Bear River Waterbird Count

[Bridget_Olson at fws dot gov]

Waterbird Count
10/07/05

Total ducks around 133,000 birds.  This is up from last year's count at
this time of 91,000.  LARGE numbers of canvasback in Unit 1 which is the
unit to the north of the tour loop.  They like the sago pondweed that grew
so thick in the unit this summer that the eared grebes just piled it up for
nests.  First time eared grebes have nested on the Refuge in at least 3
years.   Haven't seen any swans yet.  Getting late to be seeing White-faced
Ibis, and Stilts.  Their numbers have dwindled.   Notable bird was
Bonaparte's Gull.  Lots of pipits and a few Greater Yellowlegs covering
mudflats and around other very shallow water areas.  All of our wetland
units are full.  While 29% of the birds were seen from the tour loop, only
5% were in the hunt units.

Canada Goose            2525
Mallard                 20209
Pintail                 32901
GW Teal           7834
Cinnamon Teal           2704
Shoveler          15904
Gadwall           11459
Wigeon                  12276
Canvasback        16566
Redhead           7566
Ring-necked Duck  8
Ruddy Duck        5747
Pied-billed Grebe 16
Eared Grebe       910
Western Grebe           246
Clark's Grebe           146
AW Pelican        402
DC Cormorant            388
Great Blue Heron  85
Great Egret       11
Snowy Egret       35
BC Night Heron          43
WF Ibis                 39
Killdeer                32
BN Stilt                30
American Avocet   1720
Greater Yellowlegs      50
Long-billed Curlew      10
Marbled Godwit          850
Peep              94
Dowitcher         115
Wilson's Snipe          1
Franklin's Gull         122
Bonaparte's gull  24
Ring-billed Gull        2529
California Gull         270
Forster's Tern          31
Coot              13045
Sandhill Crane          2
Northern Harrier        25
Peregrine Falcon  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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