Who "Say's"?

Well, they were one day late, but I found a couple of Say's Phoebes today while out on a pleasant morning birding. Unlike last year they weren't up on the plateau, but down in the town of Tropic, only a few miles away. Also of interest was the sudden appearance in the park of, first, Western Bluebirds and, second, swarms of the Gray-headed variety of Dark-eyed Junco. In fact bluebirds were everywhere! Saw about 10 Westerns in the park, but driving along Utah 12 near Tropic it seem like every few hundred feet there were either Mountain or Western perched on a fence post or a utility wire. The day's total was 30 species, including some firsts for the year in addition to the Say's: Green-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, and Savannah Sparrow.

I photographed this Rock Squirrel in late March last year; surprisingly enough there was one in the same tree today. Could actually be the same squirrel, but it's hard to say . . .

Anyway . . . Here are all the bird species I tallied today: Western Scrub-jay, Steller's Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch, Western Bluebird, Common Raven, Golden Eagle, Horned Lark, Mountain Bluebird, House Sparrow, American Coot, Ring-necked Duck, Redhead, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal, Townsend's Solitaire, Mountain Chickadee, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon and Gray-headed), European Starling, Pine Siskin, Northern Flicker, House Finch, Say's Phoebe, Eurasian Collared-dove, Western Meadowlark, Bald Eagle, Canada Goose, Savannah Sparrow, Rock Pigeon.