Not long after I missed possibly the nearest photo of a hummingbird I’ve ever had occasion to capture, I spied a life-list bird. Heard it first—had never hear its two-note call—then got a glimpse (and a proof-of-species photo). A female Western Tanager, just randomly passing through.
That’s a nice thing about birding: Best not to get to excited nor too dejected, ’cause you truly just never know.
East Millcreek List Beginning at 8:30 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a Utah mountain.
1. Black-billed Magpie 2. House Sparrow 3. House Finch 4. Mourning Dove 5. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Hairy Woodpecker 8. Black-chinned Hummingbird 9. Spotted Towhee (v) 10. Sharp-shinned Hawk 11. Western Tanager‡ 12. Eurasian Collared Dove 13. Rock Pigeon 14. California Quail
Of the common back yard birds here in Salt Lake City, the familiar House Finch is possibly the commonest. Yes, there are lots of mapgies that rove in gangs. And we have a cute little collection of quail. But nearly always I can hear the note or call of a House Finch.
These guys are of course well-known to me from back East, where they were released a long time ago. But out here is where they belong. And they act like it. I like the little guys.
East Millcreek List No mountain hike today, but here’s what I saw and/or heard.
1. Black-billed Magpie 2. House Sparrow 3. House Finch 4. American Goldfinch 5. California Quail 6. Eurasian Collared Dove (v) 7. Rock Pigeon
Bird Report is an intermittent record of what's outside my window in Rockport, Maine, USA (44°08'N latitude, 69°06'W longitude), and vicinity. —Brian Willson
