Hilary Shughart, Author at Wild About Utah

February 2, 2026February 2, 2026

An Open Invitation to Slow Birding and Participatory Science

One of the most important services of the Bridgerland Audubon Society is the engagement of the public in participatory science. Starting with the first Logan/Cache County Christmas Bird Count in 1955, we have encouraged novice and advanced birders within the designated 15-mile diameter Watch Circle to participate from home. Then in mid-February, everyone can participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count from anywhere. The great thing about bird watching from home is that it is so conducive to slow birding, which like slow gardening* has the tremendous advantage of allowing one to notice and savor more at a relaxed but productive pace.

Participatory Science used to be called Citizen Science, and then Community Science, but the emphasis on participation highlights that we are contributing to something large and impactful for which we don’t ask what science can do for us, but what we can do for science. There is a vast universe of participatory science programs which can be found at the SCISTARTER.ORG clearinghouse, including ZOONIVERSE.ORG, for which participants can help online by examining photos. Some of the most popular Apps include iNaturalist, which allows anyone anywhere to document plants and animals, and to get assistance with identification. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird App is the world’s largest, free, online, and mobile-based participatory science project for recording and mapping bird sightings.

Recently I shared a story about noticing a Downy Woodpecker consistently taking black oil sunflower seeds from the hanging tube feeder and inserting them in a deck railing knothole for ease of opening. I learned that this is not considered to be tool-use, but it’s certainly clever problem solving by the wildlife right outside my window. Then, during the Christmas Bird Count I observed the second Rocky Mountain Junco to be included in our report, the first being in 2023, when National Audubon confirmed the subspecies identification from my photo. Bird watchers out in the field are less likely to have the right lighting or enough time to distinguish the Dark-eyed Junco subspecies, so it’s pretty exciting to realize that the Home Sector has one more to look for in addition to the Oregon, Slate, Pink-sided, and Gray-headed varieties.

The most interesting thing I noticed this year was that the Northern Flicker clearly has an understanding of gravity and a sense of object permanence: time and time again I noticed that they cling to the bottom of the hanging suet cage while pecking at the food, then they check their upturned belly for crumbs before flying down onto the deck to pick up the escaped crumbs! We already knew that corvids like crows are very clever tool making problem solvers, and we know that Chickadees have tremendous memories for the thousands of seeds stashed here and there (that’s 1,000 seeds in one day, and up to 80,000 seeds in a fall season!), and there’s a study in which Hornbills were taught to follow where a treat was hidden, thus revealing they have object permanence – they know the treat did not vanish just because it was hidden, but there’s just nothing like noticing something new right outside your window, and wondering if it’s been documented by scientists yet.

I hope you’ll consider participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count! The resources posted with this podcast include a free self-paced eBird class from the Cornell Lab.

I’m Hilary Shughart with the Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I am Wild About Slow Birding in Utah!

Credits:
Images: Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver & Friend Weller, https://www.upr.org/people/friend-weller
Text: Hilary Shughart, President, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Hilary Shughart and Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional ReadingSupplemental food and water are important ways we can reduce stress for backyard birds
WildAboutUtah pieces by Hilary Shughart, https://wildaboututah.org/author/hilary-shughart/

Global Bird Count in February/Great Backyard Bird Count, https://www.birdcount.org/

Dark-eyed (Cassiar) Junco J. h. cismontanus, https://birds.outdoornebraska.gov/dark-eyed-junco/

Free eBird Essentials, Bird Academy, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/product/ebird-essentials/

iNaturalist.org

Clearinghouse for Participatory Science, https://scistarter.org/

Online participation by examining photos, https://www.zooniverse.org/

EFTA WMBD 2026: Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!, https://environmentamericas.org/theme-announcement-2026-wmbd/

Slow Gardening, https://felderrushing.blog/slow-gardening/

“Slow gardening was started by American horticulturist and garden author Felder Rushing, who was inspired by the Slow Food organization. Slow gardening is a philosophical approach to gardening which encourages participants to savor everything they do, using all the senses, through all seasons, regardless of garden type of style. It is intended to promote self-awareness, personal responsibility, and environmental stewardship.” (Wikipedia)
Slow Gardening, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_gardening

Gravity Gives These Birds the Drop on Tough-to-Crack Foods, by Priyanka Runwal, Audubon, February 12, 2020, https://www.audubon.org/news/gravity-gives-these-birds-drop-tough-crack-foods

“Yet, aside from notoriously clever corvids and cheekily smart parrots, no other birds were previously known to have object permanence to the same extent as primates. While other bird species have been tested, they only made it to stage four of the six developmental stages seen in human children.

