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2010/09_September/20100918-ybfl/ybfl_03.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Utah's 1st Yellow-bellied Flycatcher </b></div>
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In cases where I had photos, videos, or recordings I embedded those in. Photos linked to my website, videos from Youtube, and recordings from Xeno-canto if available. If I felt the photos were sufficient for the report I often kept the notes short. On some species I added a small blurb, and on others complete paragraphs of texts that I cut out of emails I pulled from the original reports, or from Records Committee Reports from some of my oldest sightings. I didn't remember all the details from many of these reports so going back and searching in UBIRD, and other listserv archives for my original posts was really helpful. It also saved me from writing in details that might not be as accurate otherwise.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/nov08/birds/piwa_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/nov08/birds/piwa_02.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Utah's 1st Pine Warbler</b></div>
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I soon realized I had hundreds of such checklists, so it was somewhat tedious--but the end results were lots of photos added into the data pool, and some detailed (and not so detailed) write-ups of species that otherwise were originally note-less. In all so far I've added details for 36 species, on 52 checklists. Some of the more notable were details for <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> Utah's first Western Gull, Pine Warbler, Eastern Meadowlark, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Cape May Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Gilded Flicker, Bay-breasted Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo, and Little Gull.. Despite the time that went into it, it was fairly easy to do, and well worth it.<br />
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<b><u>Splitting larger generic checklists into smaller location specific checklists</u></b></div>
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I recently flipped through a field notebook from one of my summers working in Wyoming during college. I had 1 or 2 checklists for most days. One list was the survey I ran that morning, and the other was the rest of the birding that day. In some cases I drove over 100 miles on these days and went through every typical habitat type found in western Wyoming. In <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> these lists would look ridiculous--but none-the-less I have a few. Luckily most of my college years checklists from Wyoming are not in <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> yet. But I have dozens form the early years of <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> that I did enter like this. Some are an entire day count for 16 hours at a lake in the Uinta's. The checklist covers shrubsteppe, aspen, conifer, and mountain reservoir habitats though. I probably traveled 10 miles during the day and the list could be broken down more. These are hard though, because some of the birds cross habitats, and I don't remember what was in which necessarily. For these it's really best to just leave as is--its 1 checklist out of 1,000's, in the bigger picture that data is "close enough" that it won't look too out of place--and if it is the reviewer can invalidate the list.<br />
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<b>Blue Grosbeak</b> from 12,000' in the Uintas??? I think not.</div>
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But what about a 40 mile drive from Vernal to Hacking Lake in the Uinta's? It looks odd when a checklist has both Blue Grosbeak and Pine Grosbeak together. Or Red Crossbill and Lesser Goldfinch. Or Dark-eyed Junco and Marsh Wren (in August). During the early years I did this often--one checklist for the entire length of a road. The best recommendation is going through and removing the species that don't fit the greater picture, and breaking them out into a separate list at a better location for them. Or break it down in to as many lists as you feel comfortable doing. In this case I broke 1 list into 5. Vernal, the lower section of Sagebrush, Aspen Forests, Conifer Forests, and finally Hacking Lake. It's still not perfect, but it fixes one bad list.<br />
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<a href="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2012/06_June/20120630/pine-grosbeak_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/albums/2012/06_June/20120630/pine-grosbeak_03.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Pine Grosbeak </b>should never be on the same list as Blue Grosbeak in Utah...</div>
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One of the most common offenders of this is the "Antelope Island State Park" checklist submission. There are numerous hot spot points for the park, but many folks do one list for 5 or 6 visited spots. This means you have Snowy Plovers and Godwits on the island. Others mistake the causeway spot for the whole park and then you end up with Warblers, Tanagers, and Orioles on the causeway. I tend to do a list for the causeway and each major location I go to on the island. Sometimes I leave with 7 checklists--but its super granular and useful. This is one thing I have made a better effort at in recent years and try to be as specific as makes sense for the places I'm going. With apps like BirdLog it now makes it easier to avoid this, allowing you to quickly create a new list on the fly while in the field as you go from habitat to habitat, or location to location.<br />
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<b><u>Removing possibly bad data or in particular mis-identifications</u></b></div>
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This is one of the hardest for most people to do--myself included. Going back and looking at lists and saying, that's not right, or I'm just not sure anymore, can be difficult for most birders. I went back and removed a number of my old Short-billed Dowitcher reports and changed them to Dowitcher sp. I did leave ones that had photo evidence, but ones without were mostly changed. I went back and took Least Bittern off an Ouray list I had form my younger years. At the time others were reporting them, and I thought I saw one. But looking back and having seen that species since it was a no brainer to remove it. In some cases if it doesn't seem right, its safer to just change it outright. Leave a note, change it to a spuh, with details about why you changed it. But if you aren't sure this is a good way to clean up old lists.<br />
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<b>Dowitcher sp?</b> Or one of each?</div>
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There are some that I probably should change, but I can't bring myself to do it. Sometimes you believe so much in a sighting you had, despite lack of evidence, experience, etc, you just stick with it. You very likely are correct with your belief, and in many cases the data has already been invalidated in <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a>, so for your personal use what does it matter? It's all about finding the right balance for how you use <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a>.<br />
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Whether your a hard-core <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a>er, a casual user, or just someone who keeps basic lists via the awesome resource, there are things we can all do to make our lists more useful--for everyone. And I'm sure there will be more ways in the future, and things will change, and improve. <a href="http://www.ebird.org/" title="eBird Utah Birds">eBird</a> has come along way in the last 10 years, and so has the quality and amount of data.<br />
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<b><i>How do you personally make your checklists more useful? Share below, and help others improve the data they're submitting!</i></b>Tim Averyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17632013488170310609noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954081165153280225.post-81360134420844848282014-08-08T15:27:00.001-06:002014-09-04T13:18:16.144-06:00Fledgling Hawks<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="userContent">Check out a new blog post about hawks nesting in neighborhoods if interested:<br /> <a href="http://hawkwatch.org/blog/item/735-fledgling-hawks" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://hawkwatch.org/blog/item/735-fledgling-hawks</a></span></span><br />
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Jerry Liguorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14203420699692077510noreply@blogger.com0