Some of us believe that nothing worth having comes easily. These contrary indivduals are undoubtedly birders at heart. Many bird watchers place a value on their sightings in direct proportion to the challenge of laying eyes on the prize. Virtually everyone can be seduced the thrill of the hunt. In the hunt, one's quarry is not the issue. The ideal companion, a great meal, the Antiques Road Show find of the century.... we all want something desperately. Rather than call this feeling greed, I call it intense desire. Birding encourages that kind of desire and commands the effort needed to satisfy this desire. We birders check lists, study species habitat, diet, song, markings, migration, nesting and breeding. We go to places that smell bad, where it's sometimes wet, cold or muddy. But chasing birds doesn't always result in suceess. It's not a hobby for those who can't tolerate not achieving their target goal, that said, it's a great hobby for nearly everybody. Fielding Garr Ranch on Antelope Island is known as a "migrant trap" which is typically the result of local weather conditions, an abundance of food or the local topography. The Fielding Garr has a perennial sping, one of the few in vast area in and surrounding the Great Salt Lake. it has attracted a number of migrant birds over the years, including a Varied Thrush which we successfully located in 2009. Report sightings of this species stimulated our desire to head out to the Island on a cold December morning. We found the bird along with some other familiar faces.

Northern ShovelerResting out of range of duck hunters on the Great Salt Lake.. Common PorcupineA familiar face? Varied Thrush Hermit Thrush Spotted Towhee APR_2876 Biurd House at the Visitor's Center Western Meadowlark Mule Deer APR_2921 Red-tailed Hawk