Utah/Nevada – August 2006

with

Jaeger Tours and Westwings

This combined trip ran Friday, August 4 to Thursday, August 10 covering various habitats in both these rugged states. We hit Alpine zones, Spruce-fir, down to Pinyon-juniper and upland desert shrub, and the lower elevations including the Great Salt Lake going from 10,500 to 2,700 ft. or so. Consequently our trip list was about 180 bird species.  

This report will cover our journey with highlights based on my interests plus give info for those who would like to make the trip on their own. But as you read through here, hopefully I will have conveyed my impressions that this is a trip with such specialty birds involved that your best bet for seeing them is with these tour companies. In fact, one participant – a friend of mine who talked me into the trip – had tried for the Snowcock two times previously on his own without success. He was now on the trip. Westwings does run a shorter three day trip specifically for the Snowcock for those with limited time or just specific target bird interests.

For the official trip reports and species list, please see each company’s web site.

Jaeger Tours – Adrian Binns – http://www.jaegertours.net/

Westwings – Mark Stackhouse – http://www.westwings.com/

We were lucky to have a third leader for half the trip – David Wheeler also from Westwings.

Here are a couple links to online maps to help you follow along – just start by entering Utah and then setting the zoom scale to an appropriate level:

http://maps.yahoo.com/

http://www.multimap.com/

This trip was my 6^th with Adrian and Jaeger tours and obviously I highly recommend them. This was my first with Mark and Westwings and I look forward to more tours with them again also. All the leaders were extremely professional, very knowledgeable, very people oriented. The itinerary was superb. We covered a lot of ground in 7 days.

Friday – Day 1 - Most participants including myself arrived the night before. I took the opportunity of a free morning to start learning the local birds like CLIFF SWALLOW, BREWER’S BLACKBIRD – all over the lawns, WHITE-FACED IBIS, etc. all seen from the motel grounds.

    Our drive to Elko , NV – our base for the SNOWCOCK hike – gave us further opportunity to learn the common local birds. A stop at Mark’s house yielded our first study of BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD – the main hummingbird at feeders at lower elevations. Mark knew right where to stop along I80 – the Groatsville exit – for SNOWY PLOVER. Utah had been having unseasonable amounts of rain during July, so whether this area is always good for shorebirds or just this year, I do not know. Our first BANK SWALLOWS – this turned out to be our most numerous swallow for the trip were here. Other birds during our trip west were the Great Basin race of the CANADA GOOSE, SWAINSON’S HAWKS perched on telephone poles along with RED-TAILED HAWKS – this was interesting as I am so used to RED-TAILED being the default “highway” raptor back home in NJ. I was studying those id points to be able to make a call while driving along at 70mph. It wasn’t easy!

    Birding along the Humboldt River in Elko in the late afternoon yielded CALIFORNIA QUAIL, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, all in the lowland riparian areas. We had LARK and BREWER’S SPARROWS back in the upland desert scrub habitat. For those doing this trip on their own just for the Snowcock, consider flying into Elko if possible – it would save a lot of driving.

Saturday – Day 2 – The HIMALAYAN SNOWCOCK was introduced from Asia to these Ruby Mountains as a gamebird starting in 1963. Now that it is considered established by the ABA , birders go to major efforts to see it and check it off their lists.

    We started the hike up the Ruby Mountains in the Humboldt National Forest ’s Lamoille Canyon ’s Island Lake trail for the Snowcock well before dawn as we wanted to be there at first light. The trail is not easy going – there are rocks to watch out for and it ascends 2000 ft. or so from the parking lot. I took my time and made it in 1 hour and 45 minutes to our search spot at 10,000 ft. Others pushed themselves and made it in an hour. Most of the hike is on a trail, but we went off trail at the Island Lake . This section was steeper and even more rocky, but quite manageable if you take your time. By the time I had gotten to that point it was light anyway. It’s a hard hike, but anyone in a reasonable degree of fitness can make it. Mark has had an 80 year old birder make the hike and get the bird!

