Jeff Strong – Page 2 – Bear River Blogger

How Biologists Better Understand Canada Geese With The Help Of A 30-Minute Airboat Ride.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resourced personnel placing a captured Canada goose in a plastic crate to be leg-banded.

It might seem like a brain-scratcher to ponder how a simple 30-minute airboat ride actually helps biologists delve into the lives of thousands of geese for years to come but that is exactly how the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has been unraveling the mysteries of goose migration and longevity since 1965 when Utah’s Canada […]

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It Wasn’t Birds But A Solitary Monarch Butterfly That “Stole The Show” For Me On The Bear River Refuge This Morning.

Female monarch butterfly depositing eggs on milkweed.

When I left the house early this morning for the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route I’ll admit my mind wasn’t on monarch butterflies, not one bit, as my morning thoughts were fixated on blackbirds, herons, egrets, avocets, pelicans, and all the other birds that have literally been lining the south end of

It Wasn’t Birds But A Solitary Monarch Butterfly That “Stole The Show” For Me On The Bear River Refuge This Morning. Read More »

Why Photographing Birds During The Middle Of The Day Isn’t My Preference.

Despite not feeling 100% yet after fighting the flu all week I somehow talked myself into grabbing a camera and headed for the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto loop this afternoon, a time of day I rarely visit the refuge solely for bird photography purposes mind you. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until early afternoon when

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It’s Time, Once Again, For Baby Birds On The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Auto Tour Route.

American avocet chick on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

When I passed through the main gate at the start of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route yesterday an electronic sign displayed the following message “Watch out for baby birds”. I have to admit the bright neon notification caught me off guard a little bit. Seriously, is it that time already, has

It’s Time, Once Again, For Baby Birds On The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Auto Tour Route. Read More »

Birdwatching On Antelope Island, It Can Be Far Better Than Many People Think.

When I have a birdwatching itch that needs to be scratched more times than not I head on over to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route, and rightfully so since, at the time of this writing that is, the auto loop is currently ranked 4th on eBird’s Utah Hotspot list with a

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This Particular Osprey Nest Shows Us Nature And Civilization Don’t Always Have To Clash.

I’ve always considered myself a fairly observant person, at least with things relating to birds that is, but late last week when I noticed something was a bit out of place on a road I’ve literally driven thousands of times over the past two decades I started to question myself on that, at least a

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A Swainson’s Hawk And An Early Morning Hunt For Voles.

Each and every morning as I’m heading for the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route my mind starts to ponder about what kind of birds and relatable stories I might encounter and photograph today. Somedays the trips turn out pretty routine with a lot of common seasonal birds along the way but occasionally,

A Swainson’s Hawk And An Early Morning Hunt For Voles. Read More »

Did I Just Watch A Red-winged Blackbird Actually Attack A Pelican?

red-winged blackbird chasing a pelican on the bear river migratory bird refuge.

It might seem a bit far-fetched but as I drove the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route this morning I actually watched a male red-winged blackbird attack an American white pelican as it casually, ever so innocently, swam down the canal. This strange interaction between these two birds wasn’t, mind you, an isolated

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It Appears Utah’s Nesting Pelicans Still Have A Trick Or Two Up Their Sleeve.

American white pelican flying against a blue sky on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

If there’s a bird I want to both photograph and write about for this website more than the American white pelican I surely don’t know what it would be. Don’t get me wrong, however, by that bold statement, I most certainly have lots of other birds I enjoy blogging about but when the opportunity arises,

It Appears Utah’s Nesting Pelicans Still Have A Trick Or Two Up Their Sleeve. Read More »

It Sounds Counterintuitive But Burning Wetlands Can Actually Help Birds, Here’s How It Works.

prescribed fire burning at the bear river migratory bird refuge visitors center

I know what you’re thinking with a title like that and, well, I admit it does sound quite strange to even consider burning habitat to help birds, doesn’t it? Trust me, exactly 5 years ago when I was given access from the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to follow and photograph federal firefighters as they

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Red-winged Blackbirds Might Be Common But They Are Anything But Ordinary, Here Are 5 Interesting Facts About Them.

red-winged blackbird singing while perched on a cattail.

When I first started photographing birds on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route many years ago two particular species stood out above all the rest and immediately grabbed my attention from the very first day, one was, of course, the quirky yet beautiful American avocet with the other being the melodic male

Red-winged Blackbirds Might Be Common But They Are Anything But Ordinary, Here Are 5 Interesting Facts About Them. Read More »

Male Chorus Frogs Are Calling And It’s A Beautiful Thing.

The more and more my camera entices me to get outdoors to photograph for this website the greater my love and appreciation for nature, not just for birds but rather all the creatures in the natural world around us. Lately, my attention has been getting pulled away from birds, only temporarily mind you as I’m

Male Chorus Frogs Are Calling And It’s A Beautiful Thing. Read More »

The Frustrations Of Photographing Great Blue Herons.

great blue heron standing behind some phragmites

If there’s a bird I love to photograph more than the great blue heron I honestly don’t know what it would be. The American white pelican would be a very close second, maybe even tied for my favorite photography subject, but if the truth is known there isn’t a bird I spend more time seeking

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Seriously, Are There Beavers Living On The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge?

beaver lifting its tail to slap it on the water

I don’t know about you but mentioning the word beaver in the same sentence as the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge seems, well, a bit odd to me to say the least. When I think of beavers my mind immediately conjures up images of a lush high mountain valley meadow caressing a small pond and

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Migrating Snow Geese And The Damage They Leave Behind.

flock of snow geese feeding in a winter wheat field

Suffice it to say, I’m a birdwatcher, through and through, and I love it when thousands of snow geese, reportedly as many as 20,000 birds in some years, filter through Box Elder County, Utah for a few weeks during spring migration on their way to the arctic tundra for the breeding season. It’s a natural

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