Bear River Count

[Bridget_Olson at fws dot gov]

Things pretty quiet on the Refuge.  Hens nesting and drakes waiting alone
nearby or in small flocks.  Some drakes even starting to molt.  Young
avocets in an assortment of development stages are using some of the
interior dikes.  Maybe scarce along the tour loop as water levels are still
up.  Black terns found in the tour loop unit by the first observation
platform about 1/4 mi. south of the toilet.  Possibly indicating breeding
pairs.  They haven't been seen nesting on the Refuge since 2003 though they
did so historically in large numbers.  Large numbers of ducks, shorebirds
and ibis can be seen from the tour loop on the Great Salt Lake side of the
tour loop.   A number of canvasback and scaup around though no historical
evidence of nesting.  Total duck numbers about 1/2 of the long-term average
of 10,000.  I wonder if this doesn't reflect the large amount of water
available to birds this year?  Large numbers of both Western and Clark's
grebes were counted.  Shorebird numbers were double the long-term average
of about 2,000.

The western grebe count of 443 represents about 63% of the breeding
population in Utah and 4% of the Intermountain  West Region's breeding
population.  The Clark's grebe count of 427 represents 142% of the
estimated breeding population of 300 in Utah and 9% of the entire
Intermountain West Region's breeding population.  The Caspian Terns are
nesting on interior Refuge islands.  The number of 114 represent 114% of
the estimated UT breeding population and 3% of the IMW breeding population.
Not to mention how important the Refuge is for breeding avocets, stilts,
cinnamon teal and redhead......

Refuge record high numbers of Canada Geese, eared grebe, cattle egret,
killdeer, and Caspian tern for this time of June.

Canada goose            1096
Mallard                 736
Pintail                 332
GW teal           23
BW Teal           1
Cinnamon Teal           443
Shoveler          187
Gadwall           1599
Wigeon                  4
Canvasback        35
Redhead           712
Scaup             55
C. goldeneye            1
Bufflhead         1
Ruddy Duck        308
PB Grebe          17
Eared Grebe       892
Western Grebe           443
Clark's Grebe           427
AW Pelican        261
DC Cormorant            479
GB Heron          47
Great Egret       6
Snowy Egret       80
Cattle Egret            32
BC Night Heron          20
WF Ibis                 6073
Snowy Plover            1
Killdeer                85
BN Stilt                1158
American Avocet   3748
Willet                  8
Spotted Sandpiper 7
Wilson's Phalarope      22
Franklin's Gull         2807
Ring billed Gull        1
California gull         3888
Caspian Tern            114
Forstern's Tern         165
Black Tern        5
Sora              5
Coot              2026
Sandhill Crane          2

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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