Category Archives: Event/Trip Reports

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Apr 26, Sharp-tailed Grouse Lek at the Selman Ranch

Event/Trip Reports, Field Trips,

Apr 26 Sharp-tailed Grouse Lek at the Selman Ranch, Meet 4:30 am at Smith's Parking Lot, 750 N Main Street, Logan, Image Courtesy US FWS, Brett Billings, Photographer

Apr 26 Sharp-tailed Grouse Lek at the Selman Ranch
Meet 4:30 am at Smith’s Parking Lot, 750 N Main Street, Logan,
Image Courtesy US FWS, Brett Billings, Photographer

The Bridgerland Audubon Society has again been graciously invited by our great rancher friends, the Selmans, to visit their property in southern Cache Valley and observe Sharp-tailed Grouse dancing on their mating grounds.

Following the grouse viewing, the Selmans will feed us pastries for breakfast. In addition to viewing the birds, it is an opportunity to see how truly responsible stewards of the land like the Selmans carry out their ranching operations in a way that makes the land more productive and beautiful for both man and wildlife.

This trip is suitable for both novice and experienced birders. Meet 4:30 am at the SW corner of the 750 North Smiths parking lot for ride share.


Trip Report:
We had about 30 people attend.
We will add bird photos as they are submitted to us. bridgerlandaudubon@gmail.com, webmaster@bridgerlandaudubon.org or lyle.bingham@gmail.com

Visitors to the Selman Ranch seeking looks at Sharp-tailed Grouse on their Lek

Visitors to the Selman Ranch seeking looks at Sharp-tailed Grouse on their Lek

Visitors to the Selman Ranch seeking looks at Sharp-tailed Grouse on their Lek

Visitors to the Selman Ranch seeking looks at Sharp-tailed Grouse on their Lek

Visitors to the Selman Ranch seeking looks at Sharp-tailed Grouse on their Lek

Visitors to the Selman Ranch seeking looks at Sharp-tailed Grouse on their Lek

Background:

In August 2007, the Selman family was recognized for their conservation efforts with the Leopold Conservation Award. Details are found in the December 2007 Stilt:
https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/documents/BAS-Stilts/Stilt-2007/Vol%2036%20Issue%2010.pdf
Utah Leopold Conservation Award presented by: Sand County Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), The Nature Conservancy, Utah Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Utah Farm Bureau Federation and Western AgCredit. https://www.leopoldconservationaward.org
Fred Selman – 2007 Leopold Conservation Award (Utah – Part 2/3), https://youtu.be/onzpD0mtV7o?si=Lm0dbJ0J7hULDzVN
Fred Selman – 2007 Leopold Conservation Award (Utah – Part 3/3), https://youtu.be/eSgX7frzcBU?si=eJrtbSlNht4da9pv

ECONET Cache Valley Community Seed Swap March 22, 2025 10-12, The Greenhouse

Event/Trip Reports

Cache Valley Community Seed Swap, Saturday, March 22, 2025, 10-Noon, The Greenhouse, 295 West 300 South, Logan, UT 84321-5279Join the USU Permaculture Garden and fellow Cache Valley gardeners on March 22 to swap seeds, share snacks and prepare your garden!
Saturday, March 22, 2025
10-Noon
The Greenhouse
295 West 300 South
Logan, UT 84321-5279

ECONET: Environmental News for Cache, Rich, Box Elder, and Franklin Counties. Sponsored by the Bridgerland Audubon Society.
To subscribe or unsubscribe send an email with subject heading “ECONET” to hilary.shughart@gmail.com
Protecting the nature of Utah for people and wildlife.

