tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-400072256712261692024-03-21T05:33:03.655-06:00200 Birds<b>The continuing adventures of a biologist in Utah and beyond</b>Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-68147270690304921342016-04-17T18:14:00.002-06:002016-04-17T18:14:58.150-06:00Saying Goodbye to Ron, with Citizen Science<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://qcnr.usu.edu/images-ou/RJR%20sundown%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://qcnr.usu.edu/images-ou/RJR%20sundown%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Ron J. Ryel, 1955-2015, was one of Utah's top birders and a mentor to myself and other birders in my community. (Photo via Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University)</td></tr>
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Late last year, I learned of the passing of one of my birding mentors, Dr. Ron Ryel, after a long battle with cancer. When I first moved to Utah in 2006, my interest in birding was increasing rapidly. Ron was a local expert who shared his knowledge with me. He took myself and another new local, my friend Craig Fosdick, birding several times between about 2008 and 2010, and taught us much from his extensive knowledge of local bird distribution and global bird identification. In addition to being a productive member of the Utah State University faculty, he was a well-known and well-respected birder, having contributed several new species to the <a href="http://www.utahbirds.org/RecCom/ArchFirstState.htm" target="_blank">Utah state list</a>, and served many years as a member of the <a href="http://www.utahbirds.org/RecCom/" target="_blank">Utah Bird Records Committee</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ron Ryel (background) taught me and Craig Fosdick (foreground) much about birding in Cache County, Utah. Here, we watch one of the only Greater Sage-Grouse leks known in the county.</td></tr>
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It wasn't long after I got to know Ron that he became too ill to do much birding. I regret that I didn't feel close enough to him to stay in touch through his illness, and when he died last year, it had been several years since we last talked. Still, he left a lasting impression on me as both a source for much of my birding knowledge, and a model for how to mentor others as their birding interest and skill grows.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ron looking for Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings on a Christmas Bird Count in Logan. Ron had the coveted position of "roamer," a role that might be exclusive to the Logan CBC. Ron's assigned job for the CBC was to cover the entire count circle in search of the rare and hard-to-identify species that might be missed by other less-experienced birders. I inherited Ron's role when he was no longer able to contribute to the Logan CBC.</td></tr>
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Ron valued citizen science, and was a dedicated participant in Christmas Bird Counts each year. I first brought up eBird with him in late 2008 or early 2009. I was just getting into this citizen science project, now the largest of any such project in the world, and it was still growing in capacity and format. Ron was interested in the idea, but unconvinced of the value of entering his own data. He had extensive field notes, but preferred to spend his time birding rather than entering his sightings in a database that he saw as ephemeral. He had seen other such systems come and go, and was afraid eBird would face the same fate.</div>
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Now, seven years later, eBird has secured its place as the most comprehensive and reliable citizen science project ever. Its global coverage includes hundreds of thousands of observers, documenting millions of sightings of almost every species on earth. It has the backing of a well-reputed university and its own associated archival library. I think Ron would be as impressed as I am by how far eBird has come.</div>
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When Ron passed, my friend Andrew Durso and I contacted his widow, Melanie, with an idea. To help ensure Ron's birding could contribute to ornithology and conservation biology long after his passing, we offered to enter Ron's data in eBird. Melanie, in her own words, was "astonished and delighted" that we would make such an offer. To us, it seemed a fitting tribute to someone who gave so much to birds and birding in Utah, and also a way for us to contribute very valuable data to a project that we both believe in very strongly. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cardboard box of 17 pounds of Ron's field notes, life lists, and other birding records, destined to be permanently archived in eBird.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew and I are both in the process of entering data into an account we created on Ron's behalf. Each checklist includes detailed notes about the nature of the observations. </td></tr>
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<br />Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-21934718096877715272015-12-07T19:34:00.000-07:002015-12-07T20:35:50.606-07:00Pelagic birding from a cruise ship, part 2: Yachats, Oregon to Ocean Shores, WashingtonOn the second full day of this cruise (2 December 2015), we started about 40 miles off the coast near Yachats, Oregon. (<a href="http://200birds.blogspot.com/2015/12/pelagic-birding-from-cruise-ship-part-1.html" target="_blank">See Part 1 here.</a>) Today, the weather was much worse, which was better. We had gotten into some rainy, stormy weather, which meant that the long swells had broken up into short rough waves. Although the ocean looked much more turbulent, the ride was much smoother. On top of that, the wind had shifted around behind us, so although it was blowing 20-40 knots, since we were moving over 20 knots it felt like the wind was rather calm. The conditions were perfect for spotting seabirds!<br />
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I started my day by checking the boat for birds that might have landed on it at night. In migration, it's not uncommon for birds to be attracted to the boat's lights, become disoriented, and rest on the ship. Although we were well past the peak of migration, there was still a chance we could catch a late or wandering bird. More intriguingly, a Brown Booby was checking out the boat at dusk the night before, so I thought it might have spent the night riding on our boat into Oregon waters. However, a thorough check of all the railings, antennae, and decorative shrubs revealed no stowaways.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGqMK5ZUp8HVSuw3kEQCFvQCOq2VD3mPk1oPlFAOyfTRwOt-N63TNHby7rlsVfT9aRwAQVGagP5W7GFavO2V8ZK-V29Jg5mv5q7RkcQuAEAcmvyJMA8CtdNipkXpBMsjAvLtWAPvvGg/s1600/02+Checking+the+Ruby+Princess+cruise+ship+for+migrants+before+sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGqMK5ZUp8HVSuw3kEQCFvQCOq2VD3mPk1oPlFAOyfTRwOt-N63TNHby7rlsVfT9aRwAQVGagP5W7GFavO2V8ZK-V29Jg5mv5q7RkcQuAEAcmvyJMA8CtdNipkXpBMsjAvLtWAPvvGg/s640/02+Checking+the+Ruby+Princess+cruise+ship+for+migrants+before+sunrise.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ships lights sometimes attract confused birds at night, but I didn't find any birds on board as the sky lightened off the Oregon coast.</td></tr>
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A persistent theme of our second day would be late-staying Buller's Shearwaters, and this distinctive shearwater was among our first birds of the day. This is one of my favorite birds, subtle in tone but boldly patterned in all white below and grays and blacks on top. Most of them have left U.S. waters to head back to New Zealand by December, but there were plenty still around on this trip, maybe due to the usually warm water temperature. By the end of the day our tally was in the dozens.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buller's Shearwater off the coast of Oregon.</td></tr>
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It was neat to see the change in species between the two days, now that we were in more northern and cooler waters. We noted increases in Herring Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Rhinoceros Auklets, and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels. Conversely, Red Phalaropes and Black-vented Shearwaters were absent or nearly so. One rare species from the day before made a "return" appearance (certainly a different individual): we had another Flesh-footed Shearwater about 53 miles off the coast of Lincoln County, Oregon. I was excited to see this species again, but unfortunately our views were no better than they were the day before, and I had to be satisfied with an identification based mostly on flight style and body shape rather than really enjoying all the fine details of the bird.<br />
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There was a brief change in scenery a little after 10:00 when several of us spotted a flock of "something different" deep in the fog on the starboard side and heading in our direction. After a few seconds they resolved enough to see that they were a flock of Brant. It felt odd to see geese fifty miles from land, but this species is relatively pelagic and they make long ocean crossings as part of their regular migration.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some barely-identifiable Brant flying south through the fog about 50 miles from the Oregon coast.</td></tr>
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One of the mammal highlights of the day, for me at least, was a pod of Dall's Porpoises that approached the boat. These tiny black-and-white whales are active, boldly patterned, and leave a distinctive "rooster tail" when they breathe. I had seen them before, but it was a treat to see them again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Dall's Porpoises throw rooster tails as they head out of sight down the starboard side of the boat off the coast of Oregon.</td></tr>
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Mottled Petrel was one of the main targets of the trip, and would be a lifer for many in the group. This is a boldly-patterned species that flies in dramatic arcs in high winds and is found rarely but regularly in U.S. waters, usually only far off shore and in the winter. I had seen a couple of days of impressive flights from shore on St. Paul Island, Alaska, so the bird would not be a lifer for me. I wasn't as bummed as many would have been when I returned from lunch to hear I had missed one, but it still felt like I patched a little hole in my list when I was able to see the second one of the trip just after we crossed into Washington State waters at about 1:00 PM. By the end of the day we would have an impressive total of seven, of which I saw five.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I missed the first Mottled Petrel while I was eating lunch, and the second one was too far for a decent photo, but this one performed well for us, cutting back and forth in front of the bow for a little while before darting off into the fog.</td></tr>
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Around 2:00 I took a quick bathroom break, rushing back to the bow as soon as I could so I wouldn't miss any exciting birds. Just as I came out of the door onto the side deck, I spotted two alcids flushing from close on the side of the boat. One immediately struck me as being different so I snapped a few photos before I even tried to think about what the bird was. It was a Common Murre (with a Rhinoceros Auklet), and would end up being the only one of the trip. This is a common species, including near the coast, so I'm sure no one lamented missing this bird.<br />
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In the evening a lot of us, including myself, stayed on the bow much later than the night before because many of us had missed that late fly-by Brown Booby. However, the waning light was uneventful, and when it was truly too dark to bird we headed back to our cabins with no last-minute reward. It was a great day, and I celebrated with some of the other Arizona birders that were on the boat with a fancier dinner than the buffet I went to the first two nights. We had a great evening chatting about our sightings and telling jokes. In the morning, we would wake up already docked in Vancouver, British Columbia, with Surf Scoters and Northwestern(ish) Crows all around, ready to scatter to our various landlocked homes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several of us stayed on the bow as long as possible in hopes of not missing another rare last-minute sighting like the previous night's Brown Booby.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizU4fJvvx-QG39urmQJjrZtjXL43VN2ZRDg5xkXfEhGrmHdwzD5LYc6q8NW3dtXNUwLHTsiN6GA-VLvYVIHTQVuGtOyClRWl51OibAFeRQbVu0F8hhiEpphld_T8CwQRkEz6WXhOO3ww/s1600/43+Panorama+of+our+fancy+dinner+with+Magill%252C+Jason%252C+Brandon%252C+Lauren%252C+and+David.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizU4fJvvx-QG39urmQJjrZtjXL43VN2ZRDg5xkXfEhGrmHdwzD5LYc6q8NW3dtXNUwLHTsiN6GA-VLvYVIHTQVuGtOyClRWl51OibAFeRQbVu0F8hhiEpphld_T8CwQRkEz6WXhOO3ww/s640/43+Panorama+of+our+fancy+dinner+with+Magill%252C+Jason%252C+Brandon%252C+Lauren%252C+and+David.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating a great cruise with a fancy dinner. Birding field conditions at their best!</td></tr>
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Here is a complete list of species and numbers that I saw during the day, including birds in Oregon and Washington. (No single birder will ever see every bird on a pelagic trip, so the trip total including all observers would be higher for most species.)<br />
Brant: 16<br />
Pacific Loon: 2<br />
Laysan Albatross: 2<br />
Black-footed Albatross: 4<br />
Northern Fulmar: 61<br />
Mottled Petrel: 5<br />
Pink-footed Shearwater: 7<br />
Flesh-footed Shearwater: 1<br />
Buller's Shearwater: 25<br />
Sooty Shearwater: 36<br />
Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater: 9<br />
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel: 7<br />
Pomarine Jaeger: 10<br />
Common Murre: 1<br />
Cassin's Auklet: 10<br />
Rhinoceros Auklet: 29<br />
Cassin's/Rhinoceros Auklet: 2<br />
Black-legged Kittiwake: 32<br />
California Gull: 35<br />
Herring Gull: 23<br />
Thayer's Gull: 5<br />
Glaucous-winged Gull: 1<br />
Unidentified gull (Larus sp.): 21<br />
<br />Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-77182712005997770292015-12-05T15:23:00.000-07:002015-12-15T18:46:25.926-07:00Pelagic birding from a cruise ship, part 1: Los Angeles to Fort Bragg, California<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptEMIqAp0W0gKhpwZvKl4ZaAsJGp6VsYSd6ecy5p1qo8Pz3emoRwX-6pQjqiCGXU2DqpBaCPzWE1NmPPG2TbG2dv9nz9Zsu3qi9Fv060d0PdJQ9HwdyvuO5EIkl4A3TUCS3NJG9daEw/s1600/Ruby+Princess+by+Chris+Favero+via+CC+license+on+Flickr_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptEMIqAp0W0gKhpwZvKl4ZaAsJGp6VsYSd6ecy5p1qo8Pz3emoRwX-6pQjqiCGXU2DqpBaCPzWE1NmPPG2TbG2dv9nz9Zsu3qi9Fv060d0PdJQ9HwdyvuO5EIkl4A3TUCS3NJG9daEw/s640/Ruby+Princess+by+Chris+Favero+via+CC+license+on+Flickr_edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You may call it the Promenade, but I call it the Birding Deck. (Photo of the Ruby Princess cruise ship by Chris Favero, Creative Commons via Flickr.)</td></tr>
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Earlier this week I went on my first cruise, but my experience was very different from that of most people on the boat. This was a "repositioning cruise," a discounted (often shorter) trip that cruise companies offer when they need to get a boat from one place to another and don't want to lose money doing it. For less than $200, I had three nights of lodging and three days of meals, plus access to lots of entertainment options like a casino, live shows, movies from a hot tub, etc. But I took advantage of none of those entertainment options: I was there for the birds.<br />
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Repositioning cruises have become increasingly popular among dedicated birders in recent years. Unlike most traditional pelagic birding trips, cruises spend most of their time in the really deep waters at or beyond the continental shelf. Out there is the realm of a whole different suite of birds, especially the <i>Pterodroma</i> petrels. These dynamic, acrobatic flyers are famous for zipping around in almost unbelievable arcs as they forage comfortably in turbulent winds.<br />
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I had been invited to join the cruise a couple of months earlier by my friends David and Lauren, and separately by Jason. There was an informal group of birders forming around this cruise, because it would traverse the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. in a time of year when it was very hard to get out on the ocean, and when little was known about the birds present, but rarities were almost certain. On top of that, this was a st<span style="font-family: inherit;">rong El N<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">iño</span> ye</span>ar, which further increases the chances for a rare seabird to wander to our coast in search of food.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ_sDwZp67FtqgbbhDShonanPUZ9op1gZ9JfvsUFDYxBfhoGGUvhP3pjFgNhRQzpNYDQ9nCsj1AIplJr63NW8vB8V9jZav2ZudpH-kCd9KNtp4qtjd8HqZ4I9IoQnSac6VTFBK_CoUw/s1600/12+Paul+Lehman+gives+an+introduction+to+the+boat+while+Curtis+Marantz+and+others+watch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ_sDwZp67FtqgbbhDShonanPUZ9op1gZ9JfvsUFDYxBfhoGGUvhP3pjFgNhRQzpNYDQ9nCsj1AIplJr63NW8vB8V9jZav2ZudpH-kCd9KNtp4qtjd8HqZ4I9IoQnSac6VTFBK_CoUw/s640/12+Paul+Lehman+gives+an+introduction+to+the+boat+while+Curtis+Marantz+and+others+watch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Lehman gives an introduction to the birders on the boat while we were still in the harbor in Los Angeles.</td></tr>
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My cruise on the Ruby Princess started from Los Angeles on 30 November 2015. <a href="http://wingsbirds.com/leaders/paul-lehman/" target="_blank">Paul Lehman</a> was with us, and he has led many birding trips on cruises for Wings so he offered to give a little introduction to the group about where we would be, where the nearest facilities were, when and where to eat to get the most birding time, and lots of other helpful tips. I was hoping to get a bit of pelagic birding in on the first night, but the sun sets so early this time of year. We were able to bird through the harbor on the way out as the sun set, and it was still light enough to bird as we passed the breakwater and headed into the ocean. Several large flocks of Pacific Loons passed overhead against the sunlight. Finally, when it was almost too dark to see, I spotted my first tubenose of the trip, a Black-vented Shearwater (a very common species in these inshore habitats). We retired for the night when we couldn't squeeze any more birds out of the daylight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgj2-9vPgrXVcyKCni17eE2QFLwPZLFpPFtNa6S72gBVUs5iMxTUyKkDNqqrIGbMCn-XHSF12gSMxuJpnM1TxKojDFlV82saZZ9RbCOdDfGLt3YTHP983zO6bCRFH28FhFPT5PZ8nrQ/s1600/20+Jason+birding+from+the+deck+at+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgj2-9vPgrXVcyKCni17eE2QFLwPZLFpPFtNa6S72gBVUs5iMxTUyKkDNqqrIGbMCn-XHSF12gSMxuJpnM1TxKojDFlV82saZZ9RbCOdDfGLt3YTHP983zO6bCRFH28FhFPT5PZ8nrQ/s640/20+Jason+birding+from+the+deck+at+sunset.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason scans for birds as the sun sets behind Santa Catalina Island.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIRIH_LlponXypdn2nhNhW-etaDduGm01DKfdQNcD1R9plumdgje0E6PUHMluIDz3A2sNlwHbv0iClXoeZGRH9Z3g-MPfvJrgNqVTyJupX0kqueCQmKZqCx5DIrE-eEDDEmR2s4Vgrw/s1600/21+Passing+the+lighthouse+and+the+breakwater+at+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIRIH_LlponXypdn2nhNhW-etaDduGm01DKfdQNcD1R9plumdgje0E6PUHMluIDz3A2sNlwHbv0iClXoeZGRH9Z3g-MPfvJrgNqVTyJupX0kqueCQmKZqCx5DIrE-eEDDEmR2s4Vgrw/s640/21+Passing+the+lighthouse+and+the+breakwater+at+sunset.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing the breakwater and heading out for two full days and three nights on the open ocean.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd-RbcAZoeD7s8RRFdN5l3ZSxeyLxmpcHV88iDA5-hZl_rhnIOD-KiVVMMkP1O9ZlmhHzbnU9G0xqBT3JdnQOHNUnfDRpIEdgXGiZOCbIls_WficVihrvjA8Ji2pe34orVd-Tbn6ZCw/s1600/22+Pacific+Loons+in+flight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd-RbcAZoeD7s8RRFdN5l3ZSxeyLxmpcHV88iDA5-hZl_rhnIOD-KiVVMMkP1O9ZlmhHzbnU9G0xqBT3JdnQOHNUnfDRpIEdgXGiZOCbIls_WficVihrvjA8Ji2pe34orVd-Tbn6ZCw/s640/22+Pacific+Loons+in+flight.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These Pacific Loons were part of several large flocks flying south as the sky got dark.</td></tr>
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The first night was pretty rough. I had heard that motion sickness was not an issue on cruise ships, and that's probably true most of the time. But this night, we had long-period swells that rocked the boat quite a bit. My cabin was as far towards the bow as you can get, and almost as high as you can get, so it moved more than most. There were a few times at night where I felt I like I was lifting up off the bed to crash back down with the impact between our bow and the water reverberating all the way up the boat to my back. The hangers in my closet woke me up a few times as they banged against the closet wall. It was not a great night of sleep, but I was so excited for the birding in the morning that I felt ready to go when the alarm went off well before sunrise (1 December 2015). After a solid breakfast ("a full stomach will not betray you," they say), I went down to Deck 7, the Promenade, where one has the best views of the water. Because of the high swell, the bow section (which is actually on Deck 8, but a continuation of the Promenade) was closed, so we birded from the side instead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnE4qBKNXs2W242HyCbadiwnM2PgyVXLJSHYXN1xaClWTXzXhbJfa8ynAZc5MOMR5vprt286L7E-QICHraaI7PIpmLKK0rHHZeoRATpvIPnWfsS17wP_y6Ga1z3x0kghWDqxovAB4gw/s1600/03+Bow+crashing+down+from+the+side+of+Deck+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnE4qBKNXs2W242HyCbadiwnM2PgyVXLJSHYXN1xaClWTXzXhbJfa8ynAZc5MOMR5vprt286L7E-QICHraaI7PIpmLKK0rHHZeoRATpvIPnWfsS17wP_y6Ga1z3x0kghWDqxovAB4gw/s640/03+Bow+crashing+down+from+the+side+of+Deck+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the bow was closed due to the high swell, we were confined to bird from the side of the boat. This position is just under the orange life boats in the top photo. Note that although the ocean looks relatively smooth, the waves crashing out from under us belie the long-period swell that made the ride feel rather rough.</td></tr>
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In the first hour of birding, I got my first lifer of the trip, a Laysan Albatross. This is a very distinctive bird, with excessively long black wings on a white body, and was easy to identify even given its distance. It was my most likely lifer of the trip, and we did end up seeing several more by the end of the day. We also saw a small group of about four beaked whales from the genus <i>Mesoplodon</i>, a group which is described as the most poorly known mammals in the world. Several species were only recently described, and some are known only from specimens. Unfortunately, we'll probably never know which species we saw because they can only be identified from careful study of the teeth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-xemLLS4wQtrU1Xh2EQ9s4_Q01ujuwnsXpFYNN9fpFb-6a6N47oQXsY8RdBpMkqWvxjteDeu3pwHaRHCRKNePcQGzT462_v-wXQNVGKDPJBahfq46Udbctnb2jUPmgsqAvIQxPI6bw/s1600/05+Unidentified+beaked+whale.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-xemLLS4wQtrU1Xh2EQ9s4_Q01ujuwnsXpFYNN9fpFb-6a6N47oQXsY8RdBpMkqWvxjteDeu3pwHaRHCRKNePcQGzT462_v-wXQNVGKDPJBahfq46Udbctnb2jUPmgsqAvIQxPI6bw/s640/05+Unidentified+beaked+whale.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An unidentified beaked whale of the genus <i>Mesoplodon</i>.</td></tr>
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A little after 8:00, we were able to move up to the bow of the boat, where the view is a little higher but your odds of spotting birds are better because you can see both sides. The birding was a bit slow, but there was a nearly steady trickle of common species including Red Phalaropes, Northern Fulmars, Cassin's Auklets, and gulls, with an occasional Laysan Albatross, Pomarine Jaeger, or other bird of interest. The ride was a bit rougher up on the bow, so after another hour or so I moved back down to the side again. I was feeling a bit sick from all the motion - not enough to be at risk of puking, but enough to be uncomfortable. Also, it was cold on the bow: a bit of a head wind combined with the boat's 22 miles per hour made for significant wind chill. I didn't spend long on the side before I decided my time would best be spent with a quick nap and some more food, to warm up and to rest from the motion.<br />
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I was relieved to hear when I returned to the bow at about 1:30 that despite being gone for almost three hours, I hadn't missed any really exciting birds. I got there just in time, though, because about 20 minutes later my favorite bird of the trip was spotted, a Flesh-footed Shearwater! This was another of the more likely lifers on this trip, but it's an ABA Code 3 bird (rare at the continental level) and one I had been looking forward to for a long time. It is a southern hemisphere bird but is spotted in U.S. waters every year in small numbers.<br />
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Not much later, we spotted a Peregrine Falcon, an uncommon sight this far from land (about 40 miles out). It was being chased by a gull, which seemed uncharacteristically brazen, but then we noticed what the gull was after. The falcon had apparently plucked a Red Phalarope from the water, and was feeding on it while it flew!<br />
