tripreport121804

Field Trip Report for Saturday, December 18th, 2004 (105th Annual Christmas Bird Count)

An out-of-season Red-naped Sapsucker found on the CBC by
Stephen Peterson, John Mull & Chris Cokinos in Amalga.

Bridgerland Audubon Society held it's 2004 Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, December 18th.
Below is a list of the count circles and their team leader.
For a complete species list, just click here : 2004 Xmas Count

Count Circles:

#1 Providence
Team Leader - Jamey Anderson

#2 Mendon
Team Leader - Bryan Dixon

#3 Roamer
Team Leader - Ron Ryel

#4 North Logan
Team Leader - Kim Sullivan

The Debyles, Jim Gessaman, Kim Sullivan, Bruce and Robin Pendery counted birds in North Logan and Hyde Park.
The day's higlights included a few Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks on the eastern side of the area, a Ferruginous
Hawk in northern Hyde Park and several hundred California and Ring-billed Gulls eating voles in the fields south of
Sky View High School. The western half of this area used to be an excellent area for raptors, but the numbers seen have
dramatically decreased as more and more of the fields have been converted to housing developments.
– Kim Sullivan 1/4/2005

#5 South Benson
Team Leader - Bob Atwood

#6 North Benson
Team Leader - Val Grant

#7 Smithfield
Team Leader - John Barnes

#8 Amalga
Team Leader - Jim Cane

For our Christmas Bird Count territory between Smithfield and the Bear River, raptors carried the day. A kettle of 12 Red-tailed Hawks gives a sense of their concentrations. Raptors ringed and occupied the closely cut alfalfa hay fields, where there was so much vole commotion that we were repeatedly fooled into scoping them in hopes that the dun-colored shapes were horned larks or pipits. Two Prairie Falcons were met, the first perfectly illuminated on its power line perch. Both eventually launched to show their powerful, swift flight. We watched our sole adult Bald Eagle as it swooped in and chased a Northern Harrier off its vole brunch. We flushed a Great Horned Owl from shrubbery along the river. Returning to a different part of the brush, the Owl was initially harassed vigorously by a Northern Harrier, whose commotion drew a dozen Magpies.
Those Magpies gradually occupied the same small bush as the Owl, but interestingly, they eventually settled in and around it and gazed off in different directions, seemingly disinterested by the large predator not two feet away from any one of them. We suspect that the Owl was anything but disinterested in being thus guarded. We are grateful to the local landowners for their generous permission to explore their properties for birds.
– Jim Cane 12/21/04

As the other half of the Amalga count circle, myself, John Mull and Chris Cokinos, we explored the western side of the Bear River that cuts through the Amalga area. Temperatures for the day were pleasant, with no snow. Visibility was fairly good, but with hazy skies above. There seemed to be a lack of numbers in general of varied species in our area, which was more than likely attributed to the rather fair climate. The birds were not forced by the normally snowy weather to flock together and seek out food and shelter as in winters past. Species seemed scattered, except for the constant reminder of the gregarious spread of European Starlings, House Sparrows and Rock Pigeons. We did spot an out-of-season, Red-naped Sapsucker (male) working the Ponderosa Pine Trees near the Amalga Town Hall. I guess he missed the flight out to Texas. We first heard it's drumming on the trunk of the tree, and then heard it call out with its nasal, mewing quality, as we approached the bird. American Kestrels were seen along our route, as well as the ocassional Red-tailed Hawk and numerous Northern Harriers. The largest concentration of birds that we found was located on the farthest north portion of our transect, in a grove of cottonwoods, where there once stood an old farmhouse. With a gurgling spring running through the area, we were greeted by the cacaphony of many Red-winged Blackbirds, House Finches and a generous helping of Black-capped Chickadees and a few Song and American Tree Sparrows.
A surprising find in this area was a beautiful Great Horned Owl that we flushed from its perch above the spring pool. It flew to a nearby tree, where we were able to get great looks at its richly colored, tawny-orange face, which identified it as an Eastern sub-species Great Horned. After lunch, we headed to the Amalga Barrens area and the BAS property, where we met up with Jim and Linda and were able to see a dozen Horned Larks, feasting on the pickleweed. It was a fun day, and I enjoyed the company of my birding companions.
As a side-note, I decided to check out Airport road, which was out of my count area, to see if I could find any Short-eared Owls. I was able to see four elegant Shot-eareds at dusk as well as a large group of Northern Harriers with one Rough-legged Hawk joining them. These birds were captured on Bob Atwoods data, as I saw his group as I was driving out, incriminating myself of poaching anothers count area!
– Stephen Peterson 12/23/04

#9 Mountains
Team Leader - Reinhard Jockel

#10 Logan Canyon
Team Leader - Dennis Welker and Joanne Hughes

After the Christmas Bird Count, Bridgerland Audubon Society holds an annual Potluck dinner to compile the species from each count circle, share stories and each other's company and to indulge in a great spread of food and drink. A big thank you goes out to Melanie Spriggs for organizing this event, picking up the 50 yard sandwich and keeping everyone well hydrated. And a BIG Thank You to Ron Ryel for sharing his beautiful house with all of us!

left to right: Bob Atwood works diligently on compiling his areas list; Bryan Dixon explaining the fine qualities of the beverages offered; Reinhard and Eric enjoying the evening.

left to right: Ron Ryel looks on as his house is trashed; Jim Cane explaining that you cannot add a PeaFowl to the official list.