Blog – Page 5 – Bear River Blogger

A Life Lesson Learned From Watching Small White Butterflies Feeding On A Sunflower.

It’s summer and that means one thing, butterflies, lots and lots of beautifully adorned butterflies. On many of these summertime photo excursions my mind easily turns from birds to butterflies because, well, butterflies are just plain awesome. Yesterday was certainly one of those days where my intention was to take a trip around the Bear […]

A Life Lesson Learned From Watching Small White Butterflies Feeding On A Sunflower. Read More »

A Sight I’ve Never Seen Before, Hundreds Of Snowy Egrets Sitting On One Corner Of The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Auto Tour Route.

flock of snowy egrets on the bear river migratory bird refuge auto tour route

As a birdwatcher, I can honestly say I have never seen it before and I don’t know if I will ever see it again, at least in that magnitude I’d wager to guess. What I am talking about is a couple of days ago while doing some birdwatching on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

A Sight I’ve Never Seen Before, Hundreds Of Snowy Egrets Sitting On One Corner Of The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Auto Tour Route. Read More »

Strangely Enough, It’s Not Grain But Something Else The Yellow-headed Blackbirds Want From Late-Summer Corn Fields.

yellow-headed blackbird perched on a corn stalk

Have you been birdwatching the past few weeks or so on a wetland in your neck of the woods, one similar to the famed Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route, and noticed, well, how strangely silent the wetlands are right now? I most certainly have and boy is it eerie quiet, to say

Strangely Enough, It’s Not Grain But Something Else The Yellow-headed Blackbirds Want From Late-Summer Corn Fields. Read More »

Hummingbird Wingbeats In Super Slow Motion.

I’m fascinated with hummingbirds, plain and simple. These incredible little birds are really how I learned most of what I know today regarding bird photography but that, however, will be another blog post for another day. Today, I had the urge to flip my camera to video mode and record what I think was a

Hummingbird Wingbeats In Super Slow Motion. Read More »

Correctly Composing Your Bird Photos While Out In The Field Is Really A Thing.

American avocet standing on one leg on the bear river migratory bird refuge auto tour route

Yes, properly composing a bird image while photographing out in the field is really a thing, trust me on that. I know what all my fellow “photogs” are thinking from that statement and, well, to be honest, I fully agree with you. Even for me and to this very day, composing bird photographs while out

Correctly Composing Your Bird Photos While Out In The Field Is Really A Thing. Read More »

What’s So Darn Fascinating About Birdwatching Anyways?

american avocet laying down on the bear river migratory bird refuge

If there’s anything else on this earth I’d rather be doing other than watching, photographing, and writing about birds, I certainly haven’t crossed paths with it yet. Truth is, I’ve been a lifelong birdwatcher for, umm, let’s see now, I’d say a good stone’s throw past the four-decade mark and I am happy to report

What’s So Darn Fascinating About Birdwatching Anyways? Read More »

Here’s Why Utah’s Record Snowpack Helped The Great Salt Lake Overall But Not The Nesting Pelicans On Gunnison Island.

american white pelican taking off from the water on the bear river migratory bird refuge

Now this may sound strange to some of you but for a long time now, anytime I see an American white pelican in fact, I get this constant craving to someday make the long journey to the very remote and desolate Gunnison Island, a pelican rookery that’s quietly stashed away in the northwest corner of

Here’s Why Utah’s Record Snowpack Helped The Great Salt Lake Overall But Not The Nesting Pelicans On Gunnison Island. Read More »

The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Has Officially Joined The Fight Against Declining American Kestrel Populations

male american kestrel sitting on a fence post

Each winter I find myself mesmerized by the American kestrel, a somewhat common bird found on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge during the coldest parts of the year. With its brilliantly colored plumage, the male kestrel in particular is a strikingly beautiful bird and one I personally take every opportunity I get to photograph

The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Has Officially Joined The Fight Against Declining American Kestrel Populations Read More »

A Birding Pictorial Showing When Life Tosses You A Curveball, Don’t Mope But Go Birdwatching Instead.

black crowned night heron standing in some cattails on the bear river migratory bird refuge

If there’s anybody that has a valid reason to be a “gloomy Gus” lately I’d argue that both the recent passing of my mother and now my 15-year-old dog seemingly days away from leaving my side entitles me the right to toss my hat into the proverbial ring of despair, at least for a moment

A Birding Pictorial Showing When Life Tosses You A Curveball, Don’t Mope But Go Birdwatching Instead. Read More »

Bird Photography And Nature Blogging May Never Be The Same For Me Anymore.

The absolute hardest part of writing for this website is, well, coming up with a compelling title and gripping first sentence. I’m far better at standing behind a camera capturing interesting and unique bird photographs than I am sitting in front of this laptop conjuring up riveting stories and captivating anecdotes to go along with

Bird Photography And Nature Blogging May Never Be The Same For Me Anymore. Read More »

Nature Photos Aren’t Always What They Seem And Here’s Why.

hawk being chased by a red-winged blackbird

I absolutely love nature photography and using a camera to share interesting encounters from the world around us is actually the driving force behind this website. But there is a side, however, to photographing nature that I don’t particularly like at all. That’s the side where the full context of an almost unbelievable photograph isn’t

Nature Photos Aren’t Always What They Seem And Here’s Why. Read More »

Why Do American White Pelicans Have A Throat Pouch?

american white pelican showing its throat pouch

Have you ever sat and wondered why certain birds have such unique and sometimes odd physical characteristics as they do? Well, I don’t know about anybody else but I certainly do. And this built-in curiosity factor is one of the reasons why I love birdwatching so much, there is always something to learn when it

Why Do American White Pelicans Have A Throat Pouch? Read More »

Is The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Worth Visiting During The Dog Days Of Summer?

American avocet sleeping on the bear river migratory bird refuge auto tour route

Yes, my bird-loving friends, they are finally here. Like it or hate it, either way I am pleased to report the sultry dog days of summer have now arrived and they are officially cooking us once again. Day after day, week after week, even month after month it seems, northern Utah is typically plagued with

Is The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Worth Visiting During The Dog Days Of Summer? Read More »

Grebes Are Now Strutting Their Stuff (Babies) On The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

western grebe swimming with a baby on its back on the bear river migratory bird refuge

Without a doubt, the number one question I get from fellow birdwatchers who follow my blog is when the grebe babies are out and about and can easily be found on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Well, my friends, that time is now as baby grebes, including both Clark’s and western grebes, are making

Grebes Are Now Strutting Their Stuff (Babies) On The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Read More »

Unlocking The Mystery Of Goose Migration Through Utah’s Bird Banding Program.

Canada goose walking in front of some cattails

There are many things in nature that fascinate me, I mean truly and earnestly grab and hold my attention and admiration to no end. For example, I am enchanted by the monarch caterpillar and its amazing metamorphosis that somehow turns itself into a beautiful butterfly or how a dragonfly can find and pluck even the

Unlocking The Mystery Of Goose Migration Through Utah’s Bird Banding Program. Read More »