{"id":55606,"date":"2019-01-10T06:30:31","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T13:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=55606"},"modified":"2025-05-18T17:35:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T22:35:16","slug":"adult-and-immature-tundra-swans-at-bear-river-mbr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/01\/10\/adult-and-immature-tundra-swans-at-bear-river-mbr\/","title":{"rendered":"Adult And Immature Tundra Swans At Bear River MBR"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult Tundra Swan flying low over the marsh at Bear River MBR – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I am itching to get back out into the field and one of the places I am most excited to get back to is Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a> in Box Elder County, Utah because of the Tundra Swans that I know are there. It is amazing to see and hear these large, white swans by the hundreds and thousands and it can be more than challenging to describe the feelings I have while I observe and photograph them.<\/p>\n

I can say with absolute certainty that I feel more than lucky to live where I can see them during their migration and to hear their calls reverberating over the marshes. Before long the swans that moved on when the water at the refuge froze over in the marsh will return to our refuge in large numbers to rest up and refuel before making their long journeys to the tundra in northern Canada and Alaska to breed near ponds, lakes and river deltas.<\/p>\n

During the time that the Tundra Swans are at the refuge I am able to see adults who have made the long journey south to the refuge before…<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Tundra Swan flapping its wings – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

And immature swans that have made their first long migration and are experiencing their first winters far from their natal nesting grounds. When I sit watching and photographing these young Tundra Swans and think about how long their first migration is in miles I am wonderstruck.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Tundra Swan photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

I am also thinking about the refuge staff during their forced, unpaid and needless furloughs. I know the dedicated, valuable staff at the refuge don’t deserve this BS and neither do the rest of our federal employees.<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am itching to get back out into the field and one of the places I am most excited to get back to is Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Box Elder County, Utah because of the Tundra Swans that I know are there. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,158,26],"tags":[4004,4431,2450,4052,4122,4067,4094,530,5511,4628,3122,2117,3996,3200,373,4193],"class_list":["post-55606","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-tundra-swans","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-cygnus-columbianus","tag-first-winter","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-immature","tag-marsh","tag-migration","tag-overwinter","tag-swan","tag-swans","tag-tundra-swan","tag-water","tag-wing-flapping","tag-winter","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-immature-marsh-mia-mcpherson-8486.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-esS","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":110083,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/02\/07\/bear-river-mbr-winter-haven-for-tundra-swans\/","url_meta":{"origin":55606,"position":0},"title":"Bear River MBR: Winter Haven For Tundra Swans","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 7, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I had hoped that this morning would be sunny so I could head to Bear River MBR to see, listen to, and photograph Tundra Swans on the marshes.","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":"Adult and immature Tundra Swans in morning flight, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/tundra-swans-adult-immature-flight-marsh-mia-mcpherson-0177.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/tundra-swans-adult-immature-flight-marsh-mia-mcpherson-0177.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/tundra-swans-adult-immature-flight-marsh-mia-mcpherson-0177.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/tundra-swans-adult-immature-flight-marsh-mia-mcpherson-0177.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100136,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/02\/21\/trumpeter-swan-photos-from-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":55606,"position":1},"title":"Trumpeter Swan Photos From Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When I was at Bear River MBR two days ago I was excited to be able to take a nice series of Trumpeter Swan photos on the west side of the auto tour loop.","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":"Adult Trumpeter Swan lifting off from the marsh 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\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-brmbr-mia-mcpherson-4392.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-brmbr-mia-mcpherson-4392.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-brmbr-mia-mcpherson-4392.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trumpeter-swan-brmbr-mia-mcpherson-4392.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":120623,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/07\/tundra-swans-and-precious-memories\/","url_meta":{"origin":55606,"position":2},"title":"Tundra Swans And Precious Memories","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Tundra Swans and memories are on my mind this morning. 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2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, I'm sharing a simple Tundra Swan portrait taken almost two years ago on a bright winter day at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tundra Swan portrait, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/tundra-swan-portrait-utah-mia-mcpherson-4922.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/tundra-swan-portrait-utah-mia-mcpherson-4922.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/tundra-swan-portrait-utah-mia-mcpherson-4922.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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