Dowitchers at Bear River Refuge-Box Elder County

[Bridget_Olson at fws dot gov]

Birders,

I counted eleven dowitchers on several of our management units on June 20th
and wondered if this is unusually early for these birds to start showing up
in Utah?  The were obviously adults still with breeding plumage, though
several looked like they had begun molting.  I assumed they were on their
way back from breeding grounds and not just stragglers still on there way
north.  Is that a semi-safe assumption?

Another unusual shorebird I had was a Greater Yellowlegs on June 6th.  This
bird I assumed was a straggler still on it's way north.


Your thoughts?

Bridget Olson
Wildlife Biologist
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
58 S. 950 W.
Brigham City, UT  84302
Phone: 435/723-5887 ext. 13
Fax: 435/723-8873



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