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Field Trip Report for Saturday, March 17, 2007 (Early Spring Migrants)

by Buck Russell

This morning Bridgerland Audubon did a field trip to the Benson and Amalga areas in Cache Valley looking for some early Spring migrants.
At the Bear River oxbow in Benson we found American Avocets, American White Pelicans, and a plentiful supply of Killdeers.
It was great to see the Avocets in their tan plumage. The last time I saw them they were in the pale winter plumage.
We found several Double-crested Cormorants in the Bear River just south of the oxbow. At the Benson Marina we saw a Clark’s Grebe and Tree Swallow.
Although not necessarily an early spring migrant, it was great to see a Prairie Falcon at the Amalga Barrens.
In all of these areas we saw and heard lots of Sandhill Cranes and Northern Pintail Ducks. Here is a list of the birds we saw this morning:

Clark’s Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Prairie Falcon

American Avocet

American White Pelican

Tree Swallow

Red-winged Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

Western Meadowlark

Horned Lark

Rough-legged hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle

American Kestrel

Northern Shoveler

Green-winged Teal

American Wigeon

Northern Pintail Duck

Redhead Duck

Mallard

Common Merganser

Killdeer

Sandhill Crane

Great Blue Heron

Canada Geese

Ring-billed Gull

California Gull

Raven

Crow

Song Sparrow

House Sparrow

Black-billed Magpie

European Starling