Bridgerland Audubon Society
PO BOX 3501
Logan, UT 84323-3501
435-213-3668
https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/econet/

Feb 19, Mindful Birding Through a Camera Lens

Event/Trip Reports

Mindful Birding Through a Camera Lens: White-breasted Nuthatch Teton Splendor Field Trip Courtesy & Copyright Meg Kast, Photographer

White-breasted Nuthatch
Teton Splendor Field Trip
Courtesy & Copyright Meg Kast, Photographer

Mindful Birding Through a Camera Lens:
Immerse yourself in the world of birds with your camera, or without should you choose! Bridgerland Audubon board member Meg Kast will enthrall us with her bird photos and how they came about. Meg is an outstanding young photographer and recently attended a “Mindful Birding” workshop in Colorado where her camera was a hit! If you have some photos you wish to share, please bring them on a thumb drive, as we will have some time following Meg’s presentation.

Mindful Birding Through a Camera Lens, Meg Kast February 19, 7 pm Logan Library 200 N Main Street Logan UT 84321

Mindful Birding Through a Camera Lens, Meg Kast
February 19, 7 pm
Logan Library
200 N Main Street
Logan UT 84321

Light refreshments will be served.

Co-sponsored by Bridgerland Audubon Society and the Logan Library

February 19, 7 pm
Logan Library
285 N Main Street
Logan, UT 84321

Definitions:

Audubon Defines “Mindful Birding”:
Mindful birding combines mindfulness practices with the joy of observing birds. This practice is gaining popularity due to the health benefits of slowing down and immersing yourself in nature. Mindful birding can be done almost anywhere and requires little experience and equipment for participants, making it a great way to introduce new people to the joys of being outdoors with birds!

Birdability Defines “Mindful Birding”:
Mindful birding, also known as ‘slow birding’ or ‘casual birding’, is birding quietly, intentionally and gently, with the aim of deeply engaging with and enjoying the birds and nature around you. For many folks with accessibility challenges, this is the best way for them to go birding (rather than rushing around and checking off lists). Please remember, though, that there is no wrong way to go birding! https://www.birdability.org/mindful-birding

Background:

Meg Kast:
https://www.instagram.com/megs.wildlife.photography/reel/DEwPbNrOxv-/
https://www.instagram.com/megs.wildlife.photography/
http://facebook.com/megs.wildlife.photography1

Adams, Jill U, Birding With Benefits: How Nature Improves Our Mental Mindsets, Audubon Magazine, Winter 2019, https://www.audubon.org/magazine/winter-2019/birding-benefits-how-nature-improves-our-mental

Yuhas, Daisy, Five Ways to Connect With Nature and Boost Your Mood No Matter Your Schedule, Audubon Magazine, Fall 2024, https://www.audubon.org/magazine/five-ways-connect-nature-and-boost-your-mood-no-matter-your-schedule

Greene, Jack, Mindful Birding, Wild About Utah, November 18, 2024, https://wildaboututah.org/mindful-birding/
on UPR: https://www.upr.org/show/wild-about-utah/2024-11-18/wild-about-utah-mindful-birding
Mindful Birding Through a Camera Lens
Mindful Birding, The Morrissey Family Foundation, https://www.mindfulbirding.org/

Feb 22, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Trapper Park and the Logan River Icon Trail

Event/Trip Reports, ,

Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Trapper Park and the Logan River Icon Trail:

Black-capped Chickadee
Courtesy Hilary Shughart
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday February 22, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Trapper Park and the Logan River Icon Trail.

 

Trip report: A cold frosty morning greeted us at the Icon River Trail. Temperatures were in the teens, no wind and thick rime of hoarfrost coated all of the vegetation obscuring our views in some areas. There were around 18 or 20 participants most of them meeting us at the Trapper Park area. Not everyone stayed for the full 2 hours. Unfortunately, the city had not plowed the paved trail since the last snow and there was ice and hard crunchy snow in some spots making it more difficult to hear birds over the sound of people walking. It had melted off in some areas also, so it was walkable, but a little tricky footing.

