Steve's Bird'n Blog: If the state of the world gets you down Go Birding

Friday, April 2, 2010

If the state of the world gets you down Go Birding

I have learned to never go out without my camera

Canada Geese

Downy Woodpecker

Red-winged Blackbird

Cedar Waxwings

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My Hook Bird Western Kingbird

Like most boys growing up in the '60s and '70s, I got a BB gun for Christmas when I was 10 years old. It was great sport for the kids in our neighborhood to go to the local cemetery and shoot sparrows. One day the next summer I was in my backyard and a bird we called a "yellow breasted robin" landed on the power lines in our yard. I raised my BB gun and shot, it fell to the ground and I ran to pick it up. It was not dead and as I held it in my hands I began to feel the same dread that little Opie Taylor felt in the "Andy Griffith" episode when Opie shot a sparrow with a slingshot. As I looked this unfortunate bird it's eyes seemed to say, "Why did you do this?" I agonized for what I had done and suddenly felt responsible and obligated to help this poor creature survive if it were possible. I nursed it for several days, feeding it bugs hoping it would recover. Fortunately the BB did not penetrate the thick breast of the bird and he recovered quickly. Within a few days I took him outside and turned him loose. He hung around our yard the rest of the summer; he didn't seem to have any fear of me even though I had shot him. He seemed to have forgiven me for what I did and I loved and appreciate this little bird, which led to my obsession with birds today. Many years later I learned that my yellow-breasted robin was actually a Western Kingbird.

My Life List (place indicated is my 1st sighting)

