Tracy Aviary Guided Walk on the Jordan River

We took a walk along the Jordan River with two guides from the Tracy Aviary. They lead this same walk every week in the summer. We met at Roi Hardy Park in Riverton on Thursday at 10 a.m. The temperature was in the '80's but there was a light breeze. 

There is a pavilion with restrooms.

There is a nice playground for the kids. 

Our guides, Ann and Kate, handed out red binoculars to everyone and explained how to use them. 

I had my own binoculars but Bill borrowed a pair from the guides.

This particular walk is far enough from the river that we never actually saw any water. We were in a marshy area but the trail was paved all the way. There was no problem with insects. 

We stopped and listened to a bird singing in the trees. The guide said it was a Cedar Waxwing, named because the wings look like they are dipped in wax. I didn't see it but Bill did.   

The guide said that many birds were probably attracted to the area by the berries at the top of this tree. 

There were barn swallows flying overhead. Their name derives from their insect swallowing capabilities. They fly so fast that I couldn't make out much except that their tails were forked. 

We saw plenty of bindweed which is known as Utah's most hated weed although I have others that I also hate. Many people mistake bindweed for Morning Glory. It has a superficial resemblance. 

The guides gave the children small clipboards with paper and pen so they could draw a picture of an interesting plant. Later, they were supposed to trade pictures so they could guess which plant they each drew. 

We saw mourning doves which are frequent visitors to our yard. We also saw a red headed finch. I have taken many pictures of them in the past when I had a bird feeder. The guide said the males get red coloring from the food they eat. The redder the coloring, the more attractive they are to females. Females don't get the same effect possibly because it would be dangerous to be too visible when sitting on a nest. 

We heard another bird in the bush that the guide identified as a Bullock's Oriole. This picture is from Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. Neither of us actually saw it. 

There was ample evidence of beaver activities. 

I expressed my surprise because I thought beavers were always transported away from the river. I know they can't get away with building a dam in the river. The guide said they still overwinter there. The newly planted cottonwood trees are protected from them using wire fencing. 

We ended our walk at an overlook that is built out over the marshy area. 

We looked over the edge at evidence of raccoon and deer prints. Any three pointed paw print is a raccoon print. 

There was a swallow nest under the eaves of the gazebo. 

I thought it was a wasp nest but the guide said it was a swallow nest built out of mud and bird poop.

We had a wonderful time and can recommend this activity to anyone using a power chair, wheelchair, scooter or stroller.