Yesterday I took off from work a little early.  I didn't feel great and needed to pick Sam up form work to go get her car from the shop.  Traffic was light and I got to here work about 30 minutes early--so instead of waiting in the parking lot I drove 5 blocks to the Sand Fishing Pond to see what was on the water.  The lighting was great so I figured I would snap some shots of the Mallards and the Coots to make the best of it:

  

Drake Mallard and an American Coot at the Sand Pond

There was a Great Blue Heron sitting on the island when I arrived with its head tucked.  I didn't pay much attention but figured I would get to a nice angle before I left to get a few shots.  After a few minutes with the waterfowl I headed to a little spit of land that juts out into the pond, and the following shots are what happened...

It started with a little dance:

Which progressed into a pose:

And then into a stretch and fluff (my favorite shot):

This was followed by a take off

(note the creature to scare the birds placed there by DNR):

And flight across the pond:

where the bird promptly landed on a fence:

Sometimes you just end up in the right place at the right time for whatever reason and get to capture something cool on film--er .jpg--whatever you want to call it.  Now if only that damn red post hadn't been there it would have been perfect!

Yesterday I led a group of seven birders on a field trip to Antelope Island for the Bridgerland Audubon Society.  This was a good turnout considering the weather: our first big snowstorm of the season had arrived the day before, and there were several inches of fresh snow on the ground and more was predicted for the rest of the morning.  Temperatures were predicted to reach highs just below freezing.  Even while meeting in the parking lot, though, our efforts were already being rewarded: a flock of about 8 EVENING GROSBEAKS flew overhead while we were waiting to depart.

The roads were not too bad, and before not too long we arrived at the Antelope Island Causeway and saw the first effects of the shifting weather on the birds: the storm had pushed hundreds of LEAST SANDPIPERS to the causeway.  By counting a small group and estimating how many groups that size we saw along the causeway, we estimated 500-700 Least Sandpipers.  According to eBird, this is the highest single checklist count of this species in Utah since a 1974 count at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge. Among the Least Sandpipers we were able to pick out one WESTERN SANDPIPER, three GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and several hundred KILLDEER. We learned to identify the common GULLS of the area, and saw four species: RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA, BONAPARTE'S, and HERRING. One GREAT HORNED OWL perched on the snow near the causeway was a highlight for the group.

A Great Horned Owl perched on the snow along the Antelope Island Causeway.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

One of the big draws of Antelope Island is the chance of spotting rare vagrant ducks, and as usual, the famous second bridge didn't disappoint.  A HARLEQUIN DUCK was first found along the causeway about three weeks ago, and continued for us.  We were also able to find three SURF SCOTERS at the same location.

A Harlequin Duck continued to oblige along the Antelope Island Causeway.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

Three Surf Scoters pose together nicely for a photo, with a Lesser Scaup in the background. Ryan O'Donnell photo.

On the island itself, we started by driving up to the visitor's center for a bathroom break, but before we could make it there we found another rare bird for this time of year, a SAGE SPARROW.  We had brief looks at this bird up on top of a shrub before it dropped back down into the vegetation.

A late Sage Sparrow that should be migrating south soon.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

At the visitor's center, the feeders gave us close looks at a DARK-EYED JUNCO, a CALIFORNIA QUAIL, and several CHUKAR.

A California Quail and a Chukar wait for their turn at the bird feeder at the Antelope Island Visitor's Center.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

As we drove down the island towards historic Garr Ranch, we saw several more raptors, including ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and RED-TAILED HAWKS, and had a brief look at an unidentified SHRIKE.  We also added to our mammal list, with a COYOTE, many BISON, and very close looks at a herd of PRONGHORN.

A Pronghorn, part of a herd that blocked the road for a little while on our way out to Garr Ranch.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

At Garr Ranch itself, we worked the trees around the spring and another pond to the south pretty thoroughly.  One of the first good birds here was a NORTHERN GOSHAWK right around the spring.  This species is very rare at Antelope Island - according to eBird this is only the second record for the park.  

An immature Northern Goshawk at Garr Ranch.  Mike Fish photo, used with permission.

Other raptors in the area included a RED-TAILED HAWK, an adult COOPER'S HAWK, a NORTHERN HARRIER, and this GREAT HORNED OWL, our second of the day.

