The Himalayan Snowcock, successfully introduced to mountains in northern Nevada, provides one of the greatest challenges of any resident bird in North America. Even though they are as large as our largest grouse, the snowcock is nevertheless very skilled at avoiding detection amongst the rocks and cliffs of some of the most rugged and remote mountains in the lower 48 states. To even get a chance to see them requires a considerable physical effort (or a helicopter!).Those who go to this effort are rewarded with not only a chance to see this spectacular bird, but also some of the most stunning scenery anywhere. There are also some other great birds, such as Black Rosy-Finch, and Lewis’ Woodpecker, to be found there. Although even our best efforts cannot guarantee that we will see the snowcock, we have been successful on over 90% of our tours, and have been successful on every tour for the last eight years.
We start very early on the first morning, and hike the first two miles (from elevation 8600 ft. to 9500 ft.) in the dark. We need to be in position to see the birds at first light. The rest of the climb is off-trail, and increasingly rugged. How far we need to go depends upon the birds.
We allow two mornings to get the bird. If we are successful the first morning, then we chase other “want-list” birds for the rest of the trip. If not, we try again the next morning. After leaving Nevada we will visit some of Northern Utah premier birding locations - the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains, Bear River Bird Refuge, Antelope Island and Deseret Ranch, making this short trip truly spectacular.
Itinerary (Update pending):
Day 1 ~ Great Salt Lake; Pequop Mountains; Elko
After a mid-morning arrival in Salt Lake City, we make the three-hour drive to Elko, Nevada with perhaps a few short birding stops on the way. We pass through good shorebird habitat along the salt flats of the south shore of the Great Salt Lake possibly picking up Baird’s Sandpiper and Snowy Plover, and some ridges covered with pinyon-juniper woodlands in the Pequop Mountains, where we'll have a chance to see Pinyon Jay, Juniper Titmouse, Gray Flycatcher and other birds of this specialized habitat. We'll have an early dinner, and do a little birding around Elko afterwards, looking for waders, California Quail, and western songbirds in the riparian habitat along the East Humboldt River.
Day 2 ~ Lamoille Canyon; South Fork Reservoir
It’s an early start to get to Lamoille Canyon and the trailhead, from where we hike 2 miles to Island Lake. From the lake we'll head up into the cirque above the lake to look for snowcocks. Most of the morning will be spent in the cirque, looking for snowcocks, Black Rosy-Finch and enjoying the many other birds and spectacular scenery of this alpine area. Birding our way back to the trailhead numerous good birds are possible, including Dusky Grouse, hummingbirds and western empids. On our way back to town we'll stop at the mouth of the canyon, where a grove of large cottonwoods is home to a colony of Lewis's Woodpeckers, and where other birds, such as Cordilleran Flycatcher, Green-tailed Towhee, and Lazuli Bunting can be seen.
After a short mid day break we head to South Fork Reservoir for an amazing variety of waders, waterfowl, shorebirds and terns. The drive to the reservoir, through rolling sagebrush-covered hills, gives us a chance to see sagebrush birds such as Sage Thrasher and Brewer's Sparrow.
Day 3 ~ Lamoille Valley; Whites Valley
This morning, we have one last chance to try for the snowcock (if we need it). If not, we'll do some early morning birding around the adjacent Lamoille Valley, where wet meadows and riparian woodlands lie at the base of the Ruby Mountains. Raptors, Sandhill Cranes, hummingbirds and many western songbirds will be the main targets of the morning.
After lunch we leave for Utah, going around the Great Salt Lake to the north and into the grasslands and agricultural areas of the Whites Valley near Bingham City where we’ll look for Swainson’s Hawk, Gray Partridge, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Grasshopper Sparrow and Short-eared Owl.
Day 4 ~ Bear River Bird Refuge; Deseret Ranch
This morning we visit the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, perhaps Utah's most famous birding location, where huge numbers of shorebirds and waterfowl congregate at this time of year. We should come across Western and Clark’s Grebe’s, American White Pelicans, California Gulls, Cinnamon Teal, White-faced Ibis, Long-billed Dowitchers, Marbled Godwits, Solitary Sandpipers, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilts, Caspian and Forster’s Terns, Marsh Wrens and Yellow-headed Blackbirds.
Leave late morning for Deseret Ranch by way of Logan Canyon and Bear Lake picking up some mountain species of the way. By late afternoon we’ll be birding the ranch and after dark looking for Flammulated Owl.
Day 5 ~ Deseret Ranch
We'll spend the entire day today touring the vast Deseret Ranch. At over 200,000 acres, the ranch is the largest piece of private property in Utah. The ranch is managed to maintain a healthy and diverse ecosystem, with sagebrush, grasslands, riparian, aspen and fir stands, mammals including Elk, Pronghorn, Coyotes, Moose, Beaver, White-tailed Jackrabbits and White-tailed Prairie Dogs and birds abounded. Over 270 species of birds have been seen there. Among the "ranch specialties" are Greater Sage- and Blue Grouse, but many other birds can be seen there as well, including Golden Eagle and Prairie Falcon, Flammulated Owl, Common Poorwill, Sage Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Canyon Wren, McGillivary’s and Virginia’s Warbler as well as an assortment of empidonax.
Day 6 ~ Uinta Mts; Antelope Island
Leave early for the Uinta Mountains east of Salt Lake City. Here we will have a chance for some upper elevation species including Mountain Bluebird, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, both kinglets, Clark’s Nutcracker, Red Crossbill, Cassin’s Finch, Pine Grosbeak, Gray Jay, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Three-toed Woodpecker and there’s always a chance of Black Rosy-Finch and Goshawk.
The afternoon will be spent at Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake to look for Bison, Burrowing Owl, Barn Owl and Chukar and where we'll have another taste of the shorebird migration on this inland sea. This truly can be one of the west's greatest birding spectacles with a million Wilson's Phalaropes joined hundreds of thousands of other shorebirds on the lake and the surrounding wetlands including Red-necked Phalaropes and more Eared Grebe’s than you’ve ever seen before. Along the 7-mile causeway that runs to the island, Franklin’s Gulls and Long-billed Curlews spend the day chasing Brine Flies along the shoreline. After dinner we’ll look for Western Screech Owl.
Day 7 ~ Wasatch Mts
Our final morning will be spent around Salt Lake City in the foothills and canyons of the Wasatch Mountains. At the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon lies the resort village of Brighton and picturesque Silver Lake. Possibilities in the canyon include American Dipper, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Red-naped Sapsucker, Olive-sided and Hammond’s Flycatcher, Hermit Thrush, MacGillivary’s Warbler, Band-tailed Pigeon, California Quail, Evening Grosbeak, Black-headed Grosbeak, Stellar’s Jay and Western Scrub-Jay. By late-morning we'll return to Salt Lake City and the airport for your flights home.
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