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We had a continuing trickle of birds, mostly the same common species as before, although we were already noticing some subtle shifts in the abundances (more California Gulls and fewer Red Phalaropes, for example). We nearly ran over a Laysan Albatross that was very attached to a fish carcass it had found. We lost sight of the bird under us on the bow, but others reported that the bird was seen flying around the stern shortly afterwards. One of the rarer sightings came next when a group of three Black-vented Shearwaters were seen. They are rare this far north, but even more surprising was that they were roughly 40 miles off shore, given that this species is usually only found in the shallower waters near shore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz0f-nNnT4rUvkZvBXTdayGyMAc3vZPQ6nLHCBViz9hmFWKZYte5S7nhed6vvS9__3ToIw_gk5IP8C-friRZqprCSjHXJCFNFKedCiRCIPkULargnArLIVt7rW6krX6GATWm7yLVlww/s1600/15+Laysan+Albatross+with+Northern+Fulmars+and+a+gull.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz0f-nNnT4rUvkZvBXTdayGyMAc3vZPQ6nLHCBViz9hmFWKZYte5S7nhed6vvS9__3ToIw_gk5IP8C-friRZqprCSjHXJCFNFKedCiRCIPkULargnArLIVt7rW6krX6GATWm7yLVlww/s640/15+Laysan+Albatross+with+Northern+Fulmars+and+a+gull.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Laysan Albatross really wanted to stick with its dead fish, while the gulls and fulmars were smart enough to fly out of the way of the cruise ship before it got too close.</td></tr>
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Before 5:00, it started getting dark. I knew that rare birds can come any time, so I waited about as long as I thought was reasonable before abandoning my post at the bow. When it was almost too dark for birds, and when I was among the last 10 or so of up to 40 birders left, I packed up my tripod and went in to get ready for dinner. Of course, at dinner I heard that I had left just before the only Brown Booby of the trip flew right past the bow! I didn't mind too much, since I had seen Brown Boobies in California before and I got my two most wanted (reasonable) birds of the trip already. Plus, I had a whole day of birding <a href="http://200birds.blogspot.com/2015/12/pelagic-birding-from-cruise-ship-part-2.html">ahead of me tomorrow. . . . .</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAwi6CvqQ7_N_B0KgcRtYktm1h4HPktTU_2R-1jr0_lsD-o7a9jMaUHfdPVe5SX2YRcP6WPUb8wa9NOjq97xLZV-0hXWEQxsWWkPwZZ1vXyQwZyzKhKZ4oN4g785SyjbiwLtlV0UhAg/s1600/30+Birders+on+the+bow+including+Ryan+Merrill%252C+etc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAwi6CvqQ7_N_B0KgcRtYktm1h4HPktTU_2R-1jr0_lsD-o7a9jMaUHfdPVe5SX2YRcP6WPUb8wa9NOjq97xLZV-0hXWEQxsWWkPwZZ1vXyQwZyzKhKZ4oN4g785SyjbiwLtlV0UhAg/s640/30+Birders+on+the+bow+including+Ryan+Merrill%252C+etc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Promenade, Deck 8. The ground is usually stable enough to use spotting scopes on tripods, and the wall and roof protect you from the wind and rain. Although it can still get chilly, it's pretty comfortable as far as birding spots go.</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_26759170"></span><span id="goog_26759171"></span>Here is a complete list of species and numbers that I saw during the first full day (not counting the evening trip out of the harbor the night before). No single birder will ever see every bird on a pelagic trip, so the trip total including all observers would be higher for most species.<br />
Pacific Loon: 1<br />
Laysan Albatross: 5<br />
Black-footed Albatross: 2<br />
Northern Fulmar: 75<br />
Pink-footed Shearwater: 1<br />
Flesh-footed Shearwater: 1<br />
Sooty Shearwater: 5<br />
Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater: 1<br />
Black-vented Shearwater: 4<br />
Red Phalarope: 381<br />
Pomarine Jaeger: 17<br />
Unidentified jaeger: 4<br />
Cassin's Auklet: 19<br />
Unidentified alcid: 17<br />
Bonaparte's Gull: 2<br />
Western Gull: 1<br />
California Gull: 139<br />
Herring Gull: 6<br />
Unidentified gull: 60<br />
Peregrine Falcon: 2Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-51207912643992932882015-11-17T16:18:00.001-07:002015-11-18T14:07:43.618-07:00How Grandad Taught Me Radio Tracking<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Jq17eP0H4qiIo8daJg-WMjfm1spf9kH_48rcOVDPcfBl4iadYm2ryfzj2KOiaPZJcyaFTpOt62BrhaC-mKjmQmWTk2rBxERGCcvFfQvHJ3ZhCVQXORZpUxjx7sanaP3IIi2Nw6QE1w/s1600/126+00+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Jq17eP0H4qiIo8daJg-WMjfm1spf9kH_48rcOVDPcfBl4iadYm2ryfzj2KOiaPZJcyaFTpOt62BrhaC-mKjmQmWTk2rBxERGCcvFfQvHJ3ZhCVQXORZpUxjx7sanaP3IIi2Nw6QE1w/s640/126+00+%252822%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandad O'Donnell giving me an early lesson in wildlife and fisheries management.</td></tr>
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When I was young and we went to my grandparents' house for Thanksgiving or Christmas, my Grandad would play a game with us called "Hot or Cold." He'd hide a few coins around the living room while we waited upstairs, then call us down. As we slowly worked our way around the room he'd give us the play-by-play, to indicate how close we were to the coins and whether we were going in the right direction. "You're very cold," "You're getting warmer," and when we almost found the coins, "You're burning up; you're almost on fire!" Radio tracking an animal works exactly the same way.</div>
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This weekend, I got to help Tiffany Sprague, an Arizona State University graduate student, radio track Mexican Garter Snakes. The Mexican Garter Snake is a federally protected species, listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It once occurred along many still and slow-moving water bodies in central and southern Arizona and New Mexico, but it has declined dramatically because of competition and predation by introduced species and the development and draining of wetlands. Tiffany is trying to help this species by studying its fine-scale habitat preferences. Knowing exactly what kind of habitat is best for this species will help land managers bring it back to the areas where it has been lost, once the non-native predators and competitors like sport fish, crayfish, and bullfrogs are under control.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrH3ABIU0yO1uKaF3t9cSToeQv7_xjzJ3felvSJQBNkmOjYu4-3i5wOl2w-5lLjx4Y7ddCGIydSLVQTYshVJnO9XmflajbnPbBlIM8CoqXtOOjgZOAEGAdOH0gvmLKEqgfzaR79rMT_g/s1600/03_copyright+Mexican+Garter+Snake+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrH3ABIU0yO1uKaF3t9cSToeQv7_xjzJ3felvSJQBNkmOjYu4-3i5wOl2w-5lLjx4Y7ddCGIydSLVQTYshVJnO9XmflajbnPbBlIM8CoqXtOOjgZOAEGAdOH0gvmLKEqgfzaR79rMT_g/s640/03_copyright+Mexican+Garter+Snake+sign.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This fish hatchery specializes on raising native non-game fish and on making habitat for the endangered Mexican Garter Snake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZieOV-jGz5iX_cwDoAiAXKgmAzct9ov8cf3NvxlI32Wdo7n8ZxzhLmxtv7Rys8sL-w7avibjGgK8rPoCHmi6fHjEKsciO0GNR4uDQw8nIuOpz2k-SNl-gu_C4r5Y6VDAZoQYMkaipQ/s1600/15_copyright+Radio+tracking+devices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZieOV-jGz5iX_cwDoAiAXKgmAzct9ov8cf3NvxlI32Wdo7n8ZxzhLmxtv7Rys8sL-w7avibjGgK8rPoCHmi6fHjEKsciO0GNR4uDQw8nIuOpz2k-SNl-gu_C4r5Y6VDAZoQYMkaipQ/s640/15_copyright+Radio+tracking+devices.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selection of various radio transmitters that are used on the snakes, some for larger snakes (red), and some for smaller snakes to be implanted (silver antennae) or attached externally (black antennae).</td></tr>
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Since May, Tiffany, Kellie, and a crew of volunteers have been catching Mexican Garter Snakes and having radio transmitters surgically implanted in them. They then released the snakes where they found them, and have been returning each weekend to monitor what the snakes are doing and especially which habitats they are using. They use a handheld antenna to listen for pings from each snake's radio, with each snake on a different frequency. The antennae are directional, so by rotating them back and forth, they can find which direction is "hot" or "cold:" which direction they need to go to find their target snake.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyler and Kellie radio tracking a snake near the hatchery. "You're getting warmer. . . ."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott and Tiffany try to pinpoint the exact underground location of a brumating Mexican Garter Snake. "You're almost on fire!"</td></tr>
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Once we tracked down a snake, whether it was underground or not, we measured a bunch of habitat variables in the area of the snake, including slope, aspect, ground cover, temperature, wind speed, and others. Then we randomly selected a nearby point so that Tiffany could compare the habitats the snakes chose to the ones they didn't.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiffany starts measuring the habitat where a snake was seen earlier in the day (pink flag), while Scott tries to determine where it has moved to.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kellie used this one meter diameter section of garden hose to delineate the area around a brumating snake where she would measure the microhabitat.</td></tr>
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By about 4:00, few snakes had been seen on the surface and those that were on the surface had quickly escaped into nearby holes or blackberry brambles. I hadn't seen a snake yet, so we went back to measure the habitat at a spot where Scott thought the snake might still be visible. This was a unique microhabitat, where the snake was in a small undercut bank at the edge of a dry pond. Although it was similar to a burrow, it didn't go deep enough that the snake could actually escape view. It was here that I saw my first Mexican Garter Snake, or at least saw its side. Because they are an endangered species and because Tiffany was studying their behavior, we wanted to be certain not to disturb the snake too much or change its activity. Scott gently peeled the grass back just enough that I could see the snake in its hole, and then placed it back, leaving the snake just as we had found it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYUophrcPrS27yspp3zFH8tAiCDU4eKprcHb0AYejaO1gpFm7qpY5aJGlN8FHYKRlmdrUJeSo5XmAtLUcVfjg1-W_crtvtQmcV2q0HfuwwOVNQdLwch6K6LevZlCvQzGaD5ye4KPj1w/s1600/12_copyright+Scott+holding+back+the+grass+to+reveal+my+lifer+Mexican+Garter+Snake+Thamnophis+eques+THEQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYUophrcPrS27yspp3zFH8tAiCDU4eKprcHb0AYejaO1gpFm7qpY5aJGlN8FHYKRlmdrUJeSo5XmAtLUcVfjg1-W_crtvtQmcV2q0HfuwwOVNQdLwch6K6LevZlCvQzGaD5ye4KPj1w/s640/12_copyright+Scott+holding+back+the+grass+to+reveal+my+lifer+Mexican+Garter+Snake+Thamnophis+eques+THEQ.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott pulls back the grass to reveal my lifer Mexican Garter Snake under the cut edge of the bank in a dried pond.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slightly closer look at the endangered Mexican Garter Snake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-SrKbcCyBh6c2yPYHoeu5gXGA65LB0r1BjHqAe7JlVZc6gUFNDqekwyNUsJQPtODXJ3TUjVG7dpgX4NaxZNWCclrRx9IZofzqYyPUqHgRmu7M5f6kKDbV095fvgSJrpFnCKLsDOJ8w/s1600/13_copyright+Scott+and+Tiffany+measuring+habitat+at+the+garter+snake+spot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-SrKbcCyBh6c2yPYHoeu5gXGA65LB0r1BjHqAe7JlVZc6gUFNDqekwyNUsJQPtODXJ3TUjVG7dpgX4NaxZNWCclrRx9IZofzqYyPUqHgRmu7M5f6kKDbV095fvgSJrpFnCKLsDOJ8w/s640/13_copyright+Scott+and+Tiffany+measuring+habitat+at+the+garter+snake+spot.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott and Tiffany measure the habitat in a 5-meter diameter circle around the snake using these PVC poles to mark distances from the snake at half-meter intervals.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This south-facing rocky slope was a particularly popular place for the snakes to spend the winter. Each pink flag (at least 10 visible here) marks the location a snake was detected underground.</td></tr>
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As the sun set and the sky got dark, most of our tracking was done for the day. However, Tiffany is only tracking the snakes once a week, and wanted to do a bit more intensive tracking of a few select snakes to be sure here weekly data were representative of shorter time scales as well. So each weekend, two snakes get monitored every 3 hours, 24 hours a day. It was nearly dark when Kellie and Scott set out to track the two target snakes, and they'd be waking up every three hours through the night to check on them. I, on the other hand, shared a great dinner with the crew and then got to head home to my own bed!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As the sky turned from blue to black, Kellie and Scott headed out to check on the movements of the two Mexican Garter Snakes that were the subject of fine-scale monitoring this weekend.</td></tr>
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Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-19219418301141143632015-11-09T16:31:00.000-07:002015-11-09T16:31:44.261-07:00Birding Mt. OrdLast week, my friend Jason and I went birding on Mt. Ord. Mt. Ord is one of those places that is well known to locals, but probably rarely heard of by most birders outside of the greater Phoenix area. It is a locally popular birding spot because it is the most accessible high-elevation site in Maricopa County, and so it is an easy place to find several bird species that can be tough to find anywhere else in the county. (Brown's Peak, part of the Four Peaks, is about 500 feet higher in elevation, but it takes hours of driving down a very rough road to reach the trailhead, with more hiking and climbing after that to reach the summit. Mt. Ord is an easy drive in a passenger car all the way to within 0.75 miles of the summit.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Mt. Ord from the highway on the way up as the sun starts to brighten the sky.</td></tr>
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Jason and I started from his apartment well before sunrise so that we could be on the mountain when the birds were most active at first light. It was about an hour drive to the top of the mountain. The sun had risen before we started birding at 7:00, but it was still cold and dark because we were on the west side of the peak. We started on Forest Road 1688, which is a convenient spot for county listers not just because it traverses chaparral and Ponderosa Pine habitats, but also because its entire length is in Maricopa County, so you don't have to worry about whether the rare bird you found was on the right side of the county line.<br />
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Almost as soon as we got out of the car,we came into a mixed flock of birds, including Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Bushtits, White-breasted Nuthatches, and a Bewick's Wren. One of the first few birds I saw was an Olive Warbler! This is an uncommon species in Maricopa County because there is not much of its high elevation conifer habitat within the county borders, but it is even more rare this late in the year, after most of them have migrated south to Mexico. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrW38vB7FDBncl5EoLD12mnVT5xycj3MUOP_wweCoGbreRgtPdOx5LGKhQXW4mkVv0dZkAlsKj75tnvHP7Kg_xWTBj6pabSwkTyHMcpALVbgm_t4TXIOastN7CEBYknxRQa3EHHCrdjw/s1600/02+Lifer+Olive+Warbler.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrW38vB7FDBncl5EoLD12mnVT5xycj3MUOP_wweCoGbreRgtPdOx5LGKhQXW4mkVv0dZkAlsKj75tnvHP7Kg_xWTBj6pabSwkTyHMcpALVbgm_t4TXIOastN7CEBYknxRQa3EHHCrdjw/s640/02+Lifer+Olive+Warbler.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lifer Olive Warbler was one of the first birds of the morning.</td></tr>
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We continued along FR1688 and saw a lot of other specialty species of this mountain habitat. It was a treat to compare Juniper Titmouse and Bridled Titmouse side-by-side, accompanied by a flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets. An immature Golden Eagle soared by, showing the white patches in the wing as it glided overhead. Brown Creepers called with their high-pitched notes from the conifers. It was also fun to sort out the Dark-eyed Junco subspecies: we saw at least three types on this road (Oregon, Pink-sided, and Gray-headed).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtJAxbF6u0ZuMab95j8qA312VRfVZYTNsffWZCeGHYfoZ9TT6XCjBdkLM1SYRab-5nLCVm-vZREi9X5o_xY3-BZl8rLKfaZ3uedh5wA9rsFyFTR4eZam0PZrkmIM-Qdbb6IX_FnmVeQ/s1600/07+Juniper+Titmouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtJAxbF6u0ZuMab95j8qA312VRfVZYTNsffWZCeGHYfoZ9TT6XCjBdkLM1SYRab-5nLCVm-vZREi9X5o_xY3-BZl8rLKfaZ3uedh5wA9rsFyFTR4eZam0PZrkmIM-Qdbb6IX_FnmVeQ/s640/07+Juniper+Titmouse.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Juniper Titmouse was a bit out of place in a Ponderosa Pine, but we saw it in an Alligator Juniper, too. This flock had a pair of titmice each of Juniper and Bridled flavors.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnbj6kLM-dlLg7Qtw7uMlRSfwrX8ygy-HufO-p8x2k081maP79ypKRpwWorb6ra_Axv2_71hz-N7Q3wAcg8KtthPC8jUbnWmQkr9o2sc0cRHSfC2QgM2cUbQJH1JgjDO48ON3kwqAxQ/s1600/05+Unidentified+tarantula+spider+sp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnbj6kLM-dlLg7Qtw7uMlRSfwrX8ygy-HufO-p8x2k081maP79ypKRpwWorb6ra_Axv2_71hz-N7Q3wAcg8KtthPC8jUbnWmQkr9o2sc0cRHSfC2QgM2cUbQJH1JgjDO48ON3kwqAxQ/s640/05+Unidentified+tarantula+spider+sp.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although the sun was shining, it felt cold on the top of the mountain, especially with the wind blowing. We were surprised to see not just one, but two tarantulas on the prowl.</td></tr>
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FR1688 was fun and productive, but I also wanted to see the summit and bird the road a bit. After a couple of hours, we headed up to the parking lot at the end of the road. From there it was a 3/4 mile walk to the summit, with the first 1/4 mile mostly in Gila County and the last 1/2 mile in Maricopa County. The birding was slow, but we did see our fourth Dark-eyed Junco subspecies of the day, a Red-backed Junco (a subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco that looks very similar to Gray-headed Junco and is rare in Maricopa County). We also added Pine Siskin to the list for the day. In total, I added 14 new species to my Maricopa County list, the biggest bump in my county list since my first month here.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8bod2_Q5X_faCI1PdvjyFmBLdLF9N1MBOw8P108CPuZ0TtI-4ruO96Sqde7DbdZgxTsLiSgnKj0mOjZJNZNXD637TZbt01JeJo03gfQ2FoHoZs76bKC1DyxXzhPdSXQQXhvv_IUYYg/s1600/12+Red-backed+Dark-eyed+Junco.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8bod2_Q5X_faCI1PdvjyFmBLdLF9N1MBOw8P108CPuZ0TtI-4ruO96Sqde7DbdZgxTsLiSgnKj0mOjZJNZNXD637TZbt01JeJo03gfQ2FoHoZs76bKC1DyxXzhPdSXQQXhvv_IUYYg/s640/12+Red-backed+Dark-eyed+Junco.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Red-backed subspecies Dark-eyed Junco is rare in Maricopa County. It can be told from its look-alike relative, the Gray-headed Junco, by the whitish throat (contrasting more with the hood than the grayish throat of the Gray-headed Junco) and especially the dark upper mandible (pale pink on Gray-headed Junco).</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1No8OF1a9DtkyAettKWXDpGRwMqxm-gak8ntB4rhRlbDyTMSnlxfC73wSTvxinh8UegKQAji4YUbdfrkmYw7ZfQDF6n17PQMk36Ra8kbicpTP5YznUt6goX1myBT1gvWYdFf0A2aTcw/s1600/13+View+back+down+the+highway+and+towards+Phoenix+from+Mt+Ord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1No8OF1a9DtkyAettKWXDpGRwMqxm-gak8ntB4rhRlbDyTMSnlxfC73wSTvxinh8UegKQAji4YUbdfrkmYw7ZfQDF6n17PQMk36Ra8kbicpTP5YznUt6goX1myBT1gvWYdFf0A2aTcw/s640/13+View+back+down+the+highway+and+towards+Phoenix+from+Mt+Ord.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the top of Mt. Ord. The Phoenix area is hard to see at this scale but is visible in the distance in the left part of this photo.</td></tr>
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Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-89977976174500885872015-10-26T16:34:00.000-06:002015-10-29T17:09:52.779-06:00My First BFF . . .. . . That's Black-footed Ferret, of course! Last night I joined the Arizona Game and Fish Department on a spotlighting survey for Black-footed Ferrets. This is the only ferret native to the Americas, and although it was once widespread in the inland western United States, it declined dramatically following US government efforts in the early 1900s to eradicate prairie dogs, its main food source. In 1979 the Black-footed Ferret was declared extinct, but in 1981 a small population was found in Wyoming. That population, too, declined rapidly and so by 1985 the entire remaining population, only 18 ferrets, was captured and brought into a captive breeding facility.<br />
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The recovery has been slow but steady, thanks to a successful captive breeding program, and there are now ferrets in the wild in <a href="http://blackfootedferret.org/frequently-asked-questions/" target="_blank">24 locations, totaling about 300 individuals</a>. Only a few of these populations are considered self-sustaining, including the population near Seligman, Arizona (although numbers have been dropping here in recent years, too). The total population in Arizona is probably less than a few dozen now. To help determine the health of the population, and the causes for decline, AZGFD recruits volunteers for four five-night trapping efforts a year. I was able to join last night, excited to help such a cool endangered species, but also selfishly excited at the chance to see this rare and hard-to-find species in the wild.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvWe5fkk7cPu4lfwDxTyGPp_CicfG4DiG6CXoizBtQTEgAyq2prWzJFgwlj38sM1ZEbSdu30lDdI0EZ5qjhNnQQQoc6tRTF1TTAVL4YRrLzK6pAfnxHcFpu4-_FtQi18qydw479PYJw/s1600/01_copyright+Holly+and+Jennifer+plan+the+routes+for+the+evening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvWe5fkk7cPu4lfwDxTyGPp_CicfG4DiG6CXoizBtQTEgAyq2prWzJFgwlj38sM1ZEbSdu30lDdI0EZ5qjhNnQQQoc6tRTF1TTAVL4YRrLzK6pAfnxHcFpu4-_FtQi18qydw479PYJw/s640/01_copyright+Holly+and+Jennifer+plan+the+routes+for+the+evening.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holly and Jennifer plan the night's surveys in the ferret processing trailer.</td></tr>
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Before we even got all our gear ready for the night of sampling, one of the volunteers was returning to the ferret processing trailer with a Black-footed Ferret in a trap! Of course, we stuck around for a few minutes to see and photograph it, in case we didn't come across any more that night. When new ferrets are captured, they are immunized against several diseases, their health is assessed, and they are given a PIT tag so that they can be individually recognized in the future. When the PIT tag of this individual was read, they determined it had been caught just one or two nights before, so it didn't need any further processing and was promptly released back at its point of capture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVc202Q384J7vZbuToLYAUiuRpza-VxCPpHS-vV0CJlEfS_2bRZGImB0dxwZOmlOe1MUNRWS24FxXIP5eepMmgC0INa7GuIL2cJOipPySh9JNni48CKzX0rN0Gv0sPTjkauU8WGidcA/s1600/05_copyright+Jen+holding+a+Black-footed+Ferret+in+a+cage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVc202Q384J7vZbuToLYAUiuRpza-VxCPpHS-vV0CJlEfS_2bRZGImB0dxwZOmlOe1MUNRWS24FxXIP5eepMmgC0INa7GuIL2cJOipPySh9JNni48CKzX0rN0Gv0sPTjkauU8WGidcA/s640/05_copyright+Jen+holding+a+Black-footed+Ferret+in+a+cage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennifer shows a Black-footed Ferret in one of the long live traps that the Arizona Game and Fish Department uses to catch the species.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNi71QAv8YIP03l2v9AyhQWd-Ha2-UcNhCiv670wCQ6AnVN4XbemSv3_LcaHwNKihtjXmlpb5aWwzSZzIacZmPwxcV5kabgMTzMb0SU0yyM6V5_ERBuO_ODve1HqvFfpzdzSaldnW3w/s1600/07_copyright+Jen+holding+a+Black-footed+Ferret+in+a+cage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNi71QAv8YIP03l2v9AyhQWd-Ha2-UcNhCiv670wCQ6AnVN4XbemSv3_LcaHwNKihtjXmlpb5aWwzSZzIacZmPwxcV5kabgMTzMb0SU0yyM6V5_ERBuO_ODve1HqvFfpzdzSaldnW3w/s640/07_copyright+Jen+holding+a+Black-footed+Ferret+in+a+cage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-footed Ferret in a trap.</td></tr>
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The plan for the night was to slowly drive up and down a network of rough dirt roads through known Gunnison's Prairie Dog colonies, each of us shining a spotlight on our side of the truck, looking for the glowing green eyes of a ferret. Black-footed Ferrets have a distinctive bright emerald green eye shine that helps distinguish them at a great distance in the dark from other small mammals of the area like cottontails and jackrabbits.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5ENME_CHAcTxyOV6wQADyNkLzpTbqnCyZfuL37S2WYnBXa5EKRzWPlfRMZCyctBPzSqLy8eYURgi2MG1SXjO_jEAcss-Q5gtd36vl3_yqdPiSYh6tuuhWYOXWur8IVZu-HXoNPUuoA/s1600/08_copyright+Holly+spotlights+from+the+truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5ENME_CHAcTxyOV6wQADyNkLzpTbqnCyZfuL37S2WYnBXa5EKRzWPlfRMZCyctBPzSqLy8eYURgi2MG1SXjO_jEAcss-Q5gtd36vl3_yqdPiSYh6tuuhWYOXWur8IVZu-HXoNPUuoA/s640/08_copyright+Holly+spotlights+from+the+truck.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holly shines a spotlight into the prairie dog colony, looking for the bright green eyeshine that indicates a Black-footed Ferret.</td></tr>
