Day 1 / August 5
After picking everyone up at the airport and hotels we headed into Salt Lake City to have lunch, sightsee and bird the park. The best bird undoubtedly was the Peregrine that was sitting in the shadows under one of the steeples on the Mormon Temple. Heading into western Utah we passed terns and White Pelicans on some of the fresher ponds before a rest break at the Bonneville Flats, a desolate vast expanse of salt flats where the land speed records are attempted. This was only about half way to Elko and the more scenic landscape was to follow as we traversed the flat bottomlands and around the mountains of the Basin and Range spotting Red-tailed Hawks and a small group of Pronghorn. After an excellent Mexican dinner we ventured out to the edge of town and the California Hot Springs Trail besides the East Humbold River where at dusk we had Killdeer, Spotted Sandpipers, Great and Snowy Egrets, large groups of Brewers Blackbirds going to roost, Black-crowned Night Herons, Western Kingbirds, 3 Common Nighthawks and a small covey of California Quail. It was then off to bed early for the early rise for snowcock. Day 2 / August 6
We all assembled at 3am, some having had coffee and others having just rolled out of bed. 45 minutes later at the Lamoille Trail Head we had an assortment of breakfast items, got ourselves organized, looked at Mars which was the closest to Earth that we will see it in our lifetime and by 4:15 we began our ascent to Island Lake and beyond. It was a warm evening and we soon realized we probably had bought too much clothing, but better to be safe that sorry. Mimi unfortunately found it too tough going and was happy to stay behind and rest besides a juniper until we returned. By 5:45 Mark had reached the top and spotted a Snowcock silhouetted along the cirque ridge. A Golden Eagle flushed it soon after but by the time everyone reached the top several more were located along with a family of Mountain Goats. Though the views were distant we did have a total of six birds in all, getting good scope views. A male Black Rosy Finch posed nicely in a nearby tree and we had a number of other species. On the way up Common Raven, Calliope Hummingbirds and an American Dipper which took off from almost under my feet. In the cirque there were Flickers, Lincoln’s, Chipping, Fox and White-crowned Sparrow, Mountain Bluebird, Cassin’s Finch and Rufous Hummingbird. As with the ascent we took our time coming back down the hill picking up Clark’s Nutcrackers and having excellent looks at calling Dusky Flycatchers, picking up all the field marks. By late morning we were heading back to the hotel with a last stop at the Humbolt picnic area to view the outrageously colored Lewis’ Woodpecker.

After resting for several hours we headed out of town through sagebrush country where we had a rufous Red-tailed Hawk first perched on a fence post then in flight. Our destination this afternoon was South Fork State Park Reservoir where we stopped at about half a dozen points along the lake. Mallards and Coots were the most numerous waterfowl followed by good numbers of Western Grebes and a few Clarks. In one area close to the dirt road we had about 2 dozen birds on nests and also saw day old chicks of both species on their parents back. The water levels on the reservoirs were the highest I had seen them and in one area of shallow water Black-necked Stilts, Long-billed Dowitchers, Wilson’s Phalarope, a Spotted Sandpiper and a half a dozen Western Sandpipers were seen well. Other waterfowl included a few Eared Grebe with at least one pair seen with a chick, 3 Buffleheads, numerous Ruddy Ducks including a courting male, Gadwall and Pintail. Forsters Tern’s, including both breeding and non breeding plumage was seen well and a few Black Terns were seen quartering the reeds a good distance away. Our first gulls included several Ring-billed which were mostly adults and juvenile California Gulls. Around the shoreline and sage Yellow-headed Blackbirds seemed to be everywhere, Red-winged and Brewers were in smaller numbers as were Brown-headed Cowbirds. Our first Western Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Black-billed Magpie, Sage Thrasher and Brewer’s Sparrow were all seen well. At dusk we watched Common Nighthawks become more numerous as we headed to dinner and had great looks at Burrowing Owls. Black-tailed Jackrabbits were also common.

Day 3 / August 7
After breakfast we headed for Lamoille Grove where the birding was very good amongst mixed vegetation in this central block of town. Common Nighthawks both perched and in flight were very cooperative. A Red-naped Sapsucker was a nice find and it gave us a chance to work out the identification between it and Yellow-bellied and Western Peweees were very vocal. At one stage a Peregrine came screaming through though the birds it was after, such as Lesser Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets all stayed put. Between a couple of hummingbird feeders we came across a few Broad-tailed and Black-chins. Driving through the gorgeous valley with it’s endless expanses of grasslands that lead to various mountain ranges we encountered a female Bobolink, House Wrens, Loggerhead Shrikes, Savannah, Brewers and Vesper Sparrows mainly sitting on bared wire fence lines. In the air a small mixed group of swallows included Cliff, Violet-green and Barn while a distant Swainson’s Hawk circled and we also had a winnowing Wilson’s Snipe. Stopping to check a small stream and narrow wetland we surprised a Sora and had White-faced Ibis and Great Egrets.

Following a buffet lunch in a casino, it was onto Pequop and a search through the juniper habitat for some of the local goodies. Mountain Chickadee’s, Chipping Sparrows, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a few Mountain Bluebirds were about, but it took longer to locate the Juniper Titmouse while the Gray Flycatcher could be heard calling and played cat and mouse with the group until finally we all got to see it. A nearby ranch held Western Kingbird, Western Scrub Jay, Western Tanager, Clark’s Nutcracker and a few Cliff Swallows over their pond.

Back in Utah a stop along the Bonneville flats during the late afternoon at a couple of pools produced Western and Baird’s Sandpipers along with several Snowy Plovers as well as a California Gull. After checking into our hotel and having dinner we headed into Millcreek Canyon to look for Flammulated Owl. Following a bit of a hike through the woods and up a path we stopped when we heard a couple of them calling which included their wheezing calls. They seemed to move about a bit and eventually we were able to get a good look a one.