    A scope is necessary to spot the SNOWCOCKS and since I was lugging mine, it was just another good reason to take my time hiking up. Mark was explaining where to look for the birds. Only this wasn’t a normal year with all the rain – figures, but that’s why we all were on the tour and not by ourselves. Mark didn’t quit, he knows from all his years of experience with this species their habits. Three hours after we got there, at 9:40AM , Mark spots them along the ridge. The collective sigh of relief and suddenly very happy trip participants were quite noticeable! For those who do try on their own, keep scanning the rocks above the treeline. The easiest way to pick out will be if they ascend to the ridges. They are very hard to spot perched in the rocky terrain even when moving. Just keep scanning.

Here we are searching.

I took this next picture through Mark’s scope with his zoom lens. My scope is a 30X and not enough magnification for a decent shot. This is how far away the birds are.

    Other species up in this alpine zone were BLACK ROSY-FINCH, PINE SISKIN, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, and  DUSKY GROUSE.

    Our hike down was quite cheerful for obvious reasons! We took our time and enjoyed the wildflowers. Mark knows his mountain wildflowers and the late, extensive rains this summer had them showing nicely for us. When we hit the aspen zone, we started hearing and seeing many DUSKY FLYCATCHERS.

    After a well-deserved 2 hour nap back at the motel, we were off to the South Fork Reservoir for some late afternoon birding. This fresh water wetland spot gave us nice looks at EARED, WESTERN, and CLARK ’S GREBE’S.

This EARED was fairly close to the road for a nice shot.

    We picked up a lot of waterfowl here including CINNAMON TEAL – confusing in their eclipse plumage, COMMON GOLDENEYE – rare this time of year, and COMMON MERGANSER. SORA, BLACK TERN, BAIRD’S SANDPIPER, and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were other highlights.

Sunday – Day 3 – A travel day as we birded our way east to Brigham City , UT. We didn’t need this second morning that is planned into the itinerary for another Snowcock try, so had time to hit some different, unplanned areas. Like the Humboldt picnic area for LEWIS’S WOODPECKER, the Lamoille Grove picnic area for WESTERN TANAGER, CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER, and nice looks at the red-shafted race of the NORTHERN FLICKER, and the Farm Rd. – yes, that was it’s name – gave us desert shrub and a cattle pasture area for VESPER SPARROW, BOBOLINK, and LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. A Pinyon-juniper habitat spot we stopped at off of I-80 – Mark knew the area and as far as I know, not on the regular birding track so to speak – produced JUNIPER TITMOUSE, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, GRAY FLYCATCHER, and a flock of 82 PINYON JAYS that came streaming over us in two’s and three’s – this lasted for 10 minutes or so. I was pleased to say the least….the flight look and all.

    Back in Utah , our first actual birding stop was in the Curlew Valley , along Rt. 30. I have dubbed this next 5 mile or so stretch as “raptor alley” as in only 1 hour and 30 minutes or so we had say 80 raptors – FERRUGINOUS, SWAINSON’S, and RED-TAILED HAWKS, NORTHERN HARRIER, PRAIRIE FALCON and AMERICAN KESTREL. Some late afternoon birding in the White’s Valley area next produced another introduced gamebird – the GRAY PARTRIDGE – a lower 48 bird for me – and SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. This last was spotted clear across some fields from one eagle-eyed participant so we didn’t have to go bush-wacking for them. Shoot, and I was looking forward to seeing how many were in those fields…..  As far as I can tell, this area is not in the Birding Utah book, so here again, a guide with firsthand knowledge of the area proved indispensable.

Monday – Day 4 – Our morning was spent birding. Willow Bay Park provided a nice change of pace with some riparian birding next to the lake. This area can be good for migrant passerines given the right winds and time of year - neither of which we had this morning! Some highlights from here were ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, LAZULI BUNTING, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, WESTERN TANAGER, and “Audubon’s” YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.

    The late morning to early afternoon was spent at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Anyone like numbers? I can only begin to estimate some of the numbers of the species we had here: 2000 WHITE PELICANS, 200 WILSON ’S PHALAROPES, a few hundred COOT with young, thousands of AVOCETS, BLACK-NECKED STILTS, and WHITE-FACED IBIS. Still more EARED, WESTERN, and CLARK ’S GREBES were around. 1 VIRGINIA RAIL showed nicely. Early August is not the main time to bird here and yet I thoroughly enjoyed! I like numbers….. I can only imagine this place at the height of both spring and fall migration. According to “Birding Utah” and I quote: “In the minds of most, this refuge is the crown jewel of Utah birding.”