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We drove up and down one area for several hours, until about 2:00 AM, when we figured we had covered the area well enough and moved on to another area where a ferret had been seen but not caught the night before. We were seeing lots of cool wildlife, like kangaroo rats, Common Poorwills, many Desert Cottontails and Black-tailed Jackrabbits, and even one American Badger. But, by around 3:00 AM it started to feel like we were dragging, starting to get a little frustrated with having seen no ferrets other than the one someone else had caught. Then, we spotted a Great Horned Owl on the ground near the road, kind of flopping around. From a distance it seemed to me like the left wing was tucked in, and the right wing was outstretched and trying to flap. It was near a barbed wire fence, so I was afraid it had hit the fence in flight and broken a wing. But, as we got closer, we spotted a long furry tan tail with a black tip flipping about vigorously from under the bird. The owl wasn't injured, it was trying to kill a Black-footed Ferret! Holly opened the truck door and ran at the pair, yelling "No you don't, you f***er! That's an endangered species!" The owl dropped its prey and flew off into a nearby snag, and the ferret ran into a nearby burrow. It seemed healthy when it ran, and it even popped its head out of the burrow a few times as we grabbed a trap and approached the burrow. The best way to catch a Black-footed Ferret is to watch it until it goes in a burrow, and then place a live trap over the burrow entrance, temporarily plugging all the other holes. So, we set a trap at the burrow and continued looking for other ferrets.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnw9wH3OloQEcxS6MySmnsiPzFbpG5jU-t-KisJX0g2s4uskHmV_9n0175J3Jmqr7u862lwiNYFNgR9svidrDvAYkstltQwxsj_pXYwbtRBmNy9qJ1bjW_KgWVQrNXRZp4JS3ECGBhqg/s1600/09_copyright+Holly+sets+a+trap+for+my+lifer+Black-footed+Ferret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnw9wH3OloQEcxS6MySmnsiPzFbpG5jU-t-KisJX0g2s4uskHmV_9n0175J3Jmqr7u862lwiNYFNgR9svidrDvAYkstltQwxsj_pXYwbtRBmNy9qJ1bjW_KgWVQrNXRZp4JS3ECGBhqg/s640/09_copyright+Holly+sets+a+trap+for+my+lifer+Black-footed+Ferret.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holly secures burlap around the trap before positioning it at the entrance of the burrow. This gives the illusion that the trap is just an extension of the burrow, and helps entice the ferret to enter.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wiqWD-o3hreD4S9vpUdVzB7SuDRla-4KCnmbZy37aFSHt_3E3RcIHINBVMS6XkzhVZV3XyAQ92Dpu5Ya_M58rWltHzZJUPVfgnClNznD3w0YMt3yWa_Hc2jZ5qaOphUktIXJlJJlaQ/s1600/10_copyright+Holly+checks+the+trap+set+for+my+lifer+Black-footed+Ferret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wiqWD-o3hreD4S9vpUdVzB7SuDRla-4KCnmbZy37aFSHt_3E3RcIHINBVMS6XkzhVZV3XyAQ92Dpu5Ya_M58rWltHzZJUPVfgnClNznD3w0YMt3yWa_Hc2jZ5qaOphUktIXJlJJlaQ/s640/10_copyright+Holly+checks+the+trap+set+for+my+lifer+Black-footed+Ferret.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once the trap is in place, it is important to double-check that the opening is accessible from inside the burrow and that the trigger mechanism is properly set.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpAnHIQCPKD-I8GOfMa9LMEiHA3pmWxEukQQstshhykD1teLnF4DUykkQMleQhB39G30-y6wEfeU3ZLLBfiYlJEZmUCaa54vDXgI5WVCpwBhwUqzY70mzfqKPTGQQXoz0bsi25XQKzQ/s1600/12_copyright+Great+Horned+Owl+that+we+saw+trying+to+eat+my+lifer+Black-footed+Ferret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpAnHIQCPKD-I8GOfMa9LMEiHA3pmWxEukQQstshhykD1teLnF4DUykkQMleQhB39G30-y6wEfeU3ZLLBfiYlJEZmUCaa54vDXgI5WVCpwBhwUqzY70mzfqKPTGQQXoz0bsi25XQKzQ/s640/12_copyright+Great+Horned+Owl+that+we+saw+trying+to+eat+my+lifer+Black-footed+Ferret.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was a bit too slow to get any photos of the dramatic ferret vs. owl fight, but the owl stuck around until after we set the ferret trap, scowling at us from this snag.</td></tr>
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An hour later we came back to check on the trap, and the ferret was still not in it. We were really hoping to catch it, not just for the regular processing that is essential for conserving the species, but especially because it was just in a wrestling match with a deadly predator, and might need some first aid or more thorough medical care. We checked again an hour later, and the trap was still empty. Again an hour after that, the trap was still empty, but this time it was starting to get light and we had to pack up the traps and head back to the headquarters to submit our data sheets for the night. We were both a bit disappointed to not catch the ferret, and were left worrying whether it had sustained fatal wounds, but still were thrilled to be able to witness such a rare and dramatic moment!Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-24593296985574897412015-10-23T17:32:00.000-06:002015-10-24T01:36:18.853-06:00Volunteering with the Long-term Ecological Research Network<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R9HxSAzSDNV9ABuFo8BuoCH-eBHVcbHmIog3cM7HvxJRpoUusgC1ijq1752U8UgKGh4Y_MkB_i48Br1g_de123ISEtQPGk7AHp6MfXehC0in0JBXRHikVkpIqZWuMUL4uxJLRS6yQg/s1600/02+Melanie+Blanville+birding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R9HxSAzSDNV9ABuFo8BuoCH-eBHVcbHmIog3cM7HvxJRpoUusgC1ijq1752U8UgKGh4Y_MkB_i48Br1g_de123ISEtQPGk7AHp6MfXehC0in0JBXRHikVkpIqZWuMUL4uxJLRS6yQg/s640/02+Melanie+Blanville+birding.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melanie Banville watches for birds at sunrise from one of the Long-term Ecological Research sites along the Salt River in Phoenix</td></tr>
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Over the last week and a half, I've been volunteering to help with some bird point counts for the Long-term Ecological Research Network. The LTER is well known among ecologists as a group of 27 sites and more than 2000 scientists spread from northern Alaska to Antarctica. Back in the 1970s, scientists realized there was a bias in our ecological research: because so much ecological research is done by graduate students and academic faculty, the vast majority of ecological studies last less than five years, and at best perhaps the length of a career. There was a shortage of truly long-term studies, and so our understanding of long-term ecological processes was limited. In 1980 the National Science Foundation established the LTER network to start to remedy this shortcoming, providing the world with important ecological research over time spans of decades to, hopefully, centuries.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bQpiB5LMLPIg738-8o_5FR2UqzaLqxA0JGcyQwWgnLe9DUs089tXgqqCQTrA2MNka9YU_pRxiKASUTfw5TnpCqOZ1uyfVAEGBBsoBjijtDWGc_BB_MRO8hUtOFKb2bINZNkQBEqHKw/s1600/01+Sunrise+over+the+Salt+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bQpiB5LMLPIg738-8o_5FR2UqzaLqxA0JGcyQwWgnLe9DUs089tXgqqCQTrA2MNka9YU_pRxiKASUTfw5TnpCqOZ1uyfVAEGBBsoBjijtDWGc_BB_MRO8hUtOFKb2bINZNkQBEqHKw/s640/01+Sunrise+over+the+Salt+River.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dramatic and beautiful sunrise over the Salt River in Phoenix. We were always in place to start counting the birds just as the sun rose.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYTFpTC1r8MCQKG51Y8p8tTWtmLOAm27RLCPFY5-nxRQK59ILrEpVVVmlvBU4nXjcAr_apMnLGC0lEizJKwY_SSuBXHu7KPtfW40fdAPisWkU5ze4j1891XwbQ-pXTnhXNvf_AlxnWg/s1600/09+View+over+the+Salt+River+at+sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYTFpTC1r8MCQKG51Y8p8tTWtmLOAm27RLCPFY5-nxRQK59ILrEpVVVmlvBU4nXjcAr_apMnLGC0lEizJKwY_SSuBXHu7KPtfW40fdAPisWkU5ze4j1891XwbQ-pXTnhXNvf_AlxnWg/s640/09+View+over+the+Salt+River+at+sunrise.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steam rising from Salt River at the confluence with the Gila River just after another sunrise.</td></tr>
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Realizing the growing importance of studying human interactions with the environment, the NSF added two urban sites to the existing network of mostly remote locations in 1997. These new urban LTER sites were in Baltimore and Phoenix. A couple of months ago, at the Arizona Field Ornithologists meeting, I met one of the biologists on the <a href="https://caplter.asu.edu/" target="_blank">Phoenix LTER</a> and told her that if she ever needed any help, I'd be happy to join her in the field. Last week, Melanie took me up on the offer, and I've been helping her with bird point counts since last Thursday.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JTs-CFDnNm25Z3RbiGphyphenhyphen30_otUxDDaxuc1vIrEiRqllvogSFFwmNimIkdvYJn_jW8IUuSwYeVvZ9J8fXcXUMGKVvcnCP2HFQWYRnhjp5mRRn4FrUmJEr-G4cp73J6RqFIFgfx7XWw/s1600/11+Dawn+sky+over+Mesa+from+the+Salt+River.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JTs-CFDnNm25Z3RbiGphyphenhyphen30_otUxDDaxuc1vIrEiRqllvogSFFwmNimIkdvYJn_jW8IUuSwYeVvZ9J8fXcXUMGKVvcnCP2HFQWYRnhjp5mRRn4FrUmJEr-G4cp73J6RqFIFgfx7XWw/s640/11+Dawn+sky+over+Mesa+from+the+Salt+River.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another sunrise over the Salt River, this time from Mesa.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEKnINgqPazVhrCeManCAml1N0FTKon2sdADZkbOUD3TkXt1i_x6rjh9_7rmmYAeZ0PxC1fE1ZqbmGI-3-xK_d7QoeupJyqqtQjKUn9__BNn11sjYC98dQsoCPICAhepPfOAWp0uAjw/s1600/03+Couch+and+other+trash+along+the+Salt+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEKnINgqPazVhrCeManCAml1N0FTKon2sdADZkbOUD3TkXt1i_x6rjh9_7rmmYAeZ0PxC1fE1ZqbmGI-3-xK_d7QoeupJyqqtQjKUn9__BNn11sjYC98dQsoCPICAhepPfOAWp0uAjw/s640/03+Couch+and+other+trash+along+the+Salt+River.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not all the sites were as scenic as the photos above; sometimes we had to work our way around discarded couches and rugs, or worse.</td></tr>
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The bird counts we were working on focus specifically on urban sites along the Salt River, which flows (or trickles) through the greater Phoenix area. As such, they weren't always the cleanest or safest birding sites I've been to! But, on the other hand, my birding has brought me to many a landfill or sewage treatment plant, so they weren't that dirty in comparison, either. We tried to stay aware of our surroundings and to keep safety in mind, and although we saw lots of trash, smelled some dead animals, and saw several abandoned homeless camps, we didn't really encounter any scary situations. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZ-UKbkvT5K0183GYnlL0Bdd2mCc1f_h7cUWWLuzZ0y1jbCWs_m2yyO4BRWCXsCkE_gaqUw5h5HuF5BFXMuYJ0Vh0BaWDaPSFKspWDOkCVwrVMkGP2IcTwQcediiJAQs0JsSlkD5ViA/s1600/04+Melanie+Banville+along+the+Salt+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZ-UKbkvT5K0183GYnlL0Bdd2mCc1f_h7cUWWLuzZ0y1jbCWs_m2yyO4BRWCXsCkE_gaqUw5h5HuF5BFXMuYJ0Vh0BaWDaPSFKspWDOkCVwrVMkGP2IcTwQcediiJAQs0JsSlkD5ViA/s640/04+Melanie+Banville+along+the+Salt+River.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melanie birding one of many wetlands along the Salt River. Unlike most rivers through major cities, this one only flows rarely. The rest of the year, it is more like a string of ponds and wetlands spread out along a gravelly wash.</td></tr>
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<br />
Despite the condition of some of our locations, we had a great time, and saw some great birds. The scenery was stunning in places, and we got to access a lot of areas that are usually off-limit to birders. Probably the best part was that I got to both learn and teach a lot about birds. It was really rewarding to spend so much time with an experienced local ornithologist - I taught her about identifying Pine Siskins in flight, and she taught me about all the different vocalizations that Verdins give. I taught her how to identify cormorants at a distance, and she taught me how to tell Black-tailed and Blue-gray gnatcatchers apart by voice. It was a fun and educational give-and-take while enjoying beautiful mornings watching birds in some (mostly) beautiful locations!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUTYLVzXeJY4-bttqqBKFP4rrLQ-BTD4wdbxEYnqfVOtVb93VniHhdiU7Ta1c5ylpVkfeE7vH5fyR3zCbK-EMWvdvw2Oe1wRdqS85E5OUo1fcvtuR7Cpx0uIgSs3NfjBhUHw_oIz_rg/s1600/04+Neotropic+Cormorants+in+flight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUTYLVzXeJY4-bttqqBKFP4rrLQ-BTD4wdbxEYnqfVOtVb93VniHhdiU7Ta1c5ylpVkfeE7vH5fyR3zCbK-EMWvdvw2Oe1wRdqS85E5OUo1fcvtuR7Cpx0uIgSs3NfjBhUHw_oIz_rg/s640/04+Neotropic+Cormorants+in+flight.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are Neotropic Cormorants, as are the majority of cormorants in the Phoenix area, but Double-crested Cormorants are not rare and it takes a bit of practice to pick them out as they fly by overhead.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpFr-Z7crJVntaQMNIR5mg6lRxHsVfOrRJdewRqoLocFGIRCm4_HshK1R6tx5rN2kCEy-wFnuEr8b0JLkL07NrnRAMZPgZG9-hFJ5AMoyCeJU9Rkr8BeGjKhyphenhyphenAYIIDUucD-PTYU-KoA/s1600/02+Second+Lark+Bunting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpFr-Z7crJVntaQMNIR5mg6lRxHsVfOrRJdewRqoLocFGIRCm4_HshK1R6tx5rN2kCEy-wFnuEr8b0JLkL07NrnRAMZPgZG9-hFJ5AMoyCeJU9Rkr8BeGjKhyphenhyphenAYIIDUucD-PTYU-KoA/s640/02+Second+Lark+Bunting.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was one of two Lark Buntings we spotted, one of the rarer species we saw in a week of morning bird counts. Although it can be found in the area from August to May, there are only about 10 previous October records for the greater Phoenix area (according to eBird, some records including multiple birds). This was a lifer for Melanie.</td></tr>
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Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-39252076630652329242015-10-12T17:11:00.003-06:002015-10-12T17:11:45.365-06:00Tarahumara Frog Reintroduction<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45Mngp1dinjyHBMgDe4p01v4uL84mf9PEAS0YIdsPNp5QP9r23zyBNwlZmhXjVarCtAkgKjPQzPeVgJiD7soROaNIeA5w8Xizjl_VqJqYs1ulhl5q5v8NF-gwJXNqg_iXsrvBedysNg/s1600/34_copyright+Tarahumara+Frog+Rana+tarahumarae+RATA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45Mngp1dinjyHBMgDe4p01v4uL84mf9PEAS0YIdsPNp5QP9r23zyBNwlZmhXjVarCtAkgKjPQzPeVgJiD7soROaNIeA5w8Xizjl_VqJqYs1ulhl5q5v8NF-gwJXNqg_iXsrvBedysNg/s640/34_copyright+Tarahumara+Frog+Rana+tarahumarae+RATA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarahumara Frog recently reintroduced into a canyon in Santa Cruz County, Arizona.</td></tr>
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Since I moved to Arizona a couple of months ago, I've shifted my job search strategy significantly. Now that I'm limited to a certain area (which I love!), I'm focusing most of my effort on making local connections such as meeting local biologists, and getting myself and my expertise known through first-hand interactions. A couple of weeks ago, I was having lunch with Tom Jones of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and he put me in touch with Abi King, who runs the state's Tarahumara Frog program. Abi was going to be releasing some captive frogs to the wild, and needed some help hiking them into a remote canyon. I was excited at the chance to help this very unique species (and to meet some fellow biologists and frog lovers).<br />
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The Tarahumara Frog is a mostly Mexican species whose range barely enters the U.S. It was once rather common in several of the southernmost canyons of Arizona. In the 1970s and 1980s, the populations declined dramatically. The cause for the decline is not well understood, but diseases, introduced species, and pollution have all been blamed. About 350 were recently released into another canyon in southern Arizona, and about 500 or so were in captive breeding programs in the states. That means that the 100 or so released by us constituted a little more than ten percent of the total U.S. population.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKOtHc0s7eyWvtJPf5eRJLG4bkyKSCFBgHqTbmtzXef2kBXVrLsBWwB76PGzrhKXTDn_wSJIdgDVNl8ennEPyrcT56xU5YYsIAxHbAd_wjma3n8yzt2Ujwh99Gml_MLeTnltDU4pYaA/s1600/03_copyright+Oak+savannah+grassland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKOtHc0s7eyWvtJPf5eRJLG4bkyKSCFBgHqTbmtzXef2kBXVrLsBWwB76PGzrhKXTDn_wSJIdgDVNl8ennEPyrcT56xU5YYsIAxHbAd_wjma3n8yzt2Ujwh99Gml_MLeTnltDU4pYaA/s640/03_copyright+Oak+savannah+grassland.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful landscapes of oak savannah on the way into the reintroduction site.</td></tr>
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We started with a drive up a long, rough dirt road, through a couple of gates, and near the edge of a Wilderness boundary where we'd begin our hike. The scenery was beautiful, and on the drive in I could tell we'd be surrounded by dramatic views for the rest of the day. We eventually parked when the road was almost hard to see, and loaded the frogs into large frame packs. The frogs had been treated for chytridiomycosis and placed in large tupperware containers with about 2-5 frogs in each container along with water and a paper towel. We each loaded five or six containers into our packs, inside a pillow case to keep them shaded and cool. (As the water splashed out through the holes in the tupperware, it wet the pillow cases, and the evaporation from the pillow cases kept the frogs from overheating.) Then, we piled our personal gear on top of the sturdy frog boxes and strapped everything in for the hike.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMY0F7wBL7il0n9Dh6xEo4a_9BkByYE6AP55e2UpTPFFXSKhEDkIr6BHtvOL9hwCb_YQgu2PpEKzy8t8YhgxjLldIfUo0xX7yr32xLgcDiGV7Sg3Pk48ljnxKnaoK8U1ktTv11TVMiPw/s1600/01_copyright+Load+a+pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMY0F7wBL7il0n9Dh6xEo4a_9BkByYE6AP55e2UpTPFFXSKhEDkIr6BHtvOL9hwCb_YQgu2PpEKzy8t8YhgxjLldIfUo0xX7yr32xLgcDiGV7Sg3Pk48ljnxKnaoK8U1ktTv11TVMiPw/s640/01_copyright+Load+a+pack.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loading our packs with Tarahumara Frogs and our personal gear for the day.</td></tr>
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The hike wasn't very long, maybe two miles, but it was pretty steep and mostly off trail. There were lots of ankle-rolling rocks hiding in the dense grass, so it was a bit slow-going. We took extra care on the way in because a fall that might only skin our knee or bruise our elbow could be lethal for our precious cargo. There was plenty to look at as we worked our way across the side of one hill, and over and down the next into the canyon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z3qVAbKbUCIt2PZ67CGl7zVNE_C0gYt5MIX8yagrECJojvVLi0Qh2EKfIfBNYBoDubXG044sABXZJk1ywYbMew3UOK4reMQaJEFdqMnFop6pe1oOX28zYeirf3hkE44LcedORHCSxA/s1600/05_copyright+Hiking+the+frogs+in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z3qVAbKbUCIt2PZ67CGl7zVNE_C0gYt5MIX8yagrECJojvVLi0Qh2EKfIfBNYBoDubXG044sABXZJk1ywYbMew3UOK4reMQaJEFdqMnFop6pe1oOX28zYeirf3hkE44LcedORHCSxA/s640/05_copyright+Hiking+the+frogs+in.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking the frogs in through a beautiful landscape.</td></tr>
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When we reached the canyon about an hour and a half later, I was thinking that even aside from the cool frogs in our packs, it was special to be in one of the last known sites for this species in the U.S. The last known Tarahumara Frog in the United States had been found dead in this same stretch of canyon in 1983, only a decade after biologists estimated there were 500-700 of them here. We had another short introduction to the protocol, and headed upstream a little further to start releasing frogs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1-XyYF6d0F9avJ5q_TBv0GDvGBZ0JcGjuGYvIvZK4U7LGogc5F7lm0KETQyKK4_DHk6fXhL0EzTlu0RryNeQUXlaXhUQlK3LAy-WYA78NbYE1UfGG3mqdT16XkSnQyQ_9s_FOhb32g/s1600/11_copyright+Hiking+up+the+canyon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1-XyYF6d0F9avJ5q_TBv0GDvGBZ0JcGjuGYvIvZK4U7LGogc5F7lm0KETQyKK4_DHk6fXhL0EzTlu0RryNeQUXlaXhUQlK3LAy-WYA78NbYE1UfGG3mqdT16XkSnQyQ_9s_FOhb32g/s640/11_copyright+Hiking+up+the+canyon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading upstream after a short introduction, ready to find some good frog pools.</td></tr>
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We then spread the frogs out throughout a section of the stream that was maybe a quarter mile in length. We placed the tupperware containers partially submerged in the stream, with a bit of stream water that we let flow in through the air holes, and usually with a rock on top to keep the container in place. The containers had to sit for 20-30 minutes so that the frogs could acclimate to the change in temperature and water chemistry. Then, container by container, we released the frogs into their new homes, taking lots of pictures along the way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFntSxZEslXhVs0Gos8zjmmo3Vs9qpLI5fRA_W_vaVqXvzDsOB9AtoYLfngvsqzvKrVhTDv3-c5CisY6ZyHT8K69FWZbpzBgYyIN2TLKaSOKx-hI2PdcSBQsCQLzOiuyqGTecNr6NZA/s1600/12_copyright+Frogs+acclimating+in+a+pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFntSxZEslXhVs0Gos8zjmmo3Vs9qpLI5fRA_W_vaVqXvzDsOB9AtoYLfngvsqzvKrVhTDv3-c5CisY6ZyHT8K69FWZbpzBgYyIN2TLKaSOKx-hI2PdcSBQsCQLzOiuyqGTecNr6NZA/s640/12_copyright+Frogs+acclimating+in+a+pool.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A container of Tarahumara Frogs acclimating to the thermal and chemical conditions of the stream.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vAC5al8ChEnKnymF9w_wCDe4OKg1eMYknYACymQr_I6HGHVSDWrceP4zSgMf_B_CqSIszX-yHyGga1mBP4dOUhRRwuA7ft-tRWyD-usKd_RaMgUBVmTgWPHrJUfzx2B-rASXTUuuMg/s1600/32_copyright+Larry+releasing+a+Tarahumara+Frog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vAC5al8ChEnKnymF9w_wCDe4OKg1eMYknYACymQr_I6HGHVSDWrceP4zSgMf_B_CqSIszX-yHyGga1mBP4dOUhRRwuA7ft-tRWyD-usKd_RaMgUBVmTgWPHrJUfzx2B-rASXTUuuMg/s640/32_copyright+Larry+releasing+a+Tarahumara+Frog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zoAYiDPGYyTxsdM3l2Nk1Zxfo1WSaolyIPf2TUFQXOeyw9Ax1pJb4uYysycQnL6eO0dCHqSH4u36Q0YWzqvTuwhTQlzaEOlcBE6r6Xj23o5l3oqsrNQL3tCTHc3w47vw9SBTFsG70w/s1600/51_copyright+Tarahumara+Frog+Rana+tarahumarae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zoAYiDPGYyTxsdM3l2Nk1Zxfo1WSaolyIPf2TUFQXOeyw9Ax1pJb4uYysycQnL6eO0dCHqSH4u36Q0YWzqvTuwhTQlzaEOlcBE6r6Xj23o5l3oqsrNQL3tCTHc3w47vw9SBTFsG70w/s640/51_copyright+Tarahumara+Frog+Rana+tarahumarae.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarahumara Frog in its new habitat</td></tr>
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With all the acclimation time and the difficult canyon walls to maneuver around, it took us until well after lunch to release all the frogs. It was interesting to me to see how few of them we could find on the way back down the same stretch of canyon: although we released about 100, I think I only saw 10-15 on my return hike. However, I was also in the middle of the group, so a bunch of the frogs had probably been visible but dove to the bottoms of their pools as the first couple of hikers passed by.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ua8wc1AhzUV7GKDYQhoBvix5owMFfZJOsMWdt-rvbQIL3wvqROyVEBYTTXMd712MFERHGc2a0NzndD01012NvF5SghbmixZybqtQ_IVbzd_V7NBCBflXuMPRoK4rwI0mt3KjaRLccg/s1600/47_copyright+climbing+up+a+waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ua8wc1AhzUV7GKDYQhoBvix5owMFfZJOsMWdt-rvbQIL3wvqROyVEBYTTXMd712MFERHGc2a0NzndD01012NvF5SghbmixZybqtQ_IVbzd_V7NBCBflXuMPRoK4rwI0mt3KjaRLccg/s640/47_copyright+climbing+up+a+waterfall.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUfS3uOemUVHtm-rBtgSiSTHd52rA3hnvm5QzWpDYJ4VzcJfotYqrW7LErdM54TAUbAbv4wnDWNCO4bFbeqTWy-rvb0RPkeqq5jXj9lC9XEJ3v9aOG63-x2PzyZuhCQKp03EqUZqKLA/s1600/58_copyright+Tarahumara+Frog+Rana+tarahumarae+RATA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUfS3uOemUVHtm-rBtgSiSTHd52rA3hnvm5QzWpDYJ4VzcJfotYqrW7LErdM54TAUbAbv4wnDWNCO4bFbeqTWy-rvb0RPkeqq5jXj9lC9XEJ3v9aOG63-x2PzyZuhCQKp03EqUZqKLA/s640/58_copyright+Tarahumara+Frog+Rana+tarahumarae+RATA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">This was one of relatively few Tarahumara Frogs still easily visible at the edge of a pool on our return trip back down the canyon.<br /></td></tr>
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The hike out was, of course, tougher than the hike in: despite releasing all our frogs (and so carrying less weight), the frogs didn't weigh much in the first place and the return hike was all uphill. There was a bit less pressure to get there quickly, though, since there was no risk of overheating the frogs on our backs. So we took our time, periodically catching our breath from the steep climb, and checking out the other cool critters in the area. We returned to the trucks in plenty of time to drive back to Tucson for a delicious dinner to celebrate an important job well done.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking out at the end of a successful Tarhumara Frog release.</td></tr>
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Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-42080164299944918492015-09-10T11:46:00.002-06:002015-09-10T16:01:45.092-06:00Painted Redstart at Gilbert Water RanchSince I moved to Arizona a few weeks ago, there is one spot I've birded more than any other: Gilbert Water Ranch. This park, about the size of a large city block, became famous in the U.S. birding scene a few winters ago when a Baikal Teal was found there. But in general it's just a very birdy spot--an oasis in the city for a variety of species, from shorebirds, to waterfowl, to warblers. This time of year, in fall migration, a solid birding effort by an experienced birder can result in over 80 species in a few hours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qLVp0m84yuc0K0lxLZUNWfyHjXzuw5PrV1T2LeHKrBGwDLVzY6EgR26dsj5O-s2LVPbPJHXFFEKVgA2OsMAPlh57ZJbrsDU7ChkeraWUpRNkjzWtf9w-EuHmADMRsGjOKqDYR2ppTw/s1600/05+Least+Sandpipers+among+others.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qLVp0m84yuc0K0lxLZUNWfyHjXzuw5PrV1T2LeHKrBGwDLVzY6EgR26dsj5O-s2LVPbPJHXFFEKVgA2OsMAPlh57ZJbrsDU7ChkeraWUpRNkjzWtf9w-EuHmADMRsGjOKqDYR2ppTw/s640/05+Least+Sandpipers+among+others.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gilbert Water Ranch, in Gilbert (near Phoenix) Arizona, hosts dozens of migrating bird species each spring and fall in addition to its dozens of resident species.</td></tr>
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Part of the reason I've birded this spot so much lately, in addition to its abundance of birds and proximity to my home, is that two of my new birding friends, Sean and Tyler, bird here a lot. They've graciously included me in their birding activities, which has been a big help to me in getting to know the birds of the area. While I don't struggle with identification issues very often any more, I still have a lot to learn here about status and distribution, and birding with them has taught me a lot about which birds are expected and when in this area.</div>
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Yesterday I visited the Gilbert Water Ranch on my own, after missing a great morning with Sean and Tyler the day before. I took the chance, since I was by myself, to "calibrate" my estimates of species counts by counting every individual of every species as I went. It's a tedious process, but it results in very accurate data for eBird, and I think it also forces one to improve their birding skill by critically identifying each bird, not just the groups that are likely to have something rare in them. This practice paid off yesterday, in the form of a locally rare warbler.</div>