To see how advanced hornbills’ object permanence skills are, Yao and Garcia-Pelegrin put six of the large-beaked birds to the test.

They taught the hornbills to indicate where a visible treat is with a peck. Then, the birds were moved onto a series of challenges, which tested for increasingly difficult levels of object permanence. (ScienceAlert)”
These Birds Score as High as Primates in a Puzzling Cognitive Test : ScienceAlert, https://www.sciencealert.com/these-birds-score-as-high-as-primates-in-a-puzzling-cognitive-test

December 1, 2025November 30, 2025

The Christmas Bird Count is a Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Downy Woodpecker Male at Feeder, Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer — Downy Woodpecker Male at Feeder
Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer

Downy Woodpecker Using Tools?
Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer

Downy Woodpecker Using Tools? Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer — Downy Woodpecker Male at Feeder
Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer

Downy Woodpecker Using Tools?
Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Photographer

When the winter chill sets in, that’s my cue to start filling the suet feeders, plug in the heated bird bath, and keep the Black Oil Sunflower Seed in stock for the grand variety of birds which visit my home through the Winter. I feed the birds because I know that my visitors will have better success in raising their families next Spring, but also because they are such fun to watch! Just yesterday I was mesmerized by a Downy Woodpecker taking black oil sunflower seeds one by one from the hanging squirrel-proof bird feeder, flying onto the deck railing, and hopping along about six feet to place the seed in a knothole serving as a mortar to the beak pestle, thus gaining access to the tasty seed inside the hard shell. I immediately wondered if this behavior might qualify as tool use, but suspected it would not meet a strict definition. Sure enough, this clever problem-solving activity is not considered to be tool use, but it is no less fascinating!

This is a great time to discover the joy of bird watching and contributing to community science. The annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count is hosted by many organizations in many locations, with a single day selected between December 14th through January 5th. The Christmas Bird Count database was established by Frank Chapman in 1900, when holiday shooting parties were replaced with counting parties as a proactive response to the noticeable decline bird numbers.

The Bridgerland Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count is always hosted on the first Saturday on or following December 14th, and we have been contributing Cache Valley, Utah data to the National Audubon database since 1956. You can watch from home if you live within the 15-mile diameter watch circle area centered at Main Street and Hyde Park Lane – that is if you live within 7.5 miles of the intersection of Hwy 91 & 3600 N, which includes all or part of Amalga, Smithfield, North Logan, Hyde Park, Logan, Logan Canyon, River Heights, Providence, Mendon, Benson, and unincorporated Cache County. Check the interactive map on our website to determine if your home is inside the watch circle. There’s limited space available with the wandering watch groups, too.

Even if you only see the occasional American Robin or Magpie, please do consider participating in a Christmas Bird Count near you. We welcome newcomers and beginners, and hope that you will enjoy contributing to the longest running community science program which provides data for scientists worldwide.

For identification assistance you can post photos on our Facebook group. Please don’t forget that Zero is a number – we want your final report even if you didn’t see a single bird outside your home. Consider hosting a cozy watch party, sharing hot chocolate with friends and neighbors while sharpening observation and identification skills, keeping hearts and minds full and growing in wonderful ways.

For more information check our website to register at no cost at BridgerlandAudubon.org – that’s Bridgerland Audubon A-U-D-U-B-O-N dot org.

I’m Hilary Shughart with the Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I am Wild About Utah!

