Call me crazy, but I love Magpies. They're beautiful, intelligent and just plain fun. No one else has to like them, because my opinion only matters to me. I saw a Magpie flying over the freeway today and I smiiiiiiiiiiled big.

Check out the above photograph (click to enlarge). The bird on the left is a juvenile Golden Eagle, the bird on the right an adult. The juvenile looks like it has wool socks on, the adult has feathered legs but the feathers are dark...is this an age difference trait? I have seen this before on juveniles but would need to see a large sample size up close to know for sure if only juveniles show these whitish "socks". Either way, it is kinda neat looking.

For a few years I have wanted to work on a field guide to the birds of Utah. Obviously it wouldn't be a big ticket item in book stores, but more of a reference guide for locals, and visitors. The current guide to birding Utah by McIvor is now over ten years old, and although it contains some good information, things have changed since 1998. Last year one of my goals was to start ground work on at least a digital guide to the birds of Utah and where to find them. I didn't get a whole lot done, but did some base work, and a few layout designs. Tonight I put that up on my website, as I plan on having an initial digital version of the guide as early as next spring. Take a look:

Click on the image above to visit my website

I guess we'll see what happens. And of course, feel free to leave some feedback on these VERY initial designs, and the information in them.

Back in 2007 I set out to break the Utah Big Year Record. It was an impressive 332 species, and it had been set in 2004 by Dennis Shirley. The previous high was 327 in 2001. I figured the 3 year pattern could only help my odds even though that really was just something to add to the fun. When the year started I had high hopes, but no idea how far the year would actually go. By the end of April I quit my full time job and took a seasonal position with DNR to conduct riparian breeding bird surveys in southern Utah. It was a strategic decision that I knew would help my big year. It would put me at a number of natural migrant traps during the height and tail of spring songbird migration. And it did help. When the summer came to an end, I had enough money saved up to spend the rest of the year birding pretty much full time. By mid-September my big year turned into an attempt to set my own high mark after I saw my 333rd species.

Birding for at least 2 hours a day more than 20 days a month the last 4 months saw a number of great species, including a couple of first state records. By the time the end of December rolled around I was ready for the year to end as I ticked off my 355th species. I won't get into more details, but if you have some free time check out the big year list I added to my website with pictures and/or video of 332 of the species I saw:


The page will take some time to load all the images, so be patient when you get there, it may take a few seconds to fully come together. And if you are on a dial-up I probably wouldn't bother.

Since my big year I have fallen out of big listing, and spent more time just taking pictures and trying to find new birds for my Utah list. If I never see 300 species of bird in Utah a year I will be okay with that. I have no plans of putting together a Utah big year ever again--but if you ever have the chance, I highly recommend giving it a go--as it can be a lot of fun.

A few days ago I peered out the window at the feeders and noticed a Lesser Goldfinch feeding on the ground beneath a packed thistle feeder. I was surprised to see what looked like a white stripe of feathers up the middle of the crown. I went into my office and set up to take some pictures. After I snapped one I thought the stripe looked odd, and then I realized why. It wasn't feathers, it was bird crap! This goldfinch was feeding right beneath a flock of others feeding, and one had apparently dropped a bomb that hit its target... Check out the pictures:

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And this is the reason you NEVER eat where you poop! The little guy eventually took a place at the feeder so he was no longer a target for his buddies!