Earlier this year, I started to post some YouTube videos about my recent sighting on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route. For several reasons, one being I am not very skilled at videography, I decided to make a change and start posting my recent sightings here on my blog instead.
(Update: I am starting to post videos on my YouTube channel again regarding the refuge and other places I visit. Feel free to subscribe to my channel for video updates.)
The plan is, each time I visit the refuge, I am going to post a summary of what birds have been seen, the condition of the auto tour route, and any other information I might find helpful to anyone interested in visiting the refuge but wondered what the current conditions are.
As always, I suggest contacting the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge for current conditions of the auto tour route and refuge before visiting.
The posts below on this page will just be just a brief written recap of my experiences with photographs from the trip to help illustrate what I experienced and to show others what is being seen at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Things change day to day with nature and the weather, so what I see one day might completely change the following day.
(Birdwatching and Nature Apparel)
(Available at Bird Shirts and More)
For anyone interested in this type of posting, I suggest subscribing to my blog to receive emails on new blog posts from the refuge and other places I frequent.
One last thing before I get into the recent sightings, if you are in need of a gift for a nature lover, a friend, family member, or even yourself, please check out our online apparel and gift store ‘Bird Shirts and More‘.
We offer an ever-growing line of t-shirts, sweats, hoodies, and other gifts, depicting birds, butterflies, and other interesting things in nature taken from many of my photography excursions out in nature. Readers to my blog are offered a 20% discount on all items in the shop with promo code save20 that can be applied during checkout.
Recent Utah Bird Sightings on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Update: March 8, 2021. Since just adding to this post doesn’t automatically generate an email notification, causing me to manually send out a post notification, I am changing how I do recent bird sighting updates on the website.
From now on, I am going to do a new post for each “recent sightings” I do, meaning an email notification will be generated and those signed up for post notifications will get an email each time I do an update. To check previous sightings, you can also go to our recent sightings category page as well to see what has been posted.
- February 17, 2021
After a couple days of snow, I was itching to get back out to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and see if anything has changed with regards to birds. It most certainly has, especially in the way of the tundra swans. They are starting to show up in large numbers with more seen today than I could even begin to count.
Just off the refuge to the north, snow geese are starting to make their yearly spring migration stopover as I have now seen the geese 2 days in a row, including this morning when about 50 of them, including 1 blue goose that was in the flock, flew directly overhead.
Bald eagles were in good abundance on the drive down to the auto tour route as well as on the loop itself. I didn’t keep a formal record of bald eagle numbers today but it was about a dozen or so.
Northern pintail are not only starting to show up but they are beginning their courtship flights as well. All in all, despite the freezing temperature and harsh wind blowing, this was one of the best days I have had on the refuge so far this year, mostly because of the great numbers of tundra swans.
The auto tour road is getting a bit rough with potholes and it was quite muddy in spots but my car did fine on it today, despite badly needing a car wash from all the mud.
(Visit Bird Shirts and More for gallery wrapped canvas art.)
(For a limited time, use coupon code save10 during checkout to save 10% off your entire order.)
Bird species seen today on the refuge include tundra swan, great blue heron, marsh wren, horned lark, common raven pintail, common merganser, Canada goose, western meadowlark, American kestrel, ruddy duck, northern harrier, red-winged blackbird, red-tailed hawk, gulls (unidentified species), and snow geese north of the refuge.
- February 10, 2021
It’s only been a couple days since I was out on the refuge last but I wanted to give a quick update on what I have seen and mention my YouTube channel where I am starting to do some video updates as well.
Today was a slow day for birds overall but I did see the first sandhill cranes of the season on my way down to the refuge auto tour route. They were spotted just west of the refuge visitor’s center in an agricultural field, but they flew off before I could get my camera out to take a quick picture.
Not much has changed in bird sightings from my last trip except for the sandhill cranes and a merlin. The swans were very vocal and on unit 2 but quite far from the road.
I posted a YouTube video of today’s trip for those wanting to get a visual of the refuge.
Bird sightings today include sandhill crane, merlin, great blue heron, northern harrier, song sparrow, marsh wren, herring gull, ring-billed gull, Canada goose, mallard, pied-billed grebe, common goldeneye, and bald eagle.
- February 8, 2021
Another trip to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is now in the books. I spent about two hours today on the auto tour loop and Forest Street looking for birds, hopefully finding some new birds for the new year.
The two most notable sightings were a prairie falcon and numerous bald eagles, including a resident nesting pair of eagles that appears to have returned to the nest for yet another breeding season.
The auto tour loop road does have a few spots with some moderate potholes, but overall, I had no issues with the drive around the refuge in my small passenger car.
Tundra swans are noticeably starting to show up now with as many or more swans spotted on the refuge today than on any other winter trip. The swans were also more vocal which tells me migration is starting to stir inside them a bit with the slightly warming temperatures and increasing daylight hours.
All in all, the tundra swan migration is just starting to get going so the next couple of months, particularly the month of March, is usually the best time to see the tundra swans on the refuge.
Rough-legged hawks were few and far between with only one sighting today. Ducks are starting to become more common, with pintails starting to make their presence known.