Abert's Towhee (St George Ut)
Acorn Woodpecker (Payson Az) March 2007
American Avocet (Farminton Bay UT) 1999
American Bittern Bear Lake National Bird Refuge July 2005
American Coot (Farmington Bay UT) 1969
American Dipper (Farmington Canyon)
American Goldfinch (Centerville Ut)
American Kestrel (Centerville Ut) 1999
American Pipit (Farmington Bay)
American Redstart (Ranch at Antelope Island)
American Robin (Centerville Ut)
American Tree Sparrow (Farmington Bay)
American White Pelican Great Salt Lake 1970
American Wigeon (Chandler Az) 1997
Ash-thoated Flycatcher (Moab Ut)
Bahama Swallow (at sea Carribean)
Baird's Sandpiper (Antelope Island Causeway) September 2006
Bald Eagle (Farmington Bay)
Baltimore Oriole (Nauvoo Ill)
Band-tailed Pigeon (Woods Cross Ut)
Bank Swallow (Bear River National BR)
Barn Owl (Tracy CA) 1984
Barn Swallow (Centerville Ut)
Barrow's Goldeneye (Jordan River Parkway UT) 2005
Belted Kingfisher (Kaysville Pond UT) 2000
Bewicks Wren (Lytle Ranch Ut)
Black Phoebe (Phoenix Az)
Black Redstart bird #300 (Lake Como Italy) 2010
Black Tern (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Black Vulture (Jamaica) 1997
Black and White Warbler (Ranch Antelope Island)
Black-bellied Plover (Causeway Antelope Island UT) 2002
Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Chandler Az) 2000
Black-billed Magpie (Woods Cross Ut)
Black-capped Chickadee (Woods Cross Ut)
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Woods Cross Ut) 2001
Black-crowned Night Heron (Farmington UT) 1994
Black-headed Gosbeak (Bountiful Bench)
Black-headed Gull (Lake Como Italy) 2010
Black-necked Stilt (Farmington Bay UT) 1999
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (Lytle Ranch Ut)
Black-throated Sparrow (Arches National Park)
Blackcap (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Blue Grosbeak (Moab Ut)
Blue Jay (Houston Tx)
Blue Tit (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Red Butte Garden)
Blue-winged Teal (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Bobolink Brigham City UT May 2014
Bohemian Waxwing (Mantua Ut)
Bonapart's Gull (Causeway Antelope Island UT) November 2007
Brazilian Cardinal (Maui)
Brewer's Blackbird (Farmington Bay)
Brewer's Sparrow (Deseret Ranch Ut)
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Woods Cross Ut) 2000
Brown Creeper (Salt Lake City)
Brown Pelican (Galveston TX) August 2004
Brown Thrasher (Nauvoo Ill)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Farmington Bay)
Bufflehead (Farmington Bay UT) 2000
Bullock's Oriole (Centerville Utah)
Burrowing Owl (Antelope Island UT) Sept 2007
Bushtit (Moab Ut)
Cactus Wren (Mesa Az)
California Condor (Zions National Park UT) 2009
California Gull (Woods Cross Ut) 1962
California Quail (Centerville Ut) 1969
Calliope Hummingbird (Kaysville Ut) September 2006
Canada Goose (Farmington Bay UT) 1994
Canvasback (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Cardinal (Mesa Az)
Carrion Crow (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Caspian Tern (Kaysville Pond UT) 2001
Cassin's Finch (Trial Lake Uintas)
Cassin's Vireo (Ranch at Antelope Island)
Cattle Egret (West Bountiful UT) 1994
Cedar Waxwing (Genola Warm Springs UT)
Chaffinch (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Chiffchaff (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Chimney Swift (Houston Tx) August 2007
Chipping Sparrow (Woods Cross)
Chukar (Antelope Island UT) 1998
Cinnamon Teal (West Bountiful UT) 1997
Clark's Grebe (Bear River UT May 1999)
Clark's Nutcracker (China Meadows Uintas)
Cliff Swallow (Bear River BR)
Coal Tit (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Common Black Hawk (Lytle Ranch UT) 2009
Common Blackbird (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Common Buzzard (Weihern Germany) 2010
Common Goldeneye (Kaysville UT) 2000
Common Grackle (Houston Tx)
Common Loon May 2002 Pineview UT
Common Magpie (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Common Merganzer (Farmington Bay UT) 2002
Common Moorhen (Phoenix Az) 1997
Common Nighthawk (Castledale Ut) 1999
Common Raven (Flaming Gorge)
Common Redpoll (Mantua Ut)
Common Tern (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Common Yellowthroat (Deseret Ranch)
Cooper's Hawk (Farmington Canyon UT) 2000
Cordilleran Flycatcher (Ranch at Antelope Island)
Crissal Thrasher (Lytle Ranch)
Dark-eyed Junco Oregon, Gray-headed, Pink-sided, Slate-backed
Double-crested Cormorant Kaysville UT 1994