    Onwards south and east we had to travel though to the Desert Ranch. We actually stayed in a motel in Evanston , Wyoming as the guest inn at the Ranch had burned down last winter. I hope they rebuild! Must have been a treat to stay on the property itself and wake up to the birds. Night birding at the ranch yielded POORWILL and FLAMULATED OWL.

Tuesday – Day 5 – After a couple cups of coffee at the motel – I need “fuel”, we were off to the Desert Ranch for the day. This place comprises 250,000 acres and is privately owned and managed for wildlife and sustainable cattle grazing that doesn’t destroy the native grasses. A birding trip to the Desert Ranch can only be booked through Westwings. Please see the above web site for more details. I don’t have the space to adequately detail what we did here, but here are some highlights in no particular order. This place covers a multitude of habitats from riparian to desert scrub to pinyon-juniper to spruce-fir. That list itself should convey the birding possibilities here! Some highlights – 25 or so RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS feeding on a patch of Bull Thistle, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL that responded to Mark’s calling, SAGE THRASHER, BREWER’S SPARROW, a few VIRGINIA ’S WARBLERS ( ABA bird for me)

that Adrian managed to call in for us. These skulkers were difficult to see well, but we did. Some more highlights -  MACGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER, BURROWING OWL, OLIVE-SIDED and HAMMOND ’S FLYCATCHERS, GREATER SAGE-GROUSE, and GOLDEN EAGLE.

    Another night birding expedition had us experiencing a moonrise at the Blue Grass Pond on the Desert Ranch property. We were enjoying the birds coming into roost for the night when a SHORT-EARED OWL came along and scared some up again! Six  GREAT HORNED OWLS, 1 calling LONG-EARED OWL, and some more COMMON POORWILLS on the sand roads were all enjoyed. With all the numerous specialty birds that can be had just on the ranch property itself, this place is a welcome addition to any birding trip to Utah . I hope to get back some spring.

Wednesday – Day 6 – I believe this morning was the morning we got to sleep in and leave late. Off we went at 6:30AM back west and south to the Uinta Mountains . We hit various locations here that the Birding Utah book and a good map should get those started on their own exploring. For example, one of the parking lots for Mirror Lake had PINE GROSBEAK and RED CROSSBILL. We had nice looks at these Spruce-fir zone specialties in the scopes. We hiked a couple trails for Three-toed Woodpecker without success. This species eluded us the whole trip.  Not really the proper time of year to track them down as they aren’t calling much now. LINCOLN ’S SPARROW in a Mountain pond area was a treat. I see this species all over NJ in migration, but to see it in its breeding habitat was one of my highlights.

    Another of my highlights for the trip was our hike along the Bald Mountain Trail. We were around 10,700 ft. when we spotted BLACK ROSY-FINCHES at a pond area well below us. With much discussion Adrian and Mark decided to alter the itinerary and allow whoever wanted to make the hike down for closer looks. And yes, I was the one who suggested this! I really wanted closer looks, and Adrian and Mark complied! Turned out half the group came with Adrian for the hike. The other half stayed with Mark near the cliff face where occasionally the ROSY-FINCHES will come to.

Here’s a picture I shot of that little wet area where the birds were drinking. It wasn’t a bad hike down. Even coming up was ok – we took it slow. We were somewhat used to the altitude by then also.

We did see many ROSY-FINCHES when we got to the pool of water. And AMERICAN PIPIT, VESPER SPARROW, CASSIN’S FINCH, and the “gray-headed” race of JUNCO. I would highly recommend this hike to birders at this time of year. Directions are in the Birding Utah book – page 202.

Here’s a picture of a BLACK ROSY-FINCH.

    Our afternoon was spent driving back to Salt Lake City and the Great Salt Lake with Antelope Island and the Causeway to be birded yet. Need CHUKAR – yet another introduced gamebird? Well then, head straight to the Antelope Island visitor’s center. They are in those rocks at the parking lot. Be sure to scan for BURROWING OWL here also.

