Category: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

If you’re a birder and I haven’t already convinced you that Bear River Migratory Refuge is a must-visit, I’m probably never going to convince you, but I can’t resist sharing a few more of the shots I got there on my last visit.

Although there seemed to be more Western/Clark’s Grebes than any other bird, there seemed to be a considerable number of Yellow-Headed Blackbirds, another bird we don’t have in the Pacific Northwest.

They have a very defined habitat, but on this visit they seemed to be

everywhere I looked,

but even when I didn’t see one, I couldn’t miss their “song.”

The song itself may be irritating, but it’s impossible to deny their enthusiastic rendition of it.

We may have originally gone to Bear River to see Avocets, Ibis, and Stilts, but we probably ended up spending more time photographing Western and Clarks Grebes. I hadn’t even left the parking lot to begin the driving tour when I spotted this Western Grebe.

On a previous visit, I’d had the privilege of seeing Grebe pairs performing a mating dance and I was hoping to see the same on this visit. Though most of the Grebes I saw did seem to be paired off, all I saw was some preliminary necking and head bobbing.

In fact the most exciting moment of Grebe watching in the first two days took place while photographing this pair

and one Grebe casually scratched its back,

which was about the same thing we were doing inside the car while fighting off mosquito bites.

When we left this male the night before he seemed content to sit next to his female and watch the world drive by; in other words, he seemed as content as all the other Cinnamon Teal couples we observed as we drove around the refuge. So, I was more than a little surprised when I stopped to take another shot of him the next morning as we left and he suddenly rushed out into the water, quacking up a storm.

It was several moments before I glimpsed the sight of another male Cinnamon Teal just inside the camera frame.

The fellow was obviously just letting a rival know that this chick was his,

a common event in the crowded world of wildlife refuges.

I expected the other male, especially since it seemed considerably smaller would simply fly away as most ducks do when confronted. Apparently, it didn’t like being bullied, and they spent several minutes chasing each other in small circles,

quacking loudly the whole time.

The action was so fast and furious that even my camera couldn’t keep the squabble in focus.

It finally ended up with both males flying around

and only one returning. To tell you the truth, by then I really wasn’t sure if the original male had driven the other one away, or vice versa.

I must have seen more Cinnamon Teal at Bear River than I’ve ever seen anywhere, a real treat since I seldom see them here in the Pacific Northwest. Photographically, it was a special treat to see them at first light.

The male seemed to glow in the morning light.

Of course, it’s hard to know the real color (assuming there is such a thing) of a male Cinnamon Teal because they look quite different in different sunshine.

I must admit that I was a little surprised when I saw this Cinnamon Teal standing on a log because he suddenly looked a lot shorter than he did when he was in the water. Those big feet and big beak, made me remember it’s actually a rather small duck, much smaller than a Mallard.

This Cinnamon Teal was just outside the driving tour on the way back.

He didn’t appear quite so mellow when I saw him the next day, but that’s a tale for another day.