BIRDING SPOTS

where, when, and what to find

Adams Park

posted by Tim Avery at
on Saturday, April 4, 2015 

Adams Park from Google Street View


Description:
A very small park--just 1/2 a block by a full block two street west of Utah State University in Logan.  The urban environment here is dotted with deciduous and coniferous trees, like many city parks, providing an excellent location to look for birds in town.  A walking path follows the edge, and cuts through the middle to a playground and picnic area.

Birding:
A handful of checklists identify just 8 species here--mostly the things you expect to find in a city, but with RING-NECKED PHEASANT, CALIFORNIA GULL, and AMERICAN CROW it has a few odd balls.  You can quickly walk the 1/2 block by full block park with trails along the edges and through the middle.

Directions:
From the intersection of 400 North/US-89 and SR-30/US-91 in Logan go est on 400 North for .7 miles. Turn left onto 500 East and travel .1 mile north till you reach the park on your left.

Labels: , , ,

1200 W 1700 N (Cache Co.)

posted by Tim Avery at
on Friday, April 3, 2015 

1200 W 1700 N from Bing Birds Eye View


Description:
In the northwest corner of Logan this area is a wetland and marsh area, surrounded by grasslands, and the city to the east.  There is no other information online about this location, so if you have been or can add anything, don't hesitate to comment below.  It appears there is some shorebird habitat based on the species found here and along with the marshy habitat this is the focus.

Birding:
Most visits to the area appear to be from May and August, assuming this is specifically for shorebirds and potentially passerine migrants it eh riparian areas.  In May look for SNOWY EGRET, WHITE-FACED IBIS, SWAINSON'S HAWK SORA, and WILLET.  WILSON'S SNIPE and KILLDEER are probably found year round, along with AMERICAN KESTREL NORTHERN HARRIER, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and WESTERN MEADOLWARK.  During fall migration shorebirds appear to be the focus and in August you might see: SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, and BAIRD'S, SEMIPALMATED, WESTERN, SOLITARY, and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.    This array of shorebirds is a nice grouping for such an area in Cache County.  A variety of songbirds have been reported in the fall as well including: AMERICAN PIPIT, YELLOW WARBLER, CHIPPING SPARROW, and LAZULI BUNTING.  Notably a mid-summer record for BOBOLINK suggest this species might breed in the area.

Directions:
From the intersection of Main Street and US-89 in Logan, head north on Main for .8 miles. Turn left onto 1000 North and go 1.3 miles. Turn right onto 1000 West and go .5 miles. Turn left onto 1400 North for .3 miles before turning right onto 1200 West and going another .2 miles and you reach the location on the left..

Labels: , , , , , , ,

16-16 Pond

posted by Tim Avery at
 

16-16 Pond Fields from Google Street View


Description:
Just north off 2200 South along 1600 West in Logan there are a couple of ponds, and a river.  One pond sits about a block east closer to US-89 with a  canal running west then south to the intersection of 2200 south and 1600 west.  At what would be about 2000 South a creek goes under the road with a marsh/wetland and riparian habitat bordering it.  This loops to the west creating a long "pond".  South of the is a larger pond which is completely surrounded by farm fields.  I am not sure what access is like to the actual ponds, but the riparian and marsh area at 200 south on 1600 west is along the public road and can be birded easily.

Birding:
Not nearly as popular or well known as nearby 20-20 Ponds, 16-16 access appears to be more limited with the actual ponds in the area all being back from the roads and not visible without permission to enter the private property surrounding them.  However, there is no public information on birding here, so this is just an assumption.  From 1600 West as mentioned there is a creek, and riparian habitat visible along with the obvious farm land.  WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE are all found here relatively easily.  It looks like most visits happen form fall through spring.  MARSH WREN, BELTED KINGFISHER, and MOURNING DOVE are also reported frequently while variety of waterfowl and a small number of other species are occasionally seen here.

Directions:
From US-89 at 1000 West south of downtown Logan, go south on US-89 for .4 miles. Turn right onto 2200 South and go .3 miles.  Turn right onto 1600 West and continue .3 miles till you reach the pond.

Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

20-20 Ponds

posted by Tim Avery at
 

20-20 Ponds from Google Street View


Description:
To the northwest of the intersection of 2000 West and 2200 South in Logan is 20-20 Ponds.  It is actually just one large horseshoe shaped pond, with the tails on the south side and the loop on the north.  The best viewing is on the large southeast corner of the pond from 2000 West just up a little bit from 2200 south.  The pond has a small amount of riparian habitat at various locations, but specifically here.  There is some marsh/wetland type edges, and the areas surrounding the pond are all farm land.

Birding:
20-20 is a popular fall through spring stop to look for waterbirds.  Notably 24 species of waterfowl have been recorded here including TRUMPETER, MUTE, and TUNDRA SWAN.  A winter record of BLUE-WINGED TEAL is noteworthy, while GREATER SCAUP, HOODED MERGANSER, and BARROW'S GOLDENEYE have all been reported.  NORTHERN SHOVELER, CANVASBACK, GADWALL, and RING-NECKED DUCK are fairly common finds here.  The open farm lands here are great for raptors and in the winter you might find NORTHERN HARRIER, BALD EAGLE, or ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.  SANDHILL CRANE are often seen here in the spring, while a various assortment of other species and passerine birds have been observed over the years.  This location is unique with a lot of seen once or twice species int eh songbird column.  AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, SONG SPARROW, and BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE are regularly occurring year round.

Directions:
From US-89 at 1000 West south of downtown Logan, go south on US-89 for .4 miles. Turn right onto 2200 South and go .8 miles.  Turn right onto 2000 West and continue .1 miles till you reach the pond on your left.