    The historic Fielding Garr ranch on the island is worth exploring for BARN and GREAT HORNED OWL which we had nice looks at. For the owls, explore the outer areas of the ranch – the tree islands. Back at the ranch, check the trees by the buildings which can be good in migration.

    Last, we birded the causeway back to the mainland. We didn’t have too many species along it, 8 or so, but say 200,000 in numbers. Another highlight of mine! Feeding on the Brine flies were EARED GREBE, both RED-NECKED and WILSON ’S PHALAROPES – 50,000 each, and loads of FRANKLIN ’S GULLS. A scope is a must along here. Keep in mind that the closer birds are flushed if you leave your vehicle.

Here’s a shot of both PHALAROPES. Notice the structural differences – the bigger, longer necked WILSON ’S and the smaller bodied, shorter necked RED-NECKED.

Thursday – Day 7 – A final morning of birding had us at the Silver Lake area of the Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City for one final try for Three-toed Woodpecker. No luck! But this Spruce-fir zone did net us STELLAR’S JAY and more RED CROSSBILLS. We next worked our way back to Salt Lake City via the Olympus Cove housing development for BAND-TAILED PIGEON, more CALIFORNIA QUAIL, and WESTERN SCRUB-JAY. Those PIGEONS are regular in the area, but change feeding and roosting locations. Check with the hotlines before heading up.

    We went back to the motel for repacking. I was going to spend a few hours in Salt Lake City just touring like I did that first morning, but with the new security precautions in effect we all thought it best to just get to the airport and get through security. Home early Friday morning after a wonderful trip!

Reference materials: I just brought the Sibley Guide to the Birds of Western North American, an Ipod Nano with Stokes Guide to Bird Songs West loaded, and The Falcon Guide – Birding Utah, 1998. This book was indispensable if not for locations – we hit some areas not in it – but for the status and distribution graphs and the write-ups on the Utah specialty birds. I didn’t bring a wildflower book, but should have. A “google” search will show the possibilities. Mark had a small, basic reference to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers which was great! Adrian had the Utah DeLorme Atlas. I used this to follow our progress instead of the regular maps. He also had many other reference books on butterflies, trees, etc. He always does so I never bring any of mine.

Odds and ends: Here are some hints and suggestions for making the trip go smoother that worked well for me. Layering clothing works the best. The hikes in the morning were chilly, yet after a couple hours I was reducing. The  North Face Hyvent worked great. It’s extremely thin and rolled up nicely into my small daypack after a couple hours up at the Snowcock search site. A winter hat and gloves were used. A headlamp would be better for the trails at night than a flashlight It would keep a hand free. I wore my heavier hiking boots for that rocky trail. Other than that, lightweight boots are fine. For those prone to altitude sickness, some chocolate packed in your daypack will work. Adrian and Mark supply trail mix, but plain chocolate is best for those feeling dizzy. One of the participants was a bit sick, but ate chocolate and started feeling better shortly after. I pack a bottle of Gatorade in addition to water for these hikes.

    I am a vegetarian and found the food not that good. I should have brought more snacks like I usually do. Mark and Adrian pack a great picnic lunch! It was breakfast mainly that was the problem. Power Bars are always a standby for me that I didn’t have this trip.

    For those after good bird shots, both a digiscoping setup and a handheld longer lens with camera body are both musts. I only have a digiscoping setup and couldn’t get many passerine shots.

    A few participants flew in a couple days early, rented cars, and hit the higher elevations to try and get acclimated before the main hike we did on Sat. They said it worked for them.

My trip list:

 Pied-billed Grebe                         Podilymbus podiceps

  Eared Grebe                                 Podiceps nigricollis

  Western Grebe                             Aechmophorus occidentalis

  American White Pelican                Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

