{"id":56402,"date":"2019-03-04T04:55:10","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T11:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=56402"},"modified":"2025-07-23T14:17:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T19:17:42","slug":"preening-western-grebe-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/04\/preening-western-grebe-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","title":{"rendered":"Preening Western Grebe At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PreeningPreening Western Grebe and reflection – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Migrating Western Grebes are already being reported at Utah Lake, Bountiful Pond and Farmington Bay WMA and before too long they will be found at other locations here in northern Utah. I have missed seeing these black and white birds and their cherry red eyes over the winter. I have also missed hearing them call<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

After the phragmites were burned last year at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a> in an attempt to control the invasive vegetation I have to wonder if these grebes will find the refuge suitable to nest in this year because there isn’t much vegetation left in some areas for them to use to build their floating nests at the water impoundments close to the auto tour route or if we will all have to wait for that to happen until enough native vegetation grows back which might mean a season or two. I also wonder if they will be seen rushing and displaying this year at the refuge.<\/p>\n

\"PreeningPreening Western Grebe covered in water droplets – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if I have to wait a season or two to see rushing, displaying and nesting Western Grebes I will be happy to photograph them wherever I can find them. They are such interesting, beautiful and elegant birds.<\/p>\n

Both of these photos were taken last year at Bear River Migratory Bird refuge in April as the grebe preened on a bright, sunny day. I liked how the water droplets on the grebe sparkled in the sunlight and I couldn’t resist sharing the head on image simply because it made me laugh when I saw it.<\/p>\n

Maybe I will find a Western Grebe today or sometime this week, who knows?<\/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

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

Migrating Western Grebes are already being reported at Utah Lake, Bountiful Pond and Farmington Bay WMA and before too long they will be found at other locations here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150739,"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":[124,27,1148,26,161],"tags":[4004,699,877,707,4094,4019,2504,3996,5110,4014,4095],"class_list":["post-56402","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-grebe","tag-grebes-2","tag-marsh","tag-preening-2","tag-reflection","tag-water","tag-water-droplets","tag-western-grebe","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebe-preening-mia-mcpherson-1913.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-eFI","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":116223,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/24\/demure-looking-western-grebe\/","url_meta":{"origin":56402,"position":0},"title":"Demure Looking Western Grebe","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, I photographed this demure looking Western Grebe on one of the water units from the auto tour loop at 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":"Demure looking Western Grebe at Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/western-grebe-demure-adult-mia-mcpherson-0816.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/western-grebe-demure-adult-mia-mcpherson-0816.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebes-feather-mia-mcpherson-2247.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-grebes-feather-mia-mcpherson-2247.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebes-feather-mia-mcpherson-2247.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebes-feather-mia-mcpherson-2247.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15079,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/05\/30\/western-grebe-about-to-submerge\/","url_meta":{"origin":56402,"position":3},"title":"Western Grebe About To Submerge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I often try to capture the eye of a bird diving into the water at the moment just before the eye submerges below the surface. I was able to succeed with the Western Grebe.","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":"Western Grebe about to submerge under the water at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebe-eye-mia-mcpherson-5202.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-eye-mia-mcpherson-5202.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebe-eye-mia-mcpherson-5202.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This Western Grebe was preening and flapping on the Bear River in that glowing, smokey light not long after dawn.","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":"Western Grebe in early morning, smokey light at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebe-dawn-mia-mcpherson-8129.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-dawn-mia-mcpherson-8129.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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