MY MYSTERY BIRD AT FITZHUGH CEMETERY, LUCAS TX 10-09-2013

While visiting our son Mike in Allen, Texas, Francis and I drove to the nearby Fitzhugh Cemetery in Lucas. My plan was to photograph some of the old headstones since I collect headstone art. Fitzhugh Cemetery was established in the mid 1850s, predating the Civil War, so it's quite historic. I also wanted to see if any birds were around since cemeteries are some of the best places for birds. Unfortunately I had forgotten to bring my binoculars with me for our trip so bird ID'ing was nearly impossible. My camera battery was nearly dead as well. Wow, I was SO unprepared for the day!

Northern Mockingbird. Fitzhugh Cemetery, Lucas TX

One great bird turned out to be a Northern Mockingbird, vocalizing on the branch of a tree at the far end. Unlike Mockingbirds I've heard in Southern Utah, its song was very melodious, warbling and beautiful. I've never heard one sing like that before.

Blue-headed Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Fitzhugh Cemetery, Lucas, TX

The other bird that caught our attention had a long, long tail, blue head, and orange-washed belly, and was a total mystery. Managed to capture this photo of it before my battery completely gave out. The bird had a graceful, swooping flight when it suddenly took off because I came too close. Did not hear it vocalize. A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher came to mind, but the coloring was so different from anything I was familiar with. On my return it was ID'd by several expert birders as a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, but with this blue color variation. It surely was exquisite!

We also drove past Lavon Lake which was so low that it has almost no water. The only birds to be seen were a large number of Great Egrets and a few DC Cormorants. Saw several Black Vultures circling in the sky. A hawk flew off from the top of a telephone pole that may have been a Red-shouldered Hawk. Lots of enormous spider webs glistened with dew along the sides of the road. A lovely morning for a drive even if it wasn't very birdy.

HOOKED ON BIRDING

 A few days ago I was looking through my bookshelf and ran across my Dad’s well-used copy of the birds of Finland. I was amazed to see a check mark next to every bird, 256 of them, in that little book. He had seen them all! As a young college student my Dad had dreamed of becoming a botanist and naturalist, but was never able to realize this ambition. His love of nature, however, remained with him to his dying day and he passed on his love of the outdoors to my sister and me.

I fondly remember summers as a little girl in Finnish Lapland, skipping happily along next to my Dad in the woods near our home and he paused frequently to point out plants and birds while we walked along. These were precious hours for me. The summers in Lapland were brief, the winters long and often severely cold. Each winter my Dad would make sure the bird feeders in our yard were stocked with seeds. Mother was a nature lover as well, and slabs of pork fat were nailed to a board to keep little bird bodies fueled against the cold. It was always traumatic for me as a child when one of our little feathered friends froze in the cold in spite of Mother and Dad's best efforts to keep them alive.

It is only fitting then that many years later my love for birds was rekindled by a wonderful Finnish friend, Tuula Rose. She had been bird watching for about a year when one cold February morning she finally coaxed me into going birding with her. Years had rolled by and I had totally forgotten my childhood nature lessons. My awareness of local birds started and stopped with ducks, pigeons and robins. That first morning I was introduced to 28 amazing species of birds found right here in our local area: Cinnamon Teal, Widgeon, Marsh Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Gadwall and a soaring Golden Eagle were among the birds I saw for the first time. I was impressed!

A few days later Tuula took me to Camelot Park in south Provo and we tramped through the muddy, snow-covered fields in search of a Great Horned Owl. Tuula knew where to look and she spotted the owl almost right away tucked inside a tangle of branches in a massive tree. It took me nearly ten frustrating minutes to locate the owl through my binoculars. But how rewarding it was when the owl suddenly woke up from its mid-morning nap, and stared right at me with those huge golden eyes. It was one of those amazing “Ahhhh” moments that rarely come along in a lifetime and I was totally hooked! I’ve been birding ever since and my Utah life list is now closing in on 300 birds.

Thanks Dad! Thanks Tuula! Thanks Utah County Birders! My life has been truly enriched.

Field Trip Report 

Wasatch County Field Trip, January 30, 1999

by Dennis Shirley
Saturday, January 30, 1999 dawned cold and clear as our group of birders headed for Wasatch County and Heber Valley. As we approached Deer Creer Dam, heavy fog set in and not sunshine greeted us as we entered the valley. But just as we approached the Interlaken development along the foothills north of Midway, the fog broke open and a bright sunny hillside awaited us. As we drove up to Jill and Alan Fuch’s home, our target apecies – Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch were circling in a flock over the homes. In short order, our group had great looks at the Cassins Finch and other winter birds at their feeder.