Credits:
Images: Courtesy US Fish & Wildlife Service, Leah Schrodt and Brett Billings, Photographers
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver & Friend Weller, https://www.upr.org/people/friend-weller
Text: Hilary Shughart, President, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Hilary Shughart and Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional ReadingSupplemental food and water are important ways we can reduce stress for backyard birds
WildAboutUtah pieces by Hilary Shughart, https://wildaboututah.org/author/hilary-shughart/

ChristmasBirdCount.org which forwards to the following National Audubon page: https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count

Christmas Bird Count on the National Audubon website: https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count/join-christmas-bird-count

Regional Christmas Bird Counts found on UtahBirds.org: http://www.utahbirds.org/cbc/cbc.html

Bridgerland Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/cbc/

September 1, 2025August 31, 2025

The Logan Island Twin Rivers Reverence Vibe

The first reach of the Little Logan River at River Hollow Park. This is the river’s connection to the Logan River, and in the proposed Logan River Watershed Plan it will be an excavated to bury piped water, severing the historic Little Logan River from the Logan River forever. Courtesy &amp Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer — The first reach of the Little Logan River at River Hollow Park. This is the river’s connection to the Logan River, and in the proposed Logan River Watershed Plan it will be an excavated to bury piped water, severing the historic Little Logan River from the Logan River forever.
Courtesy &amp Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer

The City of Logan has a special Logan Island Vibe anchored in the two arms of the Logan River which wrap around the heart of town as living blue trails and green stripes. We are the rivers, wetlands, and riparian buffers keepers.

This USGS map shows both the Logan River and the upper Little Logan River. These rivers define the Island district where Logan was originally founded. Click for a larger view and zoom in to Logan, UT — This USGS map shows both the Logan River and the upper Little Logan River. These rivers define the Island district where Logan was originally founded.

Click for a larger view in a new tab or window and search for or zoom-in to Logan UT, https://apps.nationalmap.gov/viewer/

Our stewardship is dictated by the laws we enact, and those laws include science-based riparian buffers based on best management practices. Let’s preserve and rehabilitate our natural resource treasures, not least of which the Logan River system, which includes the Logan River flowing out of Logan Canyon, and then forking into the North and South Branches which embrace the Logan Island.

Let’s celebrate our Logan Island Twin Rivers Reverence Vibe with poetry and conservation actions, such as planting native plant riparian buffers and ensuring this Tree City USA maintains a healthy tree canopy, clean water, and a thriving Natural Stream Environment, filled with the delights of birds and bird song, which are actual metrics of the health of a city.

The Logan Island Twin Rivers Reverence Vibe

The Logan River meanders gracefully from the mouth Logan Canyon,
Generating electricity here, filling First Dam Reservoir there,
Flowing through the World Class Utah State University Water Research Laboratory,
With a mile and a half southwesterly meander past Herm’s Inn here, and River Hollow Park there,
Forking to wrap around the Logan Island, twin blue trails
weaving green stripes of riverside parks,
Sustaining our urban ecosystem,
This one wild and beautiful Logan Island
Twin Rivers Reverence Vibe,
Natural Community,
Lifeline.

I’m Hilary Shughart with the Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I am Wild About the North and South Branches of the Logan River, and I am Wild About Utah!

Credits:
Images: Little Logan River Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer
Featured Audio: Courtesy Friend Weller, Chief Engineer Retired, UPR.org, Courtesy & Copyright © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver
Text: Hilary Shughart, President, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Hilary Shughart and Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading

Other Wild About Utah pieces authored by Hilary Shughart

Save and Restore the North Branch of the Logan River (Little Logan River), Bridgerland Audubon Society, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/llr/

Guide to The Logan River Trail
iFIT parking lot to Trapper Park
Read to Logan City Council April 1, 2025
by Logan Poet Shanan Balkan,

First, we pass under the traffic bridge
where barn swallows build nests of mud.
They disappear in late autumn
leaving stains where their nests once clung
to the underpass.
The river blurs turquoise to brown
under the bridge.

Bright green watercress thrives
year-round in the little stream—
see how it grows thicker by the day.
Notice the informational signs about what kinds of birds
live near the river:
red-winged blackbirds with a patch of ruby on their wings,
emerald-headed mallards, and raucous kingfishers—
now we pass a sign of fish who live in the river—
iridescent rainbow and Bonneville Cutthroat trout who wave
their tails in the swift green current.