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Beaver Mountain Ski Area

posted by Tim Avery at
on Monday, March 16, 2015 

Beaver Mountain Ski Area from Google Street View


Description:
Beaver Mountain sitting between 7,200 and 8,800' opened in 1939 and is located near the summit of Logan Canyon in the Bear River Mountains just 3 miles from the Idaho border. Smaller and less developed than a number of Utah ski resorts, the slopes of the mountain are predominantly east-facing, and it receives somewhat less snowfall than those resorts facing west. Since it does not currently employ snow making equipment, the ski area is entirely dependent upon the (usually) ample natural snowfall, and therefore often opens several weeks later than most other resorts in Utah. "The Beav" is located 27 miles northeast of Logan.  Besides the open slopes, conifer and aspen forest are found here. The ski area is private property but the road to it is public along with most of the land nearby.  The large parking area provides excellent views of the surrounding habitat and the owners have never turned away birders to my knowledge.

Birding:
"The Beav" doesn't see a ton of birding traffic but birders who ski here, those who search for northern owls, and those who pass through in the Summer have put together a small list of birds that can be found here on a regular basis.  In the winter birding is probably limited to the road leading to the resort, the parking area and the slopes.  But winter finches can be found most years including RED CROSSBILL, PINE SISKIN, and CASSIN'S FINCH.  There has also been a report of BLACK ROSY-FINCH, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, and EVENING GROSBEAK from here.  CLARK'S NUTCRACKER, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH are the usual suspects year round.  During the summer months you can range further from the roads, parking area and slopes, and really explore the area.  WILLIAMSON'S and RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER have been found here along with AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.  VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW may be seen soaring overheard, while the woods typically host HOUSE WREN, BROWN CREEPER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and HERMIT THRUSH.  One of the better sightings at the resort that is not all that common is NORTHERN GOSHAWK along the road between the highway and the resort.  I like birding the road and walking in the woods here to look for the above mentioned species. One other notable feature of the mountain birding here is owling.  During the spring NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL can be found quite easily singing in the mountains here.  This is also one area where BOREAL OWL has been reported in Utah.  In 2007 while looking for this species, I heard, and later described to another birder familiar with Boreal's what I had heard and he responded by saying it sounded like a female Boreal Owl call.  The encounter was brief and I never got a look at the bird.  This is one of those species worth really putting some effort in here in the future.  There is some speculation that GREAT GRAY OWL may also be found in the wood in the area; but there have been no modern sightings.

Directions:
From the intersect on of Main and US-89/400 North in Logan, head east on US-89 into Logan Canyon for 27.7 miles.  Turn left onto UT-243 following signs as the road loops back to your left 1.5 miles.

Labels: , , , , , , ,

First Dam

posted by Tim Avery at
on Sunday, March 16, 2014 

First Dam from Google Street View


Description:
First Dam is a small reservoir at the mouth of Logan Canyon along the Logan River.  The reservoir is just off Hwy 89 and has some deciduous trees along the shore.  The area is otherwise fairly open.  This is a popular stop when birding in Logan Canyon, but also for other day trippers using the canyon.

Birding:
First Dam is best known as a very reliable location for BARROW'S GOLDENEYE during the winter.  Over 100 species have been recorded here, and some of the more notable sightings include both PACIFIC and WINTER WREN, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, and MERLIN.

Directions:
From Hwy 89/91 in Logan go east on 400 North/Hwy 89 for 2.5 miles.  Turn right on Canyon Road and park anywhere along the "reservoir".

Labels: , , , , , , ,

Logan Canyon

posted by Tim Avery at
on Monday, March 10, 2014 

Upper Logan Canyon from Google Street View


Description:
Logan Canyon is a canyon that cuts its way through the Bear River Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range, in northeastern Utah. The canyon stretches from Logan in Cache County as it rises to an elevation of approximately 7,800' starting with mixed oak woodland and pinyon-juniper woodland in the west, up to Aspen, and mid-elevation conifer and mixed aspen at Garden City in Rich County.  Just beyond the summit is a steep road leading into Bear Lake Valley and scenic overlooks that provide dramatic views of  Bear Lake.  The canyon has been designated a National Scenic Byway.  There are several popular birding destinations in the canyon including: Tony Grove, Beaver Mountain Ski Resort, First Dam, Franklin Basin Road.  There are more than a 20 locations in eBird to enter checklists while birding the canyon.

Birding:
Logan Canyon provide opportunities to bird various habitats along 30 some odd miles of road.  Lots of side roads, trails, pull offs, picnic areas, and campgrounds, as well as lakes, ponds, and streams.  The varying habitats give you a chance to see a wide variety of birds typical of the mountains in Utah.  There aren't a lot of notable sightings but the area is known for a few things.  The Tony Grove area has a breeding colony of PURPLE SWIFTS, while both BOREAL and GREAT GRAY OWL are believed to breed in the general area.  Notable sightings from the canyon include HARLEQUIN DUCK, WINTER WREN, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.  The best birding occurs in late spring and early summer through the fall.  Winter is not an ideal time to search for birds but if you want to look for Boreal Owl this is the best accessible location in Utah.

Directions:
From Main Street in Logan turn Right onto 400 North/Hwy 89.  Follow Hwy 89 east to the mouth of Logan Canyon.  From here the road goes 36 miles to Bear Lake.

Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,




SEARCH LOCATIONS

View List of All 1,300+ Spots

VIEW HOTSPOTS



Recent Additions



Abbreviations



SUBMIT A HOTSPOT

  • Have a hot spot you want to submit information for? You can become a contributor and create pages for the database by sending an email to utah.birders@gmail.com. Or if you jsut want, you can fill out the form from the link below and we can add your spot to the data base for you!



TWITTERING

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER


Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]



UTAH BIRDERS FLICKR POOL


    SEE MORE AND SHARE ON FLICKR