Downy Woodpecker (North Salt Lake UT) 2001
Dunlin (Deseret Ranch UT) May 2005
Eared Grebe Salt River AZ March 1997
Eastern Bluebird (Nauvoo Ill)
Eastern Meadowlark (Carthage Ill)
Eurasian Collared Dove (Payson Az) March 2006
Eurasian Coot (Furth Germany) 2010
Eurasian Jay (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Eurasian Nuthatch (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Furth Germany) 2010
Eurasian Wigeon (Farmington Bay UT) March 2009
European Goldfinch (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
European Robin (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
European Starling
Evening Grosbeak (Francis Utah)
Ferruginous Hawk (Mona Ut) 2002
Fieldfare (Furth Germany) 2010
Flammulated Owl Antelope Island Sept 21 2012
Forster's Tern (Kaysville Pond UT) 1998
Fox Sparrow (Blacksmiths Fork)
Franklin's Gull (Woods Cross UT) 1962
Gadwall (Farmington Bay UT) 2000
Gambel's Quail (Phoenix Az) 2000
Glaucous Gull (Farmington Bay UT) February 2006
Glossy Ibis (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Golden Eagle (Dublin Ca) 1982
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Woods Cross)
Gray Catbird (Woods Cross)
Gray Flycatcher (Woods Cross UT) May 2002
Gray Wagtail (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Graylag Goose (Futh Germany) 2010
Great Blue Heron (Farmington Bay UT) 1994
Great Cormorant (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Great Egret (Kaysville Pond UT) 1999
Great Horned Owl (Tooele Ut) 1998
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Weihern Germany) 2010
Great Tit (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Great-tailed Grackle (Mesa Az)
Greater Roadrunner (Mesquite NV) June 2006
Greater Sage Grouse (Oakly Ut)
Greater Scaup (Farmington Bay UT) 2007
Greater Yellowlegs (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Green Finch (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Green Heron Chandler AZ 2000
Green-tailed Towhee (Cedar City Ut)
Green-winged Teal (Farmington Bay UT) 1999
Hairy Woodpecker (Woods Cross UT) 2002
Hammond's Flycatcher (Woods Cross UT) September 2007
Harlequin Duck (Antelope Island Causeway) 2011
Harris's Sparrow (Woods Cross)
Hawfinch (Furth Germany) 2010
Hermit Thrush (Ranch at Antelope Island)
Herring Gull (Farmington Bay UT) 2002
Hoary Redpoll (Mantua Ut)
Hooded Crow (Saronno Italy) 2010
Hooded Merganzer (Kaysville UT) 2001
Horned Grebe (Farmington Bay UT) April 2010
Horned Lark (Bear River BR)
House Finch (Woods Cross)
House Wren (Woods Cross)
Inca Dove (Chandler Az) 2002
Indigo Bunting (Matheson Wetlands Moab UT)
Japanese Blue Pheasant (Maui)
Juniper Titmouse (Salt Lake Cemetary)
Killdeer (Centerville Ut) 1969
Lark Sparrow (Farmington Bay)
Laughing Gull (Galveston Tx) August 2004
Lazuli Bunting (Bountiful Bench)
Least Sandpiper (Farmington Bay)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Farmington Bay)
Lesser Goldfinch (Woods Cross)
Lesser Nighthawk (Houston Tx) August 24
Lesser Scaup (Farmington Bay UT) 2000
Lesser Yellowlegs (Farmington Bay)
Lincoln's Sparrow (Brighton Ut)
Loggerhead Shrike (Bear River BR)
Long-billed Curlew (Causeway Antelope Island UT) September 2006
Long-billed Dowitcher (Inland Sea BR SL County) 2008
Long-tailed Duck Causeway Antelope Island UT) 2007
Long-tailed Tit (Furth Germany) 2010
MacGillivary's Warbler (Brighton Ut)
Magnificent Hummingbird (Phoenix Az) March 2007
Mallard (Farmington Bay Ut) 1994
Marbled Godwit (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Marsh Tit (Weihern Germany) 2010
Marsh Wren (Farmington Bay)
Merlin (Farmington Bay UT) 2002
Mountain Bluebird (Trial Lake Uintas)
Mountain Chickadee (Farmington Canyon)
Mourning Dove (Woods Cross UT) 1965
Mute Swan (Lake Como Italy) 2010
Nashville Warbler (Ranch Antelope Island)
Nene Goose (Maui)
Neotropic Cormorant Bountiful Pond March 2014
Northern Flicker Red-shafted (Woods Cross UT) 1997 Yellow-shafted (Nauvoo Ill) June 2007
Northern Flicker Yellow-shafted (Nauvoo Ill) June 2007
Northern Harrier (Farmington Bay UT) 2000
Northern Mockingbird (Mesa Az)
Northern Pintail (Farmington Bay UT) 1994
Northern Pygmy Owl heard only (Trial Lake Uintas)
Northern Rough-legged Hawk (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Blacksmiths Fork Cache County)
Northern Saw-whet Owl (Hardware Ranch UT) May 2006
Northern Shoveler (Farmington Bay UT) 1999
Northern Shrike (Farmington Bay)
Northern Waterthrush (Antelope Island UT) Aug 2010
Northwestern Crow (Seattle Washington)
