Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Four Winter Ring-billed Gull Images

By |January 17th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I was just as excited to take Ring-billed Gull images as I was to take photos of a delightful Horned Grebe on the marsh at Bear River MBR.

Bear River MBR Common Raven Photos

By |January 15th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Ravens, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week as I drove slowly around the auto tour route at Bear River MBR I was able to take a short series of Common Raven photos as they played on the ice.

More Horned Grebe Photos From Bear River MBR

By |January 14th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Horned Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was at Bear River MBR on Tuesday I found and photographed the Horned Grebe that I have been seeing at the refuge since the second day of the New Year.

Adult Male Rough-legged Hawk Portraits

By |January 12th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For eleven minutes yesterday morning this Rough-legged Hawk was my main point of focus as I took hundreds of photos of him at Bear River MBR.

Riverbank Red-tailed Hawk Dining Al Fresco

By |January 9th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I photographed an immature Red-tailed Hawk dining al fresco on the bank of the Bear River on my way back to I-15 to head home.

Winter Great Blue Heron Photos From Bear River MBR

By |January 7th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge can be a great location to take winter Great Blue Heron photos out on the frozen marshes and wetlands during January.

Bald Eagle Photos On A Leaning Wooden Post Thru The Years

By |January 4th, 2022|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

If you go to Bear River MBR during the winter chances are that you have or will see a Bald Eagle perched on this large wooden post at one time or another.

One Very Cooperative Male Rough-legged Hawk

By |January 3rd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For the second year in a row the first bird I photographed in the New Year was a Rough-legged Hawk and both were photographed at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Male Rough-legged Hawk – The First Bird I Photographed in 2021

By |December 30th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first bird I photographed in 2021 was this adult male Rough-legged Hawk perched above the wetlands at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Stretching Male American Kestrel In A Russian Olive

By |December 28th, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On the 3rd of December I spotted a small, colorful shape from a distance in a Russian Olive tree and knew immediately that I had found a male American Kestrel.

Happy Holidays 2021 And A Story From Christmas Past

By |December 24th, 2021|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

This Christmas Eve morning is so very different from the one I had in 1998. I was sitting at my computer that morning much the same as I am now but I lived in Virginia then and I was going through some rough times.

Great Egret, Mallards and Hooded and Common Mergansers On The Bear River

By |December 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Mergansers, Great Egrets, Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Great Egret landed where I had views of Hooded and Common Mergansers and three Mallards resting on the ice on the Bear River.

Great Blue Heron Photos Taken on The Winter Solstice

By |December 22nd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

To my delight I was able to take Great Blue Heron photos yesterday on the Winter Solstice that I found on the banks of the Bear River at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Male Rough-legged Hawk On A National Wildlife Refuge Sign

By |December 17th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Nine days ago this Rough-legged Hawk resting on a National Wildlife sign in low light was the first hawk I spotted and photographed.

Loggerhead Shrike At Bear River MBR

By |December 16th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my last trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I found this Loggerhead Shrike perched on a twig near the end of the auto tour loop.

Female Hooded Merganser Lifting Off From The Bear River

By |December 10th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Hooded Mergansers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spotted a single female Hooded Merganser on the Bear River two days ago and photographed her as she ran on top of the water to lift off.

Late Clark’s Grebe Plus A Rough-legged Hawk On A One Way Sign

By |December 9th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I found and pointed out a few birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge including a very late Clark's Grebe I spotted from the auto tour route.

Merlin On A Large Wooden Post At Bear River MBR

By |December 7th, 2021|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I spotted a Merlin perched on a large wooden post way out in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah.

Adult Rough-legged Hawk Calling Plus Photos Of A Younger Roughie

By |December 6th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I heard a male Rough-legged Hawk calling which is highly unusual away from their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra and taiga of the far north.

American Pipits In My Viewfinder

By |December 5th, 2021|Categories: American Pipits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been seeing and hearing American Pipits since the end of September but this was the first time this fall I was able to get close to them.

Help With Drake Scaup Identification

By |November 28th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Greater Scaups, Lesser Scaups, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every fall and winter when Lesser and Greater Scaups are seen in northern Utah I hear questions about scaup identification.

Ruddy Ducks In Flight

By |November 24th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A few days ago I saw someone say that they rarely saw photos of Ruddy Ducks in flight and I remembered I had a series of them flying past taken 11 years ago.

Well Crap – Another Cloudy Day

By |October 27th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I selected this hatch year Great Blue Heron photo to share today because it showed the young bird taking a crap on the flats of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

It Is Time To Look And Listen For Tundra Swans In Northern Utah

By |October 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I noticed in my Facebook memories that I saw and heard my first of season Tundra Swans at Bear River MBR on this date in 2015 and that made me happy.

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