Pishing Above Aspen Grove & Sundance Ski Resort

You may be wondering, "What in the heck in "Pishing? Is that a typo?"  Pishing is a sound some birders make with their mouths when they suspect small "tweety" birds are hiding nearby in dense brush or foliage. The sound draws the attention of some small birds to the point of bringing them out of their hiding places.

When I first rekindled my interest in birds a few years ago I had two broad categories for them. Raptors were the cool birds, of course. Tweety birds were all the little singing birds. Needless to say, my interest in and fascination with birds has grown to include and appreciate every species I encounter. Consequently, I've added "pishing" to my tool bag for locating, identifying, and photographing the tweety birds.

I attended a  purchasing conference at Aspen Grove, near Sundance Ski Resort in Utah County, a little over a week ago. It was a Friday and the first winter-ish storm of the season had passed through the area and left a thin blanket of snow in some of the higher elevations. The sun was still hidden by clouds, but I captured a few images looking up from Aspen Grove before leaving the conference.

Fall View From Aspen Grove Lodge in Utah County, UT

View Toward Mount Timpanogos From Aspen Grove Lodge in Utah County, UT

Aspen Grove is on the other side of the mountain, so to speak, from my home so I drove back up and over the top of the mountain to return home. As I was starting that drive I looked back and admired a scene of mixed seasons. The light layer of snow revealed some of the lower runs of the Sundance Ski Resort in the distance. Maples turning orange-red, evergreens, and deciduous trees that were still showing green leaves added color to the scene.

View of Aspen Grove From Alpine Loop Road in Utah County, UT

Driving a little farther and higher took me to a vantage point allowing a better view of the ski resort as it was beginning to be shrouded by heavy clouds.

View of Sundance Ski Resort From Alpine Loop Road in Utah County, UT

While admiring the scenery I heard sporadic "peeps" coming from the trees on the hillside below me so I decided to give "pishing" a whirl.  And out came some cute little tweety birds! Black-capped Chickadees showed themselves first, but it was the Mountain Chickadees I decided to photograph since I was enjoying time in the mountains, after all. This one struck a nice pose as it came up for a look at the "pishing" guy.

Mountain Chickadee Above Sundance and Aspen Grove in Utah County, UT

Within a few minutes several more Mountain Chickadees were curious enough to fly in from their hiding places. One particular bird was drawn more to plucking some seeds from the blossom of a Mullein plant. I've heard most people pronounce that as "mool-uhn."

Several Ruby-crowned Kinglets made their way into nearby cover and slowly gained the courage or enough curiosity to move into the open. This little guy is really only about four inches long from head to tip of tail. He came close, but kept his ruby-colored crown feathers well hidden except for a tiny red dot that can be seen near the center of his crown. If you are like me you'll need reading glasses to see that tiny dot of red.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Above Sundance and Aspen Grove in Utah County, UT

Here's an image I captured previously in southern Utah just to give you an idea of how much red was hidden by the bird above. During breeding season these males can reveal red feathers that cover nearly a third of their crown.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Tonaquint Park in St George, UT

Red-breasted Nuthatches were last on the scene. They are, in my experience, often the last to arrive at the pishing parties.

Red-breasted Nuthatch Above Sundance and Aspen Grove in Utah County, UT

I think it was coincidental that a Steller's Jay passed through and landed on the bare branches of a nearby tree. They don't generally respond to strange people making "pishing" sounds on a hillside. I always enjoy seeing these black, white, and mostly bright blue jays. They are generally found at the higher elevations of coniferous and mixed wood mountain forests.

Steller's Jay Along Alpine Loop Road Above Sundance and Aspen Grove in Utah County, UT

Steller's Jay Along Alpine Loop Road Above Sundance and Aspen Grove in Utah County, UT

The conference I attended was fun and inspirational. The drive home was peaceful. The world is a wonderful place because of good people and the beauties of nature. I felt blessed when I returned home to family after a wonderful Friday.

Cooper's Hawks to Kinglets Along Squaw Peak Road

I enjoyed a 24-mile (round-trip) drive along Squaw Peak Road Saturday morning. I coincidentally met up with my outdoor friend Eric Huish as he was standing on a knoll near the beginning of Squaw Peak Road. He was there just before sunrise hoping to see Black Swifts flying in or out of Provo Canyon. He was not successful in that endeavor so he decided to jump into my truck to join me on a rough mountain ride in search of birds and other wildlife about 6000 feet above the city of Provo, Utah.

We started our drive in the foothills just above the mouth of Provo Canyon and made our turn back about twelve slow miles later after enjoying a distant view of Provo Bay on the east side of Utah Lake. We had Provo Peak behind us, Buckley Mountain to south (left in the image) and Y Mountain slightly to the northwest of us when I captured this image.

