Great Basin Birding

 Wow! 

43 hours, three states, 802 miles, five year birds, three life birds, two life states, new friends, old friends. Amazing memories. 

August 28th

I flew from McAllen, to Dallas, to Salt Lake City, arriving at 3 pm, and picked up my rental car. I'd reserved a compact car through Priceline...checked in at the Payless/Avis counter, and they sent me outside to retrieve my car. It was a Nissan Pathfinder. Three rows of seats and anything but compact! Driving a Chevy Spark as my personal vehicle, I had to recruit help from one of the staff in navigating my way out of the parking spot at the airport. I thought about complaining and trying to acquire a smaller vehicle, but decided it would be comfier to sleep in, if needed, even though it would be bad on gas. 

There was a small group of Tundra Swans 20 minutes east of the airport; apparently a landowner was feeding corn to the ducks, the swans came in last November and decided to stick around. I  headed that way immediately. I quickly realized I'd underestimated the scale of the map. It seemed I'd drive up this mountain road, park, and hike probably a short trail to get to the small lake. Well, it was a tiny manmade pond, visible as you drove along the road. I drove up another 1/4 mile to find parking, assembled my tripod (the Swarovski travel tripod comes apart into three separate pieces for easy packing), threw my scope on top and walked back down the road to the birds. There was a wedding about to happen! I  was digiscoping the Tundra Swans as people were walking right by them - they'd become habituated to humans and indifferent to people walking right next to them. A rather anticlimactic year tick, but a tick nonetheless. 

Next, I headed back into Salt Lake City. It would be a late night, so I needed to find coffee - I  planned to meet up with local guide Tim, who graciously offered to help me search for Flammulated Owl tonight. After trying for flam, I  would drive the three hours to Angel Lake, where I would meet some lady birders and we would try for Himalayan Snowcock the next morning. At the coffee shop, I met up with Marc, of Birding by Bus fame. Together with his wife, a few years ago, they did their own Big Year, traveling from Florida to Alaska and back, by way of a ton of other places, in their old VW Bus. Marc and I  birded some local areas together, before meeting up with Tim at 8 pm. Meeting with Tim, the three of us headed farther into the woods, stopping at a state park, where it was still a bit too light to try for the owls. We chatted about guiding companies - Tim has his own, Marc has just gotten started with his - and I am in the process of finalizing mine. Finally, it was dark enough to try for them. We tried several times at the first spot, in which we had no luck. I'd been stressing about this bird for a long time - I'd intended to get flam when I   went for Himalayan Snowcock a few weeks earlier, but a landslide cancelled those plans. Now, it was getting late for the owls - they get incredibly quiet this time of year. 

We navigated back to the parking lot and tried there. After not too long, one called, seemingly distant, a few single note hoots. We walked closer to where it was calling - across the road - and this time it was making a multi-note call, similar to the territorial call, but not spot on. Flammulated Owl! I did a silent little happy dance, excited to at least hear this bird well enough to be able to count it for the year! Tim surmised it was probably a young bird testing out its vocal cords. Soon after, a car drove by and flushed it more distantly into the woods. As much as I wanted to keep trying, to see if we could get a visual on another individual, it was time for me to head west to at least get a few hours of sleep before the snowcock hike the next morning. Down we went - into separate cars we went - and off west I went. 

Year List: 668

August 29th

I arrived to Angel Lake Campground around 12:15 am - popped out of the car to say hi to Pat and Sarah, laid out my sleeping bag in the back of the car, and slept a restless five hours. A 5:30 alarm was timed perfectly with the first bits of light over the nearby valley. After coffee and some amazing homemade muffins, we were on our way! It took us about 70 minutes to make it to Smith Lake, where my friend Alex had pioneered with some clients a few weeks ago and heard a few snowcock, after the landslide closed the traditional spot at Ruby Lake, which remains closed for the foreseeable future. 

After a bit of waiting, anticipating hearing the long, obvious bugle call, twenty minutes in, we heard a series of repeated notes, speeding up over time. We all commented on it, but passed it off as Chukar, which are also in the area. A Red-tailed Hawk had been sitting perched up in a tree along the ridgeline the entire time, which was surely contributing to the silence of the area. After about fifteen minutes, I decided to pull up the calls of both Himalayan Snowcock and Chukar - and we all looked at one another in disbelief as we simultaneously realized that the "rally call" we'd been hearing had been the Himalayan Snowcock all along! 

We spent a bit more time in the area, hoping to get a distant look at one, but they remained silent since the first calls. I gifted my women companions Birdies, and we took some photos with the scenery in the background. 

We made our way down the mountain, and feasted on a delicious brunch that Sarah and Pat had prepared. There are so many logistics to manage on a Big Year, and often my eating habits are compromised. It was so great to not have to worry about food on this trip! 

The smoke was absolutely crazy, and even by 10 am, we didn’t cast a single shadow. 

We packed up, and headed the 2.5 hours to Diamondfield Jack Campground south of Twin Falls, Idaho, where we would try for Cassia Crossbill. We met my old friend from the Rio Grande Valley, Stephanie, there, who in the last six years, moved to New Zeeland, completed her PhD, and is now living in Boise. Upon arrival, the site was very noisy, filled with ATVs. There were a few Cassia Crossbills feeding in the pine overhead when we parked, but they quickly disappeared, and Stephanie didn't get a chance to see them. After looking around the area, we decided to drive a few miles farther down the road to Porcupine Springs Campground. They were overhead once again as we parked, and stuck around for great looks and videos. 

Pat and Sarah took out the food again, and we had a late lunch- as well as celebrating with “lifer shots” - Snowcock celebrations for Pat and Sarah, crossbill celebrations for Stephanie, and both for me.

 Just before 4 pm, Stephanie and I took off, heading eastward - a Little Gull had been reported in American Falls, Idaho, and we had time left in the day to try for it! 

We arrived shortly after 6 pm, and immediately I was thankful that I had a big vehicle with four wheel drive. Maybe the Universe knew I'd need it! After about an hour of searching, we found the Little Gull roosting with some terns and Franklin's Gulls - I took an awful doc shot, Stephanie peered through the scope a brief minute, and then boom - it was gone!

It was a lifer for both of us (ABA #740 for me) and I was equally excited to have one fewer bird to search for in New England this winter, which is where I had intended on finding Little Gull. Of course, more lifer shots were in order. 

We made our way back out of the reservoir, Stephanie and I parted ways; she, back to Boise, and myself, in the direction of Salt Lake City. 

I wanted to get close to Salt Lake City, so I could sleep in a bit tomorrow before needing to be at the airport for my 10 am flight. I found Willard Bay State Park, just off of Highway 15, and set my tent up to the sound of traffic, and under the slight glow of the restroom lights - a site strategically picked so I wouldn't have to deal with a flashlight. I was thankful to have running water.  What a successful trip - all three target birds accomplished, plus two additional bonus birds! I washed my face and brushed my teeth, and quickly fell asleep. 

Year List: 671