Subject: Jackson Hole Trip
Date: Jun 1 21:33:30 2004
From: Nancy Downing - nancydowning at comcast.net


Dear Tweeters,
I just returned from a two week trip to Jackson Hole, WY. Even though
the weather did not cooperate, I was able to see quite a lot of birds,
mammals and wildflowers. The first treat came at a rest area in Montana
called the Quartz rest area. It was teeming with Colombian ground
squirrels. At first, I thought they were prairie dogs but a sign set me
straight. They sit up on their haunches with their feet curled under
their chin--very cute! I later saw them in Jackson by first hearing
their call. There, they are called Uinta Ground Squirrels. I stayed at a
condo in Jackson near the ski area.On my morning walks in the
neighborhood(when I wasn't snowed, hailed or rained upon) , I saw, in
addition to the Black-billed Magpies, American Robins and Crow's,
Black-capped Chickadees, Song sparrows, House Wrens, White-crowned
Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Yellow- Rumped Warblers(Audubon), Yellow
Warbler's, Wilson's Warblers, and Pine Siskin's, several first's for me.
These were a Red- Naped Sapsucker, Calliope Hummingbird (he was kind
enough to sit in a low bush and spread out his rosy gorget for me),
flocks of Chipping Sparrows and a Mourning Dove. At the Visitor Center
for the Elk Refuge, I saw a pair of Cinnamon Teals, Mallards, American
Coots, many Canada Geese, Red-winged Blackbirds and another first,
Yellow-headed Blackbird's.
Driving past the Elk Refuge, I saw perched on the fence, a Red-tailed
Hawk, a Swainson's hawk and another first, a Mountain Bluebird. Raven's
were soaring at the top of the hills on the other side of the road.
Over the weekend, we went to Salt Lake City and visited the Red Butte
Garden and Antelope Island. I saw another first at the Garden, a Western
Scrub Jay, along with a Black-headed Grosbeak and a Downy Woodpecker.
Antelope Island is a wonderful place both for birds and animals.
We had only a couple of hours but I was able to see three first's - a
Chukar(he sat perched on a rock long enough for us to stop the car, get
out and feast our eyes on him before he jumped down into the ground
cover) a group of American Avocet's(total 20), and a Western Meadowlark
who very obligingly landed on a picnic shelter right in front of us and
began to sing.. There were also many California Seagulls all over the
island and Brewer's Blackbirds on the beach. It seemed strange to find
these blackbirds at the beach as I am accustomed to seeing them at
K-Mart's parking lot.
When we returned to Jackson, we went to Teton Park via the Moose-Wilson
Road. Along the road , we saw 2 young moose, a group of Pronghorn
Antelopes and 8 Elk. On the String Lake trail, I saw a Ruby-Crowned
Kinglet flashing his red cap, a female Common Merganser diving under
the logs on the lake, a Great Blue Heron fishing from the logs and a
busy Brown Creeper. There were also a large number of Audubon
warbler's. A young Mule Deer crossed the lake at the bridge and almost
walked right up to me before he saw me. On the trail we saw a
Yellow-bellied marmot. That was a first for me me and I was surprised at
the size of him. I saw another bird high in a tree that I was unable to
identify. It seemed to have a small head and beak with black on the top,
a white or light gray breast with pale pink around the edges. On the
Moose Wilson Road going back, we were lucky enough to see another
fabulous first, a Great Horned Owl, perched in a cottonwood tree and a
little later, a nest in a fir tree with two fledglings in it. They are
so ugly, they are cute! We also saw two Sandhill Cranes feeding along a
creek.
When we left Jackson, we drove through the park again on the main
highway. On the way, we stopped at the airport. The only bird I saw was
very large, white and blue, and labeled the United States of America . I
think it was a Cheney bird! When we entered the park, it was snowing and
the temperature was anywhere from 39 to 29 degrees. The trees in the
park looked frosted and it was a very pretty drive. At Oxbow Bend, we
saw a large group of American White Pelican's on an island . They looked
like snow. We saw several herds of bison and one walked down the middle
of the highway looking in the cars. Other bird's seen but not
previously mentioned were Barn swallow's, Tree Swallows, Barrow's Golden
eye, Double-Crested Cormorant, Bald Eagle, American Dipper, and a
Trumpeter Swan and a California Quail. All in all, it was a great trip.
Nancy Downing
Bellingham, WA