Strawberry Reservoir

[Merrill Webb <merrill_webb at byu dot edu>]

About this time of the year I like to check out the reservoir in Strawberry 
Valley because water levels have started to recede leaving an exposed shore 
line.  Sometimes I have found some good shorebirds, but mostly just ducks 
and gulls.  This time, however, as I walked down to where the Strawberry 
River flows into the reservoir I observed thousands of water birds, mostly 
coots with about 7 species of ducks interspersed.  Of most interest, 
though, was the nesting grebes.  I counted at least 27 nests with Clark's 
or Western Grebes, and 54 Eared Grebe nests.  All the nests were occupied 
and many of the mates were busy bringing nesting material to the nest and 
refurbishing it while the mate was on the nest.  If you are interested make 
sure to take a spotting scope because you have to observe them from the 
hill on the west side of the reservoir.  Only shorebirds I saw were Spotted 
Sandpipers and Wilson's Phalaropes, so not very productive in that respect.
Merrill Webb

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