Bird sightings for today include bald eagle, American kestrel, red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, northern harrier, red-winged blackbird, horned lark, ring-billed gull, herring gull, California gull, Canada goose, tundra swan, pied-billed grebe, common goldeneye, common merganser, northern pintail, mallard, common raven, and great blue heron.
- January 30, 2021
This winter on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge has been a little bit different than most years. We have had very little snow and temperatures have been up one day and down the next. All of this has led to a most unusual winter for me looking for birds on the refuge. I am still finding them but not in the usual places as in past years.
Today, I went out again to see what has changed since my last visit a couple of weeks ago. Since then, we have had dry periods and some cold temperatures along the way. Recently, we have had a little bit of rain and a spattering of snow here and there. The past few days has seen more precipitation on the refuge than in the past month, except it was in the form of rain.
Here is a 360 degree image I photographed on the south end of the auto tour route today.
I was expecting the auto tour route to be badly rutted and muddy, but today’s trip was not bad at all. There were some areas of potholes and patches of mud but overall, my car easily traversed the gravel road just fine.
As far as birds are concerned, I did see a decent selection of the standard winter birds, but most of them had left the open water on the south end of the auto loop. This area in weeks past had been attracting nearly 50+ great blue herons, and today I only counted about 8, all along a section of open water on the south side of the road.
Mallards and pintails were very vocal and more prevalent than in previous trips, telling me they are getting anxious for spring as much as I am. The most notable bird sighting today was a belted kingfisher on Forest Street on the drive down to the auto tour route.
I was hoping to see the tundra swans on this trip as my last trip drew a big goose egg, and I did indeed see three and hear several more off in the distance. It has been noted that a few tundra swans have been wintering on the refuge for the past several years, and this winter seems to be no exception as I have seen at least a handful of swans on most of my winter trips to the refuge.
Even though most of the refuge is still frozen and birds were few, all in all, it was a good day on the refuge. I am starting to see western meadowlarks again and a few days ago I saw three American white pelicans on Farmington Bay WMA.
Bird sightings for today include belted kingfisher, bald eagle, tundra swan, western meadowlark, common raven, black-billed magpie, song sparrow, common goldeneye, great blue heron, mallard, northern pintail, Canada goose, American kestrel, ring-billed gull, herring gull, pied-billed grebe, rough-legged hawk, and horned lark.
- January 15, 2021
With such a bright and beautiful sunny winter’s day greeting me this morning, I was motivated to visit the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge again to see what kinds of birds I could find on this chilly but clear mid-January day.
The refuge is mostly frozen, and about the only open water I found was on the southeast corner of the auto tour route. The birds were very congregated on this portion of the loop, and I have never seen more great blue herons in one place anywhere than I did today on the dwindling remaining pockets of open water.
The highlight for today was a prairie falcon which flew by on Forest Street on my way down to the auto tour route. Rough-legged hawks and northern harriers were plentiful as they usually are this time of year.
A flock of red-winged blackbirds and a loggerhead shrike was near the northwest corner of the loop. I only saw 2 bald eagles and no signs, either by sight or sound, of tundra swans.
There has been no snow since my last trip and the gravel road was easily traveled in my car. Although the remaining open water is starting to freeze up and the bird numbers are not anywhere like it is during the summer, the drive around the refuge loop during winter is still one of my favorite things to do. I love the solitude and the snow-capped mountain scenery as well as the birds.
Bird sightings for today include prairie falcon, bald eagle, pheasant, loggerhead shrike, red-winged blackbird, common merganser, common goldeneye, herring gull, California gull, ring-billed gull, rough-legged hawk, northern harrier, horned lark, song sparrow, American kestrel, common raven, and great blue heron.
It is interesting to note here, a couple days ago at Farmington Bay WMA, I observed an American white pelican and a white-faced ibis, both species that typically winters in warmer climates and usually doesn’t show up in northern Utah until April or so. A couple of very odd bird sightings indeed.
- January 6, 2021
A new year means new bird watching and photography opportunities on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route, and today I took full advantage of the clear skies by spending 4 hours on the refuge.
We haven’t had any snow in a few days so the drive down Forest Street and around the auto tour route was not a problem for me and my small passenger car.
Most of the refuge and the Bear River itself is frozen and very few pockets of open water exist, but where I found water I found birds. This was especially the case on the southern portion of the auto tour route where the most open water was found.
Great blue herons, a variety of gulls, and common goldeneye ducks were making good use of the open water in search of fish. Northern harriers were very common all over the refuge and a few rough-legged hawks were seen on the route as well.
Tundra swans could be heard off in the distance although I didn’t see any on the auto tour route on this trip.
It was cold but sunny and a fantastic day to watch and photograph great blue herons and herring gulls on the small pockets of open water. Winter is oftentimes overlooked by some bird watchers, but it is one of the best times, in my own opinion, that is, to visit the refuge auto tour route.
Bird sightings for today include bald eagle, pheasant, American pipit, American coot, common merganser, common goldeneye, herring gull, California gull, ring-billed gull, mallard, rough-legged hawk, northern harrier, horned lark, song sparrow, common raven, red-tailed hawk, great blue heron, and tundra swan.
