Thursday, September 24, 2015

Nature Experienceship - Birding on Antelope Island with Merrill Webb

Getting up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday never seems like a good idea.  However, when you're getting up at the crack of dawn to go on a birding adventure, suddenly it's not all bad.  

Saturday, September 12 a group of lucky bird-watchers got the chance to go out with Merrill Webb, one of the state's top bird experts.  With almost 40 years of birding experience, he certainly knows his stuff!

We drove out to Antelope Island, just north of Salt Lake City, for this birding endeavor.  When we got there we were not disappointed with what we saw!  40 different species of bird!

Birds sighted:
1. Northern Shoveler
2. Chukar
3. Ring-necked Pheasant
4. Eared Grebe
5. American White Pelican
6. Turkey Vulture
7. Northern Harrier
8. Cooper's Hawk
9. American Kestral
10. American Coot
11. Killdeer
12. Black-necked Stilt
13. American Avocet
14. Long-billed Curlew
15. Red-necked Phalarope
16. Franklin's Gull
17. Ring-billed Gull
18. California Gull
19. Mourning Dove
20. Great Horned Owl
21. Burrowing Owl
22. Common Nighthawk
23. Downy Woodpecker
24. Norther Flicker
25. Western Wood-Pewee
26. Plumbeous Vireo
27. Black-billed Magpie
28. Common Raven
29. Barn Swallow
30. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
31. Townsend's Solitaire
32. Hermit Thrush
33. American Robin
34. Sage Thrasher
35. European Starling
36. Yellow-rumped Warbler
37. White-throated Sparrow
38. Red-winged Blackbird
39. Western Meadowlark
40. Yellow-headed Blackbird

Seriously!  We were so lucky!  Birds are amazing, and having the opportunity to adventure with Merrill Webb was incredible!

Thanks to everyone who came and especially to Mr. Webb!  

For those that didn't, there is always next year!

Heather, museum educator