Great Horned Owl at Garr Ranch.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

The park ranger led us down to another small clump of Russian Olive trees where a very large MULE DEER buck had been hanging out.

A very large Mule Deer buck guards his harem at Garr Ranch.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

Garr Ranch is famous as a migrant trap, a place where lost birds tend to show up when they get blown or wander off course.  We didn't find any great vagrants when we were there, but we did get some great looks at some common species, including this HERMIT THRUSH, and one out-of-season BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD.

One of two Hermit Thrushes at Garr Ranch.  This individual is pretty red, and I wonder if it might be in the eastern/northern subspecies group, rather than one of our local breeders.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

A late Brown-headed Cowbird, or should I say "Brown-headed Horsebird?," 
found a warm place to perch in the snow at Garr Ranch.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

Finally, before leaving the ranch, we checked the silo for BARN OWLS and came up with one.  Or, the wingtips and tail of one, at least!

"It counts."  These weren't the best looks one could hope for at a Barn Owl, but the wingtips
and tail are distinctive enough to identify the bird.  Ryan O'Donnell photo.

We ended the trip at Garr Ranch, but had a few more sightings on the way back to Logan, including three or four COYOTES, a couple of PORCUPINES, and a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE.  

Join us for our next trip, on December 8th, and for the Logan Christmas Bird Count on December 15th.  See our website for details on this and all future trips, and contact Bryan Dixon to sign up for the Christmas Bird Count at bdixon@xmission.com.

Here are links to the complete eBird checklists from our trip, including a few bonus photos:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12010993
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12011069

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12011125
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12011165

Don't forget to exercise your civic duty today, and keep the birds in mind while you do!

Two birders view the nesting alcids on the cliffs of St. Paul Island, Alaska.  (This and all photos in this post are copyrighted by the author, Ryan O'Donnell.)

This summer I had the great pleasure of working as a guide on St. Paul Island, Alaska.  This 14-mile long island in the middle of the Bering Sea is a mecca for birders looking for rare birds from Asia, especially birders who keep a North American or American Birding Association Area list.  But this island also draws birders from around the world for its unique collection of regularly breeding birds.

Most of the birds that breed on the island use cliffs, like the ones shown above, for breeding sites.  Some of these are widespread species, like Common Murres and Thick-billed Murres.  Many of the smaller alcids here are unique to the Bering Sea region, like Parakeet Auklets, Least Auklets, and Crested Auklets.  Another big draw, especially for photographers, is the puffins: both Horned Puffins and Tufted Puffins nest on the island.  

A Common Murre on the cliffs of St. Paul Island.  Despite the name, Common Murres are somewhat less common than Thick-billed Murres here, although they are still easily seen throughout the breeding season.

Thick-billed Murres are the more common of the two murre species breeding on St. Paul Island.  One way to distinguish them is by the bright white gape line, which is lacking in Common Murres.

Two Thick-billed Murres attend their single egg.  Murres don't build nests; they lay their single egg directly on a small little ledge on a cliff.

A pair of Parakeet Auklets on a cliff.  The clump of vegetation under the bird on the right looks like a nest, but it is not.  This species nests in cracks and crevices in the cliff wall.

Another Parakeet Auklet, this time framed by some of the Nootka Lupine that is abundant on the island.

One of the cutest birds in the world, a Least Auklet.  This species usually nests among piles of boulders at the base of cliffs or other areas, but sometimes also nests among the cracks in the cliff.

The distinctive Crested Auklet, probably the least abundant of the nesting alcids on St. Paul Island, but still easily found on almost any day in the breeding season.

A Tufted Puffin lands at the cliffs with some nesting material.  Both species of puffins on the island nest in burrows in or around the cliffs.

Another Tufted Puffin, among the most charismatic of the birds on the island.

A Horned Puffin in flight past the cliffs.  People often wonder why they are called "horned" until they get close enough to see the small black lines above the eyes are actually little fleshy horns that stick up above the head.

A pair of Horned Puffins at the entrance to their nesting burrow near the top of one of the cliffs.

Two other unique groups of birds use the cliffs for nesting, the cormorants and the kittiwakes.  Cormorants include the relatively widespread Pelagic Cormorant, and also the Bering Sea endemic Red-faced Cormorant.  Both species have some red on their faces, so the best way to tell them apart, even at a distance, is by the pale bill and relatively thicker head and neck of the Red-faced Cormorant.