View Toward Provo Bay From Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Eric was hoping to see migrant Townsend's and Nashville Warblers during our drive. I was hoping to see some raptors after having watched hummingbirds at my yard feeders for several weeks. We both had our fingers crossed and eyes peeled for elusive Northern Goshawks. We both experienced some success with our hopes and a few pleasant surprises during our mountain drive.

Our strategy for the slow drive along the rocky dirt road was to stop whenever we heard or saw small flocks of birds moving along the road or in bordering tree lines and meadows. One of our first stops allowed us to hear and observe the slight differences between Downy and Hairy Woodpecker calls. We heard their calls before we saw either of them. I enjoyed following a female Hairy Woodpecker as she pecked and foraged along the trunks and main branches of several trees. I captured three images as she was uncovering and "downing" a larva of some sort.

Female Hairy Woodpecker Chipping Away Bark in Search of Food Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Female Hairy Woodpecker Extracting Food From Beneath Bark Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Female Hairy Woodpecker With Extracted Larva Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

We soon found one of our target warblers, a male Wilson's Warbler, during a short walk around an area of dense vegetation.

Migrant Wilson's Warbler Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

As we were observing birds in the area of the Wilson's Warbler a truck with a man and his wife stopped to tell us they were sure bears were moving through the woods just ahead of us. They had been camping the night before and decided to move from the tent into the truck for the night. They had heard what they thought were bears again in the morning and decided to leave the area. Eric and I drove to see if we could observe large mammals in the area. We heard them, but we were unable to get a visual. The trees and vegetation were too thick in the direction of the sounds. After ending a brief search for the mystery animal I captured images of one of dozens of Red-breasted Nuthatches heard and seen along the road.

One of Dozens of Red-breasted Nuthatches Among Fir Trees Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

The first of our surprise experiences for the day came when we heard the calls of Golden-crowned Kinglets. We exited the truck and were able to see about six of these uniquely marked little birds. These kinglets are typically found in mountain conifers. They are about 4 inches long and seem to be somewhat nomadic as they forage in small groups.

The Golden Crown of a Golden-crowned Kinglet Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

This image shows a bit of the reddish feathers often hidden below the golden crown. I noticed one bird flaring his crown so it almost looked orange with the mix of yellow and red.

Golden-crowned Kinglet Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

The next surprise of the day and a highlight for me was when we were about to leave an area and I suggested we spend just a few more minutes. I heard a raptor scream and wasn't sure if it was an accipiter (a group of long-tailed hawks) or a more common Red-tailed Hawk. Moments later Eric and I were both scratching our heads when it seemed we were hearing several screams coming from a mixed stand of Aspens and Conifers. We were hopeful that we were hearing juvenile Northern Goshawk's giving their begging calls, but after it appeared we were hearing the calls coming from three separate birds I began to wonder if Steller's Jay's were imitating hawks. Both of us had experienced that while birding in the mountains before. A moment later the screams moved closer to the edge of the tree line. In a flash a juvenile Cooper's Hawk flew out of the woods and slightly up the hill from us. It moved to a tree just down the road from us and gave me the opportunity to capture this silhouette of one my my favorite hawks.

Silhouette of Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

I used exposure compensation on the spot and then Picasa when I returned home to reveal a colored version of the same image as above.

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

The surprises continued when the second and third juvenile Cooper's Hawks came out of obscurity and into the meadow around us and the sky above us.  We suspect that these three juveniles were siblings and were giving their begging calls to locate one another among the woods. Perhaps there were adults in the area that the juveniles were calling.

The auto focus feature of my Nikon D7100 is a two-edged sword at times like this. It works very well ,but sometimes the frame is so busy the camera locks focus on the larger objects in the background rather than a small moving target in the foreground. These images have been cropped so the bird looks much larger than when I was trying to lock my center focus area on the flying hawk. The first images shows how the focus locked onto the trees in the background rather than the bird. However, I continued to track the bird as it flew to areas with less busy backgrounds. Once I locked onto the bird in flight I was able to maintain it despite trees and mountains reappearing in the background.

I usually don't share poor images, but I like the experience of following this bird out of the trees and into the sky where the target for the focus became more obvious. It shows the reality of digital photography, both good and bad.  I also like capturing the bird mid-scream in a couple of images.

Out of Focus Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Just Before Auto Focus Kicks In Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Preparing to Scream Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Screaming Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Screaming Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Screaming Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

This is an image of the third juvenile Cooper's Hawk found along Squaw Peak Road.

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

After all the excitement with three active Cooper's Hawks we were still enjoyed discovering one more of our target birds for the day, a Townsend's Warbler. It's common to see these Warblers in our mountains as they migrate south for the winter.

