Tag Archives: open water

Aug 23, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at the Amalga Barrens

Field Trips, , , , , ,

Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at the Amalga Barrens:

Cinnamon Teal Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge 05-11-2020
Courtesy & Copyright Chris Crook
Cache Valley Wild Bird Photo Contest 2021
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday August 23, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at the Amalga Barrens.

 

We met at 7 AM in Logan and caravaned to the Amalga Town Hall where we met up with a few more people. Kim Sullivan had checked out 4 walkie-talkies from USU to have one in each vehicle as we planned to be mostly driving. Meg Kast also helped to co-lead this trip. We had 4 vehicles, 3 with leaders and radios in each. Fifteen people participated in this event.

Because of the excessively dry summer no shorebirds were using this area at the time except for Killdeer. We did also see Horned Larks, a Virginia Rail, Northern Harrier, Savannah Sparrow and Brewer’s Sparrow. Singing Western Meadowlarks was a highlight of the trip. A total of 22 species were found. One benefit of the drought was a shortage of mosquitoes!

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, the Amalga Barrens *****

eBird:
Birdlist for the Amalga Barrens: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L693440/bird-list
Recent Checklists for the Amalga Barrens: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L693440/recent-checklists
Media Images for the Amalga Barrens: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L693440

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

Jul 19, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Tony Grove

Field Trips, ,

Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Tony Grove:

Black-chinned Hummingbird Logan Canyon UT 07-13-2020
Courtesy & Copyright Chris Crook
Cache Valley Wild Bird Photo Contest 2021
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday July 19, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Tony Grove.

 

Tony Grove, July 19 Meet: 7 am, Smith's 750 N Parking Lot, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon

Tony Grove, July 19
Meet: 7 am, Smith’s 750 N Parking Lot
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon

We arrived at the Tony Grove lake parking area before 8 AM with our caravan of 3 vehicles but the lot was already full. Fortunately, Jack Green was along with Meg and Dawn and suggested that we park at the livestock camp area .25 mile down canyon and walk back up the trail
towards the lake. That worked out better than going around the lake as there were lots of birds and many fewer
people on that trail. We ended up with about 17 people as a few more folks who had planned to meet up there had also parked at the lower trailhead.

It was a very birdy morning with dozens of birds of 6 different species lining up to drink out of a water trough right near the outhouse. We saw Pine Siskins, Mountain Chickadees, White-crowned Sparrows, Western Tanagers, Cassin’s Finches and Mountain Bluebirds all with fledglings in full view. Other birds seen included both Tree and Violet-green Swallows, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow and Red-naped Sapsucker. The bird of the day (life bird for many) was heard first and found by Meg at the top of a conifer tree, Red Crossbills!
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, Tony Grove *****

eBird:
Birdlist for Tony Grove: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L634364/bird-list
Recent Checklists for Tony Grove: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L634364/recent-checklists
Media Images for Tony Grove: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L634364

Jun 21, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area

Field Trips, ,

Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area:

Great Blue Heron Family Portrait
Courtesy & Copyright Darwin Thompson
Cache Valley Wild Bird Photo Contest 2021
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday June 21, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area.

 

Jun 21, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area

Jun 21, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area

Trip Report:

Our good luck continued this month and the canal water flooding the road earlier in the week had receded completely by Saturday morning. Temperatures were blissfully cool in the 60’s. A large group of over 25 people turned out again to join Meg and Dawn in this open agricultural area to find about 37 species of birds. We had some human returnees including the Hyrum Senior Center, USU international students and new faces including several “summer citizens”. Mosquitos were not too prevalent. We walked about a mile north on the good dirt road to the Logan River. Some of the highlights were Wilson’s Snipe doing their winnowing flight displays, a pair of American Bitterns flying by, both Eastern and Western Kingbirds, a few lingering Great Blue Herons on nests at the rookery and songs of both the Common Yellowthroat and Sora along with quick glimpses of Marsh Wrens. A Savannah Sparrow also posed obligingly for pictures and entertained us with its buzzy song.
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, Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area *****

eBird:
Birdlist for Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L621440/bird-list
Recent Checklists for Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L621440/recent-checklists
Media Images for Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L621440

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

May 17, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Third Dam/Spring Hollow-8:00 am

Field Trips, ,

Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Third Dam/Spring Hollow:

Pine Siskin
Courtesy & Copyright Molly Orton
Cache Valley Wild Bird Photo Contest 2021, 13-17 Category
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday May 17, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at Logan Canyon
Third Dam and Spring Hollow.

Spring Hollow Campground Birding with Bridgerland Audubon May 17, 8 am Meet at 750 N Smith's Marketplace, (750 North Main Street, Logan), SW Corner to Carpool Art per Meg Kast

Spring Hollow Campground
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon
May 17, 8 am Meet at 750 N Smith’s Marketplace, SW Corner to Carpool
Art per Meg Kast

Meet at the southwest corner of the Smith’s Marketplace parking lot (750 North Main Street, Logan) at 8 AM for carpooling to our destination. Spring Hollow campground is about 6 miles east of Logan on route 89. Participants are welcome to meet us there around 8:15 if driving themselves. You may be able to park across the wooden bridge at the campground entrance. If that lot is full there is additional parking just across the highway to the north. If crossing the road on foot use extreme caution! We will follow a paved road about ¼ mile up a moderate incline along a wooded stream. There is a good dirt road we will also follow along level terrain for about ¼ mile along the river to see more open riparian habitat. We should be able to see American Dippers and swallows under the bridge. Hopefully warblers will be present in the trees and brush including Yellow Warbler, Orange- crowned and Black-throated Gray. There are usually some Spotted Sandpipers along the river too. We will likely hear Fox Sparrows and see colorful Lazuli Buntings and Black-headed Grosbeaks.

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, Third Dam/Spring Hollow *****

eBird:
Birdlist for Third Dam/Spring Hollow: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L794452/bird-list
Recent Checklists for Third Dam/Spring Hollow: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L794452/recent-checklists
Media Images for Third Dam/Spring Hollow: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L794452

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

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.