The two breeding cormorant species on St. Paul, a Red-faced Cormorant at left and a Pelagic Cormorant at right.

Red-faced Cormorant, endemic to the Bering Sea area.

Finally, we have two species of kittiwakes that nest on St. Paul.  Black-legged Kittiwakes are by far the most abundant.  They are a circumboreal species, found around the northern oceans.  Red-legged Kittiwakes, in contrast, nest in only four areas around the Bering Sea.  They are high on the wish list of many birders that visit the island.  Black-legged Kittiwakes outnumber Red-legged on St. Paul by maybe 10 or 20 to one, but Red-leggeds can still be seen easily on any day in the breeding season.

A Black-legged Kittiwake adult and nestling. 

Large flocks of Black-legged Kittiwakes can be seen around the island, particularly at many of the small freshwater lakes like this one, appropriately called "Kittiwake Lake" where the kittiwakes gather to bathe.

Two Red-legged Kittiwake nests.  Red-legged Kittiwakes generally prefer higher breeding sites among the cliffs, so on St. Paul you usually have to hike to the highest cliffs, about 400 ft. above sea level, so see their nests.

A Red-legged Kittiwake in flight.  When the red legs dangle, they are easy to identify, but Red-legged and Black-legged Kittiwakes can still be identified in flight when their legs are tucked up into their feathers.

One of the coolest gulls in the world, in my opinion: a striking Red-legged Kittiwake.

Coming next: a post on the other breeding birds of St. Paul Island, those that breed away from the cliffs.

September 1 & 2, 2012 - From Sacred Valley, to Cusco, Lima, L.A., and Salt Lake...

Our final morning in Peru was a relaxed one.  We woke, finished packing, grabbed breakfast, and then our driver Charles took us back towards Cusco.

Sacred Valley overlook at KM 29

We made our way back on a different route as we wanted to stop and check out the Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary where we could see a number of local animal species--mostly rare and endangered.  The animals here are rescue animals, and the highlight of the sanctuary are the Andean Condors which they rehab and release.  The government of Peru supports the effort of this non profit, but they do not provide funding so the sanctuary relies solely on donations, and sales from the store on property.  I was told that large tour providers do not stop here because the sanctuary can't pay a fee for them to stop--which speaks to the sad state of affairs for endangered wildlife in countries like Peru.  The locals don't realize how important that part of the tourism industry is, and it is definitely a miss for tourists who otherwise don't know its there.  Sam found out about it while looking for things to do in Sacred Valley--and we were very glad she did after we made our visit.

Charles knew the location, and walked around with us, helping translate some of what the volunteer at the sanctuary was trying to say--her English was okay, but not on par with most of the people in the tourism industry.  They had a number of wild cats, including 2 Mountain Lions--the lions were rescued from Lima where a night club owner had them kept for fighting one another--rather despicable--but an all to sad reality.  As we were walking I spotted a MOUNTAIN CARACARA up in the cliffs nearby--finally close enough for a picture.  But what followed was even more incredible--as it turns out there were two adults and a juvenile Caracara that hung out around the sanctuary, and as I came into an opening one of the adults put on a show, flying in and circling 3 or 4 times, coming within 10-15 feet of us on each pass.  It was incredible.

Mountain Caracara in flight

It had been a disappointment the previous 2 weeks with every opportunity to see this species coming at a distance or on a drive by--now I was looking at them just feet away.

Mountain Caracara in flight

It was a great photo experience to end the trip on.  After the caracara experience we were led into a large enclosure where 3 condors sat perched.  Two adults and one younger bird.

The 3 Andean Condors at the sanctuary

The ANDEAN CONDOR is a stunning bird, with an almost 11' wingspan.  The birds allowed people to walk right up to them, making me wonder if this is how they were in the wild--I know California Condors allowed for close approach back here in Utah, so it wouldn't surprise me if the same went for these creatures.

Me with a couple of Andean Condors

After spending a few minutes with the Condors and posing for a picture, they showed us the process of making and dying yarn from the alpacas, then led us into their store.  The prcies were rather high--but it is understandable given their financial situation.  We couldn't find anything we liked so instead dropped 100 soles (about $40 American) in the donation box. If you ever go to Cusco, or Machu Picchu, look into stopping by here--as a birder being able to see the Andean Condors so close was an unforgettable experience.

