Utah & Idaho: Trip Lists & Index

FLAMMULATED OWL

Shari & I joined 12 other heat-resistant birders for a NJ Audubon birding tour of Utah & Idaho, led by Scott Barnes and Linda Mack. The trip began Sunday night July 21 in Salt Lake City and ended there, after stays in Twin Falls and Pocatello, Idaho, on July 28. I heard Linda say that we covered about 2500 miles in the week or so we were birding. Hard to believe until I remember that it is 300 miles just to Twin Falls from Salt Lake.

Sawtooth National Forest
Photo: Shari Zirlin

This was Shari and my 2nd trip to Utah and the first to Idaho. What attracted me to the trip was the chance to see CASSIA CROSSBILL, which was recently split from the other crossbills of which there are 8 (I think) subspecies, and the chance to see FLAMMULATED OWL, which, frankly, I had never even heard of before I read Scott's plans for the tour.

Shari & I spent a couple of days in Salt Lake City before the tour began, doing touristy things, but we did get one bird that wasn't found by the group--California Quail. The weather was consistently hot--reaching 103 degrees on July 22 in Salt Lake City, their hottest day of the year, so far. Precipitation consisted of approximately 15 raindrops in American Falls, Idaho. It is so hot and dry there that while in Twin Falls, my weather app said it was raining while I stood outside, perfectly dry. The next morning, I saw the local weatherman explain that most of the rain evaporated before it ever reached the ground, or my head.

Everybody's trip list is inevitably a little different. Shari & I ended up with 157 species for the two states. The group list will probably be a few more than that number.

The following links will take you to the entries for the trip.

Salt Lake City
Gilgal Garden
Wasatch Mountains
Salt Lake City to Twin Falls
Rock Creek Road | Diamondfield Jack Campground | Shoshone Falls
Twin Falls | American Falls
Mud Lake | Market Lake
Kinney Creek Trail | Mink Creek Road | Curlew National Grasslands
Antelope Island | I-15 | Bear River MBR

The state lists

UTAH: 101 Species

Species      First Sighting

Canada Goose   Wiley Post Road

Mallard   Red Butte Arboretum

Green-winged Teal   Antelope Island SP

Redhead   Bear River MBR

Common Goldeneye   Liberty Park

Ruddy Duck   Bear River MBR

California Quail   Gilgal Garden

Ring-necked Pheasant   Bear River MBR

Pied-billed Grebe   Kennecott Reclamation Ponds

Eared Grebe   Antelope Island SP

Western Grebe   Lee Kay Ponds

Clark's Grebe   Lee Kay Ponds

Rock Pigeon   N Jimmy Doolittle Rd, Salt Lake City

Eurasian Collared-Dove   Gilgal Garden

Mourning Dove   Gilgal Garden

Black-chinned Hummingbird   Red Butte Arboretum

Broad-tailed Hummingbird   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Virginia Rail   Bear River MBR

Sora   Bear River MBR

American Coot   Liberty Park

Black-necked Stilt   Lee Kay Ponds

American Avocet   Lee Kay Ponds

Snowy Plover   Bear River MBR

Killdeer   Wiley Post Road

Long-billed Curlew   Antelope Island SP

Wilson's Phalarope   Lee Kay Ponds

Red-necked Phalarope   Antelope Island SP

Spotted Sandpiper   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Solitary Sandpiper   Bear River MBR

Willet   Antelope Island SP

Franklin's Gull   Lee Kay Ponds

Ring-billed Gull   Liberty Park

California Gull   N Jimmy Doolittle Rd, Salt Lake City

Forster's Tern   Lee Kay Ponds

Neotropic Cormorant   Lee Kay Ponds

Double-crested Cormorant   Lee Kay Ponds

American White Pelican   Lee Kay Ponds

Great Blue Heron   Lee Kay Ponds

Snowy Egret   Lee Kay Ponds

Cattle Egret   I-15 N, Brigham City

White-faced Ibis   N Jimmy Doolittle Rd, Salt Lake City

Turkey Vulture   Antelope Island SP

Swainson's Hawk   Kennecott Reclamation Ponds

Red-tailed Hawk   Big Cottonwood Canyon

FLAMMULATED OWL   Wasatch Mountain SP

Great Horned Owl   Antelope Island SP

Burrowing Owl   UT-30, Howell

Red-naped Sapsucker   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Downy Woodpecker   Liberty Park