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I was scanning the back side of a pond for rarities among the Long-billed Dowitchers, and just as I wrapped up and turned around I noticed a warbler flitting about in a tree right behind me. It was such a distinctive species that even with poor views I would have identified it instantly: it was a Painted Redstart! This species is a specialty of mountain canyons and riparian zones of the southwest, and seeing it at a lowland location like this is pretty rare. I got several nice photos of the bird, a memorable addition to my patch list and a nice way to get a new county bird!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmqN6H2INRdvWzgTuCPCZ9ATfA-cXa2UJNURCy70Ix1q7vL1FXiwDb5S5fvLTiouhzVMJbhyphenhyphen7Ycm8WgneDDCOdqCVZbfTpRSyYY-yiMZK_EGvZDuu9U659sbHQV28ecQk-RSzGHNZug/s1600/03_copyright+Painted+Redstart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmqN6H2INRdvWzgTuCPCZ9ATfA-cXa2UJNURCy70Ix1q7vL1FXiwDb5S5fvLTiouhzVMJbhyphenhyphen7Ycm8WgneDDCOdqCVZbfTpRSyYY-yiMZK_EGvZDuu9U659sbHQV28ecQk-RSzGHNZug/s640/03_copyright+Painted+Redstart.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Painted Redstart is a rare species at low elevations like the Gilbert Water Ranch. This was only the third record from this heavily-birded location, and the first in four years.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Distinctive, brightly patterned, and obliging - it doesn't get much better than that!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24960706">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24960706</a></div>
Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-80388802569243030862015-09-02T17:16:00.000-06:002015-09-02T17:16:07.160-06:00First Month as an ArizonanLast weekend marked the end of my first month living in Arizona, and it's been a great month! Stephanie and I have spent a lot of our free time exploring our surroundings and getting to know the local flora and fauna. We've also been fortunate to have several different visitors in my first month here, so we've had some great partners in our wanderings.<br />
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First, Stephanie's parents came to visit. We took them camping one weekend to the Whetstone Mountains, an under-explored part of southern Arizona's Sky Islands. We found my first Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, along with a healthy population of chiggers!<br />
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We also took a half a day to explore South Mountain, the largest municipal park in the US. It is also home to an endemic form of the Chuckwalla, but we didn't see any on this trip. We did see some cool old mines, several more rattlesnakes, and some great views of the city.<br />
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Before Stephanie's parents even left, we had another visitor in the area. Andrew came down to Arizona to help teach a herp course, so I took a few days off with him at the end of it to do some birding and herping of our own. We explored the Santa Rita Mountains, the Tumacacori Highlands, and other remote locations near the border with Mexico. We each found several lifers, including this Black-capped Gnatcatcher (new for both of us) and this Long-nosed Snake (new for me).<br />
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I've also been trying to get to know the local naturalists and biologists of the area, including going birding at popular hotspots with new local friends. It has been a blast getting to know the local species well, and searching for rare vagrants. I chased this Sabine's Gull, a locally rare species, with my friend Jason. Even when there are no rare birds to be found, you never know when you'll get to experience a really cool moment, like this Coyote desperately hunting some ducks at the Gilbert Water Ranch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEYSkGg9ofsvmR_Fff8rbG8xw5sjIY83Gbn6251FILjksEVlbkngK0qx58TESvaXgwcqmBX7gNJxiHebnHhmD4p0lL52QqmfdzUsBF2bNCdj1jcYyTCEkpIGEFJnL1xN7JF0NyqePRQ/s1600/12+Adult+Sabine%2527s+Gull+in+flight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEYSkGg9ofsvmR_Fff8rbG8xw5sjIY83Gbn6251FILjksEVlbkngK0qx58TESvaXgwcqmBX7gNJxiHebnHhmD4p0lL52QqmfdzUsBF2bNCdj1jcYyTCEkpIGEFJnL1xN7JF0NyqePRQ/s640/12+Adult+Sabine%2527s+Gull+in+flight.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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In total so far I've already found several lifer birds and lifer herps, and I've learned a lot about local insects, plants, and other natural history. Watch this space for more as I continue to explore Arizona!Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-82628059495850804602015-07-31T11:42:00.002-06:002015-07-31T12:24:45.958-06:00A Change of Scenery: Moving my Birding to Arizona<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZo3e73TZte1XYJaAq1IJyNizhtzpEMhFNG8r4UVjuC9v9ahp9CdiCKtvTUhDFVRyzmvL7lzaVq7q-vrcGf2sccS7xhpXvS_SuYLV-uzdOj6vpFJ-zEE5DdHERP4tKYGUCfFwYcT66A/s1600/2015-07-27+08.38.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZo3e73TZte1XYJaAq1IJyNizhtzpEMhFNG8r4UVjuC9v9ahp9CdiCKtvTUhDFVRyzmvL7lzaVq7q-vrcGf2sccS7xhpXvS_SuYLV-uzdOj6vpFJ-zEE5DdHERP4tKYGUCfFwYcT66A/s640/2015-07-27+08.38.57.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stopped for one last picture at a locally well-known spot on my last drive out of Cache Valley.</td></tr>
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My wife and I have been looking to relocate for a while now, and I'm pleased to announce that we have now officially and completely moved to Arizona! The southwestern states have always been high on our list of target destinations, so we're both pretty pleased with our new home. Stephanie moved down about a month ago, and I joined her earlier this week. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Canyon State welcomed me!</td></tr>
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It feels odd to put a period at the end of my Utah, and especially Cache County, birding. I've always been interested in birds, but Utah was where my birding activity really took off. I've left Utah now with 3343 eBird checklists, reporting on 344 species. I really focussed my birding in Cache County, and 2958 of those checklists and 281 species were from within my home county. I'm particularly proud of my yard list: my 805 checklists have created a very thorough overview of the seasonal occurrence of the 98 species I've seen or heard from my yard.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEfJlVJtiscvGRjXOLx4doNzzygheNEY-AaELbmACyr37h9paHJ_R-qb_6fcf5L9OswFzhlYq3t32jknfW2cG33UyVE64RBy_gUqjbiDxte67P5CglV6uwIIp4A-ewirX5bAw0ngnXA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-07-30+at+9.09.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEfJlVJtiscvGRjXOLx4doNzzygheNEY-AaELbmACyr37h9paHJ_R-qb_6fcf5L9OswFzhlYq3t32jknfW2cG33UyVE64RBy_gUqjbiDxte67P5CglV6uwIIp4A-ewirX5bAw0ngnXA/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-07-30+at+9.09.23+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just a sample of the comprehensive eBird data I've collected from my Logan, Utah yard.</td></tr>
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It's not just about the numbers, of course. I'm going to really miss the birding community in Cache County. As a college town, it seemed good birders were always coming and going, but I made a lot of close friends along the way. Thankfully, since I moved to a birding hotspot, I'm sure it will be easy to convince them to come visit me!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMb2h6pbL0O0LuWhotr7haWKEL8KukI-3sAu64CYTl9IJ3C108pd_Ylu405PD8ysB_0VGX4pyfC8wAhoVdUYQdl2yxPY_1hr3irvMxQ1UThj4NmTYlj8W1-d7gJyjf74fVf5vVBBsfg/s1600/02+Cullen+Clark%252C+Kendal%252C+and+Andrew+birding+the+Watertrough+Road+Pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMb2h6pbL0O0LuWhotr7haWKEL8KukI-3sAu64CYTl9IJ3C108pd_Ylu405PD8ysB_0VGX4pyfC8wAhoVdUYQdl2yxPY_1hr3irvMxQ1UThj4NmTYlj8W1-d7gJyjf74fVf5vVBBsfg/s400/02+Cullen+Clark%252C+Kendal%252C+and+Andrew+birding+the+Watertrough+Road+Pond.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whenever a rare bird was spotted in Cache Valley, I knew I'd soon see a lot of friendly faces there!</td></tr>
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When one door closes, another opens, and so this week I've started birding Arizona as a resident, rather than just a visitor. I've visited here many times, either on vacation, doing field work for my PhD, or helping colleagues with their field work. I already know many of the hotspots in the area, at least by reputation if not by first-hand experience. I'm living in Tempe, which isn't quite as famous for birding as the Tucson area, but it's within striking distance, and there are plenty of exciting birds here, too. I've got 19 species on the yard list so far, and of those, 9 are species I've never had on a yard list before. Last night, I birded the Gilbert Water Ranch for the first time, a famous birding spot that is perhaps best known for hosting a Baikal Teal a couple of winters ago. It was great to start to get familiar with the locally common species that still feel exotic to me, like White-winged Dove, Lucy's Warbler, and Verdin, for example. A move to a new state is almost a fresh start in birding, and I'm excited for all that I have yet to learn!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskd1JlUMoMfMy3YUBJq0qr_p5Dye1MtOQVdpkQji9Y7ODb8bJBbAu-QQnd03aNdjXWW8yKzBEKGv3In3ciS1H4707v2rVl_KzCvuhIU3TXLEYsWAJ8HerupFT9b7aR4Z37d_eVdeEgw/s1600/02+Wood+Duck+x+domestic+Mallard+hybrid.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskd1JlUMoMfMy3YUBJq0qr_p5Dye1MtOQVdpkQji9Y7ODb8bJBbAu-QQnd03aNdjXWW8yKzBEKGv3In3ciS1H4707v2rVl_KzCvuhIU3TXLEYsWAJ8HerupFT9b7aR4Z37d_eVdeEgw/s400/02+Wood+Duck+x+domestic+Mallard+hybrid.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cool duck is an apparent hybrid between a Wood Duck and a domestic form of Mallard. It has been at the Gilbert Water Ranch for a while now. Although it's not a "countable" bird, it looked beautiful and interesting, and seemed like a good symbol of all the new species and places I will soon be exploring in central and southern Arizona.</td></tr>
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Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-37097781703777482232015-05-31T23:54:00.000-06:002015-11-23T16:05:17.223-07:00Cache County Big Day, May 30th, 2015<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbh_EXxP6e9HBYIXzUj9xvPbptohpPUtsep3kEtPHmx7wg4JtkusXSQHYtuiJcEC8rqhZiQ3GIQX8eRPG-gMOqpYTXzB8oCVzJ746HtGj8Ltm5Zp3iIE2gN0pVy_QJlQ8R9ctaB05aBg/s1600/01+Planning+our+route.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbh_EXxP6e9HBYIXzUj9xvPbptohpPUtsep3kEtPHmx7wg4JtkusXSQHYtuiJcEC8rqhZiQ3GIQX8eRPG-gMOqpYTXzB8oCVzJ746HtGj8Ltm5Zp3iIE2gN0pVy_QJlQ8R9ctaB05aBg/s400/01+Planning+our+route.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We put a lot of effort into planning our Big Day route, and stuck very close to the plan.</td></tr>
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Anyone who has done a Big Day knows that much of the work is done before the day itself, and ours was no different: Andy and I started weeks in advance, planning and re-planning our route, and especially scouting out rare birds. Scouting was a HUGE part of our planning and a huge part of our success: by birding nearly daily for a couple weeks before our Big Day, we were able to quickly and efficiently find a lot of hard-to-find species.<br />
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The Big Day itself started at about 11:00 PM on Friday, May 29th, when I picked up Andy from his house and loaded his bike on the back of my car. Big Days run 24 hours, from midnight to midnight, but we wanted to already be in location listening for birds when the timer started at 12:00 AM. At midnight, we were already biking up Green Canyon a mile or two above the locked gate, and we heard our first bird of the day just minutes later when a <b>Common Poorwill</b> called (the first of over two dozen that night).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnu1n1n87P0yiPN8DyOuTOiJbUNtSSdUVzOQbVsylpKpDZdxZhxXYOPcDbM98Kv7F6PxMbIGDjb5JxFxS4OfPaoMleIUSWFtPt7QWSyo_tA3yLxhR5sFCu_6YONuP2ux3e4kIdVJ_lvg/s1600/03+Andy+Kleinhesselink+broadcasting+owl+calls+in+Green+Canyon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnu1n1n87P0yiPN8DyOuTOiJbUNtSSdUVzOQbVsylpKpDZdxZhxXYOPcDbM98Kv7F6PxMbIGDjb5JxFxS4OfPaoMleIUSWFtPt7QWSyo_tA3yLxhR5sFCu_6YONuP2ux3e4kIdVJ_lvg/s640/03+Andy+Kleinhesselink+broadcasting+owl+calls+in+Green+Canyon.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first stop of the day, starting at midnight, was owling Green Canyon by bike. We used the bikes several times during the day, and they ended up being instrumental in allowing us to cover lots of ground efficiently and effectively.</td></tr>
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Our first owl of the night was a <b>Flammulated Owl</b>, singing spontaneously at the end of the trail at 12:27 AM. We also heard a couple of <b>Ruffed Grouse</b> displaying in the dark. We then focussed on finding Northern Saw-whet Owl and Northern Pygmy-Owl as we biked down, broadcasting song every few hundred meters. It took more work than expected, but we eventually got one <b>Northern Pygmy-Owl</b> to respond before our 2:00 AM deadline for leaving the canyon.</div>
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Our next target was an <b>American Bittern</b> at Bud Phelps WMA, a bird that Andy had found on a scouting trip a couple of weeks earlier. This one was as easy as they come: we pulled into the parking lot a little before 3:00 AM, and heard it calling almost immediately. We added a couple other nocturnal vocalizers to our list here, especially <b>Virginia Rail</b>, <b>Sora</b>, and <b>Marsh Wren</b>. The whole stop was less than ten minutes, and we were off to a stakeout Great Horned Owl. Our friend Shelly Hatch helped us out by telling us a couple of weeks ago about a pair that had been calling in her yard at night, so we parked quietly in front of her house and played a bit of <b>Great Horned Owl</b> song. It took a little coaxing, but about five or ten minutes later one called back from a stand of trees near her house.</div>
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Next, we wanted to check on some nearby Wood Ducks I had scouted out, a small family group with chicks on a little pond near the Great Horned Owl. It was too dark to see the ducks at night, but while driving to the pond with the windows down we heard some <b>Barn Owls</b> begging from a barn. This was a lucky grab as it would later save us about half an hour of daylight birding, allowing us to cut out a scheduled trip to a roosting Barn Owl I had staked out. With the quick Bittern, Great Horned Owl, and Barn Owl scores in the dark, we had a little time on our hands to look (listen) for <b>Western Screech-Owl</b>, the one lowland owl we hadn't been able to find in our scouting. We tried a new spot, and again got lucky, with one responding rather quickly to broadcast near the Willow Park Zoo. A bonus <b>Gray Catbird</b> was singing in the dark, too. Then, we were off for our first daytime stop ahead of schedule!</div>
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Because we had missed Northern Saw-whet Owl in Green Canyon earlier in the night, we were happy to have some time to try for it before sunrise along the road to Tony Grove, where we wanted to be at first light. We tried many stops along the seven mile road from the highway to the parking area, and finally got lucky just when we were starting to give up hope on that species, as a <b>Northern Saw-whet Owl</b> squealed in response to our broadcast less than a mile from the lake. By 5:15 AM the sky was already starting to get a bit of color and the dawn chorus was in full swing, so we parked at Tony Grove and worked our way up the trail towards Naomi Peak in search of high-elevation birds.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiGIwOCB0nzZd3B0wFS6y1veSxcKE3Hoy0aK1eRXLS54XxChB_7A7iMBhxXayRihReq7asz9bqDN7Xci4rBV8H1a-P8fhzWzjFH05zzTw5-xUGILDnd_T9c-IbaEpjhRXi0oG45dezA/s1600/06+Andy+broadcasting+bird+calls+above+Tony+Grove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiGIwOCB0nzZd3B0wFS6y1veSxcKE3Hoy0aK1eRXLS54XxChB_7A7iMBhxXayRihReq7asz9bqDN7Xci4rBV8H1a-P8fhzWzjFH05zzTw5-xUGILDnd_T9c-IbaEpjhRXi0oG45dezA/s640/06+Andy+broadcasting+bird+calls+above+Tony+Grove.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We started the daylight portion of the day at Tony Grove, the most accessible spot for many of the high elevation specialties of Cache County.</td></tr>
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Things started fast at Tony Grove, with singing <b>White-crowned Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows, MacGillivray's Warblers, House Wrens, Mountain Chickadees, Dusky and Hammond's Flycatchers, American Robins, Chipping Sparrows</b>, and <b>Fox Sparrows</b>, among others. We worked our way over some deep snow patches (still frozen solid from the below-freezing nighttime temperatures) and up the trail to the area we call the "first bowl," a glacial cirque that sits just above Tony Grove Lake. Then, things slowed down a bit. We had a couple of singing <b>Olive-sided Flycatchers</b>, but were working hard for other high elevation specialties without much luck. Eventually, some broadcast of <b>White-breasted Nuthatch</b> calls elicited a response, which was a great bird given how limited their distribution is in Cache County: they're found in only in our highest elevation forests, and are patchy and scarce even there. We heard a <b>Williamson's Sapsucker</b> give its unique long stuttering drum, a great species to pick up given the relatively early date. After nearly two hours around the area we were still hurting for a lot of common high mountain species, like Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Steller's Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Hairy Woodpecker, etc., but had to start heading back to the car. Then, things started to fall our way. A <b>Brown Creeper</b> called from a tree for both of us and showed itself to Andy. A small flock of <b>Clark's Nutcrackers</b> flew down a ridgeline in the distance. A pair of <b>Hairy Woodpeckers</b> responded to a broadcast call in an area we had both seen the species before. Even back down at the parking lot as we were loading into the car, a <b>Steller's Jay </b>called in the distance. I wonder what else we might have found with another half hour there, but a key part of a Big Day is to stay disciplined and stick to your schedule.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6WvIYSMI_gZ4nISwUEMWjSrkoATu-PMy5JWEkfXu40TP6nAWYhBHLQX8d-ZANZhYomUbUVH0OpnJcpU9loog1j_aiw3_7AzrCk9Fgq_fwiHYk6N9MibndI9d0xaQEEFI1Xc77UqFpg/s1600/08+Williamson%2527s+Sapsucker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6WvIYSMI_gZ4nISwUEMWjSrkoATu-PMy5JWEkfXu40TP6nAWYhBHLQX8d-ZANZhYomUbUVH0OpnJcpU9loog1j_aiw3_7AzrCk9Fgq_fwiHYk6N9MibndI9d0xaQEEFI1Xc77UqFpg/s640/08+Williamson%2527s+Sapsucker.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Williamson's Sapsucker is a beautiful and distinctive woodpecker of Cache County's highest elevations. Although a recently-returning migrant, this one was already working a fresh row of sap wells.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEol4qvSPw7nfvflXffyFC4FySrH4nLx2QBVsovW8WVXZJg6XF428CrDDmrllYTtvRJdjDOOKWTiw6BiXZsEK7Uc8yKca748utVpCFz0wlM3AYrg8R9nhZlHWZMcB_6MWgUJfvRehLA/s1600/07+White-breasted+Nuthatch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEol4qvSPw7nfvflXffyFC4FySrH4nLx2QBVsovW8WVXZJg6XF428CrDDmrllYTtvRJdjDOOKWTiw6BiXZsEK7Uc8yKca748utVpCFz0wlM3AYrg8R9nhZlHWZMcB_6MWgUJfvRehLA/s640/07+White-breasted+Nuthatch.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-breasted Nuthatches are very tough to find in Cache County, but the first bowl on the Naomi Peak trail has been a somewhat reliable place to find them in recent years.</td></tr>
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<div>
By 8:40 AM we were heading down the mountain, with the windows down as always. This paid off in the form of one more species, our first <b>Orange-crowned Warbler</b> of the day, singing along the road. As we worked our way quickly down the canyon, we were able to pick up drive-by <b>White-throated Swifts</b> and a <b>Swainson's Thrush</b>. A planned stop for Chukar and Black-throated Gray Warbler didn't pan out, although we'd pick up the warbler later. Near the mouth of the canyon we did a short walk for hummingbirds at Stokes Nature Center, but before we even got to the feeders we had seen both of the regular species there, <b>Black-chinned Hummingbird</b> and <b>Broad-tailed Hummingbird</b>, so we took a quick detour for a staked-out <b>American Dipper</b> nest and headed back to the car. Another quick stakeout stop added a singing <b>Canyon Wren</b> to the list, and then we were out of the canyon and into the lowlands for the rest of the day, starting at First Dam, where a Common Merganser that was present the day before had apparently just left.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj89Va5JO2O0In_Ep0-Mo8EhgdmEy76CYQ3E_9I18C9sLn5XHfOmIMJ9fhu80ZBV4dxG7aMoyWb_8KuE4gUt4yW7LYIoDxXWTCDfayUxppWgVk4hPaYK-Qe4TYqHEUPe6eQewAd9Hj0g/s1600/11+American+Dipper+female+in+nest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj89Va5JO2O0In_Ep0-Mo8EhgdmEy76CYQ3E_9I18C9sLn5XHfOmIMJ9fhu80ZBV4dxG7aMoyWb_8KuE4gUt4yW7LYIoDxXWTCDfayUxppWgVk4hPaYK-Qe4TYqHEUPe6eQewAd9Hj0g/s640/11+American+Dipper+female+in+nest.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Dippers are common along the high-gradient rivers of Cache County, but having this nest staked out in advance saved us a lot of potential birding time we could have spent just hoping to run into one.</td></tr>
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<div>
As we passed through downtown Logan on our way to the next stop, we were sure to call out all the common urban species that could be missed in the more wild habitats where we planned to spend the rest of the day: we easily picked up <b>Rock Pigeon</b> and <b>House Sparrow</b>, for example, and were able to hear a singing <b>Lesser Goldfinch</b> through the open car windows. We started to feel pretty unlucky, missing our second stakeout rarity in a row, when we couldn't find the Great-tailed Grackles at the Logan Landfill. But, we were disciplined about not sinking too much time into rarities, and quickly continued on to a field where <b>Bobolinks</b> had been displaying in the last couple of weeks. They showed for us quickly, and we were off to the nearby pond where we hadn't been able to see the <b>Wood Ducks</b> in the dark. In the daylight, they were easy, and we didn't even stop the car as we drove past in a rush for the next birds.</div>
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We had debated whether it was worth it to make our way down to Hyrum Reservoir, and in the end decided there were enough possibilities there to make it worth it. We were going to get Barn Owl at the east end, but since we had one in the morning and were a bit behind schedule, we skipped the east end and birded only from the west end, where Andy was able to spot a continuing late <b>Common Loon</b> I had found a week or so before. Within minutes, we were heading back north to Rendezvous Park. Because this would be our only real lowland "urban" habitat stop, we had a few very familiar species we needed to find, and were actually a bit excited to pick up our <b>Black-capped Chickadee</b> here. We needed Downy Woodpecker, too, but couldn't find any, even after broadcasting some calls. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1T0CtH76CHwvYuZYmazJNN7OJsU-MSj1Kx2jOjQvpoO_9ivCvuXrpE7VZokoKxH-qZSKWMpJ_P7Ul_kU8ckcvdDhHC0_c_BdZ9x-OyQ7c6G2NB3bjgLEBOUyCyD54k7EuEVfW1hIFnw/s1600/13+Common+Nighthawk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1T0CtH76CHwvYuZYmazJNN7OJsU-MSj1Kx2jOjQvpoO_9ivCvuXrpE7VZokoKxH-qZSKWMpJ_P7Ul_kU8ckcvdDhHC0_c_BdZ9x-OyQ7c6G2NB3bjgLEBOUyCyD54k7EuEVfW1hIFnw/s640/13+Common+Nighthawk.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Nighthawks arrived just in time for our big day: the one we heard at Tony Grove in the morning was the first reported from Cache County this year. Here, the second one flies over the Logan Sewage Lagoons in the early afternoon.</td></tr>
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It was then around noon, so I asked Andy for a tally so far. We were both a bit surprised to be at only 80 species, and a bit intimidated with reaching our goal of topping the record of 154 by the end of the day. But, we hadn't really done much lowland birding yet, and had a lot of sparrows and other dry land birds as well as waterfowl to add to the list; our only ducks so far were Mallard and Wood Duck, for example. With our next stop, the Logan Sewage Lagoons, the waterfowl numbers climbed quickly. We got our only <b>Blue-winged Teal</b> of the day here, and focused on other ducks, especially late winter waterfowl like <b>Ring-necked Duck</b> and <b>Bufflehead</b>. We got our only <b>Belted Kingfisher</b> of the day nearby as we drove to the Logan Polishing Ponds, an extension of the wastewater treatment plant located about a mile to the north. Here, we picked up many of the expected breeding shorebirds, like <b>American Avocet</b>, <b>Black-necked Stilt</b>, and <b>Willet</b>, along with a great collection of waterfowl including some species that are quite rare this late in the season, especially <b>American Wigeon</b>, <b>Canvasback</b>, <b>Common Goldeneye</b>, and even a continuing <b>Snow Goose</b> I had found a couple weeks earlier that seems to be injured but still healthy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl5lCUVxoYTjMsk7faM-PHmxMfRzQaue2TX8uykvrWDObDg5LjJXZ0lFqTMnrhOIAcIm-Q4jJ5Y4NWMcy56ra0K3uhqyhfMZRENFfQpOOdMNgUr1KhOeKpJukPZetl1xEFqILgtbyXA/s1600/14+Two+Redheads+with+a+late+Snow+Goose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl5lCUVxoYTjMsk7faM-PHmxMfRzQaue2TX8uykvrWDObDg5LjJXZ0lFqTMnrhOIAcIm-Q4jJ5Y4NWMcy56ra0K3uhqyhfMZRENFfQpOOdMNgUr1KhOeKpJukPZetl1xEFqILgtbyXA/s640/14+Two+Redheads+with+a+late+Snow+Goose.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I first spotted this Snow Goose at the Polishing Ponds a couple of weeks earlier and noted that it was holding its wings in an odd angle. Although it looked healthy, I think the only reason it was still around is because it was a bit injured.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MwMzzOzzL16Lb-QF9tl2BC0a-rbXc2UTEaweZCkQpmIkcgRmel1GJYOgn-KBBG_9_oWRZFHuYY2IAruypdDqU7WH2ij79TRbJP6V8HfXdXni_6l7tAMSJAaHuKxUt-MP87ZLZsZ3UQ/s1600/15+Late+Canvasback+pair.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MwMzzOzzL16Lb-QF9tl2BC0a-rbXc2UTEaweZCkQpmIkcgRmel1GJYOgn-KBBG_9_oWRZFHuYY2IAruypdDqU7WH2ij79TRbJP6V8HfXdXni_6l7tAMSJAaHuKxUt-MP87ZLZsZ3UQ/s640/15+Late+Canvasback+pair.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canvasbacks have usually all left Cache County before the baby Canada Geese get this big, but this pair was lingering at the Polishing Ponds so that we could count them on our Big Day.</td></tr>