This photo isn't real--I combined one of the condors with

a shot I took of the Andes just for fun.

Back on the road Charles took us back into Cusco and the airport.  We thanked him and parted ways--given our previous travel issues we were nervous as this was the first of 3 legs back to Salt Lake.  Luckily everything in Cusco went smoothly, with us on an exit row and leaving on time.  As we flew west back over the Andes towards Lima I watched the mountains slipping through the clouds for the last time.

A view of The Andes from 33,000'

From Lima we had 6 hours of layover time, then a 9 hour flight back to Los Angeles.  After a short layover there we were on a plane headed back to Salt Lake--exit rows for every flight--AWESOME!  And 24 hours after our first flight left Cusco we were in our living room unpacking--our adventure was officially over.

0 life birds this day / 242 total trip life birds / 298 total trip birds

Photos of Condors and Caracaras on TimAveryBirding.com

It really was an adventure, and overall it was an amazing experience.  There were the obvious highs (Machu Picchu, the parrots, and the caimans), and the defeating lows (the protests, canceled flight,  food poisoning, and the Explorers Inn situation).  But the lows don't even come close to ruining everything else.  I would have loved to see about 100 more species--I had believed 350-400 species should have been fairly easy given where we went.  The entire day missed in the Amazon--with no trip to an Oxbow Lake, and more time in a canopy tower, I undoubtedly missed a number of species.  I have no doubt that 25-50 more species would have been seen with that extra day.  But that's life, and the trip wasn't about the birds--it was about the experience.  Given who I am I will always make birds an important part of the trip, but focus more on the overall time had.  I was planning on recapping and letting some gripes out, but will save that for another day--because right now the good memories are the only ones worth talking about!

Sam and I at Machu Picchu--the highlight of the trip!

So if you stuck with me for the entirety of my 2 week long adventure--spanned out over 2 months as I post my recaps (we left Peru 2 months ago today)--I thank you, and I hope you found them somewhat entertaining, educational, and possibly useful for your own future endeavors to Peru.  As with the majority of the posts on the blog--these will undoubtedly fade into oblivion--I am still meaning to create an easy to view archive that lists out all of the 330+ posts from the past 2 years. So to at least put them all in one place I will link to the other 15 posts of my recap below:

Birding Peru part 1 - Lima & Miraflores
Birding Peru part 2 - Pantanos de Villa
Birding Peru part 3 - Pucusana Fishing Village
Birding Peru part 4 - Protests in Puno
Birding Peru part 5 - Lake Titicaca
Birding Peru part 6 - Sillustani & Lago Umayo
Birding Peru part 7 - Puno to Cusco Bus
Birding Peru part 8 - Huacarpay Lake
Birding Peru part 9 - Amazonia & Rio Tambopata
Birding Peru part 10 - Explorer's Inn & Caimans
Birding Peru part 11 - Explorer's Inn Colpa
Birding Peru part 12 - Explorer's Inn Trails
Birding Peru part 13 - Explorer's Inn and Out
Birding Peru part 14 - Machu Picchu
Birding Peru part 15 - Abra Malaga & Sacred Valley

And aside from those, here are links to my planning posts with more information, and some lists I made before hand:

Prepping for Peru
My Top 25 List - Peru Prepping Part 1
My Top 15 List - Peru Prepping Part 2
My Top 5 List - Peru Prepping Part 3
Endemics - Peru Prepping Part 4
Wait, those are different species? (none of which I saw or heard...)
Making Playlists with Xeno Canto

For Peru I decided to write about the trip much more than I did for Costa Rica.  I did this for several reasons--for me the most important was being able to look back in 20 years and remember everything that I saw and did while there.  But I also wanted to provide up to date trip reports from a number of areas that I simply could not find up to date information for.  The Explorer's Inn is a prime example, and I think a major reason why was apparent through my posts about the area.  In any event, that's it--I managed to get all of these up within 2 months of returning home--far better than almost a year later for my final Costa Rica recap.  And as for foreign birding--well let's just say the next trip will take us to another continent, and even further south on the globe...