Lapland Longspur
UOS Field Trip - Leidy Peak, Daggett County
several small flocks of
Horned
Larks
in northern Utah, particularly along State Route 83 heading north
from the ATK Thiokol plant just south of Howell. She examined the birds
closely and was delighted to
identify a
Lapland Longspur
among the
Larks. This species is known to migrate as far south as northern Utah,
although they are not observed every year. They probably occur annually but
are not always seen by knowledgeable birders or DWR employees.
The next day, January 21, Tim Avery, Colby Neuman, and Dave Slager ventured
up to the area that Kris had posted on the Utah BirdTalk website. At
milepost 26.5, they not only encountered one Lapland Longspur, but over the
course of two hours they counted at least 22 individuals of the species.
They also were able to find one Snow Bunting, which also extends into
northern Utah during its winter sojourn.
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