Zion NP – Angel’s Landing

We met up with friends and hiked around in Zion NP today. Pretty spectacular. We walked the Pa’Rus trail along the Virgin River for a bit- just to stretch our legs and let Obi get some well deserved exercise. There was not a lot of bird activity in the park, but what we saw was spectacular.

Some of the crew hiked to Angel’s Landing. Obi can’t go on that trail, so I kept him on the canyon floor. The Angel’s Landing crew noted what they thought was a Turkey Vulture near the top of the hike. E homed in on it with her binoculars and noticed large white triangles under the wings. California Condor! E’s long desired life bird- like since 3rd grade. She was overjoyed! In addition, she saw Woodhouse’s Scrub Jays, and a Great Blue Heron on the hike.

Meanwhile, on the canyon floor, we saw a Say’s Phoebe and not much else in the park until the last few minutes while we were all standing around, reuniting after a very nice day was had by both groups when I heard a chatter and looked up in time to see a small woodpecker fly over. Clear white belly, speckles on both sides of the breast, short stout bill. I listened to the calls of all the possible woodpeckers and just like that, Ladderback Woodpecker and new life-bird.

Driving back to Cedar City, we noticed a huge bird soaring over the highway and we were fortunate enough to add a Ferruginous Hawk to the day (and the year), and then once in town, we saw two or three huge birds soaring off to the left- way up high. We stopped in the middle turn lane to give E the opportunity to use her binoculars and we had a second California Condor, a Turkey Vulture, and a Bald Eagle- who really ought not be in the area. But they are decently unmistakeable.