{"id":14981,"date":"2014-05-17T05:55:38","date_gmt":"2014-05-17T11:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=14981"},"modified":"2025-07-22T14:09:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T19:09:28","slug":"highlights-from-yesterdays-trip-to-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/05\/17\/highlights-from-yesterdays-trip-to-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlights from yesterdays trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MuskratMuskrat in morning light – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/250, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/a> is always a delight and I never know exactly what I might see when I am there which suits my spontaneous nature\u00a0perfectly. Some of the highlights yesterday morning included seeing a Muskrat out of the water gathering food in the golden light of dawn. Normally I only get to photograph them in the water so it was wonderful to have this one on the shore.<\/p>\n

\"Double-crestedDouble-crested Cormorant drying out\u00a0– Nikon D300, handheld, f8, 1\/200, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Double-crested Cormorants in Florida were well adjusted to human traffic and could appear quite tame but here in Utah it seems much harder to approach them so I was pleased when this one allowed me to take images of it. The cormorant was drying itself after feeding.<\/p>\n

\"MarshMarsh Wren searching for nesting material\u00a0– Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Marsh Wrens at the refuge are busy singing, guarding territories and building nests right now and this one appeared to be searching for nesting material while it sang over the distant calls of Franklin’s Gulls, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds along with Western and Clark’s Grebes.<\/p>\n

\"WesternWestern Grebe eating a crayfish\u00a0– Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/500, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I’m used to seeing Western Grebes dive and come up with fish to eat but when I saw this one surface it had a Crayfish in its bill. Oh how I wish the light had been better but I am happy with this image despite the light. It is the first series I have of this species chowing down on a mud-bug!<\/p>\n

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a great location to see birds, scenery and other wildlife and to feel nature envelop all of your senses. And you just never know what you might see there.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is always a delight and I never know exactly what I might see when I am there which suits my spontaneous nature perfectly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":115984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,144,538,2543,26,161],"tags":[699,777,2545,2544,149,2118,226,4173,4035,2466,4014,4032],"class_list":["post-14981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-double-crested-cormorant","category-marsh-wrens","category-muskrats","category-utah","category-western-grebes","tag-aechmophorus-occidentalis","tag-cistothorus-palustris","tag-crawdad","tag-crayfish","tag-double-crested-cormorant","tag-marsh-wren","tag-muskrat","tag-nannopterum-auritus","tag-nature-photography","tag-ondatra-zibethicus","tag-western-grebe","tag-wildlife-photography"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/marsh-wren-mia-mcpherson-5577.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-3TD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":27406,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/08\/13\/a-punked-out-muskrat\/","url_meta":{"origin":14981,"position":0},"title":"Punked Out Muskrat","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"It isn't often that I can capture images of Muskrats out of the water so I was delighted to spot this one a few days ago at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Punked Out Muskrat, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/muskrat-mia-mcpherson-3173.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/muskrat-mia-mcpherson-3173.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/muskrat-mia-mcpherson-3173.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/muskrat-mia-mcpherson-3173.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14372,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/02\/17\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge-after-spring-has-sprung\/","url_meta":{"origin":14981,"position":1},"title":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge After Spring Has Sprung","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The snow has melted in the Salt Lake Valley where temps have been unseasonably warm thanks to the \"Pineapple Express\" and although winter hasn't left it has begun to feel like spring which means it won't be long before spring has sprung up all over Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge!","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Looking southwest from the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge-mia-mcpherson-1475.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge-mia-mcpherson-1475.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge-mia-mcpherson-1475.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge-mia-mcpherson-1475.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":85455,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/04\/23\/an-assortment-of-spring-birds-from-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":14981,"position":2},"title":"An Assortment Of Spring Birds From Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I wanted to share an assortment of spring birds all photographed at Bear River MBR yesterday on a bright and beautiful morning.","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Clark's and Western Grebe close up, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-and-western-grebe-side-by-side-mia-mcpherson-9640.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-and-western-grebe-side-by-side-mia-mcpherson-9640.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-and-western-grebe-side-by-side-mia-mcpherson-9640.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-and-western-grebe-side-by-side-mia-mcpherson-9640.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":726,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/09\/05\/american-white-pelican-preening-session\/","url_meta":{"origin":14981,"position":3},"title":"American White Pelican Preening Session","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 5, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Birds were scarce, the water level in the ponds was low so there were only a few shorebirds. On the way out of the refuge though we stopped to photograph some American White Pelicans and a few Double-crested Cormorants.","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American White Pelican and Double-crested Cormorant scratching, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-cormorant-double-scratch-mia-mcpherson-7917.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-cormorant-double-scratch-mia-mcpherson-7917.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-cormorant-double-scratch-mia-mcpherson-7917.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-cormorant-double-scratch-mia-mcpherson-7917.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58333,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/06\/03\/highlights-of-my-bird-photography-trip-yesterday-to-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":14981,"position":4},"title":"Highlights Of My Bird Photography Trip Yesterday to Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"When a bird photography trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge starts with me spotting not just one but two Snowy Plovers out on the flats I just know the day is off to a great start and that is what happened yesterday morning.","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-crowned Night Heron adult hunting in the marsh, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/black-crowned-night-heron-marsh-mia-mcpherson-5630.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/black-crowned-night-heron-marsh-mia-mcpherson-5630.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/black-crowned-night-heron-marsh-mia-mcpherson-5630.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/black-crowned-night-heron-marsh-mia-mcpherson-5630.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40054,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/06\/17\/resting-double-crested-cormorant-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":14981,"position":5},"title":"Resting Double-crested Cormorant at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent the morning at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday and one of the birds I photographed the most was this resting Double-crested Cormorant.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Double-crested Cormorant resting on a stump, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-drying-mia-mcpherson-4892.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-drying-mia-mcpherson-4892.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-drying-mia-mcpherson-4892.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-drying-mia-mcpherson-4892.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}