Heard Often But Seldom Seen

There are two birds that I hear often in the marsh but rarely see because they hide in the cattails and rarely make themselves visable. These two birds are the Virgina Rail and the Sora. I have seen Rails many more times that Soras in fact I have only seen Soras on two occasions and never close enough to get a good picture. During the Bird Festival there was a very cooperative Rail in the Cattails right next to the Nature Center at Farmington Bay. I stood and listen to him cluck for about 15 minutes and then out he came. First he poked his head out then eventually came all the way out and I was able to get some nice pictures. Now if I can just get a Sora to cooperate I will be happy. Here are some of the pictures I got of the Virgina Rail.

Enjoy

The Great Salt Lake Birde Festival

I had every intention of documenting this years Bird Festival events with pictures but found it difficult to lead tours and presentations and take pictures at the same time. These are some of the few I was able to take of birds.

Below is a list of birds seen at Farmington Bay during the four field trips I either lead or assisted with these include a tour of Glover Ponds where we spotted the Snowy Plovers in the playa west of the ponds, Those Wild Wetlands workshop for kids we identified 26 Species in 15 minutes and several boys were able to earn their Bird Study Merit Badge, Bus Tour of the Turpin Unit lead by Rich Hansen Manger of Farmington Bay, and Birding for Families and Dutch-oven Dinner.

This was my 7th year involved with the Bird Festival and it was our 3rd Birding for Families and Dutch-oven Dinner.

Bird List:

Pied-billed Grebe

Eared Grebe

Western Grebe

Clark's Grebe

American White Pelican

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Black-crowned Night Heron

White-faced Ibis

(Mute Swan)

Canada Goose

Mallard

Cinnamon Teal

Northern Shoveler

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Redhead

Lessor Scaup

Bufflehead

Ruddy Duck

Northern Harrier

Ring-necked Pheasant

Virginia Rail

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Snowy Plover

Killdeer

Black-necked Stilt

American Avocet

Willet

Spotted Sandpiper

Long-billed Curlew

Wilson's Phalarope

Franklin's Gull

Ring-billed Gull

California Gull

Caspian Tern

Forsters Tern

Black Tern

Western Kingbird

Tree Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Barn Swallow

Black-billed Magpie

Common Raven

Marsh Wren

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Western Meadow Lark

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Brewers Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Common Grackle

BIRD OF THE MONTH FOR MAY MARSH WREN

My Bird of the Month for May had to be the busy little Marsh Wren. When ever you enter a wetland in the spring you are sure to hear the chattering of the little Marsh Wren within the cattails and bullrush. Heard a lot more than seen this busy Little bird has a lot to say and I have found it to be one of the most responsive birds to "pishing".

Often the only glimpses you get are of this tiny bird fluttering around the cattails. One day last spring I was bound and determined to get some pictures of these little guys so I sat in the middle of some grease wood for about 30 minutes and waited. Well here they came and close enough to get some nice shots and it was only then I was able to see how beautifully they are marked. Here are some of those pictures along with a couple of Ruby Crowned Kinglets that were a bonus that day. They were flitting around the Grease wood while I was watching the Marsh Wrens. Enjoy.

Marsh Wren Adult Description
Small brown bird with thin bill.
Tail often held upright.
Dark cap.
Whitish eye line.
Bold black-and-white streaks on back.
Buffy flanks, whitish chest.
Immature Description Juvenile similar to adult, but lacks bold streaking on back and has only an indistinct eye stripe.
Similar Species
Sedge Wren has similar streaks on back, but is paler, has a paler, streaked crown, and has a less distinct eye stripe.