High Uinta Mountains

[Paul Jaussi]

We did a quick backpacking trip to the north slope of the Uinta Mountains last week. While I didn't focus on birding, I brought my binoculars and saw all of these birds above 9,200 ft and most at 10,000 ft or higher:

• Olive-sided Flycatcher (distinct quick, three beers call)
• Cordilleran Flycatcher (2)
• Clark's Nutcracker (1)
• Mt Chickadee (multiple)
• Red Crossbill (multiple)
• Am. Three-toed Woodpecker (2 - separate locations)
• Common Nighthawk (heard pweet several times above camp)
• Spotted Sandpipers (3)
• Pine Grosbeak (2)
• Green-tailed Towhee (1)
• Chipping Sparrow (multiple)
• Lincoln Sparrow (2)
• Yellow-rumped Warbler (multiple)
• Canada Jay (3)
• Norther Flicker (multiple)
• Osprey (1 - soaring above a lake at almost 11,000 elevation)
• Golden Eagle (1 - soaring around top of a high mountain cliff at same lake as Osprey. Large eagle with fingered wing tips, small head)

I thought I heard some finches around timberline and was hoping for rosy finches but never saw birds or confirmed call. 

As a side note, we had a sage grouse along the side of the road coming out of the mountains but was in Uinta County, Wyoming.

Paul Jaussi

St. George