CBC Brings the Year to a Close

Today was the Logan Christmas Bird Count, and also my last day of birding in Cache County this year. We birded all day, from before sunrise looking for owls to picking rare geese out of a flock as the light dimmed in the evening. I was with Stephanie in the morning and Ron Ryel (photo below) from mid-morning to evening. We found some good birds today, including the Mourning Doves shown above. (There were many seen this year, but some years we only find one in the entire count circle.) There were five species that my group found that were not seen anywhere else in the count circle: Cedar Waxwings, a Greater Yellowlegs, a Ruddy Duck, a Ross's Goose, and two Cackling Geese. In total, I saw 54 species, but none of them were new for the year. Our count circle found a total of 93 species, but none of those would have been new for the year for me either, so it was good to know that I didn't miss anything. The dinner celebration and count compilation at the end of the day was not only a good way to end a cold day, but also a great way to end the year.

It's only the 20th, so why is my big year ending early? Well, Stephanie and I leave tomorrow at 4:30 AM to go to Colombia for the holidays. Which brings up another good question: what will happen to the blog? You might have already noticed a few small changes; I'm going to keep the blog going and transition it into a place to write about all of my natural history experiences, in Utah and elsewhere. The changes may be gradual, but within a few weeks this will be a whole new place! So, watch this spot for more adventures in the natural world. Up next, Colombia!

Winter Birds in Spring

Today I celebrated Easter with a great day of birding around Cache Valley. I was joined by Keith Archibald, John Barnes, Bryan Dixon, Craig Faulhaber, Craig Fosdick, Jean Lown, and Ron Ryel each for part or all of the day. Highlights included a pair of Hooded Mergansers at the Logan Fish Hatchery, a continuing Greater White-fronted Goose off of Sam Fellow Road, a pair of Trumpeter Swans near the Amalga Barrens, and a Common Redpoll at a feeder at a private residence in Richmond. Hooded Merganser was number four on my most-wanted list, and is a great bird to find. I was starting to think I was too late in the year to find one, since they are listed as rare in winter and absent in other seasons. I had definitely given up on Common Redpoll, having missed what was then the only one of the year a few weeks ago. This is another winter bird that must be on its way north just as the summering birds move back in. The migration was clearly evident today: other firsts of the year included American Avocet, Franklin's Gull, Savannah Sparrow, Double-crested Cormorant, Clark's Grebe, Ruddy Duck, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Black-necked Stilt.

The photo above is a great comparison of the two swan species, with a Tundra Swan on the left and a Trumpeter Swan on the right. The pair of Trumpeters was a nice treat after scanning through hundreds of Tundras in the area. The photo below shows the Common Redpoll at a feeder with two American Goldfinches.