  Double-crested Cormorant           Phalacrocorax auritus

  Great Blue Heron                         Ardea herodias

  Snowy Egret                                 Egretta thula

  Cattle Egret                                  Bubulcus ibis

  White-faced Ibis                           Plegadis chihi

  Gadwall                                        Anas strepera

  Green-winged Teal                       Anas carolinensis

  Mallard                                        Anas platyrhynchos

  Northern Pintail                            Anas acuta

  Cinnamon Teal                             Anas cyanoptera

  Canvasback                                 Aythya valisineria

  Lesser Scaup                                Aythya affinis

  Common Goldeneye                     Bucephala clangula

  Common Merganser                     Mergus merganser

  Ruddy Duck                                 Oxyura jamaicensis

  Turkey Vulture                             Cathartes aura

  Osprey                                         Pandion haliaetus

  Northern Harrier                           Circus cyaneus

  Sharp-shinned Hawk                    Accipiter striatus

  Swainson's Hawk                         Buteo swainsoni

  Red-tailed Hawk                          Buteo jamaicensis

  Ferruginous Hawk                        Buteo regalis

  Golden Eagle                                Aquila chrysaetos

  American Kestrel                          Falco sparverius

  Prairie Falcon                               Falco mexicanus

  Dusky Grouse                              Dendragapus obscurus

  Greater Sage-Grouse                    Centrocercus urophasianus

  Sharp-tailed Grouse                      Tympanuchus phasianellus

  California Quail                             Callipepla californica

  Himalayan Snowcock                   Tetraogallus himalayensis

  Chukar                                         Alectoris chukar

  Gray Partridge                              Perdix perdix

  Sandhill Crane                              Grus canadensis

  Virginia Rail                                  Rallus limicola

  Sora                                             Porzana carolina

  American Coot                             Fulica americana

  Black-necked Stilt                        Himantopus mexicanus

  American Avocet                          Recurvirostra americana

  Killdeer                                        Charadrius vociferus

  Snowy Plover                               Charadrius alexandrinus

  Long-billed Dowitcher                  Limnodromus scolopaceus

  Long-billed Curlew                       Numenius americanus

  Greater Yellowlegs                       Tringa melanoleuca

  Lesser Yellowlegs                         Tringa flavipes

  Spotted Sandpiper                        Actitis macularius

  Willet                                           Catoptrophorus semipalmatus

  Western Sandpiper                     Calidris mauri

  Least Sandpiper                           Calidris minutilla

  Baird's Sandpiper                         Calidris bairdii

  Wilson 's Phalarope                       Phalaropus tricolor

  Red-necked Phalarope                 Phalaropus lobatus

  Ring-billed Gull                             Larus delawarensis

  California Gull                               Larus californicus

  Franklin 's Gull                               Larus pipixcan

  Caspian Tern                                Sterna caspia

  Forster's Tern                               Sterna forsteri

  Black Tern                                   Chlidonias niger

  Rock Pigeon                                 Columba livia

  Band-tailed Pigeon                       Patagioenas fasciata

  Mourning Dove                            Zenaida macroura

  Barn Owl                                     Tyto alba

  Great Horned Owl                        Bubo virginianus

  Northern Pygmy-Owl                   Glaucidium californicum

  Burrowing Owl                             Athene cunicularia

  Northern Long-eared Owl            Asio otus

  Short-eared Owl                          Asio flammeus

  Common Nighthawk                     Chordeiles minor

  Common Poorwill                         Phalaenoptilus nuttallii

  Black-chinned Hummingbird         Archilochus alexandri

  Broad-tailed Hummingbird            Selasphorus platycercus

  Rufous Hummingbird                    Selasphorus rufus

  Belted Kingfisher                          Ceryle alcyon

  Lewis' Woodpecker                     Melanerpes lewis

  Red-naped Sapsucker                  Sphyrapicus nuchalis

  Downy Woodpecker                    Picoides pubescens

  Hairy Woodpecker                       Picoides villosus

  Northern Flicker                           Colaptes auratus

  Olive-sided Flycatcher                  Contopus cooperi

  Western Wood-Pewee                 Contopus sordidulus

  Willow Flycatcher                         Empidonax traillii

  Hammond 's Flycatcher                 Empidonax hammondii

  Gray Flycatcher                            Empidonax wrightii

  Dusky Flycatcher                          Empidonax oberholseri

  Cordilleran Flycatcher                   Empidonax occidentalis

  Western Kingbird                         Tyrannus verticalis

  Eastern Kingbird                           Tyrannus tyrannus

  Horned Lark                                Eremophila alpestris

  Purple Martin                               Progne subis

  Tree Swallow                               Tachycineta bicolor

  Violet-green Swallow                   Tachycineta thalassina

  Rough-winged Swallow                Stelgidopteryx serripennis

  Bank Swallow                              Riparia riparia

  Cliff Swallow                                Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

