BIRDING SPOTS

where, when, and what to find

21st St Pond

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

21st Street Pond from Google Street View


Description:
The pond is 29 acres with a maximum depth of 9'. Its water from the the Ogden River, which collects water from a 323 square mile watershed area. There is a controlled water outlet to help maintain the proper lake level. The riparian habitat surrounding the lake makes for an excellent habitat on the edge of Ogden.  A path follows the perimeter of the lake making for a nice easy walk.

Birding:
Not an overly popular birding site there are only a handful of checklists spread out during the year form here.  In the winter waterfowl can be found, and aside from COMMON MERGANSER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and GADWALL, there has been WOOD DUCK observed here.  During the spring, summer, and early fall waterbirds like AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON might be found.  CALIFORNIA GULL are found year round, and CASPIAN TERN are present in the warmer months.  WARBLING VIREO, WESTERN KINGBIRD, YELLOW WARBLER, and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE are common summer songbirds.  There have been a couple notable finds here including a May BLACK PHOEBE, a September OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, and a June LEAST FLYCATCHER.  AMERICAN DIPPER can be found along the river on the north side of the pond as well, while AMERICAN CROW are seen passing through the area from time to time.

Directions:
From I-15 Exit 343 in Ogden, go east for .9 miles on 2100 South till you reach the turn in for the pond on your left.

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Yellowpine CG

posted by Tim Avery at
on Monday, March 30, 2015 

Yellowpine Campground from Google Maps


Description:
Not to be confused with Yellow Pine Campground on the Mirror Lake Highway, Yellowpine is located at 7,500' in elevation  in a scenic, heavily forested canyon next to Rock Creek and is surrounded by mountains. Large Ponderosa pine trees shade the campground, and aspens dot the landscape. Rock Creek Trail begins nearby for equestrian use and connects with the wheelchair-accessible, paved interpretive nature trail along  Rock Creek.  Shrubsteppe, mountain meadows, and riparian habitat are also present creating a nice mix of mid-elevation habitat typical of many south slope birding locations.

Birding:
As with most Uintah Mountain birding locations, June through September are prime for birding here.  Species typical of the Uinta's can be found here including CLARK's NUTCRACKER, STELLER'S JAY, and OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER.  The mid-elevation site mean you will get a mix of species you wouldn't get at higher elevations, including birds like: WARBLING VIREO, CEDAR WAXWING, YELLOW WARBLER, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK.  Along the river you can find AMERICAN DIPPER--and WILD TURKEY have been reported from here as well.

Directions:
 From Highway 40 in Duchesne, Utah, turn north onto Highway 87. Go 15 miles to Mountain Home turnoff. Continue 2.5 miles toward Mountain Home. Turn left at the Rock Creek Store. Proceed about 15 miles to Yellowpine.

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Kolob Creek Waterfall

posted by Tim Avery at
on Friday, March 27, 2015 

Kolob Creek Waterfall from Google Street View


Description:
The Kolob Creek Waterfall location is on the Kolob Terrace just south of Kolob Reservoir, slightly north of Lava Point, and amid some of the best high elevation scenery in Washington County.  To the north of the road here, Kolob Creek meanders through open meadows dotted with willows, before going under the road and plunging, rolling, and spilling through the gorge to the south.  From the road, the falls make there was several hundred feet down before disappearing out of site in the canyon and forest below.  There are 2 dirt parking areas one directly looking down on the falls, and another 150' west looking back at the falls.  The cliff habitat below is dotted with small aspen, and some mixed oak woodlands.  Coniferous forest with some aspen lines both sides of the gorge heading south, and a thick ponderosa forest can be seen to the south leading to Lava Point.  The land around this area is all private, but the parking areas and roads are open to the public.

Birding:
The first time I drove up to Kolob Terrace, I was drawn to the waterfall. It isn't a spectacular waterfall, but the area is beautiful.  The view to the south is incredible, and for birding you have wide open views of various habitats in every direction.  At one point this was the go to spot for CALIFORNIA CONDOR, with the birds often perching in the trees below the falls, and on the cliffs and trees on either side.  Now they are mostly seen high in the sky riding the thermals here.  Encounters on the cliffs seem to be limited lately, but it still can happen.  The same currents that bring the condors also bring lots of other birds of prey.  TURKEY VULTURE are common during the summer months and keep a close eye on them and you might find a ZONE-TAILED HAWK.  Although this species also seems to have recently become more scarce here, for some time this was also the go to place to find this bird in Utah.  Other really good raptors seen here include NORTHERN GOSHAWK and PEREGRINE FALCON.  Not surprisingly WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS are usually seen soaring out over the gorge or overhead.  If you take some time to scan the falls below you might just pick up an AMERICAN DIPPER.  The habitat along the creek here is ideal for MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER as well as GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE.  Across the road to the north in the pastures you will likely see both MOUNTAIN and WESTERN BLUEBIRDS.  The willows here are a good spot to check for DUSKY FLYCATCHER and YELLOW WARBLER.  From time to time ACORN WOODPECKER is spotted here but is far more likely in the sub divison to the northwest and further north along the road near the reservoir.

Directions:
From I-15 north of La Verkin, take exit 27 southeast toward La Verkin on Route 17.  From I-15 south of Hurricane, take exit 16 onto SR-9 East bound and follow to La Verkin. From La Verkin, take SR-9 east about 6 miles into Virgin and look for Kolob Terrace Road on your left as you get towards the end of town. Turn left onto Kolob Terrace Road and follow it 21.5 miles till you reach the falls pull off on your right.

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Provo River -- Fisherman Access @ River Road

posted by Utah Birders at
on Saturday, March 7, 2015 

Provo River at River Road from Google Street View


Description:
This spot is directly on the Provo River just North of Heber City near the intersection of Highway 40 and River Road.  Just East of the river on River Road, there is a gravel parking lot with restrooms.  There are also signs directing you to the fisherman access for the river.  There are no entrance fees, and this land that is open to the public. The land on either side of the river is marsh and wetlands, due to the Provo River Reclamation Project.  Tall trees line either side of the river creating a great riparian habitat, and beyond the marsh land are open fields that are mostly for agriculture.  This combination leads to a wide variety of birds being attracted to this spot and the immediately surrounding areas throughout the year.

Birding:
Directly along the river is an excellent place to view a number of interesting birds.  BELTED KINGFISHER are almost always perched in the trees at this location year round intently looking for fish in the river.  If you stay more than just a few minutes, you will be likely to see one swoop down in attempt to catch a fish.  Several songbirds commonly found near water also frequent the trees along the river. During the summer YELLOW WARBLER, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, and BULLOCK'S ORIOLE can be found.  In the winter months WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and DARK-EYED JUNCO are found.  Year round SONG SPARROW are a common find. This portion of the river is loud, shallow, and fast moving.  As such, it is a perfect habitat for AMERICAN DIPPER, and they are seen here year round.  Take a good look near some of the large rocks that protrude from the river because they often use these rocks as a perch before diving into the water in pursuit of insects. Within approximately one hundred yards on either side of the river are platform nests where OSPREY generally return each summer.  There is at least one breeding pair to the East of the river near Highway 40, and another pair is also commonly found along River Road to the West of the river.

Directions:
From the Intersection of US-40 and River Road north of Heber, head west on River Road for .3 miles.  Turn left into the parking area and park here, following the directions to Fisherman's Access.

Thanks to Case Wade for this location submission.

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