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<div>
We took a quick detour to Benson Marina for our only <b>Osprey</b> of the day, sitting on a nest, and then drove to Hyde Park Lane. We cancelled a side trip to look for a stakeout Say's Phoebe after considering that we were a bit behind schedule, the bird was pretty far out of the way, and it hadn't been very reliable in our scouting, only being found once out of three attempts to look for it. Along Hyde Park Lane, we tried to pick a Glossy Ibis out of the many White-faceds, but with no luck. We did pick up our first <b>Sandhill Crane</b> of the day here, and our only <b>Wilson's Snipe</b> of the day.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvC4yYZF6OO-x07lvSl7t2rj5QoPj_oaE15Ix_RiGTf_XRTAZ9JjKM1MfPbIyBOzUrSFY2erD2mNaAKrpqBnM_3Yw0GxP1HZhbPPV7dgAJhuB9vCkriXC9xB3C-h41eg2gr2BUn28CA/s1600/19+Wilson%2527s+Snipe+on+Hyde+Park+Lane.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvC4yYZF6OO-x07lvSl7t2rj5QoPj_oaE15Ix_RiGTf_XRTAZ9JjKM1MfPbIyBOzUrSFY2erD2mNaAKrpqBnM_3Yw0GxP1HZhbPPV7dgAJhuB9vCkriXC9xB3C-h41eg2gr2BUn28CA/s640/19+Wilson%2527s+Snipe+on+Hyde+Park+Lane.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilson's Snipe are common in Cache County, but this one on Hyde Park Lane happened to be our only one of the day.</td></tr>
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<div>
Next up was the Amalga Barrens, usually a great shorebird spot, but we were a bit late for shorebird migration. Indeed, we didn't have any shorebirds all day that don't breed locally; we were completely too late for passing migrants. About the best we could do here was to add a pair of <b>Long-billed Curlews</b> and get our first (but not only) <b>Northern Harriers</b> of the day. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLTCIjOxGBrx_zLbCnaUvAYyHboMtgpYujtgS1c3XdO7-07eR2BDccwnhBw8Qz6Lb8hJmcqM5ZZOCZUglLRgkVVk6Sb9UErvsDlB7-72-7SsZVJC3Bjs_h6XPQ2vR6Ir26_zLVVWxSw/s1600/20+Andy+scoping+at+Amalga+Barrens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLTCIjOxGBrx_zLbCnaUvAYyHboMtgpYujtgS1c3XdO7-07eR2BDccwnhBw8Qz6Lb8hJmcqM5ZZOCZUglLRgkVVk6Sb9UErvsDlB7-72-7SsZVJC3Bjs_h6XPQ2vR6Ir26_zLVVWxSw/s640/20+Andy+scoping+at+Amalga+Barrens.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy and I worked hard for more shorebirds at the Amalga Barrens, but the best we could do is add a couple of Long-billed Curlews to our list. We were apparently too late for all the passage migrants.</td></tr>
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It was about 4:00 PM, so with a little less than five hours of daylight left and with all the expected shorebirds and waterfowl ticked off, I asked Andy to tally our list again. We were at 112 species for the day. When he said this, I did a little mental math and my heart sank. All those waterfowl and shorebirds, and we only added 32 species? Five hours left to get 42 species to tie the record? I started to think about how that could be right. Andy checked again: yup, 112 species. When we started Newton Reservoir, I knew it would take a miracle if we were to reach our goal. </div>
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As soon as we pulled up at Newton, we could hear a <b>Yellow-breasted Chat</b> singing, another pretty local species that is tough to find in the valley. We couldn't find the Blue Grosbeak that had been here last week, but a <b>Golden Eagle</b> flew over (our only one of the day), and a <b>Blue-gray Gnatcatcher</b> called from beneath us in the wash a little while later. Across the road in the campground area, a <b>Least Flycatcher</b> I had found a few days earlier was singing as we stepped out of the car, and a second one was nearby. This was probably the rarest bird of the day, at least by some measures, since it was the only one on the review list of the Utah Bird Records Committee. We broadcast for Downy Woodpecker some more; way too long, I thought, but then, we didn't really have a shot at our goal anyways so it didn't bother me. We broadcast a bit for Lark Sparrow, and didn't get any responses from that species either. We needed a miracle to reach our goal, and missing these two easy species wasn't helping. I was feeling pretty bummed.</div>
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On the way to Steel Canyon, Andy added up the numbers again. I knew we wouldn't be close, but it wasn't going to hurt to hear where we were at, and I was still hoping for my miracle. And I got it! Andy realized that he had somehow--twice!--forgotten to count the last page of our six-page checklist. I don't know how this happened, but I still think he may have been messing with me. Either that, or the lack of sleep and the 19+ hours of straight birding were hitting both of us pretty hard. Regardless, heading into Steel Canyon we were actually at 144 species, well within striking range of our goal if things went right! We picked up singing <b>Vesper Sparrow</b>, <b>Grasshopper Sparrow</b>, and <b>Brewer's Sparrow</b> all from the same spot along the road. We heard <b>Horned Lark</b> singing a little further along. We mounted our bikes just as the sky was darkening from a coming storm, and headed into Steel Canyon, some of the best dry juniper forest in the county.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRR8-flOe1B5KkxEh71u6wlth5VlJluKPLiC7ewb8bcwLGhT0gULC93WYMvWnFkEf7L7Zbo3P8kYqzQDixSoQfQuMSYtL6jR8wB7Sb0-zuoWpmZUERRGB9wb73rz_nlkuchaOYgCZueg/s1600/21+Andy+grabbing+a+bite+before+we+biked+into+Steel+Canyon+in+the+rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRR8-flOe1B5KkxEh71u6wlth5VlJluKPLiC7ewb8bcwLGhT0gULC93WYMvWnFkEf7L7Zbo3P8kYqzQDixSoQfQuMSYtL6jR8wB7Sb0-zuoWpmZUERRGB9wb73rz_nlkuchaOYgCZueg/s640/21+Andy+grabbing+a+bite+before+we+biked+into+Steel+Canyon+in+the+rain.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a Big Day, meals come in the little spaces between birds. We quickly mounted up and biked the rough road into Steel Canyon as a storm approached.</td></tr>
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Steel Canyon went as well as anyone could expect. First, a <b>Juniper Titmouse</b> sang briefly from the junipers. Then, a <b>Gray Flycatcher</b> perched on a treetop and wagged its tail downward repeatedly, a distinctive behavior distinguishing this species from half a dozen or more lookalikes. A <b>Spotted Towhee</b> called from across the canyon, a common species that we just hadn't run into until that point. Then a pair of <b>Bushtits</b> flew through a clearing, calling in flight and then landing and eventually pausing long enough to give me a quick look through binoculars. The rain started as Andy broadcast Black-throated Gray Warbler and Plumbeous Vireo at a spot he had heard both species recently. A <b>Plumbeous Vireo</b> flew into view and started singing in response, and a minute or so later, a <b>Black-throated Gray Warbler</b> started singing in the rain. We would later calculate that with these two species, we tied and then broke the Cache County Big Day record!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-ozdFaKOsqrgbXX8pPTfJi62u4ZZ7QLqbalglsuy3c0q44AvVgwhxtZYaZbEjfiu2zEL3qAo7BbUktRke9S_QE3B2Pn0DfuiyccMvB4vHBeBXtEWzJD2VP-isluH5wTUKs1abeyWzw/s1600/23+Biking+back+down+to+the+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-ozdFaKOsqrgbXX8pPTfJi62u4ZZ7QLqbalglsuy3c0q44AvVgwhxtZYaZbEjfiu2zEL3qAo7BbUktRke9S_QE3B2Pn0DfuiyccMvB4vHBeBXtEWzJD2VP-isluH5wTUKs1abeyWzw/s640/23+Biking+back+down+to+the+car.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking back down to the car in the rain from Steel Canyon, with six new species on our list and a new Cache County Big Day record.</td></tr>
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After a quick bike back down to the car, we headed to another nearby road where Andy had recently had Short-eared Owls at dusk. This is not a rare species in the county, but they tend to be most active at dawn and dusk, and we hadn't had them yet. His spot worked like a charm, and within minutes four <b>Short-eared Owls</b> were flying all around us, species #156 for the day.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGB-g7l4mU266jqPsafNRk7iHD45uKDPzc0vh13EZ9IdM1d32iI0uPf9NwEHKyQPbNbcLtGOEgLQFiRtWEVUXhvsjTqFRadULCwhFYsYsLozt4a7jaOLzbNcKeeHhpDjrLIkFCXFspQ/s1600/24+Short-eared+Owls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGB-g7l4mU266jqPsafNRk7iHD45uKDPzc0vh13EZ9IdM1d32iI0uPf9NwEHKyQPbNbcLtGOEgLQFiRtWEVUXhvsjTqFRadULCwhFYsYsLozt4a7jaOLzbNcKeeHhpDjrLIkFCXFspQ/s640/24+Short-eared+Owls.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of four Short-eared Owls that put on a show for us at dusk on Sink Creek Road.</td></tr>
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We were short on daylight, but also short on reasonable species we needed for the day. We headed to Bear River Bottoms WMA at sunset in a last-ditch attempt at our biggest miss of the day, but we wouldn't find Downy Woodpecker there either. We tried Cherry Creek again for Downy Woodpecker as the sky got darker, and then a little further up for Dusky Grouse, but didn't find either of those. By the time we were done there, it was nearly 10:00 PM and we were both getting quite tired. We tried following up on a tip for Long-eared Owl at Benson Marina, without any luck. Some fireworks in the distance seemed to be both celebrating our huge day, and telling us it was time to be done. At about 11:00 PM, we had few options for new birds left, and even less energy to look for them, so we called it a day. We went to bed tired, happy, and satisfied, with <b>a new Cache County Big Day record in the books: 156 species,</b> topping the old record of 154 that had been set in 1988!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXoLwnBAOeYOVv5TQp3kCNDoVoTdlsJYxB8yCzh0WzfhfgAypiaSD55n3obfT7DBStItG_s-D81_j_UMFjhSsbsSjm9E99l1KZuvr4ys4PcaJ-IPF81DMvarjdy0_K-d6hjXmLRofOg/s1600/26+Andy+birding+Bear+River+Bottoms+WMA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXoLwnBAOeYOVv5TQp3kCNDoVoTdlsJYxB8yCzh0WzfhfgAypiaSD55n3obfT7DBStItG_s-D81_j_UMFjhSsbsSjm9E99l1KZuvr4ys4PcaJ-IPF81DMvarjdy0_K-d6hjXmLRofOg/s640/26+Andy+birding+Bear+River+Bottoms+WMA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy heads into a stand of trees for a last-minute attempt at Downy Woodpecker as the sun set.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here is our complete list of species for the day:</div>
<div>
<div>
Snow Goose</div>
<div>
Canada Goose</div>
<div>
Wood Duck</div>
<div>
Gadwall</div>
<div>
American Wigeon</div>
<div>
Mallard</div>
<div>
Blue-winged Teal</div>
<div>
Cinnamon Teal</div>
<div>
Northern Shoveler</div>
<div>
Northern Pintail</div>
<div>
Green-winged Teal</div>
<div>
Canvasback</div>
<div>
Redhead</div>
<div>
Ring-necked Duck</div>
<div>
Lesser Scaup</div>
<div>
Bufflehead</div>
<div>
Common Goldeneye</div>
<div>
Ruddy Duck</div>
<div>
Ring-necked Pheasant</div>
<div>
Ruffed Grouse</div>
<div>
Common Loon</div>
<div>
Pied-billed Grebe</div>
<div>
Eared Grebe</div>
<div>
Western Grebe</div>
<div>
Clark's Grebe</div>
<div>
Double-crested Cormorant</div>
<div>
American White Pelican</div>
<div>
American Bittern</div>
<div>
Great Blue Heron</div>
<div>
Snowy Egret</div>
<div>
Cattle Egret</div>
<div>
Black-crowned Night-Heron</div>
<div>
White-faced Ibis</div>
<div>
Turkey Vulture</div>
<div>
Osprey</div>
<div>
Golden Eagle</div>
<div>
Northern Harrier</div>
<div>
Swainson's Hawk</div>
<div>
Red-tailed Hawk</div>
<div>
Virginia Rail</div>
<div>
Sora</div>
<div>
American Coot</div>
<div>
Sandhill Crane</div>
<div>
Black-necked Stilt</div>
<div>
American Avocet</div>
<div>
Killdeer</div>
<div>
Spotted Sandpiper</div>
<div>
Willet</div>
<div>
Long-billed Curlew</div>
<div>
Wilson's Snipe</div>
<div>
Wilson's Phalarope</div>
<div>
Bonaparte's Gull</div>
<div>
Franklin's Gull</div>
<div>
Ring-billed Gull</div>
<div>
California Gull</div>
<div>
Caspian Tern</div>
<div>
Forster's Tern</div>
<div>
Rock Pigeon</div>
<div>
Eurasian Collared-Dove</div>
<div>
Mourning Dove</div>
<div>
Barn Owl</div>
<div>
Flammulated Owl</div>
<div>
Western Screech-Owl</div>
<div>
Great Horned Owl</div>
<div>
Northern Pygmy-Owl</div>
<div>
Short-eared Owl</div>
<div>
Northern Saw-whet Owl</div>
<div>
Common Nighthawk</div>
<div>
Common Poorwill</div>
<div>
White-throated Swift</div>
<div>
Black-chinned Hummingbird</div>
<div>
Broad-tailed Hummingbird</div>
<div>
Belted Kingfisher</div>
<div>
Williamson's Sapsucker</div>
<div>
Red-naped Sapsucker</div>
<div>
Hairy Woodpecker</div>
<div>
Northern Flicker</div>
<div>
American Kestrel</div>
<div>
Olive-sided Flycatcher</div>
<div>
Western Wood-Pewee</div>
<div>
Least Flycatcher</div>
<div>
Hammond's Flycatcher</div>
<div>
Gray Flycatcher</div>
<div>
Dusky Flycatcher</div>
<div>
Western Kingbird</div>
<div>
Eastern Kingbird</div>
<div>
Plumbeous Vireo</div>
<div>
Warbling Vireo</div>
<div>
Steller's Jay</div>
<div>
Black-billed Magpie</div>
<div>
Clark's Nutcracker</div>
<div>
American Crow</div>
<div>
Common Raven</div>
<div>
Horned Lark</div>
<div>
Northern Rough-winged Swallow</div>
<div>
Tree Swallow</div>
<div>
Violet-green Swallow</div>
<div>
Bank Swallow</div>
<div>
Barn Swallow</div>
<div>
Cliff Swallow</div>
<div>
Black-capped Chickadee</div>
<div>
Mountain Chickadee</div>
<div>
Juniper Titmouse</div>
<div>
Bushtit</div>
<div>
Red-breasted Nuthatch</div>
<div>
White-breasted Nuthatch</div>
<div>
Brown Creeper</div>
<div>
Canyon Wren</div>
<div>
House Wren</div>
<div>
Marsh Wren</div>
<div>
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher</div>
<div>
American Dipper</div>
<div>
Ruby-crowned Kinglet</div>
<div>
Mountain Bluebird</div>
<div>
Townsend's Solitaire</div>
<div>
Swainson's Thrush</div>
<div>
Hermit Thrush</div>
<div>
American Robin</div>
<div>
Gray Catbird</div>
<div>
European Starling</div>
<div>
Cedar Waxwing</div>
<div>
Orange-crowned Warbler</div>
<div>
MacGillivray's Warbler</div>
<div>
Common Yellowthroat</div>
<div>
Yellow Warbler</div>
<div>
Yellow-rumped Warbler</div>
<div>
Black-throated Gray Warbler</div>
<div>
Yellow-breasted Chat</div>
<div>
Green-tailed Towhee</div>
<div>
Spotted Towhee</div>
<div>
Chipping Sparrow</div>
<div>
Brewer's Sparrow</div>
<div>
Vesper Sparrow</div>
<div>
Savannah Sparrow</div>
<div>
Grasshopper Sparrow</div>
<div>
Fox Sparrow</div>
<div>
Song Sparrow</div>
<div>
Lincoln's Sparrow</div>
<div>
White-crowned Sparrow</div>
<div>
Dark-eyed Junco</div>
<div>
Western Tanager</div>
<div>
Black-headed Grosbeak</div>
<div>
Lazuli Bunting</div>
<div>
Bobolink</div>
<div>
Red-winged Blackbird</div>
<div>
Western Meadowlark</div>
<div>
Yellow-headed Blackbird</div>
<div>
Brewer's Blackbird</div>
<div>
Brown-headed Cowbird</div>
<div>
Bullock's Oriole</div>
<div>
House Finch</div>
<div>
Cassin's Finch</div>
<div>
Pine Siskin</div>
<div>
Lesser Goldfinch</div>
<div>
American Goldfinch</div>
<div>
House Sparrow</div>
</div>
Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-47454505276484425012015-02-03T16:07:00.004-07:002015-02-03T16:07:53.047-07:00How to Identify Evening Grosbeak Call TypesI've written here <a href="http://200birds.blogspot.com/2011/05/evening-grosbeak-call-types.html" target="_blank">previously</a> about the different "call types" of Evening Grosbeak, which correspond closely to subspecies and which may in fact even represent cryptic species. Recently I've been helping other birders in my local community to identify the call types, so that they can enter sightings in eBird more specifically. The truth is, though, it's really not that hard to do it yourself, if you have the right equipment, and the chances are that you either have everything you need already, or can get it for free. Here's a step-by-step guide to identifying your Evening Grosbeak call types.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaD8A-30b4RhRxg1APbWA9Qb8F5CpeaAJflm6fGNGBj5HhgN2lyZNuCd_X0PrTaV1Byiu9d1jACfEFEjpDkCNh9yJHmAYnt7q7eNF463HaYHDKsfOoR14RfCVTMuF96y0Os9KCdVG-UQ/s1600/04+Female+and+male+Evening+Grosbeaks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaD8A-30b4RhRxg1APbWA9Qb8F5CpeaAJflm6fGNGBj5HhgN2lyZNuCd_X0PrTaV1Byiu9d1jACfEFEjpDkCNh9yJHmAYnt7q7eNF463HaYHDKsfOoR14RfCVTMuF96y0Os9KCdVG-UQ/s1600/04+Female+and+male+Evening+Grosbeaks.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Evening Grosbeaks from northern Utah, where Type 1 dominates but Type 4 has also been recorded.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
1) Record the birds.<br />
<br />
The first step is to get audio recordings of Evening Grosbeaks calling. A lot of people get turned off of the idea already, but this is actually quite simple. Most birders are already carrying smart phones, and there are many free apps for recording sound snippets. I used an app called "ACR" when I had an Android phone, but anything that lets you record sound will work. Something most birders don't even think of is that almost all modern cameras can record video, and this is an equally effective way to record sound. Of course, a nice shotgun or parabola mic is ideal, but if you can make a short video with your phone or point-and-shoot camera, that will be enough to identify the birds. The software we'll use in the next step is very versatile when it comes to file formats. It helps to know where on the camera or phone the microphone is located, and point that in the direction of the birds. It might not be the same side of the device as the camera lens!<br />
<br />
2) Import the sound into audio editing software.<br />
<br />
I recommend using <a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">Audacity</a>: it's free, powerful, available on all common platforms (Mac, PC, etc.), and pretty straightforward to use. <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/raven/ravenoverview.html" target="_blank">Raven</a> is another great alternative, with the only weakness I know being that the latest free version isn't compatible with the latest Mac operating system. In most cases you will be able to simply drag and drop your audio or video file onto the icon for your audio editing software to open it. If the software refuses, I find a "force open" usually works: for some uncommon video formats, I have to hold "option" plus "command" on my Mac when dropping the file on the icon, and then it works.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcV3_puydIXpM-ykgVYjYKaz9c4gm9R1fQNOnNUmAdJIBslfcbETC4fMMX9nprHREcQT4FhWClQ6csZVnCkFMFjkKX2085mHnhR8EeKC3keeY9bGGW-olaIG2YynYHeOVBQ_CNb_OAMg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-03+at+3.54.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcV3_puydIXpM-ykgVYjYKaz9c4gm9R1fQNOnNUmAdJIBslfcbETC4fMMX9nprHREcQT4FhWClQ6csZVnCkFMFjkKX2085mHnhR8EeKC3keeY9bGGW-olaIG2YynYHeOVBQ_CNb_OAMg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-03+at+3.54.26+PM.png" height="385" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a pretty typical example of some Type 1 Evening Grosbeak calls that I recorded in my yard and then visualized using the free program Audacity.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
3) Make a sonogram.<br />
<br />
Again, this is not as tricky as it might sound. If either of the above two programs opens your file, you'll see the sonogram right on your screen. Adjust both the vertical (frequency) and the horizontal (time) zooms until the sonogram looks about right. Then use a screen grab to save the image to your desktop. In Macs, you can do this by typing the "command"key, shift, and the number 4 at the same time, and then drawing a box around the area of interest. In PCs, you can use Alt + PrintScreen. (You might need to then paste into an image editor like Paint to see the image, then save it.)<br />
<br />
4) Match the sonogram to the call type.<br />
<br />
Unlike Red Crossbills, Evening Grosbeaks have only about five distinct call types. Download this paper, <a href="http://environment.unr.edu/academy/about/CollopyPubs/Meyer2004.pdf" target="_blank">Sewell et al. 2004</a>, and simply compare your sonograms to the examples in Figure 1!<br />
<br />
5) Enter your data in eBird.<br />
<br />
Here's your chance to really contribute to science: enter your sightings in eBird, and be sure to specify the call type and include a link to your sonogram. Keep in mind that in most areas, you'll have to add the call type to the list manually, by clicking "add species" and then searching for "Evening Grosbeak," and selecting the relevant type. Evening Grosbeak call types are sorely under-represented in eBird, but together we can fix that!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnBmAdwNWtLcT3v-CPhMkoZhmt-Uj73xy_tkrYDEh95KqSXP8m5PXlVBSrpRZruoJPKHc1ArxWpgc39fp4XvjLYNLoKQAYgdwp5RI1RV11CXZzWDCnZFtJcH7Mmn0Yh8Vcs8WMoWO-A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-03+at+3.59.41+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnBmAdwNWtLcT3v-CPhMkoZhmt-Uj73xy_tkrYDEh95KqSXP8m5PXlVBSrpRZruoJPKHc1ArxWpgc39fp4XvjLYNLoKQAYgdwp5RI1RV11CXZzWDCnZFtJcH7Mmn0Yh8Vcs8WMoWO-A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-03+at+3.59.41+PM.png" height="418" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eBird has only a few examples of Evening Grosbeak call types entered so far. Most of them are from northern Utah, where I've been helping people to identify call types from their recordings. eBird has only one record each for Types 2 and 4, and none for Types 3 or 5.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-66733846920209540432014-12-13T21:56:00.002-07:002014-12-13T22:18:12.062-07:002014 Logan CBC Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewISak1gtoSMyfNcmjtGE7m2H9xciV0OHT7IyEcgGjLEJDR8_DXu7kzYIV3F1b-Lx32Ke9XB8WtbzOdjbZ0lDXZEqFQ0z0qas-5K2_lWoV1SrknOpkJYANz3rGThqBEeYS8_9daARSw/s1600/Ron+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewISak1gtoSMyfNcmjtGE7m2H9xciV0OHT7IyEcgGjLEJDR8_DXu7kzYIV3F1b-Lx32Ke9XB8WtbzOdjbZ0lDXZEqFQ0z0qas-5K2_lWoV1SrknOpkJYANz3rGThqBEeYS8_9daARSw/s1600/Ron+small.jpg" height="380" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ron Ryel dutifully counting birds on a snowy Logan Christmas Bird Count in 2008.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I always look forward to the Logan Christmas Bird Count this time of year. At no point in the year is more known about the birds presently in Cache Valley than on the night of the annual CBC. For chasers of local rare birds, the Christmas Bird Count is like Christmas!<br />
<br />
This year, I'm trying something new: I'm going to predict some of the highs and lows of this year's count. My schedule has been pretty flexible lately, so I've been spending more time than usual birding, and I feel I have a decent sense of what's going on in the local bird world right now. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, eBird use has really caught on locally in the last few years, so there's much more data available to both serve as a baseline, and to give one access to recent sightings from this year. Let's take these predictions group-by-group:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpi6BtLX_zWukVQU-8-NqAsf2XzgqsYfp_wvtctKilYpLHC2ye_keTzgT7HDXzS-jc2TQdep8urbaU9WkRu4EHWfZfExZZLFIIJN3v4D1vkqCZ7Yot3xh-kqWz7U4XWc9yqcl4phyphenhyphenPg/s1600/02+American+White+Pelican+with+wing+tag+at+Logan+Fish+Hatchery+pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpi6BtLX_zWukVQU-8-NqAsf2XzgqsYfp_wvtctKilYpLHC2ye_keTzgT7HDXzS-jc2TQdep8urbaU9WkRu4EHWfZfExZZLFIIJN3v4D1vkqCZ7Yot3xh-kqWz7U4XWc9yqcl4phyphenhyphenPg/s1600/02+American+White+Pelican+with+wing+tag+at+Logan+Fish+Hatchery+pond.JPG" height="464" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This wing-tagged American White Pelican was one of two seen on the count last year, and it has been seen around the valley again this fall. Will we turn it up on count day?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Grebes, Pelicans, Cormorants, etc.:</b><br />
The warm weather this fall may have kept enough water open to give us a good chance of higher diversity in this group than usual. Double-crested Cormorants, American White Pelicans, and Eared Grebes all usually leave the valley before our count, and all have been seen in the valley this month. The individual pelican seen earlier this month is almost certainly one of the two birds seen on last year's count, a wing-tagged individual, and there's a good chance he or she is still in the count circle somewhere.<br />
<br />
<b>Herons and Egrets: </b><br />
Warm weather recently also has probably kept more of this group around than usual. Great Blue Herons in particular are likely to be well above average. We had nine total last year, and I counted 12 at the Sewage Lagoons alone last week. Any other species of heron or egret would be a surprise.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6kml574mtRVCuq582c0-ZMZSqPqH8OuyAYdD2-BwO_rkyDo2IPhyphenhyphenY7v98qMxgEdqCQNWGQHb3tAIQlDMnHIgRxBx2inTZQMsLGjRB1h2MSekgMOliMhn7kGcNwZg3xiCEGLF4ZUu9A/s1600/01+Four+Long-tailed+Ducks+at+Hyrum+Reservoir.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6kml574mtRVCuq582c0-ZMZSqPqH8OuyAYdD2-BwO_rkyDo2IPhyphenhyphenY7v98qMxgEdqCQNWGQHb3tAIQlDMnHIgRxBx2inTZQMsLGjRB1h2MSekgMOliMhn7kGcNwZg3xiCEGLF4ZUu9A/s1600/01+Four+Long-tailed+Ducks+at+Hyrum+Reservoir.JPG" height="252" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These FOUR Long-tailed Ducks were at Hyrum Reservoir, just outside the count circle, at least as recently as two weeks before count day. Will we find any in the circle on December 20th?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Waterfowl:</b><br />
Open water helps the duck numbers and diversity, of course. We're likely to get both higher numbers of the common species and also pick up a few rarer ones, like maybe Cinnamon Teal, Greater Scaup, or a Long-tailed Duck. FOUR Long-tailed Ducks were at Hyrum Reservoir last week, doubling the record high count for Cache County, but the reservoir is outside of our count circle. Hooded Mergansers get missed about one out of every two or three years, and several have been at First Dam recently.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXJEeeG0f-AD6fMLWsP2V7YHPiyMUSj0ddXvc-PDZFe6pksaCvRexYgco8VzFfhbZsJTUYjN4sKj-mvfUcJF_5pqiRVhjvXxn864dOqS-TJZp4NQ5PYD898UawoZ7pjv7ITuao4h2Rg/s1600/17+Immature+Red-tailed+Hawk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXJEeeG0f-AD6fMLWsP2V7YHPiyMUSj0ddXvc-PDZFe6pksaCvRexYgco8VzFfhbZsJTUYjN4sKj-mvfUcJF_5pqiRVhjvXxn864dOqS-TJZp4NQ5PYD898UawoZ7pjv7ITuao4h2Rg/s1600/17+Immature+Red-tailed+Hawk.JPG" height="438" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early indications are that this year could be well above average for Red-tailed Hawks like this one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Raptors:</b><br />