Hairy Woodpecker   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Northern Flicker   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Western Wood-Pewee   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Dusky Flycatcher   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Say's Phoebe   Antelope Island SP

Western Kingbird   N Jimmy Doolittle Rd, Salt Lake City

Warbling Vireo   Red Butte Arboretum

Steller's Jay   Big Cottonwood Canyon

American Crow   Gilgal Garden

Common Raven   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Horned Lark   UT-30, Howell

Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Red Butte Arboretum

Violet-green Swallow   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Bank Swallow   Antelope Island SP

Barn Swallow   N Jimmy Doolittle Rd, Salt Lake City

Cliff Swallow   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Black-capped Chickadee   Gilgal Garden

Mountain Chickadee   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Red-breasted Nuthatch   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Rock Wren   Antelope Island SP

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher    City Creek Canyon Rd,

American Dipper   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Townsend's Solitaire   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Swainson's Thrush   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Hermit Thrush   Wasatch Mountain SP

American Robin   Red Butte Arboretum

European Starling   Lee Kay Ponds

House Finch   Liberty Park

Cassin's Finch   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Pine Siskin   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Lesser Goldfinch   Red Butte Arboretum

American Goldfinch   Red Butte Arboretum

Chipping Sparrow   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Lark Sparrow   Antelope Island SP

Dark-eyed Junco   Big Cottonwood Canyon

White-crowned Sparrow   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Vesper Sparrow   Antelope Island SP

Song Sparrow   N Jimmy Doolittle Rd, Salt Lake City

Lincoln's Sparrow   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Yellow-headed Blackbird   Lee Kay Ponds

Western Meadowlark   Antelope Island SP

Red-winged Blackbird   Lee Kay Ponds

Brown-headed Cowbird   Antelope Island SP

Brewer's Blackbird   Liberty Park

Great-tailed Grackle   N Jimmy Doolittle Rd, Salt Lake City

MacGillivray's Warbler   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Western Tanager   Big Cottonwood Canyon

