Bear River Refuge Waterbird Count

[Bridget_Olson at fws dot gov]

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Waterbird Count
8/05/05

Duck numbers around 20,000 which is about half of the long-term average of
40,000 though about double from 2004 and 2003.  Canada Goose numbers are
the highest recorded in August.   The snowy plovers count of 183 is the
highest on record for any month.  Shorebird total of 37,000 is about half
of the 60,000 long-term average for this time in August.

 About 30% of the birds seen below were from the Auto Tour Loop.  The tour
loop wetland unit is starting to draw down or dry out, attracting large
concentrations of snowy egrets, marbled godwits, dowitchers, herons,
pelican, ibis, avocet, stilt, and the ever present coot!  Unit should
continue to attract large numbers for at least two more weeks as it
continues to dry and expose more mudflats.

The western and Clark's grebe are now out and about with young riding on
their backs.  Eared grebes nested on the Refuge this year too, though their
young are large enough to swim alone.  Lots of duck broods this year too,
and they range in age from the newly hatched "puff-balls" to the "look like
an adult" stage.  Avocets are rapidly losing orange neck coloration.  Odd
time of year to be seeing snow geese and swans though they weren't visible
from the tour route.


Snow Goose        2
Trumpeter Swan ?  5
Canada Goose            3942
Mallard                 3440
Northern Pintail        4236
GW Teal           3754
Cinnamon Teal           1561
Northern Shoveler 8
Gadwall           5408
Wigeon                  20
Unk. Dabbler            355
Redhead           228
Common Goldeneye  5
Ruddy Duck        236
PB Grebe          59
Eared Grebe       347
Western Grebe           310
Clark's Grebe           193
AW Pelican        2954
DC Cormorant            1160
Great Blue Heron  205
Great Egret       19
Snowy Egret       761
Black Crown N. Heron    134
White faced Ibis        14147
Snowy Plover            183
Semipalmated Plover     4
Killdeer                79
Black-necked Stilt      13729
Am. Avocet        10351
Willet                  5
Spotted Sandpiper 26
Greater Yellowlegs      64
Lesser Yellowlegs 41
Long-billed Curlew      19
Marbled Godwit          7518
Western Sandpiper 2
Least Sandpiper   3
Peep              1434
Dowitcher spp.          3309
Wilson's Phalarope      47
Franklin's gull         2244
Ring-billed gull        1078
California gull         3004
Caspian Tern            83
Forster's Tern          314
Black Tern        652
Sora              8
coot              27899
Sandhill crane          3

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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