It has seemed like a good year for voles, maybe just because they're not all under snow already. I feel like I've seen more voles running around than usual. If so, it could be good for the medium-sized raptors, and might result in higher-than-average counts of Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, and Short-eared Owls. The first winter raptor count survey of the season, by the Hogle Zoo, was just conducted last week, and it did support these predictions, including very high counts of Red-tailed Hawks.<br />
<br />
<b>Pheasants and Grouse:</b><br />
I don't expect any major deviations from normal patterns in this group.<br />
<br />
<b>Rails and relatives:</b><br />
I expect higher-than-average numbers of American Coots, but not much changes otherwise. Lots of open water increases our chances for a lingering Sora, which have been detected only once in the last ten years of counts. Chances of picking up a late Sandhill Crane are likewise increased.<br />
<br />
<b>Shorebirds:</b><br />
Cutler Reservoir is again drawn down, greatly increasing shorebird habitat in the valley. This could in part counteract the benefit of open water for ducks, making the increase in duck diversity and abundance due to the open water less dramatic than it would be otherwise. But, it also increases the habitat for shorebirds substantially. Any shorebird other than Killdeer or Wilson's Snipe is very rare in our count circle, but I think we're likely to pick up at least one other species, maybe a Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater or Lesser Yellowlegs, or perhaps even a Dunlin. A yellowlegs was just reported from the Benson Marina area yesterday, and could stick around until count day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxepIcLqI90Yr7Aq8UrfjPdoP5AQCZsVLzIxjNms0o6Dw2N6hc-r3LXS5_MoA0W__reutCrxCMiB27BwzLyeU0Yw-GcMWXwmUPMI7c8hSUxYppOxXMJRKSe8ojLCcTIu3upYL1MAh3w/s1600/07_crop+Adult+Lesser+Black-backed+Gull+with+California+and+Ring-billed+Gulls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxepIcLqI90Yr7Aq8UrfjPdoP5AQCZsVLzIxjNms0o6Dw2N6hc-r3LXS5_MoA0W__reutCrxCMiB27BwzLyeU0Yw-GcMWXwmUPMI7c8hSUxYppOxXMJRKSe8ojLCcTIu3upYL1MAh3w/s1600/07_crop+Adult+Lesser+Black-backed+Gull+with+California+and+Ring-billed+Gulls.jpg" height="406" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (possibly of the Scandinavian "intermedius" subspecies?) is one of two that have been seen at the Logan Landfill in the last month. Maybe we'll be able to pick one up on count day! If so, it would be a new species for this count circle.</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Gulls:</b><br />
I've been watching the gulls at the Logan Landfill closely lately, and there have been some good surprises around. This month, I've seen an adult Glaucous Gull, two different Lesser Black-backed Gulls, several Thayer's Gulls, and a dozen or two Herring Gulls. Usually, Ring-billed Gulls and California Gulls are the only species that can really be counted on, and last year we had zero California Gulls and only one Ring-billed Gull! We get at least one Herring Gull in about 8 out of 10 years, and at least one Thayer's Gull in about half the years. I think we have good chances of four or five gull species this year. The count record is six species, in 2006, and if we're lucky we could even reach that.<br />
<br />
<b>Doves:</b><br />
Eurasian Collared-Doves have not declined from one year to the next since they were first detected on the count in 2004 (except for being missed the next year, in 2005). In fact, numbers have roughly doubled each year since then. Last year we set a new record again, with 895 in the count area, more than doubling the previous year's count of 352. I see no reason the trend will reverse this year, and I guess we'll break four digits for the first time. It seems improbable that we'd actually double 895, but I'd expect a final count between 1,000 and 1,500. Fortunately, Mourning Dove numbers don't seem to have suffered as a result (yet?), and numbers of this species have remained relatively steady in the 20s and 30s in the last few years.<br />
<br />
<b>Woodpeckers:</b><br />
This has been an exceptional fall for mountain birds in the valley. (You'll hear this theme repeated below in the corvids and passerines.) I haven't noticed this happening with the woodpeckers, but it's possible they'd be equally affected. The mild temperatures may have also helped a sapsucker stick around. I don't expect any big surprises in the woodpeckers, but a late Red-naped Sapsucker is possible, as is a high count of Hairy Woodpeckers.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjD1JZvKPo1dS4znqy51syeFn1xrRXN2lvOI92abMjZp3CRg77eVccykEV98x97b15m93TXcl1EFjqauRbZ4K9gw1B5h7fSev6a6lsfpNww43NrJaDEVb98zqCt4IQJBLxXNRF9EHftg/s1600/01+Yard-list+first+Steller's%2BJay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjD1JZvKPo1dS4znqy51syeFn1xrRXN2lvOI92abMjZp3CRg77eVccykEV98x97b15m93TXcl1EFjqauRbZ4K9gw1B5h7fSev6a6lsfpNww43NrJaDEVb98zqCt4IQJBLxXNRF9EHftg/s1600/01+Yard-list+first+Steller's%2BJay.JPG" height="462" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Steller's Jay in my Logan yard last month was new to my yard list. It is one of about six or eight that I've seen in the valley already this fall, so I think we'll have more of these on the count this year than usual.</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Corvids:</b><br />
I expect much higher than usual counts of Steller's Jays this year. They seem to be around the valley more right now than at any previous winter I've been here. We average about two per year, and miss them entirely about 40% of years. I predict this will be one of the more dramatic shifts in numbers this year. Western Scrub-Jays have also been reported around the valley in higher-than-usual numbers this year, and could be another high count. This is a very rare species in our circle, with none reported on count day in the last 12 years. The general down-slope movements of mountain birds this year might include more Clark's Nutcrackers, too.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qQhU8LPQzIVnIMFB8LCvvPfLrorzIeidmb1sHgixmJZ8P0p_2ZecPv7oQxvCQtxHt2B5OkCeksuBuAcWviPFrSkn71wFr0WQb3VntUBBbWjn8HG5m99S_gbSAHMBlvb0uTco80bgjQ/s1600/02+Mountain+Chickadee+in+our+yard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qQhU8LPQzIVnIMFB8LCvvPfLrorzIeidmb1sHgixmJZ8P0p_2ZecPv7oQxvCQtxHt2B5OkCeksuBuAcWviPFrSkn71wFr0WQb3VntUBBbWjn8HG5m99S_gbSAHMBlvb0uTco80bgjQ/s1600/02+Mountain+Chickadee+in+our+yard.JPG" height="440" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I photographed this Mountain Chickadee in my yard in Logan in early October this year. I've seen or heard them almost every day since, up to four birds at a time, which leads me to think this could be a huge year for Mountain Chickadees on the Logan Christmas Bird Count.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Songbirds:</b><br />
I predict that the most dramatic increase (among regularly-detected species) will be in Mountain Chickadees. This has been an incredible fall for them in the valley and in lowlands around the state, even appearing regularly on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake this fall. At my own feeders on the Cache Valley floor in Logan, I'm still getting two to four each day. We rarely miss this species in recent years (but we have, in 2008), and we average about 18 birds. I expect we'll be in the triple digits somewhere, over 100. Red-breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers seem to be making similar movements, but perhaps not in the same numbers. I predict above average years for both of these species.<br />
Townsend's Solitaires likewise seem to be making significant downslope movements. We get this species each year, and are almost always in the mid-two-digits, but in the last ten years have ranged from 25 to 78. I expect high numbers, perhaps 100, but not topping our record of 281 set in 2002.<br />
Bohemian Waxwings are very episodic, often either absent or present in large numbers. I haven't seen any indication yet of large numbers. A few have been reported south of us, so this might be one of the unusual years where we find a handful, but not zero and not hundreds.<br />
I don't see any reason to expect unusual numbers of sparrows. The open water might increase our odds of a Swamp Sparrow or increase our count of Song Sparrows, if it holds. Likewise with most of the finches: I expect mostly typical numbers, but it will be interesting to see if the down-slope movements already seen by Townsend's Solitaires, Steller's Jays, and Mountain Chickadees is also reflected in montane finches like Cassin's Finch, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, and Pine Grosbeak. Lesser Goldfinches have recently become regular in the Logan count circle, after having first been found in 2008; I think we have a good shot at a new record count of that species, especially if we've effectively recruited a lot of feeder watchers. Evening Grosbeaks seem to be more abundant than usual in northern Utah this fall, so we have a chance of picking up a group or two of those, which are missed in more years than they are found.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEF3I6snUjWANludwUKI4HQfFcTNKko3CELxBrcFk5kO0lrPjWGdfy3qDXjFk6Hb8oN3FBHDhaWBYoY6fOwxybm_lWX6gGo1nVntTyVjixtysMcTbyS4lNuZDN4WDzM2FV2TCuYRQow/s1600/17+Compiling+the+count.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEF3I6snUjWANludwUKI4HQfFcTNKko3CELxBrcFk5kO0lrPjWGdfy3qDXjFk6Hb8oN3FBHDhaWBYoY6fOwxybm_lWX6gGo1nVntTyVjixtysMcTbyS4lNuZDN4WDzM2FV2TCuYRQow/s1600/17+Compiling+the+count.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We'll get to test all these predictions in a week, when we compile our results in the evening of December 20th! I'll also post an update here to report how well (or poorly!) I did.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Summary:</b><br />
If the relatively warm temperatures continue for the next week, or at least if deep freezes, snow, and count-day fog can be avoided, we could be setting up for a really great count this year. Add the unusually dramatic down-slope movements of mountain birds to the mix, and we could easily be looking at a new record. The current count record is 104, set in 2012, and each year it always comes down to the last few rare birds to determine whether we break the 100-mark, and we've only done that in one or two other years in the history of the count. I think this year we have a great chance of breaking 100, and maybe even setting a new count record if a few rarities show up for us.<br />
<br />Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-61838880253553782942014-11-20T01:24:00.001-07:002014-11-20T10:31:30.985-07:00How to find the South Hills CrossbillLast weekend my wife and I took a little mini vacation to the South Hills of Idaho in search of a very unique finch. The South Hills Crossbill (<i>Loxia </i>[<i>curvirostra</i>]<i> sinesciurus</i>) is an endemic species or subspecies that is found only in two isolated mountain ranges in southern Idaho. It has been described in the scientific literature as a full species, but so far the <a href="http://www.aou.org/committees/nacc/proposals/2009_A_votes_web.php#2009-A-10" target="_blank">American Ornithologists' Union</a> and the American Birding Association have yet to adopt this change, so it is currently considered a subspecies of Red Crossbill (<i>Loxia curvirostra</i>). Many people have speculated that this is only temporary, though, so last weekend we set out to put a lifer species "in the bank" in case of a future split.<br />
<br />
There are lots of great resources online about the South Hills Crossbill, and I don't intend to repeat all that information here. Briefly, the crossbill evolved from a fascinating ecological situation where the symbiotic relationship that keeps cones easy to access in the presence of squirrels breaks down in these isolated squirrel-free mountains, resulting in an evolutionary arms race between well-defended Lodgepole Pines and specially adapted crossbill bills. The <a href="http://repository.uwyo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=zoology_facpub" target="_blank">original paper</a> is a great reference, but summaries are also available <a href="http://www.aba.org/birding/v41n4p30.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://narcamoorecraig.blogspot.com/2009/09/south-hills-crossbills.html" target="_blank">here</a>, for example. Rather than reiterate the details of ecology and identification that have been published better elsewhere, I will provide here the story of my search, in hopes that it will help others find this cool bird. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnlweqoYunmuSnDDZFwsJjoUKbhpHYDznIwsGsmjqksPH00Xdm4R8jBX-jNW9a0vnLgkgJcGuC7EOUoLDcjfksXaVvtWhPApGiBRZYH-Vz3-cxCzjC_IRVh_yQ-pBLsFr1fCYoDsBTw/s1600/01_censored+My+car+near+Diamondfield+Jack+Campground+in+the+South+Hills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnlweqoYunmuSnDDZFwsJjoUKbhpHYDznIwsGsmjqksPH00Xdm4R8jBX-jNW9a0vnLgkgJcGuC7EOUoLDcjfksXaVvtWhPApGiBRZYH-Vz3-cxCzjC_IRVh_yQ-pBLsFr1fCYoDsBTw/s1600/01_censored+My+car+near+Diamondfield+Jack+Campground+in+the+South+Hills.jpg" height="433" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In November, the road to the crossbills was snowy but plowed. My little Toyota made it just fine, but I was glad to have the chains on. Don't park on the shoulder like I did - despite the very wide road, the sheriff came by and made me move my car to a parking lot.</span></td></tr>
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We started by driving up Rock Creek Road into the South Hills. From I-84 take Exit 182 and head south. Just after you cross the river gorge, turn left onto 3800E. This becomes Rock Creek Road and takes you right into the hills and up to the crossbills! Watch the landscape change as you ascend, first valley agriculture, then sagebrush, then junipers, and finally Lodgepole Pines. These pines are the preferred habitat of the South Hills Crossbill.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8qYfDY8H0dO-y88BQxKCcYpGq4GOIsVyzfzeww6VcT1SHcYQEweK-6aFGrIlmp90i5YvM51B-DjHq6Q3liAxV1jGDL7pXQ4CLe7HM_B_udlMRai5Ig2jD-vmox1Du72nyvwMBvJs3Q/s1600/04+Stephanie+on+the+snow-covered+road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8qYfDY8H0dO-y88BQxKCcYpGq4GOIsVyzfzeww6VcT1SHcYQEweK-6aFGrIlmp90i5YvM51B-DjHq6Q3liAxV1jGDL7pXQ4CLe7HM_B_udlMRai5Ig2jD-vmox1Du72nyvwMBvJs3Q/s1600/04+Stephanie+on+the+snow-covered+road.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Beyond the Diamondfield Jack Campground, the road was not plowed, but we could still walk it. Snowshoes would have been helpful. A local told us that the road is usually plowed beyond this point.</span></td></tr>
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<br />
When we visited (in late November), the road was plowed to Diamondfield Jack Campground but not beyond. Despite the plowing, I was glad to have snow chains for the tires, but a four-wheel-drive vehicle would have probably been fine without them. We had crossbills several times between the ski area and the Diamondfield Jack Campground, always perched in the top of Lodgepole Pine or flying over, calling in flight.<br />
<div>
<span id="goog_263356756"></span><span id="goog_263356757"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqVVitkXFpgHHE21IseLJRMRoRs6GLFygPdibej0hO7c2C-rqtPlbsVEUKKZWl59Op4KPv-zISj09nDGMAdWJZLm9CsA2RZL85i1hgX1WIlVJck19ShyRGcDKVrTpxMLhGDM3n_ZeRg/s1600/09+Well-defended+Lodgepole+Pine+cone+in+my+hand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqVVitkXFpgHHE21IseLJRMRoRs6GLFygPdibej0hO7c2C-rqtPlbsVEUKKZWl59Op4KPv-zISj09nDGMAdWJZLm9CsA2RZL85i1hgX1WIlVJck19ShyRGcDKVrTpxMLhGDM3n_ZeRg/s1600/09+Well-defended+Lodgepole+Pine+cone+in+my+hand.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you're looking for South Hills Crossbills, you're looking for this: their preferred habitat, Lodgepole Pine.</span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
I suggest studying the calls well, because South Hills Crossbills are not the only crossbill type present. Better yet, make some audio recordings and study the sonograms to be absolutely sure you got the right birds. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvocDJ5_ti7kxO8Zddx1s5iAILc60WtFAFfJ0hm0Sbat21coevtDcDLOn_iZz3t6LTdXjF9izwfy6hyphenhyphenr4c0Tvf7PeTff7p7kuDsioNUbvpaKaE240D2_bI_6HHXiBKLs0lXbKlCQZgg/s1600/15+Adult+male+Red+Crossbill+cracking+into+a+Lodgepole+Pine+cone+no+bands+visible.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvocDJ5_ti7kxO8Zddx1s5iAILc60WtFAFfJ0hm0Sbat21coevtDcDLOn_iZz3t6LTdXjF9izwfy6hyphenhyphenr4c0Tvf7PeTff7p7kuDsioNUbvpaKaE240D2_bI_6HHXiBKLs0lXbKlCQZgg/s1600/15+Adult+male+Red+Crossbill+cracking+into+a+Lodgepole+Pine+cone+no+bands+visible.JPG" height="465" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Is this a South Hills Crossbill? It sure could be--it was foraging on Lodgepole Pine in the South Hills. But, I only recorded audio from two individuals in this flock of nine birds, and both of those ended up being Type 2, "Ponderosa Pine Crossbills."</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisntlRJxl7CrXxjd1EvXzY8a-EFObweb_v0smSOujwTDAM2-wlgqFwTC8R6db4UG5ROyjmV1ca4-7Jsm9QKCTst0nyXXR3rj47_RZs40_K7yWKtO6i3Iw0CUjTgKsk7XMWTFpccrx-2w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-20+at+1.12.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisntlRJxl7CrXxjd1EvXzY8a-EFObweb_v0smSOujwTDAM2-wlgqFwTC8R6db4UG5ROyjmV1ca4-7Jsm9QKCTst0nyXXR3rj47_RZs40_K7yWKtO6i3Iw0CUjTgKsk7XMWTFpccrx-2w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-20+at+1.12.30+AM.png" height="256" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fortunately, my audio recordings confirmed that several other crossbills we saw and heard were indeed South Hills Crossbills, a lifer subspecies that will potentially be a lifer species some day!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Overall, we had three types of crossbills, including multiple individuals of our main target. Good luck if you go, and be sure to enter your sightings in <a href="http://ebird.org/" target="_blank">eBird</a>!Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-60707887924573474312013-09-04T04:00:00.000-06:002013-09-04T12:28:42.996-06:00Predicting a Clark's Nutcracker Irruption<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZNDG_OB5yfrECmf8o7LDfJnUpVKPS2Vxif5iOYVSQWgwItbUOx5IZeu9gZutCiS7ho11-PdOolhgyUhLhocW6b0Iw7ZEIKY-zUN54QJr6NubJZpvJzWWrJLjLvlGT40-n9viy-93Rg/s1600/14_copyright+Clark's+Nutcracker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZNDG_OB5yfrECmf8o7LDfJnUpVKPS2Vxif5iOYVSQWgwItbUOx5IZeu9gZutCiS7ho11-PdOolhgyUhLhocW6b0Iw7ZEIKY-zUN54QJr6NubJZpvJzWWrJLjLvlGT40-n9viy-93Rg/s400/14_copyright+Clark's+Nutcracker.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I photographed this Clark's Nutcracker in northern Utah on 28 July 2013, but if it can't find enough pine nuts, it might be headed to your neighborhood.</td></tr>
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I've seen two unusual events in the last few days that make me think this year might be a big one for vagrant Clark's Nutcrackers in the ABA area. On Sunday, I was birding in typical Clark's Nutcracker habitat at about 8,100 ft. elevation near my home in northern Utah. This is a species that is relatively common here, but we were doing a big day, and it's not so common that it is guaranteed to be found in the two or three hours we could afford to spend in its habitat. In two or three hours of birding, we would expect to probably run in to a few of them. Our expectations were off: in just a few hours last Sunday, we <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15072752" target="_blank">counted</a> almost a hundred, moving around high overhead in flocks of up to 40. Although the species is expected here, these kinds of numbers are not typical for this area and time of year in my experience. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEkP3WMPzdUGGTcmWY4DfuzaPiJSD5z0uipv3MamgsaakZC0S0WPe1AYbLjbpFkb__fpDJVwIDxQb0QWR1NeBMDuWccWKs2i0nzJHLnuE6cu1jyvLkdfQfkc0mbwILgkWUW5Xs5ueCg/s1600/10+Deep+Canyon+and+Cache+Valley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEkP3WMPzdUGGTcmWY4DfuzaPiJSD5z0uipv3MamgsaakZC0S0WPe1AYbLjbpFkb__fpDJVwIDxQb0QWR1NeBMDuWccWKs2i0nzJHLnuE6cu1jyvLkdfQfkc0mbwILgkWUW5Xs5ueCg/s400/10+Deep+Canyon+and+Cache+Valley.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This view of Cache Valley is from a point almost high enough to expect Clark's Nutcrackers. That species is also expected across the valley, in the peaks covered with snow in this picture. To find one down in the bottom of the valley, where you can see Cutler Reservoir shining, is very unusual, and is unheard of any time other than winter.</td></tr>
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On Tuesday, a couple friends and I were birding in the middle of Cache Valley, at about 4,500 ft. elevation. This is well below typical CLNU habitat, especially in summer. In the seven years I've lived in this area, I know of just a few credible reports from the valley, almost all from the "benches" very near the mountains and all between October and December. Yesterday, we <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15088829" target="_blank">saw</a> a flock of 28 Clark's Nutcrackers flying over the middle of the valley, barely in to September. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqGkN0WIKpyRSL_P-e-2jE6DECDTyqUVCRD_29Eh13EjYhTUBo-r3exKRMp3zlaJC1D8ldZOz32k9PiZcqcv4-Nd201mbpIsdkvPl_fn9EuGiBR-qeM4vO2uNJBUuGcZYlfNwIiYSBw/s1600/22_copyright+Clark's+Nutcracker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqGkN0WIKpyRSL_P-e-2jE6DECDTyqUVCRD_29Eh13EjYhTUBo-r3exKRMp3zlaJC1D8ldZOz32k9PiZcqcv4-Nd201mbpIsdkvPl_fn9EuGiBR-qeM4vO2uNJBUuGcZYlfNwIiYSBw/s400/22_copyright+Clark's+Nutcracker.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what a Clark's Nutcracker can look like in a good year, with a crop full of pine nuts that it will cache around the area to feed on in the winter. I photographed this one in 2011 in northeastern Nevada.</td></tr>
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The Birds of North America account for the species indicates that Clark's Nutcracker irruptions are most likely to happen when two years of above average pine cone production is followed by a year of very poor production. In years of good pine nut production, Clark's Nutcrackers are successful in raising young and mortality is low. Two years of good production can build up population sizes well above normal. When a bad year follows, there are way more Clark's Nutcrackers than nutcracker food, and the birds have to wander widely to find the nuts they need to survive. <br />
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In both 2011 and 2012, pine cone production by whitebark pines, one of the nutcracker's two main food sources, was higher than average. The very dry winter last year (about 60% of typical snowpack locally, and around that or <a href="http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/support/water/westwide/snowpack/wy2013/snow1304.gif" target="_blank">lower in much of the inland west</a>) has caused <a href="http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/files/norock/products/IGBST/2013WBPReport.pdf" target="_blank">poor production by whitebark</a> pines this year, in Wyoming the lowest since about 2002. Coincidentally, in 2002, Clark's Nutcrackers were reported from as far out of range as <a href="http://www.aosbirds.org/AlabamaBirdlife/2002/Vol.%2048%20No%202%202002.pdf" target="_blank">Alabama</a> and <a href="http://www.showme-birds.com/index_files/ClarksNutcrackerRecords.htm" target="_blank">Missouri</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWS1RE2HXXSxhgkb4OFP1dWCUgaXqzxjRP_EHtySqmPeaqb70JMN3NzGIaQRnlhP1aKk2q1dsfWfF2721nsAZUpuzrTXiUlWAzvnAcwwZr_4Tc6ZAIvUTwTfRBkiusZpsMLYbE0y8-Yw/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-09-03+at+9.54.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWS1RE2HXXSxhgkb4OFP1dWCUgaXqzxjRP_EHtySqmPeaqb70JMN3NzGIaQRnlhP1aKk2q1dsfWfF2721nsAZUpuzrTXiUlWAzvnAcwwZr_4Tc6ZAIvUTwTfRBkiusZpsMLYbE0y8-Yw/s400/Screen+shot+2013-09-03+at+9.54.29+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This figure shows the standardized whitebark pine production from the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem for the last 24 years. Note that both 2011 and 2012 were above average years, but 2013 is about the lowest since 2002. This figure is from <a href="http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/files/norock/products/IGBST/2013WBPReport.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> and is in the public domain.</td></tr>
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Based on my observations over the last few days, and the current status of whitebark pine production compared to previous years, I'm guessing that this will be a good year for vagrants of this species in North America. Most movements of Clark's Nutcrackers are relatively local, so this is most likely to affect birders who live near Clark's Nutcracker habitat, but are a bit outside their usual range. However, there is also potential for long-distance wandering, perhaps well outside of the species' expected range. It might be helpful to study the call, and to be sure you're familiar with this species, so you're prepared if a Clark's Nutcracker should find its way near you this winter.Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-54885871055629572702013-08-26T15:43:00.000-06:002013-08-28T15:16:26.580-06:00County Big Year, again: How I found myself chasing my own tailIf you've been with this blog since the start, you might remember that it began as a way to chronicle my attempt at a county big year in 2008. My goal at the time was 200 birds, an achievement that is honored by membership in the Bridgerland Audubon Society's 200 Club. I <a href="http://200birds.blogspot.com/2008/05/200.html" target="_blank">met that goal</a> early in the year, earlier than I expected, and ended up making it a full-scale Big Year. By the end of the year, I had broken the county record. At the time, I knew that my number of 242 species was good. For comparison, there are THREE other birders <a href="http://utahbirds.org/records/CacheCo.htm#BigYear" target="_blank">tied</a> for second place, each having maxed out at 235 species in separate years. But, I also knew I had <a href="http://200birds.blogspot.com/2008/12/frequently-asked-questions.html" target="_blank">missed</a> many species I might have found if I had known where to look, or if I had spent less time out of the county doing field work for my dissertation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzejmyvAtqu1PyQfrY7bsghAka2XEtNkAlKNYiNsBF8oxU7kpTTztPdOnmm7qvBTnq8M_7kb-thMMOyjcyfxcGzg98Z2imIDJybQiQyv_qd_xqHSnUhIAXV0d-yGy1uyoxImDne5bog/s1600/07+Four+Common+Redpolls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzejmyvAtqu1PyQfrY7bsghAka2XEtNkAlKNYiNsBF8oxU7kpTTztPdOnmm7qvBTnq8M_7kb-thMMOyjcyfxcGzg98Z2imIDJybQiQyv_qd_xqHSnUhIAXV0d-yGy1uyoxImDne5bog/s400/07+Four+Common+Redpolls.JPG" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four Common Redpolls is about double the total records from Cache County before the winter of 2012/2013. These four were part of a flock of about 40 that I photographed in the first week of February, 2013. (Photo copyright Ryan O'Donnell.)</td></tr>