Black-headed Grosbeak   Red Butte Arboretum

Lazuli Bunting   Red Butte Arboretum

House Sparrow   N Jimmy Doolittle Rd, Salt Lake City

IDAHO: 132 Species

Species               First Sighting

Canada Goose   Mud Lake WMA

Trumpeter Swan   Camas NWR

Gadwall   Camas NWR

American Wigeon   Camas NWR

Mallard   Shoshone Falls Park

Northern Pintail   Seagull Bay Recreation Area

Redhead   Mud Lake WMA

Bufflehead   Mud Lake WMA

Ruddy Duck   Mud Lake WMA

GRAY PARTRIDGE   Mud Lake WMA

Pied-billed Grebe   Market Lake WMA

Eared Grebe   Mud Lake WMA

Western Grebe   American Falls Reservoir

Clark's Grebe   American Falls Reservoir

Rock Pigeon   Rock Creek Road

Eurasian Collared-Dove   Malta City Park

Mourning Dove   Shoshone Falls Park

Common Nighthawk   N 2700 E, Twin Falls

White-throated Swift   Shoshone Falls Park

Black-chinned Hummingbird   N 2700 E, Twin Falls

Broad-tailed Hummingbird   Scout Mountain Campground

American Coot   Mud Lake WMA

Sandhill Crane   Camas NWR

American Avocet   Market Lake WMA

Killdeer   Old Highway 81, Malta

Marbled Godwit   American Falls Reservoir

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Market Lake WMA

Western Sandpiper   Seagull Bay Recreation Area

Long-billed Dowitcher   Market Lake WMA

Wilson's Snipe   Market Lake WMA

Wilson's Phalarope   Camas NWR

Spotted Sandpiper   Old Highway 81, Malta

Solitary Sandpiper   Camas NWR

Greater Yellowlegs   Old Highway 81, Malta

Willet   Camas NWR

Lesser Yellowlegs   Old Highway 81, Malta

Franklin's Gull   American Falls Reservoir

Ring-billed Gull   Pole Line Rd, Twin Falls

California Gull   American Falls Reservoir

Caspian Tern   Market Lake WMA

Common Loon   Mud Lake WMA

Double-crested Cormorant   American Falls Reservoir

American White Pelican   American Falls Reservoir

Great Blue Heron   Shoshone Falls Park

Snowy Egret   Mud Lake WMA

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Mud Lake WMA

White-faced Ibis   American Falls Reservoir

Turkey Vulture   2666 Old Highway 30 S, Malta

Osprey   Shoshone Falls Park

Golden Eagle   ID-81, Malta

Northern Harrier   Mud Lake WMA

Bald Eagle   Camas NWR

Swainson's Hawk   ID-81, Malta

Red-tailed Hawk   Porcupine Springs

Ferruginous Hawk   ID-81, Malta

Barn Owl   Ramsey Rd, American Falls

Burrowing Owl   N 3000 E, Twin Falls

Red-naped Sapsucker   Kinney Creek Trail

Downy Woodpecker   Lower Penstemon Campground

Hairy Woodpecker   Scout Mountain Campground

Northern Flicker   Thompson Flat Campground

American Kestrel   N 3000 E, Twin Falls

Western Wood-Pewee   Mud Lake WMA

Willow Flycatcher   Mud Lake WMA

Hammond's Flycatcher   Diamondfield Jack Campground

Gray Flycatcher   Kinney Creek Trail

Dusky Flycatcher   Lower Penstemon Campground

Cordilleran Flycatcher   Kinney Creek Trail

Western Kingbird   Mud Lake WMA

Eastern Kingbird   Seagull Bay Recreation Area

Loggerhead Shrike   ID-81, Malta

Plumbeous Vireo   Kinney Creek Trail

Warbling Vireo   Lower Penstemon Campground

Black-billed Magpie   2666 Old Highway 30 S, Malta

American Crow   Third Fork

Common Raven   E 2600 N, Twin Falls

Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Shoshone Falls Park

Tree Swallow   Thompson Flat Campground

Violet-green Swallow   Thompson Flat Campground

Bank Swallow   Mud Lake WMA

Barn Swallow   45 S Main St, Malta

Cliff Swallow   Shoshone Falls Park

Black-capped Chickadee   Rock Creek Road

Mountain Chickadee   Thompson Flat Campground

Juniper Titmouse   Kinney Creek Trail

Bushtit   Kinney Creek Trail

Red-breasted Nuthatch   Thompson Flat Campground

Rock Wren   Rock Creek Road

Canyon Wren   Rock Creek Road

House Wren   Thompson Flat Campground

Marsh Wren   Camas NWR

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Kinney Creek Trail

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Thompson Flat Campground

Mountain Bluebird   Mink Creek Rd

Swainson's Thrush   Cherry Springs

American Robin   Thompson Flat Campground

Gray Catbird   Rock Creek Road

Sage Thrasher   ID-81, Malta

Cedar Waxwing   Hampton Inn, Twin Falls

Cassin's Finch   Thompson Flat Campground

CASSIA CROSSBILL   Thompson Flat Campground

Pine Siskin   Thompson Flat Campground

Lesser Goldfinch   Malta City Park

American Goldfinch   330 Canyon Crest Dr, Twin Falls

Grasshopper Sparrow   Buist Rd, Holbrook

Chipping Sparrow   Lower Penstemon Campground

Brewer's Sparrow   Curlew National Grassland

Lark Sparrow   Kinney Creek Trail

Fox Sparrow   Thompson Flat Campground

Dark-eyed Junco   Thompson Flat Campground

White-crowned Sparrow   Thompson Flat Campground

Vesper Sparrow   Mud Lake WMA

Savannah Sparrow   Market Lake WMA

Song Sparrow   Third Fork

Spotted Towhee   Kinney Creek Trail

Yellow-breasted Chat   Rock Creek Road

Yellow-headed Blackbird   Camas NWR

Western Meadowlark   2565 N 2800 E, Twin Falls

Bullock's Oriole   Highway 93, Twin Falls

Red-winged Blackbird   American Falls Reservoir

Brewer's Blackbird   Old Highway 81, Malta

Great-tailed Grackle   Seagull Bay Recreation Area

Orange-crowned Warbler   Scout Mountain Campground

MacGillivray's Warbler   Lower Penstemon Campground

Common Yellowthroat   Market Lake WMA

Yellow Warbler   Mud Lake WMA

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Thompson Flat Campground

Black-throated Gray Warbler   Kinney Creek Trail

Western Tanager   Diamondfield Jack Campground

Black-headed Grosbeak   Mud Lake WMA

Lazuli Bunting   Rock Creek Road

House Sparrow   45 S Main St, Malta