Sometimes as bird watchers we unknowingly fall into the trap of believing in the notion more birds always means a better bird-watching experience.
Well, I am here to tell you that is not always the case, at least for me, however, it isn’t.
It surely wasn’t today, in fact, as I spent time bird watching on both the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route and Farmington Bay enjoying the early tundra swan migration.
It was a tale of two totally different worlds, to put it mildly, as the contrast between both locations was about as polar opposite as it could get.
Farmington Bay definitely has more tundra swans right now than Bear River, a lot more swans as a matter of fact.
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The ice is almost gone from much of the wetlands at Farmington Bay and the swans were quite vocal and actively feeding in the shallow waters as if March was already here.
With the current weather conditions, the water does refreeze at night, but by afternoon, much of the newly formed ice has melted again, leaving a lot of open water for the thousands of tundra swans that have already migrated to northern Utah.
Tundra swans are evenly scattered all over the open water at Farmington bay, with many of them far away from the gravel road on the east side of unit 1.
There are quite a large number of tundra swans currently on the small Davis County waterfowl preserve to look at but, for me at least, I found a much better connection with the swans up at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge this morning.
As I drove around the Bear River Bird Refuge auto tour route, most of the wetlands and canals were still stuck in winter’s icy grip.
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The only open water I found was small portions of the canals and on the southeast corner of the auto tour route where most of the birds currently are.
I would estimate only about 100-150 tundra swans are on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge right now, quite possibly from staying all winter long as each year a small flock of tundra swans refuse to migrate and sticks out the harsh Utah winter on the refuge.
With very little open water, the tundra swans are left to just resting on the ice, oftentimes in very close proximity to several bald eagles perched on the ice flows in the background.
Most of the tundra swans on the Bear River auto tour route were only a couple hundred yards or so from the gravel road, making for some great bird watching and photography opportunities as I was literally the only person on the auto loop this morning at that time.
With only an occasional whoot coming from one of the small flocks of swans, the refuge was so quiet you could almost hear a pin drop.
Maybe I am the only one to think this, but this wintery scene had much more character to it with the swans and bald eagles both still patiently waiting out winter together on the ice.
It was a bit more personal, maybe even more intimate than Farmington Bay was.
Don’t get me wrong, however, when I am in the mood for lots of action I do love the thousands of swans that fill the refuge in March.
But for now, as winter is still in control of the elements, the small, quiet, and solemn scene I was treated to at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge today resonated within me a lot more for some reason.
Today wasn’t about seeing a lot of birds, but feeling what nature still had to say before winter reluctantly gives way to the inevitable spring.
There is just something so beautiful about a tundra swan resting on a sheet of ice that stirs my inner soul.
It’s quiet and it’s peaceful, and what more can we ask for when out in nature if we are looking to rejuvenate our most inner self as I was today.
If you are looking to enjoy lots of tundra swans, right now Farmington Bay is definitely the place to visit.
But if you are looking to find a bit more peace and serenity before winter bids its final adieu, the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge currently has a winter scene that might touch your soul like never before.
I am not a fan of winter by any stretch of the imagination, but I honestly do look forward each year to scenes such as what nature placed before me today, tundra swans patiently waiting out winter on a bed of ice on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
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