Last weekend (August 4th) we went down to the new Lower Hobble Creek wildlife management area looking for an Indigo Bunting. There were reports [1] of several being seen along the trail (at "a tree with a fallen tree at the base and a sign nearby") and Leann wanted to add that bird to her life list. There were at least three spots on the trail that fit the description of "a tree with a fallen tree at the base and a sign nearby." But we didn't find the Indigo Buntings at any of these spots.
Here's an osprey we spotted scrutinizing the wetland for prey. This area, where Hobble Creek empties into Utah Lake, has been developed into a wetland to provide more habitat for wildlife—particularly the endangered June Sucker.[2] We also saw (or heard): Killdeers, a Yellow Warbler, Great Blue Herons, Caspian or Forrester Terns, Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, White-faced Ibises, a Belted Kingfisher, a Bullock's Oriole, and even a Lazuli Bunting. But no Indigo Buntings.
Lilli had a great time looking for birdies, bees, and butterflies. She also liked walking around in the foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum L.—it's the fuzzy-looking grass in the photo above) and getting it all over her pants and shoes. But her favorite thiing to do on this trip was picking up rocks, sticks, and flowers and trying to eat them.
Notes:
[1] See here, here, here, and here.
[2] See http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700068672/Save-the-June-sucker-save-Utah-Lake.html?pg=all.
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