Wild Turkey, a large flock of Bohemian Waxsings, and a small herd of elk were seen at the Wasatch Mountain State Park. The pond at the visitor center had eight species of ducks on it, but nothing unusual.
By mid morning the fog around the reservoir was beginning to lift, but it was still misty enough to keep us from seeing very far across the surface. We did see Common Mergansers, but no Common Loons. A Northern Shrike was spotted from the highway near the entrance to Deer Creek State Park. Tricky maneuvering on this very narrow highway brought our vehicle precariously parked where no pull off existed. But it was worth it! To many this was a life bird!

We continued down Provo Canyon and detoured up the North Fork to Sundance and Georgene Butler’s mountain home. She has a great location for feeding birds and has been doing so for several years. We weren’t disappointed. Our list here included Steller’s Jay, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountaoin Chickadee, and Evening Grosbeak, our target bird.

Our list of 35 species seen for the day included four Code 4 uncommon winter birds – the target birds of the day. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good!

Participants: Robin Tuck, Julia Tuck, Kay Stone, Reed Stone, 3 BYU Coeds, Bonnie Williams, Alona Huffaker, Darlene Amott, Tuula Rose, Robert Brown, Bob Parsons, Leena Rogers, Maurice Stocks, Carol Jean Nelson, LeIla Ogden, Eric Huish, Lana Stocks and Dennis Shirley.

Species seen: Pied-billed Grebe American Wigeon Bufflehead Wild Turkey Downy Woodpecker Western Scrub-Jay

Mountain Chickadee Dark-eyed Junco Cassin’s Finch House Sparrow Great Blue Heron Ring-necked Duck Common Merganser

American Coot Northern Flicker Black-billed Magpie Red-breasted Nuthatch Brower’s Blackbird Pine Siskin Mallard

Lesser Scaup Bald Eagle Rock Dove Northern Shrike Black-capped Chickadee European Staring Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

American Goldfinch Gadwall Common Goldeneye Red-tailed Hawk Belted Kingfisher Steller’s Jay Bohemian Waxwing Evening Grosbeak

2004 BIRDING CHALLENGE AWARD BANQUET
Special note: Gratitude is expressed to Leena Rogers, Tuula Rose, and Milt Moody for arranging UCB’s Award Dinner in February. Over 70 people attended which may be the highest attendance ever at a UCB activity. Good food, good friends, great speaker (Dennis Shirley), great awards for the 2004 Bird Challenge winners, and great door prizes made for an outstanding evening. No 2005 challenge for Utah County Birders is in the offering, but expect such a contest in 2006. Any and all suggestions are welcomed.

UCB at Alta - February 26, 2005       

Field Trip Report
Feb 26 - Alta, Salt Lake Cemetery and City Creek Canyon
by LeIla Ogden
Eleven birders (Tuula Rose, Milt Moody, Bonnie Williams, Leila Ogden, Eric Huish, Brady Heward, Robert Brown, Aaron and Shauna Smith, Wade Miller and Leena Rogers) started from Orem Center Street park & ride at 7:00 a.m. for Alta. We forgot how cold it was going to be up there so we didn't stay long. Just long enough to get our 2 target birds (Black Rosy -Finch, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch at feeders) plus Clarks Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadees, Pine Siskin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and flicker.
We then zig-zagged around Salt Lake City Streets looking for Pomera's Harris Sparrow. We didn't find him, but saw lots of Cedar Waxwings, Rock Pigeons, Downy Woodpecker, goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Mourning Dove, junco, House Finch, California Quail and robins.
At the Salt Lake Cemetery we found our Golden-crowned Kinglet (several) Brown Creeper (several), and several other species. We then went to City Creek Canyon looking for the Winter Wren. Again we missed it, but the mile or so gradual hike was wonderful. Sun was shining---looked and felt like Spring---and we saw a few new birds for the list: Song Sparrow, A frantic-flying and squawking Belted Kingfisher, Townsend Solitaire, Coopers Hawk and two red-tails flying circles in the sky.
A great outing. And we were home before 2 p.m.(Photo by Eric Huish)(

Bi-Centennial Park - 12 November 2005
photo by Eric Huish

Field Trip Report
Local City Parks - November 12th, 2005
by Leena Rogers

About a dozen enthusiastic Utah County birders and several visitors braved the cold, showery weather on Saturday morning to meet at 8:00 a.m. at Paul Ream Park in Provo Tuula Rose and Milt Moody had planned a field trip to several of the local parks, two local cemeteries, as well as Hobble Creek Canyon. Hobble Creek, especially, had looked very promising as they scouted out the field trip route a few days previously.