Townsend's Solitaire Along Squaw Peak Road in Utah County, UT

I love living in Utah. The mountains, canyons, lakes, rivers, deserts, and the creatures that call them home provide a great deal of variety close to home. Spring is beautiful and full of new life among plants, people, and animals. Summer brings long days and more time to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. Fall brings new color to the mountains outside our windows. Winter brings snow cover to the mountains and a new group of raptors that are much easier to spot and photograph than tiny birds among dense foliage.

Observing a Tiny Wasatch Mountain Watering Hole

I love living in Utah! I can go from home to any number of wildlife habitats in ten to thirty minutes. I can get to a major lake, ponds, canyons, agricultural areas and grasslands, or several riparian habitats in ten to fifteen minutes. I can be in desert or a mix of aspen and conifer near the top of a mountain in less than 30 minutes, desert to the west and mountains to the east. Each season changes the wildlife seen at all of these locations. If you love the outdoors you'd love visiting and exploring Utah.

After spending two Saturday mornings in a row exploring desert habitat I chose to head east to the mountains for this past Saturday morning's outdoor adventure. I drove up American Fork Canyon via SR 92, made my way over the 8000' summit and dropped about two miles down the east side of the summit on Cascade Scenic Drive, leaving Utah County and entering Wasatch County, to a relatively unknown spring. I haven't decided what to call this location quite yet, but I'm working on a name for it.

This is the scene that greeted me Saturday morning as I pulled off the road into a dirt lot. Snow could be seen on the top of Mount Timpanogos (Nearly 12000'). The small spring is located at the base of the dead conifers you see just right of center in the image below.

Lincoln's Sparrows, MacGillivary's Warblers, and Red-naped Sapsuckers are almost guaranteed in this little patch. I spent some of my observation time sitting in the shady dirt spot to the left and the rest of my time sitting in the tall grass right in front of the fallen trees. In total I observed the comings and goings for about an hour and twenty minutes to capture the images that follow.

Here is the water hole from the perspective of the shady little dirt spot from which I watched some of the birds and mammals come and go. The birds would come to the water, drink or bathe, and the take a perch on the surrounding branches and snags to shake, fluff, and preen themselves. There were lots of little feathers around the water. The salmon flight feathers of Northern Flickers were fun to discover.

In total I watched 24 bird, two mammal, and a few butterfly species come to this tiny watering hole. This little spot sustained life for a wide variety of plants, animals, and insects, but the dead pine was a reminder that there is a full cycle to life on this earth. Here are some of the images I captured during Saturday morning's Wasatch mountain waterhole watch.

Male MacGillivray's Warbler in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male MacGillivray's Warbler in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Dark-eyed Junco, Gray-headed Subspecies, Fluffing After Bathing, in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Dark-eyed Junco, Gray-headed Subspecies, in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Pine Siskin in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Red-breasted Nuthatch in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

American Robin in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Least Chipmunk in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Female Red-naped Sapsucker in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)
Males typically do not have the solid black border between the red throat and white line meeting the bill. That solid black border is typical of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, but female Red-naped also show this border. Typical Range and call of the bird were used to identify as Red-naped.

Female Red-naped Sapsucker in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Weidemeyer's Admiral in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Mule Deer (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Lincoln's Sparrow in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Lincoln's Sparrow in Wasatch County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

My peaceful experience with nature was interrupted when I heard kids shooting guns from the hillside to my left. They were talking about shooting birds and the cars passing on the road between them and me. I didn't know what kind of guns they were shooting when I heard a projectile penetrate the tree leaves next to me and then whiz by my right ear. I knew they were pumping the guns before firing so I suspected they were playing with BB guns. I quickly remembered the "sins" of my childhood, so to speak, so I wasn't going to cast any stones, but I did hike up the hill to provide some gentle instruction to the little guys. Two of the little tykes can be seen below. Faces are not shown to protect their identities. The rifle below is aimed right toward where I had been sitting moments before hiking up the hill. It turned out that they were playing with Airsoft guns. The ones that fire little plastic balls.

I talked to the the little guys about safety first and then about not shooting at birds and cars and wildly into trees. I went into their campsite and informed mom and dad just so they'd be aware. Dad kind of looked at me as if I had two heads on my shoulders. Mom was very apologetic. After I left I overheard dad correcting the boys.

On my way back home I stopped briefly at Timpooneke Campground and captured some images of Western Tanagers. I settled for the tanager images because the Cordilleran Flycatchers weren't being cooperative. Those flycatchers were singing actively throughout the canyons Saturday. They are back in Utah's mountains and canyons in force.

Male Western Tanager Timpooneke Campground in Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Male Western Tanager Timpooneke Campground in Utah County, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Where to go for my next outing--that's always a fun question to answer. We'll just have to wait and see as the week progresses.