See the majestic Wellsville mountains
jut sharp into the western sky.
They shine white, snow-covered,
late into summer.
Did you know that they are the steepest mountains
in the lower 48 states?

Turn around and see the Bear River Mountains
rise emerald behind us in the east.

Now we pass the pastures that fence horses—
dozens of them, black, white, chestnut.
A few hang their velvet snouts
over the fence to greet passersby.
The pastures shine with puddles,
bright pale hay.
The pastures smell of rich thaw,
horse manure.

Hear the music of frogs croaking,
and see the black-necked garter snakes
coiled, shy and olive-bodied,
on the edges of the trail in the grass.

The air vibrates with the jubilant
conk-conk-la-ree!
of red-winged blackbirds
and the cheerful chick-a-dee-dee-dee of black capped chickadees.
Listen! Can you hear the busy chatter of the crested kingfisher?
Can you hear the mallard skimming to a stop on the surface of the river?

At the bend in the trail, we hear
the lonely call of a great-horned owl
tangled in blue branches at dusk.

Here comes the man with one hiking pole
and the old cowboy riding his bike
and the woman who smells like patchouli glides by—
here come the mothers pushing strollers
as they chat with one another, smiling as we pass,
and all the people walking dogs—low-slung black Dachshunds,
gregarious yellow labs, and dozens of doodle mixes,
curly-haired, copper and blonde, and the golden retrievers
who love people, and lick everybody’s hands.

Past the pond,
an off-shoot of the river,
where we see minnows,
their shadows doubling them,
we can’t tell which is minnow,
which is shadow,
and a solitary kingfisher,
slate-blue, perches on a bare tree
that stands straight and tall,
and a small gray
bird skims the water, leaving riffles,
before being swallowed into a gray shrub—

there is the black metal bench
on the side of the trail where we stop to sit
and have a sip of water.

In summer, there are clouds
of white cabbage and pale yellow sulfur butterflies,
and a few orange and black monarchs.

Onto the second bridge,
this one too over a shallow pond,
where in summer small white flowers
dot the water, and wild cucumbers
with their spikey shells drape
on their vines. The silt is gray
and dappled and here we hear
the raspy call of a marsh wren
rattling cattails.

We pass the mobile home park
with blue and yellow homes
and over the bridge where on both sides
we are surrounded by gold cattails,
slowly exploding fluff,
and in summer, the blue of blue vervain.

And then onto the cow pastures
where Canadian geese nest and squawk.
We see a pair of sandhill cranes
in winter gray feathers
in the pasture, picking their way
between gold cattails.
They each have a bright red dot
under their eyes.

Look! A bald eagle!
Slow, deliberate flapping,
ebony-winged, ivory-headed.

And then to the sidewalk
that is lined with fragrant pink wild roses in June.
We see Trapper Park in the distance,
the new brick restrooms,
the pavilion with new exercise equipment,
and the brown bear perpetually climbing the side
of the toy set,

but before we get there,
let’s linger at the spring
that spills silver water over emerald
velvet moss.

Guide to The Logan River Trail
iFIT parking lot to Trapper Park
Read to Logan City Council, April 1, 2025
by Logan Poet Shanan Balkan
https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/…

Save and Restore the North Branch of the Logan River (Little Logan River), Bridgerland Audubon Society, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/llr/

February 3, 2025February 2, 2025

You Can Be a Part of the February Global Bird Count!

Everyone Can Be a Part of the February Global Bird Count! Courtesy Cornell Lab of Ornithology on behalf of Great Backyard Bird Count, birdcount.org — How many birds can you find?
28th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count
February 14-17, 2025
birdcount.org
Image: Spotted Towhee, *Pipilo maculatus*
© Jim Merritt / Macaulay Library

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch
Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer — How many birds can you find?
28th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count
February 14-17, 2025
birdcount.org
Image: Spotted Towhee, *Pipilo maculatus*
© Jim Merritt / Macaulay Library

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch
Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer

There are deeply concerning drops in bird populations, and shifting migration ranges and patterns are changing before our eyes, but on the bright side, the crisis presents a strong reason and opportunities for even the most novice birders to be a part of the solution, to contribute to environmental conservation through community science. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada urge us to walk into nature and count birds for the mid-February Global Bird Count known as the Great Backyard Bird Count. February is the month to help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations, and the data collected will help bend the curve for bird survival.