The birding gods were not smiling on Saturday morning. Most of the time we contended with a cool brisk wind mixed with a drizzly rain. I kept my binocs zipped inside my jacket to keep the rain off the lenses. Not to worry, there weren't that many occasions that called for their use.

The theme running through the morning seemed to be "Where are the birds?" They obviously were smarter than our birding group -- away from the elements, staying snug and warm, hidden away from view. The birds continued to evade us at each location. Well, the company was wonderful even if the birding left something to be desired!

At the Springville Cemetery we ended the day on a brighter note. The sun finally came out and Tuula Rose pointed out a rainbow displayed against a beautiful mountain backdrop. Just as we were ready to get into our cars and head for home a pair of playful Belted Kingfishers, darting and diving, flew past our group calling out to each other and reminding us why we continue to love birding!

Unbelievable as it sounds, the list below consists of the TOTAL number of birds we saw:

Paul Ream Park, Provo
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Kestrel, House Sparrow, Magpie.

Provo City Cemetery
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Flicker, Magpie, American Robin.

Bi-Centennial Park, Provo
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Lesser Goldfinch, Magpie, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Bushtits [flock], House Finch, Mallard.

Hobble Creek Canyon
Chickadees [heard], Red-tailed Hawk, Kestrel, Magpie.

Springville Cemetery
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Belted Kingfisher [pair].

Thanks Tuula and Milt for a fun morning. Continued good birding everyone!

Field Trip Report
Sanpete County Tour - April 16, 2005
by Leena Rogers

Utah County Birders near Yuba Dam - April 16, 2005  (photo by Eric Huish)

Saturday, April 16, turned out to be an excellent day of birding for nine Utah County Birders and six BYU students. We set out from the Sam’s Club Parking lot in south Provo on a beautiful but very chilly morning for Sanpete County. Our first stop was along I-15 at Juba Reservoir, then back up to Hwy 28 with a stop at Chicken Creek Reservoir. From there we continued south on Hwy 28 to Painted Rock State Park on the southeast shore of Juba Reservoir [not marked on all maps]. There seemed to be almost as many people as birds out on the reservoirs ,and the insects [thankfully the non-biting kind] were out in full force too. A sure sign that spring is here! We then drove up Hwy 89 to Nine Mile Reservoir, made a quick stop at the wetlands near Fayette, then on to Palisades Park by Sterling. Our final stop of the day was along Hwy 132 at Wales Reservoir near Moroni.

It was great to have the students with us. The enthusiasm they showed each time a new bird was spotted gave the rest of us seasoned veterans an opportunity to see our feathered friends through “fresh eyes.” The kids had Saturday finals and left the group early but the rest of us continued on until mid-afternoon. A magnificent Golden Eagle perched on top of a roadside telephone pole near Wales Reservoir capped off a great day of birding! Grand total of birds seen by the group was 75. Trip leader was Tuula Rose. Following is a list of the highlights at each stop:

Juba Reservoir
Loggerhead Shrike, Red-tailed Hawk, Rock Wren, Tree Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Black-necked Stilt, American Robin, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Canada Goose, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Shrike, Eared Grebe, Green-winged Teal, Kildeer, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, House Sparrow, Gadwall, Brewer’s Blackbird ,House Finch, European Starling, Brown-headed Cowbird, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, Common Raven, American Coot, Cinnamon Teal, Mallard.

Chicken Creek Reservoir
Lesser Scaup, Say’s Phoebe, Redhead, Willet, American Avocet, Barn Swallow, Rough-winged Swallow, Sage Thrasher, Long-billed Curlew, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Snowy Egret, Bufflehead, California Gull, White-faced Ibis, Franklin’s Gull ,Violet-green Swallow, Western Kingbird, Horned Lark.

Painted Rock State Park
Western Grebe, Clark’s Grebe.

Fayette Wetlands
Double-crested Cormorant, White-faced Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Sandhill Crane, Northern Harrier, Swainson’s Hawk, Osprey.

Nine Mile Reservoir
Canvasback, Common Loon, Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, Vesper Sparrow, Red-breasted Merganser, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon), Black-billed Magpie, Rock Pigeon.

Palisades State Park
Canyon Wren [great looks up close], Yellow-rumped Warbler [Myrtle race], American Goldfinch.

Along the Way
Mountain Bluebird, Mourning Dove, Kestrel, Lark Sparrow.

Wales Reservoir
American Wigeon, Ruddy Duck, Golden Eagle.

Thanks Tuula for arranging such a successful birding trip, and thanks to those who were willing to drive. Happy spring birding everyone.