April 24, 2021
This post is dedicated to my beautiful mother and her friends, Nancy and Steve. Thank you for bringing me to this wonderful bird haven.
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a spectacular birdwatching hotspot nestled east of the Great Salt Lake. A road guides visitors around the property in a giant loop, making it a great place to bird by car (fun!). It’s comprised of 80,000 acres; enough room to host thousands of migrating and nesting birds. We saw shorebirds, pheasants, waterfowl, wading birds, passerines, raptors, and even a weasel during our visit. I’d say that’s a productive day birdwatching!
The Tree Swallows photographed above were part of a group of at least 100 other swallows. They zipped across the sky incessantly, catching insects in insane aerial maneuvers. Every once in a while a few would perch, allowing for a closer look at their metallic blue feathers. Their dark blue backs against white bellies always remind me of gummy shark candies.
The Yellow-headed Blackbird’s scientific name, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, translates to “yellow head yellow head.” They’re one of my favorite birds because a) seeing them reminds me of spring, and b) you can’t miss them.
Speaking of yellow birds you can’t miss, the first bird we saw upon entering the refuge was a male Western Meadowlark. He was belting out a sweet, elaborate song from the top of a gate rail, presumably in an attempt to attract a mate. Although his lemon-yellow frontside isn’t visible in the photograph above, his banded tail and primaries are just as striking in my opinion.
Towards the end of our excursion, I glanced up at the sky to find dozens of seagulls whose heads looked like they had been dipped in black paint. Their plumage stood out right away. We identified the birds as Franklin’s Gulls, distinguished from a similar-looking Laughing Gull by the white spots on their black wingtips.
I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling utter excitement upon an encounter with a Sandhill Crane. It is a dream of mine to witness these magnificent creatures at a staging area during migration, where thousands gather at a time. They can live up to 35 years in the wild and typically mate for life.
Judging by the horn on its upper mandible and white plumes on the back of its head, the American White Pelican above is in its breeding plumage. All adults, both male and female, develop these telltale characteristics while breeding and lose them once the breeding season subsides.
A slender, wet Long-tailed Weasel was perhaps the most intriguing sighting of the day. It looks like he had a hell of a time catching lunch for himself (and maybe his family). Nice work little guy!
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Gone Birdin' 