Bear River Refuge

[Bridget_Olson at fws dot gov]

Waterbird Count
2/28/05

Spring has apparently sprung for some birds.  Pelicans, Avocets, Killdeer,
and Double-crested Cormorants are here.  Don't have a February record for
Pelicans or Avocet in recent years nor the 1956-1966 time period.  The
cormorants look to be egg-laying/incubating as they're sitting on nests on
islands in the interior portion of the Refuge.  The local breeding
California Gulls seem to have returned also.  They look to be staking out
territories on the interior islands also.

Duck numbers are up around 75,000.  The only other recent record to compare
to was from 2003 at 30,000 birds.  The 1956-1966 average for the last week
of February was 25,000 ducks.  The tour loop unit (2D) held the most birds
around 21,000 total.  2D also held about as many Tundra Swan as did Willard
Spur.  Northern Pintails accounted for about 35% of all the ducks counted.
Songbirds noted: Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, marsh wren, tree
sparrows and song sparrows.  I've heard reports of Snow Geese in the
vicinity of the Refuge also, they just didn't show up during my count.

Tundra Swan       4691
Canada Goose            900
Mallard                 6547
Pintail                 25372
GW Teal           7714
Shoveler          6007
Gadwall           7045
Wigeon                  7938
Unk. dabblers           500
Canvasback        1171
Redhead           3853
Scaup Spp.        537
C. Goldeneye            7110
Bufflehead        585
C. Merganser            11
A.W. Pelican            24
DC Cormorant            66
Great Blue Heron  8
Killdeer                8
Am. Avocet        8
RB Gull                 303
CA Gull                 474
Coot              118
Bald Eagle        14
Northern Harrier        27
Rough-legged Hawk 1

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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