{"id":26914,"date":"2015-07-26T04:20:17","date_gmt":"2015-07-26T10:20:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=26914"},"modified":"2025-09-28T07:05:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-28T12:05:28","slug":"an-assortment-of-birds-from-bear-river-national-wildlife-refuge-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/07\/26\/an-assortment-of-birds-from-bear-river-national-wildlife-refuge-this-week\/","title":{"rendered":"An Assortment of Birds from Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge This Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SandhillSandhill Crane right after the sunrise – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday I posted a juvenile Wilson’s Phalarope<\/span><\/a> and today I am posting an assortment of others birds I photographed the same day at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The first bird I focused on that morning was a lovely Sandhill Crane I found on the way to the auto tour route. It was with two other cranes but this one turned around and looked at me whereas the other two never did.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAn American White Pelican in a clear July sky – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I am always delighted when I can photograph American White Pelicans in flight against a clear blue sky because their white and black plumage stands out so well.<\/p>\n

I was parked trying to photograph an ibis when this one flew past.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileImmature drake Northern Pintail or adult in eclipse plumage – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I was surprised to find a lone Northern Pintail associating with a small flock of mallards so I couldn’t resist photographing it. I believe this is a juvenile drake but would appreciate confirmation if anyone knows for sure. The bill isn’t right for a female but the plumage isn’t quite right for a male in eclipse plumage either.<\/p>\n

\"AnAn adult Mourning Dove on barbed wire – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

On my way out of the refuge I found a couple of Mourning Doves on a fence line and while most of them flew off this one hung around and gave me the opportunity to photograph it perched on a strand rusty barbed wire. They might be common but I think they are quite lovely!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge!<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my bird photos in my galleries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I posted a juvenile Wilson’s Phalarope and today I am posting an assortment of others birds I photographed the same day at Bear River NWR.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140860,"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":[3,124,27,1148,1189,966,450,26],"tags":[4004,3966,978,4259,4430,3823,3132,3763,3764,1129,126,2113,1124,4052,4122,4067,1190,2441,4154,4,706,4104,9647,9648,4518,4018,4190,3996,1191],"class_list":["post-26914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-white-pelicans","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-mourning-doves","category-northern-pintails","category-sandhill-cranes","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-white-pelican","tag-anas-acuta","tag-antigone-canadensis","tag-barbed-wire","tag-crane","tag-cranes","tag-dove","tag-doves","tag-duck","tag-ducks-2","tag-eclipse-plumage","tag-field","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-immature","tag-mourning-dove","tag-northern-pintail","tag-pelecanus-erythrorhynchos","tag-pelican","tag-pelicans","tag-perched","tag-pintail","tag-pintails","tag-sandhill-crane","tag-sky","tag-sunrise","tag-water","tag-zenaida-macroura"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-adult-mia-mcpherson-7067.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-706","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":50948,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/02\/11\/american-avocets-american-white-pelicans-and-sandhill-cranes-have-returned\/","url_meta":{"origin":26914,"position":0},"title":"American Avocets, American White Pelicans and Sandhill Cranes Have Returned","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm excited that the American Avocets, American White Pelicans and Sandhill Cranes have returned to northern Utah because I look forward to seeing and photographing them again.","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American White Pelican scooping up food from the water, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, 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– Celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 9, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This is National Wildlife Refuge Week and in celebration I wanted to do a pictorial essay that includes some of my images of the Birds of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Virginia Rail and its reflection at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/virginia-rail-adult-mia-mcpherson-1903.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/virginia-rail-adult-mia-mcpherson-1903.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Three Sandhill Cranes in flight, Bicknell Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Wayne County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/sandhill-cranes-flight-mia-mcpherson-6708.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/sandhill-cranes-flight-mia-mcpherson-6708.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/sandhill-cranes-flight-mia-mcpherson-6708.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/sandhill-cranes-flight-mia-mcpherson-6708.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Since the cranes are there they might be at other Utah locations too.","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":"Sandhill Crane calling in flight with snowy mountains behind it, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/sandhill-crane-spring-flight-mia-mcpherson-0109.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/sandhill-crane-spring-flight-mia-mcpherson-0109.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/sandhill-crane-spring-flight-mia-mcpherson-0109.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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McPherson","date":"March 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I drove up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning and came home with some drake Northern Pintail lift off images that I am pleased with.","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":"Drake Northern Pintail lifting off from water, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/northern-pintail-drake-marsh-mia-mcpherson-0058.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/northern-pintail-drake-marsh-mia-mcpherson-0058.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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