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Bear River NWR (Box Elder Co.)
- Subject: Bear River NWR (Box Elder Co.)
- From: "D Bruce Robinson" <dbruce at prodigy dot net>
- Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2001 19:58:07 -0600
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After attending the Birding Conference (which, by the way was GREAT!!!), =
I had to take all of my new found knowledge and go chase the birds!!!
I started birding at 6:30 AM. The air was still pretty brisk and =
definately had the feel of fall. When the sun peeked over the mountains =
to the east of the refuge, I had to adjust my rear view mirror to =
deflect the bright light. I didn't want to miss any of the early =
risers.
One of the first sights that I witnessed was a "flock" of pheasants. =
There were 5 males and at least 15 females. (Later I would see more =
Ring Necks, raising the total for the day to over 40.)
When I spotted my first "sparrow" for the day, I decided to try out the =
identification key that Merrill and Dennis put together. I looked =
through my bincoulars, and, well, it turned out to be a junco, and I =
really didn't need the key for that one!! (But later in the morning I =
would use the key to ID Lark and Vesper Sparrows.)
One of my favorite bird sounds, right up there with loons and =
meadowlarks, is the sound of the Sandhill Crane. I heard many, and saw =
2 different groups of birds. The first group comprised of 3 birds, I =
suspect a family because one of them was an immature. The 2nd group was =
made up of 9 birds.
As I traveled around the loop, I was saddened at the low water levels =
everywhere. Places that I had seen birds earlier this spring were dry =
and empty. Most of the interior of the loop had very little water. =
This had a tendency to congregate the birds on the available water, but =
generally it was not as "viewable" as the waters in the interior.
At one spot there had been a grassfire where a few months ago there had =
been water. In the center of that burned out area was a lone Long =
Billed Curlew looking for it's morning breakfast.
I stopped at the north west corner of the refuge and scoped out the =
waters to the north. I saw 5 Great Egrets mixed in with the more common =
Snowys. I witnessed a hawk sp. swoop down and catch an unsuspecting =
duck. Birds scattered in every direction, but within a couple of =
minutes, most had returned and resumed their search for food.
It seems like it wasn't that many weeks ago that I recorded an avocet in =
winter plumage, while most were still in there more colorful summer =
attire. Today was a reversal in that I saw one that had not molted out =
of it's summer color, and the remainder were wearing their more subdued =
winter hues.
I was finally able to use some of what I picked up from Ella at the =
south east corner of the loop. There were a few shorebirds, but their =
numbers were in single digits. This shallow water area held Greater =
Yellowlegs, Marbled Godwits, Long Billed Dowitchers, and a yellow legged =
Least Sandpiper. There was one group of sandpipers that flushed when a =
harrier flew overhead, but they were too far for me to even take a guess =
as to their species.
Around noon my stomach was telling me it was time to get something to =
eat. As I was leaving the refuge, I was treated to several cormorants =
swimming in the river, bodies submerged. One raised itself in the =
water, stretched it's wings as if it wave me goodbye, then ran across =
the surface of the river to get enough momentum to become airborne.
Bruce
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>After attending the Birding Conference =
(which, by=20
the way was GREAT!!!), I had to take all of my new found knowledge and =
go chase=20
the birds!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I started birding at 6:30=20
AM. The air was still pretty brisk and definately =
had the=20
feel of fall. When the sun peeked over the mountains to the east =
of the=20
refuge, I had to adjust my rear view mirror to deflect the bright =
light. I=20
didn't want to miss any of the early risers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>One of the first sights that I =
witnessed was a=20
"flock" of pheasants. There were 5 males and at least 15 =
females. =20
(Later I would see more Ring Necks, raising the total for the day to =
over=20
40.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>When I spotted my first "sparrow" =
for the=20
day, I decided to try out the identification key that Merrill =
and=20
Dennis put together. I looked through my bincoulars, and, well, it =
turned=20
out to be a junco, and I really didn't need the key for that one!! =
(But=20
later in the morning I would use the key to ID Lark and Vesper=20
Sparrows.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>One of my favorite bird sounds, right =
up there with=20
loons and meadowlarks, is the sound of the Sandhill Crane. I heard =
many,=20
and saw 2 different groups of birds. The first group comprised of =
3 birds,=20
I suspect a family because one of them was an immature. The 2nd =
group was=20
made up of 9 birds.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As I traveled around the loop, I =
was saddened=20
at the low water levels everywhere. Places that I had seen birds =
earlier=20
this spring were dry and empty. Most of the interior of the loop =
had very=20
little water. This had a tendency to congregate the birds on the =
available=20
water, but generally it was not as "viewable" as the waters in the=20
interior.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>At one spot there had been a grassfire =
where a few=20
months ago there had been water. In the center of that burned =
out=20
area was a lone Long Billed Curlew looking for it's morning=20
breakfast.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I stopped at the north west corner of =
the refuge=20
and scoped out the waters to the north. I saw 5 Great Egrets mixed =
in with=20
the more common Snowys. I witnessed a hawk sp. swoop down and =
catch an=20
unsuspecting duck. Birds scattered in every direction, but =
within a=20
couple of minutes, most had returned and resumed their search for=20
food.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It seems like it wasn't that many weeks =
ago that I=20
recorded an avocet in winter plumage, while most were still in there =
more=20
colorful summer attire. Today was a reversal in that I saw one =
that had=20
not molted out of it's summer color, and the remainder were wearing =
their more=20
subdued winter hues.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I was finally able to use some of what =
I picked up=20
from Ella at the south east corner of the loop. There were a few=20
shorebirds, but their numbers were in single digits. This =
shallow=20
water area held Greater Yellowlegs, Marbled Godwits, Long Billed=20
Dowitchers, and a yellow legged Least Sandpiper. There was =
one group=20
of sandpipers that flushed when a harrier flew overhead, but they were =
too far=20
for me to even take a guess as to their species.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Around noon my stomach was telling me =
it was time=20
to get something to eat. As I was leaving the refuge, I was =
treated to=20
several cormorants swimming in the river, bodies submerged. One =
raised=20
itself in the water, stretched it's wings as if it wave me goodbye, then =
ran=20
across the surface of the river to get enough momentum to become=20
airborne.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bruce</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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