Recent Bird Sightings – Tundra Swans Are Returning To The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

It’s the last week of October and it is certainly time for a much-welcomed change on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, the arrival of the long-awaited tundra swans.

(I want to clarify the above image was taken last spring and so far there is no ice on the refuge as of this writing. Ice-up usually doesn’t happen until much later in the season during Novermber or December.)

As it turns out, tundra swans are just now starting to show up on the refuge and surrounding areas as they migrate from their summer breeding grounds in Alaska and northern Canada to their wintering grounds in California.

I actually heard my first tundra swan of the season far off in the distance yesterday evening just north of the bird refuge.

Mid-to-late November is when tundra swan numbers peak on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and a great time to come watch these beautiful birds work their way south for the winter.

The best time to view and photograph tundra swans in Utah is during March when the swans are migrating back through the Bear River Bird Refuge, but fall migration can be quite spectacular as well with some incredible numbers of swans oftentimes seen this time of year.

When I get a little bit of time later this week I am hoping to get back out on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route to look for the migrating swans, but for now, I am certain they are here from just hearing their distinctive calls.

If I can get out when the swans are in great numbers later this month, I will post about my findings for anyone wanting to come and see the swans in mass numbers so head on over to our subscribe page and sign up for email notifications for future blog posts.

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