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THE GREAT OUTDOORS — The Division of Wildlife Resources will host two public events in April to give people an opportunity to view migrating loons and strutting sage grouse.
Third annual loon watch
There are five loon species and the second largest — the common loon — migrates through Utah twice a year, according to a DWR news release. Each spring, common loons travel to the remote, freshwater lakes and ponds in the northern U.S. and Canada where they breed and spend the summer raising their young, the news release said.
Loons are named either for their awkwardness when walking or after an old Norse word that means "to moan." The birds are known for their haunting voices and are built for diving.
"Loons are an almost mythical bird of the north, well known for their wailing, yodel-like calls," DWR conservation outreach manager Ron Stewart said in a news release. “They’re superb swimmers that are designed to catch fish. They only use land during their nesting season.”
The birds typically migrate through the Uintah Basin, and Stewart said in past years, he’s seen more than 200 loons on different reservoirs in the Basin area.
The free wildlife viewing event will be held April 4 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Steinaker State Park. The Loon Watch will be held at one of the U.S. 191 pull-off areas on the east side of the reservoir. Binoculars and spotting scopes will be available to help people see the unique birds. Educational information will also be available.
“With a bit of cooperation from the birds, we should be able to see them feeding on crayfish and possibly minnows in the shallows. And, if we’re lucky, we might get to hear them call," Stewart said.
Many northern states in the U.S. have put the loon species on watch lists because of declining populations, the news release said. Declining populations are generally attributed to human-caused water pollution, mercury and lead poisoning, pesticides, oil spills, loss of habitat and disturbances from new developments and water uses.
View strutting sage grouse
Sage grouse are currently breeding in East-central Utah and people can watch the birds during their strutting rituals.
“The ‘bloop, bloop’ sound that male sage-grouse make, as they strut on their breeding grounds, is one of the most unique sounds you’ll ever hear in nature,” the news release said.
DWR will hold a free, public event to witness the strutting on April 11 at Emma Park, about 13 miles north of Price. Grouse typically leave their strutting grounds within an hour after the sunrise, so people need to be at the viewing site early to see and hear the spectacle, the news release said. DWR officials said viewing is best before the sun rises and just after the sun has come up.
After the birds leave their breeding ground, the grouse spend the day feeding and resting in stands of sagebrush, the news release said. They remain mostly out-of-sight until the following morning at first light, when they congregate at their strutting ground again. However, DWR officials said several things can force the grouse to leave the viewing site early or to not visit the site at all including eagles, coyotes, wind or rainy and snowy conditions.
Binoculars and spotting scopes will be available to help people see the unique birds. Educational information will also be available.
