Common Redpoll Irruption 2012-2013

This Common Redpoll, which I photographed on Nov 8, 2012 in Steel Canyon, Cache Co., was among the first of the irruption, a sign of things to come.

This year has been absolutely unprecedented for Common Redpolls in Utah, at least as far back as records have been kept.  For a sense of the scale of this irruption, here are all the eBird records from 1900 to 2011:

And here are the eBird records from just the last three months:

Large flocks have been documented in Utah before: for example, 120 were seen in the 1988 Christmas Bird Count in Kanab, and a flock of 40 was reported in Duchesne County in 1958.  But this is certainly the best-documented irruption of them in the state, and perhaps the largest.  Birds like these irrupt from the north when their seed crops fail and they must wander further south than usual to find sufficient food.  You can help document this irruption into Utah by submitting your records to eBird (a photo or a thorough description in the comments field always helps), and by submitting records to the Utah Bird Records Committee.  But most importantly, get out and enjoy this experience, which might be a once-in-a-lifetime event!  A thistle feeder is a good way to bring this species to your yard, but they will also come to other kinds of seed.  They are also particularly fond of birches and wild thistle, so watch for these plants near your favorite birding spots.

White-winged Crossbill Irruption

White-winged Crossbills breed in Utah, but only in very small numbers. This fall, I found my first White-winged Crossbill ever up Logan Canyon. Now, they seem to be turning up all over the place, thanks to a large influx of crossbills from the north. Stephanie and I found a flock of them in Clarkston during the Great Backyard Bird Count a couple of weekends ago (photo above), and earlier this week I saw and heard a large flock of them at the Logan Cemetery. Today Stephanie and I went back to the cemetery to try to photograph them. We heard them fly overhead several times, but never got a good look or any photos. With all the spruces there, it is likely they'll hang around. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow. This year, instead of trying to see as many species as I can in the county, I'm trying to get better at bird photography. And White-winged Crossbills are a species I'd really like to photograph better.

Update: Thanks to a call from my friend Jason, who notified me when he relocated the USU White-wingeds feeding closer to the ground, I got a few better shots. Here are a few of them (below).

To See 200 Birds in Cache County

Welcome! I've created this blog to provide updates on my attempt to see 200 bird species in Cache County in 2008. According to the Bridgerland Audubon Society's "Birds of 2002 Cache County, Utah: Checklist & Site Guide," there are only 293 species that have ever been recorded in the county. Of those, only 205 are considered to occur every year. That means that to see 200 species in the county is to see pretty close to all of them.

I consider myself a good birder, but not a great one, so this will be an excellent chance for me to improve my birding. I have the advantage of an active community of birders to join me on birding expeditions, point me toward rarities, and suggest hot spots for tough-to-find birds. I expect to rely considerably on the help of others in this quest. Perhaps you will be able to help me with some tips!

This year, 2008, is already shaping up to be a good year for reaching my goal for two reasons. First of all, I've got a slight advantage over other years because this is a leap year. Second, this winter is already turning out to be a record-setter for species diversity in the area, in part due to a huge boreal irruption. Stay tuned as I start counting the birds!