  Barn Swallow                               Hirundo rustica

  American Pipit                              Anthus rubescens

  Golden-crowned Kinglet               Regulus satrapa

  Ruby-crowned Kinglet                  Regulus calendula

  Cedar Waxwing                           Bombycilla cedrorum

  American Dipper                          Cinclus mexicanus

  Rock Wren                                  Salpinctes obsoletus

  Marsh Wren                                 Cistothorus palustris

  Gray Catbird                                Dumetella carolinensis

  Sage Thrasher                              Oreoscoptes montanus

  Mountain Bluebird                        Sialia currucoides

  Townsend's Solitaire                     Myadestes townsendi

  American Robin                            Turdus migratorius

  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea

  Black-capped Chickadee            Poecile atricapillus

  Mountain Chickadee                     Poecile gambeli

  Juniper Titmouse                           Baeolophus ridgwayi

  Red-breasted Nuthatch                 Sitta canadensis

  White-breasted Nuthatch              Sitta carolinensis

  Brown Creeper                            Certhia americana

  Loggerhead Shrike                       Lanius ludovicianus

  Steller's Jay                                  Cyanocitta stelleri

  Western Scrub-Jay                       Aphelocoma californica

  Pinyon Jay                                    Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus

  Black-billed Magpie                     Pica hudsonia

  Clark 's Nutcracker                       Nucifraga columbiana

  Common Raven                            Corvus corax

  European Starling                         Sturnus vulgaris

  House Sparrow                            Passer domesticus

  Plumbeous Vireo                          Vireo plumbeus

  Warbling Vireo                             Vireo gilvus

  Black Rosy-Finch                         Leucosticte atrata

  Pine Grosbeak                              Pinicola enucleator

  Cassin's Finch                               Carpodacus cassinii

  House Finch                                 Carpodacus mexicanus

  Red Crossbill                                Loxia curvirostra

  Pine Siskin                                    Carduelis pinus

  Lesser Goldfinch                           Carduelis psaltria

  American Goldfinch                      Carduelis tristis

  Orange-crowned Warbler             Vermivora celata

  Virginia 's Warbler                         Vermivora virginiae

  Yellow Warbler                            Dendroica petechia

  Yellow-rumped Warbler               Dendroica coronata

  Black-throated Gray Warbler       Dendroica nigrescens

  MacGillivray's Warbler                 Oporornis tolmiei

  Common Yellowthroat                  Geothlypis trichas

  Western Tanager                          Piranga ludoviciana

  Green-tailed Towhee                    Pipilo chlorurus

  Spotted Towhee                           Pipilo maculatus

  Chipping Sparrow                        Spizella passerina

  Brewer's Sparrow                        Spizella breweri

  Vesper Sparrow                           Pooecetes gramineus

  Lark Sparrow                               Chondestes grammacus

  Sage Sparrow                              Amphispiza belli

  Song Sparrow                              Melospiza melodia

  Lincoln 's Sparrow                         Melospiza lincolnii

  White-crowned Sparrow              Zonotrichia leucophrys

  Dark-eyed Junco                          Junco hyemalis

  Black-headed Grosbeak               Pheucticus melanocephalus

  Lazuli Bunting                               Passerina amoena

  Bobolink                                      Dolichonyx oryzivorus

  Red-winged Blackbird                  Agelaius phoeniceus

  Western Meadowlark                   Sturnella neglecta

  Yellow-headed Blackbird             Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

  Brewer's Blackbird                       Euphagus cyanocephalus

  Great-tailed Grackle                     Quiscalus mexicanus

  Brown-headed Cowbird               Molothrus ater

  Bullock's Oriole                            Icterus bullockii

  165 SPECIES

Mammal highlights: We had nice looks at Mountain Goat at the Snowcock search, Moose, Badger and Prairie-dog at the Desert Ranch, Black-tailed and White-tailed Jackrabbits in various habitats, and Mule Deer and Pronghorn most everywhere.

I always enjoy answering queries, so if anyone has specific questions on what I have written, comments, suggestions for future trip reports, etc. please email me.

Sandra Keller

September 2, 2006

sandrakeller@verizon.net