Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Our second time to Bear River refuge, this time with heavy fog and frost-covered plants. We opted to visit the welcome center first to let the day warm up. The walk in was icy, so we trod very carefully. Fabulous display including a restored airboat. Who knew these were invented here in 1943 by researchers who needed to get through the marshes more easily while studying geese. I always assumed airboats were good ole boys’ toys from the Everglades or bayous down south.

Once the sun came out, the fog lifted and the frost disappeared. We slowly drove the auto tour, looking for swans but seeing gulls, lots of gulls. And hundreds to thousands of female red winged blackbirds. Finally, off in the distance, there were swans and Canada geese, too far away to identify other species. Another reason to travel with the scope. 

On the drive in we saw 2 maybe 3 northern harriers cruising the fields, 2 rough-legged hawks sitting in a tree, 6 great blue herons flying over, and a kestrel hunting. As we were leaving, a ringed-necked pheasant ran across the road. Some grebes (pied-billed?), American coots, mallards, lesser scaup, buffle heads, and common golden eyes rounded out my eBird list. Eventually we will come at the right time to see the thousand of migrating birds that fly through here. 

I did try my hand at my first watercolor landscape from a photo I took, looking across the refuge to the mountains. Swans and geese were sitting on ice in the middle, but not in my picture. Too detailed for me yet.