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Field Trip Report for Saturday, November 20th, 2004 (Hyrum Reservoir, Paradise, Mt. Sterling)

left to right: Melanie Spriggs scopes at Hyrum Reservoir; BAS group at northeast side of reservoir; Jim Cane finding the Pacific Loon.

Saturday’s field trip to southern Cache Valley turned out to be a very successful day of birding, with 38 species being recorded.

First stop was Hyrum Reservoir, northeast end, at the top of the public beach access road, where we saw the Pacific Loon, that has been hanging around there for the past month. We also spotted Common Goldeneyes and Buffleheads.

We then headed off to the southeastern portion of the reservoir. We first walked by a nearby barn, where we spooked a Barn Owl from its cement silo roosting spot. We then scoped the shallow inlet area of the reservoir where we were excited to find six Trumpeter Swans. The giveaway at first were the two juvenile Trumpeters that had the marked pink wings and yellow collars, which we were able to make out as 8Y3 and 9Y3. After reporting these tagged birds to Darlene Kilpatrick, who is working with Idaho’s Fish & Game Trumpeter recovery effort, I found out that these two Trumpeters had been released on 11/15/2004, north of Preston, Idaho. To date they have released 32 cygnets in this area, including the two that we saw. Darlene said that she was actually flying over Northern Utah and Southern Idaho looking for her swans that Saturday. They found 24 of the cygnets, and 8Y3 and 9Y3 were two of her missing birds. Unfortunately they lost one cygnet after it hit a power line.

The two tagged swans stayed separate from the other four swans, which we were sure were Trumpeters as well. The size of all six birds was identical. The other four swans looked as if they were juveniles too, exhibitng the gray-brown plumage. One of them, looked to me, as possibly being a second year swan. We observed the Trumpeters for about 25 minutes, watching the two tagged birds fly to the south, circle back around and head north, with the other four swans lifting off and joining them. All six then flew back towards us. We could hear their distinct nasal honking as they flew back to the spot where we originally saw them. The group also spotted seven Surf Scoters in this area. Another notable sighting was a juvenile, first year Northern Shrike, sitting at the top of a scrub Oak tree.

Next stop was a couple of Dairy farms in Paradise, where at one location we were greeted by some excited Pea-Fowl, that had fun leaving Sue and Dave Drown, the trip leaders, a gift on their vehicle, as the one hen tried a precarious perch on a telephone line above our convoy.

On we ventured to Paradise Springs Resort, where we located the resident Great Horned Owl pair. We were lucky enough to find both the larger female and the smaller male.

On the way home we took the Mount Sterling road, heading north, where we stopped to see another Great Horned Owl, which had a very striking white throat and breast. We then spied three Golden Eagles soaring above the agricultural fields. Also spotted along this road were four Red-tailed Hawks and three Northern Harriers.

We made a quick stop at the Hyrum reservoir dam, located on the west end, where we got great looks at the Red-throated Loon, that has been in the vicinity for a few weeks.

Everyone had a great time and it turned out to be an incredible day of birding.
- Stephen Peterson 11/22/2004

Trip participants: Dave Drown, Sue Drown, Dick Hurren, Reinhard Jockel, Buck Russell, Jim Kingsland, Marcia Ribeiro, Linda Kervin
Dan Zamecnik, Larry Ryel, Melanie Spriggs, Stephen Peterson.

Complete Trip Bird List:

Hyrum Reservoir (northeast side)
Common Raven
Common Goldeneye
American Coot
Northern Flicker
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-billed Magpie
Lesser Scaup
Pacific Loon
Western Grebe
Common Merganser
Red-winged Blackbird
Bufflehead
Pine Siskin

Hyrum Reservoir (southeast side)
Trumpeter Swan (6; 2 of them collared)
Downy Woodpecker
Green-winged Teal
Barn Owl
Northern Shrike (1st year juvenile)
Canada Goose
Surf Scoter (7)
Pied-billed Grebe
Double Crested Cormorant
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Black-capped Chickadee

Nielsen Dairy, Paradise
House Sparrow
European Starling
Black-billed Magpie
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel

Paradise Springs Resort
Great Horned Owl (male & female)
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Goldfinch
Ring-necked Pheasant
Belted Kingfisher
Dark-eyed Junco

Mt. Sterling road
Golden Eagle (3)
Red-tailed Hawk (4)
Northern Harrier (3)
Great Horned Owl
Ring-necked Pheasant (6)

Hyrum Reservoir (west end, dam side)
Red-throated Loon

left to right: The BAS group at southeast part of Reservoir; the two collared Trumpeter Swans; male Great Horned Owl at Paradise Springs Resort.

left to right: Dick Hurren and Sue Drown enjoying the day at Paradise Springs; the remaining group at Paradise Springs.