Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Perched Gray Flycatcher Eating A Damselfly

By |June 27th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Gray Flycatchers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As I watched the Gray Flycatcher it flew towards me, snatched a damselfly from mid air then landed on a dead branch not too far away and proceeded to eat it while I photographed the bird.

Female Red-winged Blackbirds – Frequency in Misidentification

By |June 14th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Female Red-winged Blackbirds seem to be the birds that are most often misidentified probably because they look so different from the males. Red-winged Blackbirds are sexually dimorphic .

Forster’s Tern Resting at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |May 31st, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Forster's Terns, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A little more than a week ago I spotted this Forster's Tern resting on a log in the water at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge from the auto tour loop and I felt I had to hop out and take a few images from across the hood of my Jeep

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron Close Up Experience

By |May 24th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I drove up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to see what birds I could find to photograph and I am glad I did because I had a wonderful juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron close up experience.

American Avocet with Two Different Backgrounds

By |May 7th, 2017|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm happy with both images of this female American Avocet but I think I prefer the second image more because the reflections of the water add a sense of depth and more visual interest that I find lacking in the first photo.

Breeding and Nonbreeding Forster’s Terns

By |April 26th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Florida, Forster's Terns, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The differences in breeding and nonbreeding plumage of Forster's Terns is enough that some bird watching and bird photography novices might even think that they are two different species of terns.

Nesting American Avocets at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |April 24th, 2017|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The pair of American Avocets were feeding in the grasses and the water right next to the edge of the grasses when I first saw them then the female squatted down on what I presume to be their nest.

Mixture of Spring Birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |April 13th, 2017|Categories: American Pipits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, House Sparrows, Marsh Wrens, Red-winged Blackbirds, Savannah Sparrows, Utah, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was so happy to photograph this mixture of spring birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge that I had a hard time picking out which birds and which photos to share.

Missing the Birds of Bear River MBR & Spring Migration

By |April 9th, 2017|Categories: American Avocets, American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Long-billed Dowitchers, Short-eared Owls, Utah, Wilson's Phalaropes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route is still closed and many of the birders, bird photographers and nature lovers are itching to know what birds are there because after all spring migration is an exciting time at the refuge.

American White Pelicans – PeliCam and PeliTrack

By |March 26th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

American White Pelicans are returning to their breeding grounds in Utah and I have already seen a few of them myself and though I haven't been able to photograph them yet I know I will soon.

Spring Means Nesting Birds and Chicks – Please Give Them Space

By |March 24th, 2017|Categories: American Coots, American Oystercatchers, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ferruginous Hawks, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Madison County, Montana, Nesting Birds, Pinellas County, Utah, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Why? Because the image is never as important as the well being and safety of my subject, especially when it comes to nests and chicks.

Midge Swarms – Messy & Annoying But An Important Food Source For Many Birds

By |March 19th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Midges, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have complained about the midges in this post because they are messy and annoying but one thing that I feel is critical to mention is that these midges are an important food source for the birds that live and breed at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Clark’s and Western Grebes Return to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |March 17th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm happy that the Clark's and Western Grebes have returned for their breeding season at the refuge and I look forward to photographing them while they are here.

Sandhill Cranes Plus Views of Flooded Marshes at Bear River MBR

By |March 16th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I saw and photographed a mated pair of Sandhill Cranes yesterday morning in the marsh from the auto tour loop and watched them search for food.

Flooding at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge – Road Closure

By |February 27th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I am anxious to get out to the Bear River MBR auto tour loop of the refuge to see what migrants have flown in but right now that isn't possible and there isn't any information on when the road will open again

Comparing Common Gallinules and American Coots

By |February 21st, 2017|Categories: American Coots, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Gallinules, Florida, Lake Carillon, Pinellas County, Roosevelt Wetlands, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Common Gallinules and American Coots are both from the Rallidae family and there are some similarities in their appearance, for instance both have a triangular bill with a frontal shield at the top.

American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, Swainson’s Hawks – Spring Migrants On The Wing

By |February 19th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bicknell Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Birds, Box Elder County, Sandhill Cranes, Swainson's Hawks, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

We still have our winter birds and the spring migrants have begun their journey north so my bird photography is likely to pick up and get exciting soon if the clouds will give me a break.

Looking at 2016 in the Rear View Mirror or My Photographic Year in Review

By |December 31st, 2016|Categories: American Barn Owls, American Bitterns, American Pipits, Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Davis County, Double-crested Cormorants, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Horned Owls, High Uintas, Hybrid Geese, Idaho, Leucistic, Montana, Peregrine Falcons, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Salt Lake County, Short-eared Owls, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wayne County, Western Bluebirds, Wilson's Phalaropes, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wow, today is the last day of the year 2016. This is my photographic year in review from Utah, Idaho and Montana!

Redhead Drakes

By |December 12th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Redhead drake photographed at the refuge in his breeding plumage sure stood out well from the water that was reflecting the spring growth of rushes and phragmites.

California Gull Hovering Over The Bear River in Winter

By |November 18th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this California Gull hovering over the Bear River with the snow covered Promontory Mountains in the back ground while it looked for prey in the open water below.

American Herring Gulls in Northern Utah

By |November 1st, 2016|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

We do see Herring Gulls in northern Utah during the winter and I was able to photograph this one as it circled over the water with the snow-covered Promontory Mountains and sky behind it.

Ring-billed Gulls at Bear River MBR & How the Migratory Bird Treaty Act Saved Them

By |October 31st, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

There were at least 50 Ring-billed Gulls at Bear River MBR diving into the open water looking for fish that winter morning which gave me plenty of chances to photograph them.

Wintry Barn Owl Flight

By |October 30th, 2016|Categories: American Barn Owls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this year in January I was able to photograph a Barn Owl in flight flying directly towards me with the snowy Promontory Mountains in the background while at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

My First of the Season Rough-legged Hawks

By |October 27th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I went to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday hoping to see and photograph my first of the season Tundra Swans and Rough-legged Hawks, I dipped on the swans but found at least 5 of the hawks.

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