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Fast-forward to last winter, 2012-2013: It was shaping up to be a record-setting year. For the first time since my big year in 2008, there was a Bohemian Waxwing irruption going on. This normally tough-to-find-species was everywhere. There was also an unprecedented <a href="http://200birds.blogspot.com/2013/01/common-redpoll-irruption-2012-2013.html" target="_blank">irruption of Common Redpolls</a> going on: a species that had less than five previous records in the county was showing up in flocks of dozens. A few individual birds were noteworthy, too: a vocal Blue Jay was spending the winter in Smithfield and a White-throated Sparrow was coming to a feeder in Logan, for example. These great birds and many others helped the Logan count circle break their Christmas Bird Count record in late December 2012, and indicated a good winter for birding in the county.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgW0rjISKy4rIJ1cFuAYV7UuVPITw38AskcGR_n5wxJG5g1HeHcO3-DQectoJ__dkjCvkSwoeQUQaLz0SnNtRKLm3XHwNvvL3w44bifkZdVnnS48Mts3q8Pl3N0JD8oPO3_81cfS_Bw/s1600/05+Blue+Jay+in+Smithfield.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgW0rjISKy4rIJ1cFuAYV7UuVPITw38AskcGR_n5wxJG5g1HeHcO3-DQectoJ__dkjCvkSwoeQUQaLz0SnNtRKLm3XHwNvvL3w44bifkZdVnnS48Mts3q8Pl3N0JD8oPO3_81cfS_Bw/s400/05+Blue+Jay+in+Smithfield.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Blue Jay was first reported from Smithfield, Utah, in the middle of November, 2012. It was only the third or fourth record from the county. It stayed in the area through at least March 2013. (Photo copyright Ryan O'Donnell.)</td></tr>
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The great birds stuck around into the new year, and even more locally rare species started turning up. In the second week of January, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Snow Bunting, and Lapland Longspur were all found. I had found all of these in 2008, but considered myself very lucky to have found them after quite a bit of effort. A flock of Pine Grosbeaks (a rare year-round resident that I missed in 2008) was found feeding on the USU campus on January 15th. On the same day, Black Rosy-Finches were reported from North Logan; I had never seen this species in the county. On January 26th, two Greater Scaup were found, another species I missed in 2008. A Harris's Sparrow was found on January 29th, a species I had in 2008 but only once or twice since. Then, on February 1st, a Snowy Owl was found, only the second in the state since 1967! A great winter was turning into an incredible one. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxWo_0SlQ6b0Wa-2WX7bRWLj0tH-eFW6n9NqWwccazlUkUpGb7wRDfRdKDFtEND71XrBVmU-5p0NfZWuujmh-8mwSUgpgc-KdA3-vehvWFKEerIrGWGrU2hOJbrOsmOUBgkJbbbq6jg/s1600/11+Pine+Grosbeak+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxWo_0SlQ6b0Wa-2WX7bRWLj0tH-eFW6n9NqWwccazlUkUpGb7wRDfRdKDFtEND71XrBVmU-5p0NfZWuujmh-8mwSUgpgc-KdA3-vehvWFKEerIrGWGrU2hOJbrOsmOUBgkJbbbq6jg/s400/11+Pine+Grosbeak+copyright.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pine Grosbeaks probably breed in Cache County, but they can be very tough to find. I missed them entirely in my big year in 2008. A small flock of three, found by Leah Lewis on the USU campus in January, was quite obliging and was a great addition to any Cache County big year. (Photo copyright Ryan O'Donnell.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfQOK733nd76gHRRrOaJUlW2yoJcsOywzdTgUfqGsvjdYllo5sRDYKJ1R_O091W65ES1ZGBfvl6Rj0apRb0b2Tz4oUzNQd3YUP5ixWQXLMGtZDm4ZkK8YcWmgvdKe5_aFUYPdR_zM2Q/s1600/06+Black+Rosy-Finch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfQOK733nd76gHRRrOaJUlW2yoJcsOywzdTgUfqGsvjdYllo5sRDYKJ1R_O091W65ES1ZGBfvl6Rj0apRb0b2Tz4oUzNQd3YUP5ixWQXLMGtZDm4ZkK8YcWmgvdKe5_aFUYPdR_zM2Q/s400/06+Black+Rosy-Finch.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Black Rosy-Finch was one of several coming to a feeder in North Logan. I had never seen this species in the county before this year. (Photo copyright Ryan O'Donnell.)</td></tr>
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After noticing abrupt changes in the birding habits of a few of my friends, I was starting to realize that my Big Year record might be in jeopardy: at least two people were doing big years in the county, and they had picked the perfect year to do it. So, around the beginning of February, I decided to join them: to take advantage of a great winter to try to improve on my Cache County Big Year record. I didn't really WANT to do a big year, but I also didn't want an opportunity like this record-breaking winter to pass me by.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4g5USffOSXmHmQLpk71_W3kSVaTvKn05qkcGpOdGdLvT1ArXtb9LFFff0-JiTZ06V044XsnAc_CGPiMQoJ7gxyl2rPqPONqkAA_bJUiM8Cy2EFeP-oD02UtH4YbPKGUM5jTPa1UJAWQ/s1600/06_copyright+Summer+Tanager.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4g5USffOSXmHmQLpk71_W3kSVaTvKn05qkcGpOdGdLvT1ArXtb9LFFff0-JiTZ06V044XsnAc_CGPiMQoJ7gxyl2rPqPONqkAA_bJUiM8Cy2EFeP-oD02UtH4YbPKGUM5jTPa1UJAWQ/s400/06_copyright+Summer+Tanager.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, that was unexpected! A friend of mine had this bright red bird show up at her feeders, and asked for help identifying it online. She soon learned it was a Summer Tanager, the first record in Cache County of a species that is usually found far south of here. I saw the record on eBird and was able to see the bird later the same day at her feeders. (Photo copyright Ryan O'Donnell.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjd-jenC58TXN44z0fSVqvWSVgEhv11ySDNEQ1wti0eyGMDO34F9WWeLcq5xz3YeG_-azYgM5knL8jtgM1EuEl189K_LzqtBztGY8GXx-FDTnrwfBdj1rpixFiI_U4BR0Pl7W58in8A/s1600/09+Neotropic+Cormorant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjd-jenC58TXN44z0fSVqvWSVgEhv11ySDNEQ1wti0eyGMDO34F9WWeLcq5xz3YeG_-azYgM5knL8jtgM1EuEl189K_LzqtBztGY8GXx-FDTnrwfBdj1rpixFiI_U4BR0Pl7W58in8A/s400/09+Neotropic+Cormorant.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bird was a little less unexpected: Neotropic Cormorants have been moving in to Utah from the south in recent years. This species was on my radar to find in Cache County, because they've become almost easy to find just a few hours south of here. I've been carefully checking all cormorants in the area for a few years now. Still, it was quite satisfying to finally find one last month (the smaller dark bird in this photo), the first record ever for Cache County. (Photo copyright Ryan O'Donnell.)</td></tr>
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Now, seven months later, I see that I made the right decision. The good birds have kept coming, including several new species for the county, like Summer Tanager, Neotropic Cormorant, and Least Flycatcher. And I'm really happy to be taking another shot at a big year now that I have five years' more experience of birding the area under my belt. I'm finding my birding trips more efficient, now that I know most of the calls of the regular species and I can pass them by in search of rare ones. I know the birding locations better, so I know where to find each species, and I know the changes of the seasons better, so I know when to look for rare species. I also know the people of the area better, so I have more friends to go birding with, more people to give me tips, and more people to share their land with me. In all, I'm glad to be able to give a big year another effort, because it would always bother me knowing that I could improve on my number of 242.<br />
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And, improve on that I will. In fact, yesterday was a special day because I surpassed my previous record: my friend Andy and I found a Northern Waterthrush, my 243rd species of the year. I can't wait to see how high a record I can set, a record I know I'll be proud of for years to come.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8D5johe_TrWz8CHjVQF60PK2jx0mUKGhUjlYkUeSTeN74i4LKi2yejSvEY-qZpaTdQvcjY1L2T1rFxeP_QhPesG3P2MJM43QSiphVVYl-bYFhBliBn6nlJ4fF-4esTwAheqPW7MpEQ/s1600/03+Northern+Waterthrush+my+243rd+Cache+County+year+bird.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8D5johe_TrWz8CHjVQF60PK2jx0mUKGhUjlYkUeSTeN74i4LKi2yejSvEY-qZpaTdQvcjY1L2T1rFxeP_QhPesG3P2MJM43QSiphVVYl-bYFhBliBn6nlJ4fF-4esTwAheqPW7MpEQ/s400/03+Northern+Waterthrush+my+243rd+Cache+County+year+bird.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Northern Waterthrush is among the most regular of the rare warblers that can be found in Utah. It was a satisfying way to break the record: this bird, photographed on 25 Aug 2013, was my 243rd species in Cache County this year, breaking my old record of 242. (Photo copyright Ryan O'Donnell.)</td></tr>
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Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-27127000260656138212013-08-04T06:00:00.000-06:002013-08-18T21:38:38.542-06:00Ten Best Birds from St. Paul Island, 2012Last summer (2012) I had the privilege of working as a guide on St. Paul Island, Alaska, with Scott Schuette and Doug Gochfeld. St. Paul Island is one of the Pribilof Islands, a small group in the middle of the Bering Sea. Its unique geographic location makes it a famous birding destination: it is slightly west of the easternmost tip of Russia, and so it frequently gets old-world vagrants. Plus, it is a great spot to see some of the endemic Bering Sea species like <a href="http://200birds.blogspot.com/2012/11/st-paul-island-part-1-cliff-nesting.html" target="_blank">Least Auklets, Crested Auklets, and Red-legged Kittiwakes</a>. <br />
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Today, I want to show you the ten best birds of my 2012 season on the island. There are many ways to define the "best" birds. This is not a science. The ranking here is strictly based on how much I enjoyed seeing them. That is of course strongly affected by rarity, but these are not necessarily the ten rarest birds.<br />
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10. <b>Wood Sandpiper. </b>This species is major rarity anywhere in the contiguous 48 states, but annual in small numbers at St. Paul. I saw up to three individuals in a day, and photographed both juveniles (like this one) and an <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58431956@N07/7324903984" target="_blank">adult</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRFoHOMvL6xHSCgSLo1p4GjAs8gzBIW4Hzn_CaPHDkJB9YJ7R3GZ31uZhrwTOPCH2VWY0bXysrrMYQfLocODiNOG-BnP3aBdKIRxORysgATtUwbnJfAmIloDPrx-tUZKoReBYACrNJA/s1600/07+Juvenile+Wood+Sandpiper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRFoHOMvL6xHSCgSLo1p4GjAs8gzBIW4Hzn_CaPHDkJB9YJ7R3GZ31uZhrwTOPCH2VWY0bXysrrMYQfLocODiNOG-BnP3aBdKIRxORysgATtUwbnJfAmIloDPrx-tUZKoReBYACrNJA/s640/07+Juvenile+Wood+Sandpiper.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This juvenile Wood Sandpiper paused in Town Marsh on St. Paul Island while trying to find its way to Australia or southeast Asia. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(copyright Ryan O'Donnell)</span></td></tr>
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9. <b>Gray-tailed Tattler.</b> Like the Wood Sandpiper, this species is annual on St. Paul but very rare in the contiguous 48: a bird in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11933392@N02/8114797995" target="_blank">Massachusetts</a> last fall was only the third North American record away from Alaska. We had multiple sightings of this species in their fall migration, up to two in a day. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This adult Gray-tailed Tattler was photographed on the sandy beach on the north side of the island, probably the first land it had seen since leaving Siberia on its way south. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(copyright Ryan O'Donnell)</span></td></tr>
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8. <b>Little Stint.</b> Also rare in the contiguous 48, with total records probably around 50 sightings, and less than annual on St. Paul. We had up to two individuals at a time on the island last year.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This juvenile Little Stint (at front right) joined a few juvenile Western Sandpipers to snack in the mudflats on St. Paul as it was headed south. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(copyright Ryan O'Donnell)</span></td></tr>
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7. <b>Hawfinch.</b> This was high on my list of dream birds when I was preparing for my summer in the Pribilofs. This bird, first spotted on May 23rd and still present a week later when our access to the area where the bird was found was closed for the fur seal breeding season, was the 10th record for the Pribilof Islands. There are no North American records of this species outside of Alaska, and it is less than annual in Alaska.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtQWRUOp_amr09CwKZQfglCxJfiWHsZ9VAqmPz6ZIDc7uAoQLnbAyfmP6dLUPqwON34KCb59sH2vo0-8G_3XqGwlVYStXzmNHL6U9-jfXwEWUaqRTjDXrpM5WHxhqcXPc-jCxfCF7zQ/s1600/08_small+Lifer+Hawfinch+best.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtQWRUOp_amr09CwKZQfglCxJfiWHsZ9VAqmPz6ZIDc7uAoQLnbAyfmP6dLUPqwON34KCb59sH2vo0-8G_3XqGwlVYStXzmNHL6U9-jfXwEWUaqRTjDXrpM5WHxhqcXPc-jCxfCF7zQ/s640/08_small+Lifer+Hawfinch+best.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This Hawfinch, with dirt on its bill from picking at seeds in the grass, is a Eurasian relative of our Evening Grosbeak. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(copyright Ryan O'Donnell)</span></td></tr>
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6. <b>Tundra Bean-Goose.</b> This species is "casual" (less than annual) in Alaska, and unrecorded elsewhere in North America. Many earlier records of "Bean Goose"from Alaska had to remain unidentified when the species was split into the Tundra Bean-Goose and Taiga Bean-Goose. This was an exciting find as our first real Asian rarity of the season, on May 12th.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjfmPRPKj020dIAw066G-jKNJ2C3mdVP0CHISF-vx1ZdeUm2pYmjzDMaeDtioc1IWml9lRcwiFXGolwQUulit3BR-3wiv2BaWXh4R18YEiouUljetXayKCJDfRKsaCWXZkEhm4WVa5A/s1600/20_small+Tundra+Bean-Goose+in+flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjfmPRPKj020dIAw066G-jKNJ2C3mdVP0CHISF-vx1ZdeUm2pYmjzDMaeDtioc1IWml9lRcwiFXGolwQUulit3BR-3wiv2BaWXh4R18YEiouUljetXayKCJDfRKsaCWXZkEhm4WVa5A/s640/20_small+Tundra+Bean-Goose+in+flight.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">After we accidentally flushed this Tundra Bean-Goose from a small melt pond, I was afraid we wouldn't see it again. A few minutes later, it circled back past us and I was able to take a few photos, including this one. (copyright </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Ryan O'Donnell</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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5. <b>Terek Sandpiper.</b> Another of my dream birds before arriving on the island, this fall migrant hung around for several days and pleased many visiting birders. This species is named for the Terek River where it was first discovered, a tributary of the Caspian Sea.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I love the unique head shape and upturned bill of this Terek Sandpiper. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(copyright Ryan O'Donnell)</span></div>
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4. <b>Eurasian Bullfinch.</b> Wow, what a charmer! This adult male was found coming to some seed spread by a local resident between houses in the center of town. Imagine having this on your yard list in North America! This was the first spring record for the Pribilofs, but there had been a handful of fall records.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The bold and beautiful male Eurasian Bullfinch, peeking up from a meal of millet. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(copyright Ryan O'Donnell)</span></td></tr>
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3. <b>Dark-sided Flycatcher.</b> Flycatchers in general are among my favorite groups of birds, pushing this drab juvenile into the top three. This was the seventh of this species reported from the Pribilof Islands.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This juvenile Dark-sided Flycatcher probably found plenty of bugs in the leeward side of an old volcanic cone on St. Paul. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(copyright Ryan O'Donnell)</span></td></tr>
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2. <b>White-tailed Eagle.</b> This Asian counterpart to North America's Bald Eagle was first found early in the season and continued, off and on, for the rest of the year. It would sometimes go missing for weeks at a time, and we suspected it might be moving between the Pribilof Islands. It was frustrating at times because it never seemed to develop much of a pattern, making it hard to track down, but it was thrilling any time it happened to fly past as it hunted around the island. This was the first time this species had been seen in the Pribilofs.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-tailed Eagle soaring over St. Paul Island. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(copyright Ryan O'Donnell)</span></td></tr>
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1. <b>Pin-tailed Snipe.</b> Easily the rarest bird, this was our only Code 5 bird (five or fewer North American records), and this was the fifth North American record. The previous four records were all from Attu Island, at the western end of the Aleutians. Attu is far enough west to be in the eastern hemisphere, so including one record from a remote part of the Hawaiian Islands, this was the second record for the western hemisphere. This photo is about the best I could manage, but fortunately Doug was able to take some <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29840397@N08/7675290348/" target="_blank">better ones</a>!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Out-of-focus Pin-tailed Snipe flushing from the tundra of St. Paul Island </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(copyright Ryan O'Donnell)</span></td></tr>
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Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-70650720132310543822013-07-04T00:38:00.002-06:002013-07-04T13:10:20.644-06:00Black Swifts on nests<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yesterday, I had the chance to visit a <a href="http://darrenclarkphoto.net/blog/2012/07/fern-falls-and-shadow-falls.html">well</a>-<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/terryandchristine/4928032545/">known</a> nesting site of Black Swifts in northern Idaho on my way back from another trip. Black Swifts are a very unique species that can be tough to find if you don't know where to look. Here's one big hint: they nest exclusively behind waterfalls or in ocean-misted cliffs. This was an exciting species for me because it was an "eBird lifer," that is, I had seen them only once before (June 2000), and it was before I was keeping detailed enough notes that I could later enter the sighting into eBird. Black Swifts are a mysterious species as birds go: only about 200 nesting sites are <a href="http://mag.audubon.org/articles/birds/out-shadows-black-swifts-north-americas-most-mysterious-birds">known</a>, and they made big news last year when their wintering range was finally <a href="http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1676/11-146.1?journalCode=wils">discovered</a> in western Brazil. The total population is <a href="http://mag.audubon.org/articles/birds/out-shadows-black-swifts-north-americas-most-mysterious-birds">estimated</a> at about 15,000 individuals worldwide, and is declining at about 6% per year. Here are a few photos from my recent trip to see this intriguing bird at a nesting colony.</div>
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<br />Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-14416564090048974592013-06-04T11:21:00.000-06:002013-06-04T11:26:09.729-06:00Utah's West Desert Migrant TrapsOn Saturday I led a trip for the <a href="http://bridgerlandaudubon.org/">Bridgerland Audubon Society</a> to the west desert of Box Elder County, Utah. Our main goal was to visit some of the famous "migrant traps" in the area. This area, north of the Great Salt Lake, is well known in the state for being one of the most consistent places to find rare eastern birds in migration. There are several small freshwater springs surrounded by miles and miles of sagebrush, salt flats, and hypersaline water. As migrating birds pass over the area, they are drawn like magnets to these migrant traps in search of a drink, a snack, and some rest before continuing north to their breeding grounds. <br />
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We met early, 5:00 AM, so that we would have a full day of birding despite a nearly three-hour drive to our first stop. We chatted about some of our rare bird fantasies for the day, discussed the plan of attack, and then headed west as the sky was starting to get light. After a brief stop for gas in Snowville, our first birding stop was along Highway 30 in one of the best areas for FERRUGINOUS HAWKS in the state. We got close looks at an adult light morph here, the first of about four in the next couple of miles. After this brief stop, we continued on to Lucin, our first migrant trap.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the BAS field trip party scoping a distant Golden Eagle nest from Lucin.</td></tr>
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The flycatchers at Lucin set the tone for the day: while we called this trip "West Desert Migrant Traps" we might as well have called it "Identification of Difficult Flycatchers." Several of the easier species were present, including SAY'S PHOEBE, WESTERN KINGBIRD, and WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, but there were impressive numbers of Empidonax flycatchers, including at least FOUR WILLOW FLYCATCHERS, a DUSKY FLYCATCHER, a GRAY FLYCATCHER, and at least two other unidentified Empidonax sp. Warblers were also pretty diverse, including ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (AUDUBON'S), WILSON'S WARBLER, and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. Here is a link to the complete eBird checklist: <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14315363">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14315363</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of at least four WILLOW FLYCATCHERS at Lucin. This is not a rare species in northern Utah, but it felt odd to find them perched on barbed wire and surrounded by sagebrush and greasewood!</td></tr>
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Our next stop was Rabbit Springs, where the habitat is spread out over a wider area and the trees are not as large. Three COMMON NIGHTHAWKS calling in flight here seemed unusual in the heat of the middle of the day. We added one warbler species to our list for the day here, with a couple of MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS. Sparrow diversity was higher here, too, including many BREWER'S SPARROWS, two LARK SPARROWS, and a SAGE SPARROW. We had lunch in the shade of a Russian Olive tree here and enjoyed some great looks at a couple of lizard species, a WESTERN WHIPTAIL and a LONG-NOSED LEOPARD LIZARD. Here is the eBird checklist: <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14315422">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14315422</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Whiptail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob, Craig, Terry, and Leah eating lunch in the shade.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-nosed Leopard Lizard</td></tr>
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The next stop was at Owl Springs. Here, we had a few more flycatchers, including DUSKY, WILLOW (singing), WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, and a pair of WESTERN KINGBIRDS at a nest. Our only migrant thrush of the day was a late HERMIT THRUSH here, and we also had our only LAZULI BUNTING of the day here. eBird checklist: <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14315556">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14315556</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A migrating HERMIT THRUSH stopped for a rest at Owl Springs.</td></tr>
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Our next and last stop of the day was at Locomotive Springs Wildlife Management Area, about an hour away. This area has more open water, so we were able to add a few more species here, including FORSTER'S TERN, GADWALL, CINNAMON TEAL, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, PIED-BILLED GREBE, and AMERICAN AVOCET, for example. A few LONG-BILLED CURLEWS were seen. eBird checklist: <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14315760">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14315760</a></div>
