{"id":37266,"date":"2016-03-22T06:30:29","date_gmt":"2016-03-22T12:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=37266"},"modified":"2025-07-23T13:15:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T18:15:38","slug":"a-first-day-of-spring-western-grebe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/03\/22\/a-first-day-of-spring-western-grebe\/","title":{"rendered":"A First Day of Spring Western Grebe"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"EarlyEarly spring Western Grebe – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I spent the first day of spring at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a> where not only did it feel like spring with warm temperatures but it also sounded like spring with Yellow-headed and Red-winged Blackbirds calling on their territories, Marsh Wrens chattering in the rushes, American Avocets in the distance and plenty of Western Grebes sounding off their advertising calls. The day before on Antelope Island I was able to hear my first of the year Lark Sparrow and Long-billed Curlew. I’d say spring has officially arrived in the Great Basin.<\/p>\n

I love all the seasons of the year but after a long, cold winter I eagerly anticipate the birds that arrive with spring including an early spring Western Grebe who will soon be courting<\/span><\/a> and rushing<\/span><\/a> across the waters at the refuge.<\/p>\n

I’m also looking forwarding to not feeling frozen while photographing birds.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Western Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I eagerly anticipate the birds that arrive with spring including an early spring Western Grebe who will soon be courting and rushing at the refuge. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150716,"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":[124,27,1148,26,161],"tags":[4004,699,788,877,707,4094,165,4993,4014,4095],"class_list":["post-37266","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-utah","category-western-grebes","tag-adult","tag-aechmophorus-occidentalis","tag-first-of-year","tag-grebe","tag-grebes-2","tag-marsh","tag-spring","tag-vernal-equinox","tag-western-grebe","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebe-adult-mia-mcpherson-9725.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-9H4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20905,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/08\/the-grebes-are-back-at-bear-river-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":37266,"position":0},"title":"The 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebe-family-mia-mcpherson-9102.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebe-family-mia-mcpherson-9102.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebe-family-mia-mcpherson-9102.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebe-family-mia-mcpherson-9102.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9585,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/09\/25\/meeting-the-new-generation-of-western-grebes\/","url_meta":{"origin":37266,"position":3},"title":"Meeting The New Generation Of Western Grebes","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 25, 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