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Should you be headed for Bear River MBR, don't pass
up the area around the I-15 exit without scanning for avian opportunists
taking advantage of the large puddles. I pulled off the north-bound exit
ramp to see what I could see. In the pond east of the ramp I saw six
resting Caspian Terns, a Spotted Sandpiper, American Avocet, Cinnamon Teal,
Gadwall, Redhead, and Canada Geese. In the pond between the ramp, the
interstate, and the overpass to the refuge, I saw incredible numbers of Cliff
Swallows and some Barn Swallows swooping over the grassy pond, Black-necked
Stilts, Mallard, and two Wilson's Phalarope. The Cliff Swallows are
nesting on the overpass on the southwest side. On the refuge road about
two hundred feet west of the southbound exit ramp, a flooded field on the north
side gave up White-faced Ibis, Cattle and Snowy Egret, Willet, Sandhill
Crane flying overhead, Cinnamon Teal, Blue-Winged Teal, and my favorite, a
Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal hybrid. It took a while to figure out that
one! The bird was resting with bill tucked, but even in that posture I
could see the indistinct white crescent on its face behind the bill.
That field mark didn't go with the rufous sides that looked a bit mottled.
It also had a partly gray and partly rust head with a brilliant red eye.
While the bird was swimming, the male Blue-winged Teal chased it away from
two females with neck lowered, snipping at the hybrid's tail
feathers. South of the road and east of the visitor's
center construction site, I saw a Long-Billed Curlew. I wish someone
would have the decency to cut down the 10-inch high wooden fence posts in the
field west of the visitors' center construction site. I practically have
heart failure EVERY time I see these posts, thinking surely I have found
Burrowing Owls. I never learn. I saw another male Cinnamon and
another male Blue-winged Teal at the next pond west, along with many of the
birds mentioned above. A few hundred yards further west at a culvert, I
was able to study swallows perched on power lines and saw
Northern Rough-winged, Tree, Barn, Cliff, and five
Violet-green.
I returned south to Willard Bay instead of
continuing on to the refuge. Between the farm pond north of the state
park, the bay, and the Nature Trail, I had a great afternoon. The
Bullock's Orioles, Yellow Warblers, and Yellow-rumped Warblers have taken
over this park. I saw many raptors/passerines/water
species and enjoyed them immensely. The notables were
MacGillivray's Warbler, a thrush that was probably a Swainson's, a Myrtle
Yellow-rumped with a pale yellow wash on its white throat, Horned Grebe, an
Empidonax flycatcher I believe was a Hammond's, Black-crowned Night Heron,
and Black-headed Grosbeak (I threw the last two not because
they're uncommon; I just like them). I suspect an Orange-crowned
Warbler and a Green-tailed Towhee were present as well. Neither bird would
show itself to confirm the songs I heard. The Horned Grebe was the first
one I ever saw without looking through thousands of other grebes first. It
was completely alone; the pelicans, cormorants, and juvenile Common Loon not far
off didn't count.
Kris
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