“Spend time in your favorite places watching birds–then tell us about them! In as little as 15 minutes notice the birds around you. Identify them, count them, and submit them to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. If you already use eBird or Merlin, your submissions over the 4 days count towards GBBC.”

Everything you need to know will be shared in a free online webinar, so “Get ready to flock together for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)! Panelists will explain how to participate in this exciting global event and how participation might extend past your back door. Discover how to join a group taking part in the GBBC and explore fun ways to involve kids. From bird ID tips to counting birds with ease, this webinar is your ticket to an engaging and confident GBBC experience.”

We’ve posted links for local parks and trails with eBird printable checklists, and it’s encouraging to see the number and variety of species accessible right in town, and in our nearby National Forests and Wilderness Areas. Will you see American Robins, Black-billed Magpies, and Northern Flickers? Can you tell the difference between the American and the Lesser Goldfinch, or the Mountain and Black-capped Chickadee? Will you get lucky and spot a Gray-crowned Rosy finch feasting on black oil sunflower seeds in your own backyard?

There’s no time like the present to establish new traditions for connecting with nature and being part of the solution to the climate challenge. There are ample online resources for new and experienced birders, and in addition to the four local Utah Audubon Chapters, the Birding in Utah Facebook group provides a birding community with expert help with learning how to identify birds even in blurry photos. Team up to be a part of the constellation of community scientists documenting history, and weaving a safety net to ensure that birds have the places they need to thrive today and tomorrow.

I’m Hilary Shughart with the Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I am wild about the National Audubon initiative to promote community science for Bird-Friendly communities, and I am Wild About Utah!

Credits:
Images: Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus, © Jim Merritt / Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch: Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver
Text: Hilary Shughart, President, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Hilary Shughart and Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading

Other Wild About Utah pieces authored by Hilary Shughart

Global Bird Count in February, Great Backyard Bird Count, https://www.birdcount.org/

About the Great Backyard Bird Count, Every February, count for as little as 15 minutes in your own backyard to help expand our understanding of birds. National Audubon, https://www.audubon.org/conservation/about-great-backyard-bird-count

Global Bird Count in February; Great Backyard Bird Count, Birds Canada, https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/great-backyard-bird-count

eBird Field Checklist Sue’s Pond–Logan River Wetlands and Shorebird Playa (178 species), Cache, Utah, https://ebird.org/printableList?regionCode=L586105&yr=all&m=

Who Likes What: The Favorite Birdseed of Feeder Regulars and Rarities, Here are the top three seed choices for a variety of species, per a scientific observational study of 1.2 million bird feeder visits. National Audubon, https://www.audubon.org/news/who-likes-what-favorite-birdseed-feeder-regulars-and-rarities

Birding: The Basics & Beyond (1 hr 12 mn video), Natural Habitat Adventures & WWF(World Wildlife Fund), https://www.nathab.com/traveler-resources/webinars/your-daily-dose-of-nature/birding-the-basics-beyond/

Bridgerland Audubon Great Backyard Bird Count Page, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/birding-tools/birding-events/great-backyard-bird-count/

Howe, Frank, Rosy Finches, Local Bird Spotlight, The Stilt, Bridgerland Audubon Society, December 2009, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/documents/BAS-Stilts/Stilt-2009/Vol%2038%20Image%2010.pdf

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray-crowned_Rosy-Finch/overview#

“Get ready to flock together for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)! Panelists will explain how to participate in this exciting global event and how participation might extend past your back door.”
Beyond the Backyard: All About the Great Backyard Bird Count Webinar, Thursday, February 6, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Eastern, AND Wednesday, February 12, 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern https://www.birdcount.org/webinar/