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Red Butte Garden UT) 2002
Orange-crowned Warbler (Cedar City Ut)
Osprey (Flaming Gorge Ut) 1994
Painted Bunting (Fish Springs 2007)
Peregrine Falcon (Salt Lake City UT) 1979
Phainopepla (Mesa Az)
Pied-billed Grebe Bear River UT Dec 1999
Pine Grosbeak (Trial Lake Uintas)
Pine Siskin (Woods Cross)
Pinyon Jay (Red Butte Garden)
Plumbeous Vireo (Cove Fort Ut)
Pomarine Jaeger (Kaysville Pond UT) 1999
Prairie Falcon (Farmington Bay UT) 2005
Red Crossbill (Salt Lake City Cemetary)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Nauvoo Ill) June 2007
Red-breasted Merganzer (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Salt Lake Cemetary)
Red-eyed Vireo (Riverdale Parkway)
Red-headed Woodpecker (Nauvoo Ill) June 2007
Red-naped Sapsucker (Brighton Ut) 2001
Red-necked Phalarope (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Red-tailed Hawk (Farmington Bay UT) 1999
Red-throated Loon Lee Kay Ponds Salt Lake City April 2013
Red-winged Blackbird (Farmington Bay)
Redhead (Kaysville UT) 1999
Ring-billed Gull (Farmington Bay UT) 2002
Ring-necked Pheasant (Centerville UT) 1969
Ring-necked duck (Kaysville UT) 2000
Rock Dove (pigeon) (Centerville UT) 1969
Rock Wren (Moab)
Ross's Goose Farmington Bay April 2013
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Woods Cross)
Ruddy Duck (Bear River BR UT) 1999
Ruddy Turnstone (Galveston Tx) August 2004
Ruff (Farmington Bay UT) 2005
Rufous Humminbird (Woods Cross UT) 2001
Sabine's Gull (Causeway Antelope Island UT) July 2006
Sage Thrasher (Deseret Ranch)
Sanderling Antelope Island May 2014
Sandhill Crane (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Say's Phoebe (Chandler Az)
Semipalmated Plover (Farmington Bay UT) 2008
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Farmington Bay UT) 2008
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Woods Cross UT) 2000
Short-eared Owl (Farmington Bay UT) New Years Day 2001
Snow Goose (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Snowy Egret (Farmington Bay) 1994
Snowy Plover (Deseret Ranch UT) May 2004
Solitary Sandpiper (Farmington Bay UT) 2003
Song Sparrow (Farmington Bay)
Sora (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Sparrow Hawk (Weihern Germany) 2010
Spotted Sandpiper (Thanksgiving Point UT) 2001
Spotted Towhee (Centerville)
Spruce Grouse (Farmington Canyon)
Steller's Jay (Brighton Ut)
Stock Pigeon (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Surf Scoter (Causeway Antelope Island UT) 2007
Swainson's Hawk (Farmington Ut) 2000
Swainson's Thrush (Ranch at Antelope Island)
Thayer's Gull (Farmington Bay)
Townsend's Solitaire (Goshen Ut)
Townsend's Warbler (Farmington Bay)
Tree Swallow (Deseret Ranch)
Trumpeter Swan (Bear Lake Bird Refuge ID) August 2006
Tufted Duck (Chandler Az) 2000
Tundra Swan (Farmington Bay UT) 2000
Tundra Swan Bewicks Race (Farmington Bay)
Turkey Vulture (Centerville Ut) 1970
Verdin (Chandler Az)
Vesper Sparrow (San Raefel Swell)
Violet-green Swallow (Farmington Bay)
Virgina Rail (Farmington Bay UT) 2008
Virginia's Warbler (Mueller Park)
Warbling Vireo (Mueller Park Bntfl Ut)
Western Bluebird (Arches National Park)
Western Bonelli's Warbler (Lake Como Italy) 2010
Western Grebe West Bountiful UT 1994
Western Kingbird (my hook bird) (Centerville Ut)
Western Meadowlark (Centerville Ut)
Western Sandpiper (Causeway Antelope Island UT) September 2006
Western Scrub-jay (Bountiful Bench)
Western Tanager (Farmington Canyon)
Western Wood Pewee (Red Butte Garden UT) 2001
Whimbrel (Causeway Antelope Island UT) September 2006
White-breasted Nuthatch (Bryce Canyon 2011)
White-crowned Sparrow (Woods Cross)
White-faced Ibis (Farmington Bay UT) 1999
White-tailed Kite (Near Page AZ) 2000
White-throated Swift (Moab Ut) 2001
White-winged Dove (Houston Tx) August 2004
White-winged Scoter (Causeway Antelope Island UT) 2007
Wild Turkey (Morgan Ut) 2007
Willet (Farmington Bay UT) 2001
Willow Flycatcher (Cedar City Ut) May 2002
Willow Warbler (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Wilson's Phalarope (Bear River BR UT) 2001
Wilson's Snipe (Kaysville Pond UT) 2002
Wilson's Warbler (Ranch at Antelope Island)
Wood Duck (Pineview Ut)
Wood Pigeon (Nuremberg Germany) 2010
Yellow Warbler (Farmington Bay)
Yellow-billed Magpie (San Juaquin Valley Ca)
Yellow-breasted Chat (Moab)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Farmington Bay)
Yellow-rumped Warbler Audobon's (Woods Cross)