Birdwatchers Unite!

There are some fascinating species of birds that call Utah their home. March and April are good times of the year to catch some of these birds out and about. The winter snows are melting and the spring sun is coaxing vegetation from the ground, which not only provides many of the birds with a direct source of food, but also attracts small animals for the predatory birds. Spring is a great time for birdwatchers (most birds are out mating, which means dances and colors you typically wouldn’t see otherwise), and though I’m not a true birdwatcher, I still find it highly interesting to observe any type of bird.

One species that is truly a treat to observe is the bald eagle. When I was a child, I thought it was extremely good luck to catch sight of a bald eagle. I reasoned that it would make me more of an American, that the bird revealed itself only to special people to act as champions of patriotism. After seeing one in a zoo, though, I realized that anyone could buy a ticket and become exposed to the magical patriotic qualities of the bald eagle. So much for the bird having “chosen ones.”

Despite the fact that the bald eagle doesn’t actually possess any special powers, it is still a magnificent animal to behold. They have a few nesting areas in Utah, one of which is located in the Westwater area near Moab. They typically nest in the cottonwood trees near the Colorado River. Last year there were two eagles that were visible from where I was camping for a rafting trip. All day long they came and they went, flying up into the beautiful blue sky, diving down for some new treasure. The park ranger mentioned that there were probably baby eagles in the nest, because one eagle always stood guard as the other went out foraging. Now would be a good time to watch as the bald eagles are active finding a mate.

Another cool bird is the sage grouse, which sounds boring, but you should google it and check out the images. It’s a crazy looking bird. I would be surprised if it doesn’t have some magical powers. I bet it could shake its tail and start a whirlwind. The sage grouse is like the punk rocker of birds: no frilly peacock tail feathers, just a sideways spiked Mohawk. The balloon thingies on its chest kind of freak me out, but they just add to the punkness of the bird.

I honestly wouldn’t want to meet a sage grouse alone in some deserted field. I’m not an up-close-and-personal type of guy when it comes to birds in general. Some of you, though, might welcome a close encounter of the bird kind, and if so, there are plenty of places to catch sage grouse in action. Sage grouse are plentiful near Monticello, Price, and the East Canyon Reservoir areas, as well as other locations around the state.

For more information on bird watching and great locations to do so, contact the state division of wildlife resources at DWRcomment@utah.gov or call 801-538-4700. (Oh, and before you go bird watching, don’t watch Hitchcock’s The Birds.)