- December 31, 2020
For the last day of 2020, I decided to take a trip out to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route to see what I can find on the final day of the year. It has been extremely cold and almost all of the refuge and the Bear River itself is frozen, with only a few small and random open pockets of water still around.
It had snowed last night, but only an inch or less of snow had accumulated from the storm. The auto tour route had a little bit of snow and ice, but I drove it in my car with no problems at all.
I saw only northern harriers and a few rough-legged hawks until I arrived at the southeast corner of the auto loop where some open water along the roadway was still present. The open water attracted dozens of great blue herons, ducks, and a variety of gulls.
I heard tundra swans way off in the distance but only saw 4 as I was leaving the refuge. It was cold and dreary with the low clouds and recent snow, but it was a good day nevertheless. Fewer birds than last time, but lots more great blue herons on this trip.
Bird sightings for today includes bald eagle, great blue heron, tundra swan, northern harrier, rough-legged hawk, American kestrel, song sparrow, horned lark, pied-billed grebe, common goldeneye, Canada goose, ring-necked duck, raven, California gull, ring-billed gull, and American coot.
- December 23, 2020
Today, I took a quick trip to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route to see what has changed in the past few days. It has gotten much colder and more of the refuge has frozen over, but there is still open pockets of water in the canals and on the southeast corner of unit 2.
Bird sightings on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route for today include prairie falcon, great blue heron, tundra swan, bald eagle, pied-billed grebe, northern pintail, mallard, song sparrow, American kestrel, rough-legged hawk, northern harrier, raven, common goldeneye, American coot, and American goldfinch.
There were more rough-legged hawks on this trip than the previous trips on the auto tour route. Several were also seen on Forest Street.
The swans were in a couple flocks on the southeast portion of the auto tour route near the open pockets of water. I estimated there to be about 60-80 swans on the ice, but not sure if any of them were trumpeters or if they were all tundra swans. I didn’t have my binoculars with me to observe the larger flock further out on the ice.
It appears the auto tour route has been plowed since my last trip, and although much of it is clear, there is some ice on the roadway in a few spots.
I was surprised to only find a couple of bald eagles on the refuge, and they were far out on the ice.
- December 18, 2020
Today, I took another trip to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route to see what changes took place since getting about 4-5 inches of snow yesterday. Forest Street was just finishing up getting plowed as I was heading down, and at the end of my trip, the sun had melted most of the residual slush from the road.
The refuge auto tour route was not plowed when I arrived, and there was about 5 inches of snow on the gravel road. Luckily, enough vehicles had already traversed the route, and there were some well-defined tire tracks to follow. I drove it in my passenger car, driving slowly, and had no issues at all going around the loop.
Despite the snow on the road, I was happy to see a fair number of birds today on the route, although not nearly as many or as diverse as my last trip. I was fortunate to see a few tundra swans, several bald eagles, numerous great blue herons, many northern harriers, a variety of ducks on the southeast corner of unit 2, one rough-legged hawk, and many horned larks along the roadway.
It seemed there was a little bit more open water on the refuge today, but most of the swans I saw on the open water a few days ago were not present. I only saw three tundra swans today as I was leaving the loop.
Lastly, just before sunset, I was fortunate to see about 200 snow geese flying in a neighboring agricultural area just north of the refuge.
Overall, it was a beautiful day to be out on the refuge. The sun was out, and the birds were active. I am a huge fan of visiting the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route during winter. There might not be anywhere near as many birds as summer, but I still do see plenty of wildlife, and the solitude and serenity more than makeup for the fewer numbers of birds.
- December 16, 2020
Today, I spent a couple hours on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route. As you can see by the included pictures, the gravel road was in good shape.
I drove it in my small passenger car with no problem. Usually, by this time, the auto tour route starts to get a bit rutted and laden with potholes, but today the road was pretty smooth, except for the last mile or so when it started to get a bit wash-boardie.
There was plenty of bird sightings on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route today, including trumpeter swans, tundra swan, canvasback, bald eagle, great blue heron, northern harrier, rough-legged hawk, common golden-eye, pied-billed grebe, green-winged teal, American wigeon, raven, American kestrel, red-winged blackbird, coot, and horned lark.
Most of those bird species had multiple, sometimes numerous, sightings today around the route and some on Forest Street, as well.
Overall, this was one of the better days for numbers of birds as well as for a variety of species of birds I have had this winter on the refuge.
Most of the Bear River Refuge wetlands are frozen, except for some of the canals, areas around the water control structures, and the far southeast corner of the auto loop.
I came across the swans, bald eagles, and most of the ducks in the far southern portion of the auto tour loop where there were pockets of open water. A large flock of great blue herons was standing out on the ice in a loose group along the east section of the loop.
As always, I suggest contacting the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge for current conditions of the auto tour route and refuge before visiting.
Winter is often overlooked for bird watching because of the freezing conditions we get here in Utah, but, as a bird watcher, I find there is usually something to go search for and enjoy this time of year, especially on the Bear River Bird Refuge.