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Overall, we had a great day of birding in some very unique locations. While we weren't able to pick up any rare eastern vagrants, we saw impressive numbers of some expected western species in habitats where they are not found except in migration. Along the way, we got some great experience identifying a lot of Empidonax flycatchers and learning other valuable tips about how to identify sparrows from tail patterns, how to tell some of the female yellow warblers apart, and how to identify Catharus genus thrushes. On the way out of our last stop, we added the highlight of many people's day, a large adult DESERT HORNED LIZARD. It was great to end a good day in the desert with this popular and iconic species.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desert Horned Lizard near Locomotive Springs WMA.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kendal posing with the Desert Horned Lizard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terry holding the Desert Horned Lizard.</td></tr>
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Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-49306899533204238182013-05-04T07:00:00.000-06:002013-05-04T07:00:06.863-06:00A Hybrid Dusky Grouse x Sharp-tailed Grouse<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpsohzpZguW_js3IP4uqoIwX2k0QVf2Fe9QszupkDgvRMh6EavEhlSwzwfx01ygBrsFy1hMFC4sggGCJB3ndGcKFODAWR_8wK8UKjovwbPX9ZTPaiWd9DiMt0FbOjy6bd9LGzWlWncw/s1600/09_small_copyright+Dusky+Grouse+x+Sharp-tailed+Grouse+hybrid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpsohzpZguW_js3IP4uqoIwX2k0QVf2Fe9QszupkDgvRMh6EavEhlSwzwfx01ygBrsFy1hMFC4sggGCJB3ndGcKFODAWR_8wK8UKjovwbPX9ZTPaiWd9DiMt0FbOjy6bd9LGzWlWncw/s400/09_small_copyright+Dusky+Grouse+x+Sharp-tailed+Grouse+hybrid.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Dusky Grouse x Sharp-tailed Grouse hybrid, photographed by the author in northern Utah on 7 Apr 2013.</td></tr>
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I love hybrids. Some birders can be disappointed by hybrids, especially when a locally rare species turns out to not be "pure" (and thus can't go on a list). But for me, they have everything you could look for in a bird: They are generally very rare: even the more common hybrids are rarer than their parent species. They are often a challenge to identify. And they give us a peak into the process of evolution: why don't we see more hybrids, and if two species can produce hybrids, why are they considered species?<br />
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I was hiking around a local birding spot (<a href="http://wildlife.utah.gov/hardwareranch/about.php">Hardware Ranch W.M.A.</a>) a couple weeks ago, and I saw what I thought at first was a Sharp-tailed Grouse. This bird was running through the sagebrush, with its tail held high, showing bright white undertail coverts, like Sharp-tailed Grouse do. It had a slightly crested head, and an overall yellowish tone, also fitting Sharp-tailed Grouse. But when I got my binoculars on it, I could see the black tail feathers with broad charcoal tips, a clear mark of a Dusky Grouse. I was able to grab a couple photos before the bird flushed, and flew off through the sagebrush.<br />
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Later, I became suspicious that I had photographed a hybrid. Hybridization between these species had been documented once before, by Allan Brooks in <a href="http://archive.org/details/jstor-4070848">1907</a> (illustration below). I sent the photos around to a few grouse experts I knew, and a few people who knew grouse experts, and all the replies came back that this was indeed a hybrid Dusky Grouse x Sharp-tailed Grouse. Interestingly, although I haven't been able to find any other photographs of this hybrid, one biologist indicated that this is the most frequently observed hybrid combination between wild grouse. Local biologists have told me that they have seen a male Dusky Grouse displaying among a lek of Sharp-tailed Grouse about 25 miles (40 km) north of where I photographed this bird. That same male Dusky, in fact, even tried to mate with a Sharp-tailed Grouse while the biologists had it caught in a trap!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTR-bVTBAQUyz_4XPKAPKB4k0_v10-2aCz-iGZGKzySXfR30vjuy-pv4BG9QWmM1Cu0PO7nKVg7V9Mjxo3skcSQX09Ah3kJlM9KWGNoS43bhaJqtY9M-6eymo3d4j4_IwGauQWCgCQA/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-03+at+8.32.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTR-bVTBAQUyz_4XPKAPKB4k0_v10-2aCz-iGZGKzySXfR30vjuy-pv4BG9QWmM1Cu0PO7nKVg7V9Mjxo3skcSQX09Ah3kJlM9KWGNoS43bhaJqtY9M-6eymo3d4j4_IwGauQWCgCQA/s400/Screen+shot+2013-05-03+at+8.32.08+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Dusky Grouse x Sharp-tailed Grouse hybrid, illustrated by Allan Brooks and published in the Auk in 1907.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Yv7PPR_cOasH3VdbGBO29aD7Y3gR-FdDFPcDt-xvrsGxWbvmy9m5dk2I9WJ3lixixyd7PKbXNrm8zxlAisgqjh89BnC522PbqsICR6MVVc9XaewHfNY28eoIYdqoq9d8Y97FxBgOpA/s1600/10_small_copyright+Dusky+Grouse+x+Sharp-tailed+Grouse+hybrid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Yv7PPR_cOasH3VdbGBO29aD7Y3gR-FdDFPcDt-xvrsGxWbvmy9m5dk2I9WJ3lixixyd7PKbXNrm8zxlAisgqjh89BnC522PbqsICR6MVVc9XaewHfNY28eoIYdqoq9d8Y97FxBgOpA/s400/10_small_copyright+Dusky+Grouse+x+Sharp-tailed+Grouse+hybrid.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The same Dusky Grouse x Sharp-tailed Grouse hybrid shown above. This is the second of the only two photos I was able to take before the grouse flushed.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Thanks to Mike Wolfe, Timothy Taylor, Scott Gardner, Mike Schroeder, and Jack Connelly for sharing their thoughts on this bird.)</span><br />
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<br />Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-80018153981764890082013-04-04T14:20:00.003-06:002013-04-04T14:20:38.677-06:00Identifying adult California Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls in flightIn much of the inland western United States and Canada, there are two common breeding white-headed gull species, the California Gull and the Ring-billed Gull. If you live in this region, the first step in learning your gulls will be to learn to tell adults of these two common species apart. When they are perched on the ground, it is not difficult: California Gulls have dark eyes, red and black on the bill, are slightly larger, and have a slightly darker mantle (back). In contrast, adult Ring-billed Gulls have light eyes, a black ring around the bill without red, are slightly smaller, and have a paler mantle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdbr8FaXtVaf9dpywSbART3A6_eXL0LqfbWkEqflQJ11QnxhIc1WBXNYAfbrl7hTk6eC7lpuWiRgsDcx_tWP-g6WyoZ4ZdK8rpkOb3znRs7c4rvX9NiaoxeXpYJvhvuU121hMewaSNA/s1600/02+California+Gull+pair+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdbr8FaXtVaf9dpywSbART3A6_eXL0LqfbWkEqflQJ11QnxhIc1WBXNYAfbrl7hTk6eC7lpuWiRgsDcx_tWP-g6WyoZ4ZdK8rpkOb3znRs7c4rvX9NiaoxeXpYJvhvuU121hMewaSNA/s400/02+California+Gull+pair+copyright.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pair of adult California Gulls in breeding plumage, showing their dark eyes, red and black on the bill, and relatively dark mantle. Photographed 13 Apr 2009 at Logan, Utah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnfsISE70nvAk_6sOVLw2z5CgElL5WWug3rq4WMq-jbpIXwdmLSjJklxfIeHaj4NgAi3yPWOGf-hoQ5X8rOcXCXjmdOPRNYNHXni-vXyn4OpsLtO8QGBrcneJvhxUACon6ec8Ut8tYQ/s1600/11+Adult+Ring-billed+Gull+at+Jensen+Lake+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnfsISE70nvAk_6sOVLw2z5CgElL5WWug3rq4WMq-jbpIXwdmLSjJklxfIeHaj4NgAi3yPWOGf-hoQ5X8rOcXCXjmdOPRNYNHXni-vXyn4OpsLtO8QGBrcneJvhxUACon6ec8Ut8tYQ/s400/11+Adult+Ring-billed+Gull+at+Jensen+Lake+copyright.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An adult Ring-billed Gull in breeding plumage, showing its pale eye, black ring around the bill without red, and relatively pale mantle. Photographed 2 May 2011 at Blackfoot, Idaho.</td></tr>
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Even with these relatively distinctive gulls, identifying them in flight can often be difficult. Sometimes, it is possible to make out the same features in flight, especially with close looks in good light. Look especially for the eye color and the bill markings, because size and mantle color are particularly difficult to judge on a bird in flight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXt7OASLcyQdIZyvh-lGdVExKJ-bQ6h96jtz5lbN23HhGqgUV0VX6tovcoE4No4jMBHv952ZJO9r2antmMEy_4as_hGeZMJSGcywzkVu41rPSTtUV_YpIjEArTjMPUMhfflm0rg3KNQ/s1600/DSC_1421e+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXt7OASLcyQdIZyvh-lGdVExKJ-bQ6h96jtz5lbN23HhGqgUV0VX6tovcoE4No4jMBHv952ZJO9r2antmMEy_4as_hGeZMJSGcywzkVu41rPSTtUV_YpIjEArTjMPUMhfflm0rg3KNQ/s400/DSC_1421e+copyright.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult California Gull in breeding plumage. Even in flight, the pattern of black and red on the bill and the dark eye can be obvious. Photographed 17 Mar 2013 in Mendon, Utah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNjGLfC1njPgobGnXnd2jjdjYlx7CwoGs8Sr86LPZVhx2z_Q8yUMzqxder3ErJ2TLJ7gMINQzX30Dj_19f65V-epkD3gLz7u1_AHz3TcwkdnRfOzv5obYTCXpE00FrYEjvnQFsQIvUg/s1600/DSC_1425e+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNjGLfC1njPgobGnXnd2jjdjYlx7CwoGs8Sr86LPZVhx2z_Q8yUMzqxder3ErJ2TLJ7gMINQzX30Dj_19f65V-epkD3gLz7u1_AHz3TcwkdnRfOzv5obYTCXpE00FrYEjvnQFsQIvUg/s400/DSC_1425e+copyright.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult Ring-billed Gull in breeding plumage. Even in flight, the black ring on the bill (without red) and the pale eye can be obvious. Photographed 17 Mar 2013 in Mendon, Utah.</td></tr>
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The real challenge, however, is in identifying these species when they are high overhead or lit in such a way that the eye color and bill pattern are impossible to distinguish. In this case, it is helpful to pay close attention to the pattern and colors under the wing. Both species have mostly whitish wings with extensive black near the tips and white spots at the very ends of the outer flight feathers. But, California Gulls have duskier inner primaries contrasting more with the rest of the wing, and Ring-billed Gulls have paler inner primaries that are about the same color as the rest of the wing. California Gulls also tend to have more black in the wingtip than Ring-billed Gulls, but there is some overlap in this trait. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBZn6YPZiu2iMwdvOwFfmZNzi9XJ6RJM0gHUB9nWghBkJT5Bjjpv3JkH7KCbcmUv_hlhc_AhBgmIPy3QmqQfwpGmj1YjNiuN_3FYSpO9rx989aZEwUIp5CYZWbZL7ZP_RCFbaqUW4Kw/s1600/DSC_1422e+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBZn6YPZiu2iMwdvOwFfmZNzi9XJ6RJM0gHUB9nWghBkJT5Bjjpv3JkH7KCbcmUv_hlhc_AhBgmIPy3QmqQfwpGmj1YjNiuN_3FYSpO9rx989aZEwUIp5CYZWbZL7ZP_RCFbaqUW4Kw/s400/DSC_1422e+copyright.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the darker gray band that stretches from the black wingtips into the outer secondaries on this adult California Gull. With practice and good light, this contrast could be visible from great distance on overhead birds. California Gulls also tend to have more black in the wingtips, but there is some overlap in this trait. Photographed 17 Mar 2013 in Mendon, Utah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QIvhqb6zQ_p9FTMKtcShDxHnwaPQE2IXrn8E4j_eGx9ccx6-6dSiGzLb2_JxMoohU9kkXO9QN2CGWSuHMYEyhE5mp0VBpzgqGbhHi7RV2YLfiVARFZsBqbfyFg5sj3desa-8n-DEFg/s1600/DSC_1455e+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QIvhqb6zQ_p9FTMKtcShDxHnwaPQE2IXrn8E4j_eGx9ccx6-6dSiGzLb2_JxMoohU9kkXO9QN2CGWSuHMYEyhE5mp0VBpzgqGbhHi7RV2YLfiVARFZsBqbfyFg5sj3desa-8n-DEFg/s400/DSC_1455e+copyright.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In contrast to the California Gull above, this Ring-billed Gull has much paler inner primaries and outer secondaries, which contrast less than on the California Gull. Some slight contrast is still evident, so it might take some practice in the field to get a feel for this field mark. Ring-billed Gulls also tend to have less black in the primaries, but there is some overlap in this trait so it should be used only as a supporting character. Photographed 17 Mar 2013 in Mendon, Utah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIh8s1oWTR5DcVO-q_Q5MDEwlHVwi8tZ906dnXp3lT_-dm9gr8FXk-bwBNhPWOfD66YTqlNFd2M9ZPSw2KGs0PRJ71gPdbQEvN9etznO6w_AcS5KHgByKbZ-5lFTzsWCaE5uY4rk1gCA/s1600/07+California+Gull+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIh8s1oWTR5DcVO-q_Q5MDEwlHVwi8tZ906dnXp3lT_-dm9gr8FXk-bwBNhPWOfD66YTqlNFd2M9ZPSw2KGs0PRJ71gPdbQEvN9etznO6w_AcS5KHgByKbZ-5lFTzsWCaE5uY4rk1gCA/s400/07+California+Gull+copyright.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">California Gull in flight. Note again the relatively grayish inner primaries and outer secondaries, contrasting with the paler underwing coverts. Photographed 9 Feb 2008 in Logan, Utah. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6cckjT5oCEj7Yp-QT1dvX0FYKKD9rXJZlPp7xBuIL-hfKHatNcqO1Pi8kGMKowox_1Dhabpz4z7_DvGi9tBOwM3b6_nl5DztvSdOxKle3RO5pXdf0gSdfrtj-pdqBS9dx71akt6lBA/s1600/08a+Ring-billed+Gull.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6cckjT5oCEj7Yp-QT1dvX0FYKKD9rXJZlPp7xBuIL-hfKHatNcqO1Pi8kGMKowox_1Dhabpz4z7_DvGi9tBOwM3b6_nl5DztvSdOxKle3RO5pXdf0gSdfrtj-pdqBS9dx71akt6lBA/s400/08a+Ring-billed+Gull.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ring-billed Gull in flight. The relatively pale inner primaries and outer secondaries almost lack contrast with the underwing coverts. Note that the extent of black visible in the primaries varies to some degree with the position of the wing and the individual, so this bird appears to have about the same amount of black as the California Gull above. Photographed 9 Feb 2008 in Logan, Utah.</td></tr>
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The differences in underwing pattern between these two species are subtle, and take field experience to get a good understanding of them. Of course, not every gull will be identifiable in every situation. But with practice, you can learn to identify a higher percentage of gulls, even when they are seen only in flight high above you.Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-12561563203591415782013-03-04T04:00:00.000-07:002013-03-04T04:00:17.880-07:00Splitting the Sage Sparrow?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpRwA8zrv0pX83ycuktae3x7nWhuEM1qIOVvhupL0buxDZTZDj-3QWViiIkSrAcSl11c6mEaQzFQEFnyCAJG_c4Va04n__PPLyXYPvuaVKTpr8WiVFf1eXvzbhv0fWyOH7GOQt0mJNg/s1600/281710642_3351f5d070_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpRwA8zrv0pX83ycuktae3x7nWhuEM1qIOVvhupL0buxDZTZDj-3QWViiIkSrAcSl11c6mEaQzFQEFnyCAJG_c4Va04n__PPLyXYPvuaVKTpr8WiVFf1eXvzbhv0fWyOH7GOQt0mJNg/s400/281710642_3351f5d070_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sage Sparrow, California Sage Sparrow, or Great Basin Sage Sparrow? Photographed by Jamie Chavez in Santa Barbara County, California, and shared under Creative Commons license.</td></tr>
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Talk of splitting the Sage Sparrow has been circulating for some time, and according to the just-released <a href="http://www.aou.org/committees/nacc/proposals/2013-A.pdf">list of proposals</a> being considered by the American Ornithologists Union in 2013, this might be the year it actually happens. <br />
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The idea of splitting what we currently know as the Sage Sparrow has been around since the late 1800s. In 1887, Robert Ridgway said that Sage Sparrow included two species, "with scarcely any doubt." In 1889, Grinnell collected adults and fledged young of two different subspecies at the same location in southern California and agreed that they should be considered two different species. However, some populations seemed intermediate and so since that time, most ornithologists have considered Sage Sparrows to be one species. Recently, as with many questions of splitting or lumping, the tide has been shifting back towards splitting. For example, Beadle and Rising's "Sparrows of the United States and Canada: The Photographic Guide" (2003) considers them to be two species as well.<br />
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There are five recognized subspecies of Sage Sparrow, four of which occur in the United States and one of those four is limited to San Clemente Island off the coast of California. The proposed split would remove the widespread inland subspecies, "<i>nevadensis</i>" from the other four subspecies, and proposes to call the coastal four subspecies "California Sage Sparrow" and the interior <i>nevadensis</i>, "Great Basin Sage Sparrow."<br />
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Should the Sage Sparrow be split? Many people think so, and they have good reason to. First, there are differences in appearance between the proposed new species. The "Great Basin Sage Sparrow" is paler than the "California Sage Sparrow," with more distinct streaks on its back. The Great Basin Sage Sparrow is less well marked on the face, with a thinner and fainter malar, and it has more streaking on the flanks and breast. The Great Basin Sage Sparrow is also larger than the California Sage Sparrow, and has white on the edges of the tail feathers, which is generally lacking in the California Sage Sparrow. These differences are clearest in individuals away from the area of overlap in central California, interior <i>nevadensis</i> and coastal <i>belli</i>, but the subspecies in central California, <i>canescens,</i> are intermediate in appearance. Some great photos for comparison are <a href="http://www.roysephotos.com/SageSparrow.html">here (<i>belli</i>)</a>, <a href="http://www.roysephotos.com/SageSparrow3.html">here (<i>canescens</i>)</a>, and <a href="http://www.roysephotos.com/SageSparrow2.html">here (<i>nevadensis</i>)</a>.<br />
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Second, there are differences in songs, and there is a great post already written <a href="http://earbirding.com/blog/archives/3040">elsewhere</a> by Walter Szeliga on that topic. There's also a great range map of three subspecies in that post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceQsCKwDmcK3jyPbBDzlNYBNGcjLEOG0K-OthyphenhyphenW-vORWrqwY5tnm6f6mFPENaaso83e5HSLuJqE_CD1J7C6LyXyZHm5epq9vWQbFS7FB8Fw6orOESqAzjs-ROijUsYAYDkNtduXxfDQ/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-03+at+10.24.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceQsCKwDmcK3jyPbBDzlNYBNGcjLEOG0K-OthyphenhyphenW-vORWrqwY5tnm6f6mFPENaaso83e5HSLuJqE_CD1J7C6LyXyZHm5epq9vWQbFS7FB8Fw6orOESqAzjs-ROijUsYAYDkNtduXxfDQ/s400/Screen+shot+2013-03-03+at+10.24.25+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Genetic relationships between Sage Sparrow subspecies, from Johnson & Marten 1992. The top two "brackets" would collectively be the California Sage Sparrow, and the lower bracket would be the Great Basin Sage Sparrow.</td></tr>
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Third, there are significant genetic differences between the subspecies that correspond to their external appearances. The figure above shows that the interior "Great Basin Sage Sparrow" (<i>A. b. nevadensis</i>) stands as a group on its own. This figure is based on allozymes, a relatively early form of genetic data that has since been largely replaced by newer methods. Recently, newer genetic methods have shown the same patterns. The map below shows types of mitochondrial DNA across the areas where these putative species meet, and shows that there is little overlap between the orange <i>nevadensis</i> types and the blue (<i>belli</i>) and yellow (<i>canescens</i>) types.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7toTjqeL7qFIiChnulOhW84d3GR35CVKiNY4FcAxxgDbI03VlTc7VvfJU23gJNBuGxQcK9nRkUYvDcnScYHaBPwmkObNSYb2koP74J1xOfl40NNsYfKflOHp7tR8v8OJELkg5jnZlg/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-03+at+10.35.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7toTjqeL7qFIiChnulOhW84d3GR35CVKiNY4FcAxxgDbI03VlTc7VvfJU23gJNBuGxQcK9nRkUYvDcnScYHaBPwmkObNSYb2koP74J1xOfl40NNsYfKflOHp7tR8v8OJELkg5jnZlg/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-03+at+10.35.59+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sage Sparrow mitochondrial haplotypes from Cicero & Koo 2012. Note the narrow range of overlap between interior <i>nevadensis</i> (orange) and <i>canescens</i> (yellow).</td></tr>
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All of this morphological, behavioral, and genetic data makes a decent case for splitting the species. However, the real key to making the determination of whether any species should be split is to determine how reproductively isolated the two candidate species are. A small amount of mixing is okay (some very clear species hybridize ocassionally), but there should be good evidence that interbreeding is limited. The genetics data above gives a good indication of this: it usually requires very little interbreeding to cause genes to mix extensively, so the narrow zone of mixing is evidence for some reproductive isolation. We'll have to wait a few months to see what the AOU decides, but it seems likely that Sage Sparrows will be split in the very near future.Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-53610554882460124822013-02-20T23:16:00.000-07:002013-02-20T23:23:24.782-07:00BAS Field Trip: Owling Green Canyon<span id="goog_1989059619"></span><span id="goog_1989059620"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafAH5T_dtv_qfowaDWAb3JRccSVrIUk45_sXnGmLSaCpukQxH7h7hJx7PFmCmkyQ2zG8XWxGQ13igyh-VrHBWP-jq5hH_8fcgS4Rc1dpyArpuVV1hqskxWgukjId2Gtm7kCOc3et8MA/s1600/01+Andy+Kleinhesselink+listens+for+owls+in+Green+Canyon+before+dawn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafAH5T_dtv_qfowaDWAb3JRccSVrIUk45_sXnGmLSaCpukQxH7h7hJx7PFmCmkyQ2zG8XWxGQ13igyh-VrHBWP-jq5hH_8fcgS4Rc1dpyArpuVV1hqskxWgukjId2Gtm7kCOc3et8MA/s400/01+Andy+Kleinhesselink+listens+for+owls+in+Green+Canyon+before+dawn.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy Kleinhesselink listens for owls in Green Canyon for the 2012 Christmas Bird Count.</td></tr>
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Tonight we had a great field trip up Green Canyon with the USU chapter of the Wildlife Society. A total of 18 of us worked our way up the canyon after dark in the light snow, stopping periodically to broadcast owl songs and calls. It took a little over an hour to get our first response, a calling NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL. The owl started calling in the distance, but moved at least twice, coming closer and closer to us, calling all the while. It was great to have the owl so close and loud - often owling involves straining your ears to make out distant sounds. A little further up the road, we had our second owl of the night, a singing NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL. This bird started with a fast song that had us a little confused about whether it might have been another Saw-whet Owl for a moment, but soon settled in to a very typical single-note Pygmy-Owl song. At our next stop, we heard one owl give a single hoot, but we couldn't coax it into saying anything else and had to leave that one unidentified. On the way back down, two observers were pretty sure that they heard a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL sing once, but no one else heard it and we couldn't get it to respond to additional broadcasts. We ended a little after 9:30 PM, but not before helping someone else get their truck unstuck from the snow - they picked a lucky night to get stuck in Green Canyon!Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40007225671226169.post-24776868940088190622013-02-06T17:46:00.003-07:002013-02-06T17:46:44.759-07:00BAS Field Trip: Logan's Arctic Tundra (26 Jan 2013)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Z51Zelr9gdy3R2rBymS0RgKFZVEJSnHdmE5BA4tnjR6Gd-6IRAOa4-FFcXR8LHpZb2BrYLjHjSRPh5p00Guq3cVG50ok2-m04pweO3DTtJOq_qEu4sbAP8-TcmTjOZqy4dKNtcHDzg/s1600/06+Rough-legged+Hawk+at+Ballard+Junction.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Z51Zelr9gdy3R2rBymS0RgKFZVEJSnHdmE5BA4tnjR6Gd-6IRAOa4-FFcXR8LHpZb2BrYLjHjSRPh5p00Guq3cVG50ok2-m04pweO3DTtJOq_qEu4sbAP8-TcmTjOZqy4dKNtcHDzg/s400/06+Rough-legged+Hawk+at+Ballard+Junction.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Rough-legged Hawk was photographed along our route earlier in January.</td></tr>
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On January 26, the Bridgerland Audubon Society field trip focused on "Logan's Arctic Tundra," seeking out the birds that breed in the arctic tundra but winter here in Cache Valley. These birds as a whole are fabulously adapted to living in cold, barren land - it always boggles my mind that they are perfectly comfortable sitting on a post or on the ground out in the middle of the valley on our coldest days.<br />
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The weather was warm, relative to the previous week or so, and temperatures were (just) above freezing. We started by driving Highway 23, north of Petersboro, and then toward the Benson Marina in search of Horned Lark flocks that sometimes have northern visitors like Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs mixed in. We saw one WILD TURKEY from the road, and several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS (whose "rough" legs are feathered to better insulate them from the arctic cold). In this stretch, we found only four HORNED LARKS and no associated rarities, although this same area had Lapland Longspurs a week earlier. We also saw a distant PRAIRIE FALCON, and learned about how to identify distant falcons when they are far enough off to look like not much more than a speck to the naked eye.<br />
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We did a short walk in the snow at Benson Marina, mostly in search of American Tree Sparrows. We didn't find the sparrows, but we were rewarded here with a close look at a second PRAIRIE FALCON, this time flying right over our heads! From this trail, we were able to see five different ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS.<br />
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We found a large flock of HORNED LARKS on our way north from here through Cache Junction to the Amalga Barrens, and another good flock in the Barrens, but again with no northern visitors. An adult BALD EAGLE gave us nice looks as it flew past in the Barrens, and we had three more ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS here. We passed through Benson on the way back to Logan, and added RED-TAILED HAWK to our day's list, along with a few dozen CANADA GEESE (but none of their tundra-breeding relatives, Cackling Geese, that we were hoping for). We ended in Logan a little before 1:00 PM.Ryan O'Donnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08135434821484374209noreply@blogger.com0