Pictures from the various trips of the summer

Here are some photos from last summer, covering both my many days spent in Snowbird, my trip south with my family, and the trip when I basically went the same way with my friends as I had done two weeks before with my parents. I haven’t bothered to name all of these plants or animals, but leave this as an exercise to my readers.

Vinterfåglar

Lite bilder från förra veckan:

Bird list update

Lots of new stuff. Yesterday, on my way to the first Biology Class with the Free Skool, I passed through Liberty Park, and got my first: Larus argentatus smithsonianus, the North American subspecies of Herring Gull (gråtrut).

Today, Andrew and I went to Antelope Island and Farminton Bay, but the fog was so thick that we could hardly see anything. There was some open water along the causeway that leads to Antelope Island, and we had some luck there with all three species of Bucephala in the world! A female Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula, which is the same species as back home (knipa), but a different subspecies (B. c. americana), one pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica (islandsknipa), and several Buffelheads Bucephala albeola (buffelhuvud). There was also a Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis (amerikansk kopparand), lots of Chukars Alectoris chukar (berghöna), and some Canvasbacks Aythya valisineria.

We continued to Farmington Bay quite early, as we couldn’t see farther than about 100 m at Antelope Island. Farmington gave more Herring Gulls, as well as both Western Gull Larus occidentalis, Thayer’s Gull Larus thayeri, California Gull Larus californicus, and Ring-Billed Gull Larus delawarensis (ring-näbbad mås). Lots of Bald Eagles Haliaeetos leucocephalus (vithövdad havsörn) on the ice, and over-all a good diversity of birds of prey, including Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus (blå kärrhök), American Kestrel Falco sparverius (sparvfalk), and others. The most diversity was in ducks, however, with several large flocks containing:
– Mallard Anas platyrhynchos (gräsand)
– Pintail Anas acuta (stjärtand)
– Shoveler Anas clypeata (skedand)
– Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis (amerikansk kricka)
– American Wigeon Anas americana (amerikansk bläsand)
– Gadwall Anas strepera (snatterand)
– Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera (kanelårta)
– Merganser Mergus merganser (storskrake)
Some Pied-Billed Grebes Podilymbus podiceps (tjocknäbbad dopping) were in those flocks as well, and here and there on the ice stood Great Blue Herons Ardea herodias. One Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia (sångsparv) was foraging around the reeds where we were standing.

On the way out, we also saw a Red Fox Vulpes vulpes hunting in the snow!

We’re probably going back next weekend again when there’s no fog.

Species list update:
Life list:
– Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera
– Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
– Western Gull Larus occidentalis

US list:
– American Herring Gull Larus argentatus smithsonianus
– Merganser Mergus merganser
– Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

Utah list:
Bald Eagles Haliaeetos leucocephalus

Photos will follow once I’ve uploaded them to the computer.

Lite fåglar

Två nya fåglar för trädgårdslistan under veckan.

Birds, birds, bird

Yesterday I was out birdwatching again in the City Cemetery, which was a bit dull, as there were very few birds around.

New birds from Liberty Park

Spent much of the day in Liberty Park birdwatching again.

Vilken eftermiddag! / What an afternoon!

Var ute och gick idag. En massa.

I was out walking today. A lot.

Labour Day etc.

I måndags visade det sig vara Labour Day, vilket jag var oförberedd på och därför gick till universitetet som vanligt, och fattade misstankar först när hela parkeringen var tom. Gick istället hem till en kollega på labbet, Sabrina, och åt en andra frukost bestående av fattiga riddare och nån sorts ost-pyttipanna. Sedan till Liberty Park för att försöka leta upp Pygmy Nuthatch Sitta pygmaea som enligt Utah Birds ska vara en av parkens specialiteter. Hittade ingen, men två nya arter för Utah, varav en var livskryss:

This Monday turned out to be Labour Day, which I was unprepared for, and therefore went to the university as usual. I didn’t suspect anything until I saw that the parking lot was empty. Instead, I went to a colleague in the lab, Sabrina, and had a second breakfast of French toast and potatoes-and-cheese. Then on to Liberty Park to look for the Pygmy Nuthatch Sitta pygmaea which is supposed to be a specialty of the park according to Utah Birds, I didn’t find any, but did get two new species for Utah, one of which was also a first ever:

Åska med mera / Thunder et cetera

Åska och ösregn två nätter i rad nu, och vilka magnifika åskoväder det blir när man bor i en dal med höga berg runtomkring och ekon överallt!

Thunder and heavy rain two nights in a row, and what a magnificent thunder you getwhen you live in a valley with high mountains all around and echoes everywhere!

Solbadande fåglar / Sunning birds

Det är väl känt bland lusforskare att det kan vara så att fåglar solar sig för att bli av med löss.

It’s well known in the louse research world that birds sunning themselves may partially do so in order to get rid of lice.