We had a good mix again of experienced seasoned birders and some newer people, old and young. Kim Sullivan and Eric Bingham were in attendance. We decided after the fact that it might have been better to split up a group this large and go in two different directions. We will plan to do this in the future if we have a bigger group show up and other people that could act as leaders present.

We ended up seeing 19 different species. Linda Sargent kept an eBird list for us and posted it on-line. Highlights were good looks at a Belted Kingfisher in flight and perched, Green-winged Teal, Spotted Towhee and multiple Song Sparrows. We did find one mystery sparrow that was later determined by photos to be a rare Swamp Sparrow. This bird stuck around and was seen by several other people later that day.
Trip leader Dawn Holzer (dawnholzer80@gmail.com, 435-799-1991)

***** Future Events & Trip Reports *****

January 25 – First Dam and USU Water Lab
February 22 – Trapper Park and Logan River Icon Trail
March 22 – Wellsville Reservoir
April 12 – Sue’s Pond – Logan River Wetlands and Shorebird Playa
May 17 – Third Dam/Spring Hollow
June 21 – Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area
July 19 – Tony Grove
August 23 – Amalga Barrens
September 27 – Benson Marina and Railroad Trail
October 25 – King Nature Park and Green Canyon
November 22 – Hyrum Reservoir and State Park
December 6 – Lundstrom Park Trail

***** Background, Trapper Park and the Logan River Icon Trail *****

eBird:
Birdlist for Logan River Icon Trail: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2107185/bird-list
Recent Checklists for Logan River Icon Trail: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2107185/recent-checklists
Media Images for Logan River Icon Trail: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L2107185

Trapper Park and Logan River Icon Trail, Places to Bird in Cache County, Utah Birds, http://www.utahbirds.org/counties/cache/FirstDam.htm

Birdlist for Trapper Park: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L4629436/bird-list
Recent Checklists for Trapper Park: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L4629436/recent-checklists
Media Images for Trapper Park: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L4629436

Signed waivers required for all participants. Complete form, print results and bring printed waiver to meeting point.

Mar 22, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Wellsville Reservoir

Event/Trip Reports, ,

Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Trapper Park and the Logan River Icon Trail:

American Wigeon Mareca americana
Courtesy US FWS, Valerie Fellows, Photographer
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday March 22, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Wellsville Reservoir.

 

Trip Report
Fourteen people joined us at Wellsville Reservoir on Saturday morning. The weather was overcast with a temperature of around 40 degrees and a little wind, which dissipated as we got away from the north end of the lake. Several people had caravaned from the Hyrum Senior Center and had never been birding before. It was great to see them watching American Coots and learning that they are not ducks, but more closely related to cranes and rails. Wild Turkeys were one of the highlights seen walking around town on the way in. We also saw Ring-necked Ducks, Redheads and one of the first female Red-winged Blackbirds of the season. We were treated to songs of the Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos and a Great-tailed Grackle’s crazy electronic vocalizations. We also noted multiple Bullock’s Oriole nests from previous seasons that appeared to be made entirely out of fishing line. See Scott Erickson’s eBird checklist for all 21 species noted.

***** Future Events & Trip Reports *****

January 25 – First Dam and USU Water Lab
February 22 – Trapper Park and Logan River Icon Trail
March 22 – Wellsville Reservoir
April 12 – Sue’s Pond – Logan River Wetlands and Shorebird Playa
May 17 – Third Dam/Spring Hollow
June 21 – Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area
July 19 – Tony Grove
August 23 – Amalga Barrens
September 27 – Benson Marina and Railroad Trail
October 25 – King Nature Park and Green Canyon
November 22 – Hyrum Reservoir and State Park
December 6 – Lundstrom Park Trail

***** Background, First Dam *****

eBird:
Birdlist for Wellsville Reservoir: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L805147/bird-list
Recent Checklists for Wellsville Reservoir: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L805147/recent-checklists
Media Images for Wellsville Reservoir: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L805147

Signed waivers required for all participants. Complete form, print results and bring printed waiver to meeting point.