Day 4 / August 8
Our first stop this morning was along the causeway at Antelope Island where we had Wilson’s Phalaropes feeding on the brine shrimp and flies in order to double their weight so that they can make the 7000 mile non-stop journey to Northern Argentina and their wintering grounds. Brine shrimp and flies are the primary food source on these lakes for the migrating birds. Along with the phalaropes there were several Long-billed Curlews and many Franklins and California Gulls with smaller numbers of Ring-billed. Franklin’s kept us amused as they acted just like bobble-head dolls as they feed along the shoreline. A number of small peeps, most seen on the trip before, as well as Semi-palmated and Snowy Plovers, were also taking advantage of the abundance of food. On the water vast rafts of Eared Grebes, at least 10 thousand and possibly 5 thousand American Avocets could be seen. Our attention was drawn to a Common Goldeneye, likely one that never left at the end of winter, when a group of Ruddy Turnstones wandered towards it. Around the visitors center we got great looks at Burrowing Owls, Chukars (which this must surely be THE place to see them in the US), a couple of Barn Owls and of course the Bison that fit in so well in the rolling golden grasslands.

With the activity so plentiful it was a late lunch and then onto our last stop, Bear River Bird Refuge, before heading towards the Wyoming border and Deseret Ranch. The shear numbers of waterfowl that congregate here is a sight to see. Green-wing and Cinnamon Teal, Shoveler, Redhead, avocets, both grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers, Black-necked Stilts, American White Pelicans…..the list goes on…..both Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitchers as well as Caspian and Forster’s Tern and Marbled Godwits could be seen and there was the usual White-faced Ibis, Snowy and Great Egrets and Yellow-headed Blackbirds

After having had a wonderful home cooked meal on the ranch we ventured into 5 Springs Canyon to look for Flammulated Owl. On the way we came across many Mountain Cottontails and White-tail Jack-rabbits as well as a Common Poorwill sitting in the middle of the dirt road. A little further on a Porcupine came ambling down the track towards us and Mark took off after it, throwing his T-shirt over the animal which enabled us to see the small quills that got stuck to it, long after it had vanished. Our last species may have been the icing on a great evening, a Flammulated Owl, our second in two nights, that flew across the track and landed in an aspen tree and proceeded to fall asleep!

Day 5 / August 9
The vast expanse of the ranch, the largest in Utah, stretches for as for as the eye can see. A sea of grassland, good sized ponds, streams, large patches of sage and stands of aspens and evergreens, canyons and rolling hills all of which we would explore on this day. Along Baking Soda Creek we came across Sora, a Virginia Rail and Ring-necked Ducks. Say’s Phoebe’s kept popping up along our drive and we encountered a small covey of Greater Sage Grouse. Mountain Bluebirds, Western Meadowlarks, Sage Thrashers and Brewers Sparrow were frequently encountered along fence posts. We came across a Blue Grouse perched on a log besides the road and watched it for a number of minutes before it moved on. In an Aspen Grove Green-tailed Towhees were encountered and a stop along Trail Canyon, with it’s south facing junipers and Gambels Oaks and north facing firs and aspens produced McGillivary’s Warbler, Plumbeous and Warbling Vireos, and Dusky Flycatcher along with more Green-tailed Towhees, Black-capped Chickadee, Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Goldfinch and House Wrens. Up on the cliff side we eventually caught sight of the singing Canyon Wren and saw Townsend Solitaire’s, Violet-green Swallows and White-throated Swifts flying about. Other wildlife seen here included Weidermeyers Admiral, Great Basin and Calliope Fritillary as well as Shadow Darner and Least and Uinta Chipmunks. A second stop further down the canyon produced Virginia’s Warblers after some effort, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Cordilleran Flycatcher and red-backed Juncos.

At Lost Creek, a large Moose feeding in the stream bed caught our attention and we also had Cedar Waxwings, American Dipper, more Yellow Warblers, Song Sparrow, Gray Catbird and wonderful looks at a Golden Eagle, before heading back to the ranch house for a picnic lunch.

A short walk around the house pond produced several Lark and Chipping Sparrows as well as Warbling Vireos before we all gathered and headed to another section of the ranch. Sandhill Cranes could be seen in the distance and at a small pond we came across a Solitary Sandpiper, a couple of western Willets and Wilson’s Phalaropes. Nearby Horned Larks were scared up by a passing Peregrine. Coyote’s and White-tailed Prairie Dogs as well as Pronghorns were about as we drove towards the sage brush habitat to look for Sage Sparrow, where two were very cooperative sitting well up for us to scope. A couple of stops at various sized ponds produced Canvasbacks, Lesser Scaup, a Knot, American Wigeon and both Yellowlegs, giving us almost an additional 30 species on the ranch that we had not seen on the trip.

From here we headed towards Brigham City through the very scenic Logan Canyon making a final stop just as the light was fading for 5 Short-eared Owls and a small covey of Gray Partridge before reaching Salt Lake City late in the evening after dinner.

Day 6 / August 10
On our final morning we headed up into the Uinta Mountains, stopping at Butterfly Lake for Cassin’s Finch, juncos, Clark’s Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Chipping Sparrows. New birds included White-crowned Sparrows, Red Crossbills and a couple of very nice male Pine Grosbeaks feeding on seedheads on ground amongst the pine needles. There was no shortage of mammals either with Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Red Squirrels, Yellow-bellied Marmots and a very cute American Marten posing for a brief portrait before scurrying off. Along the Highline Trail we encountered a large group of Pine Grosbeaks, dozens of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and several Wilson’s Warblers, while at Mirror Lake we added Hairy Woodpecker, before making our way back to the airport. ~Adrian Binns