{"id":58333,"date":"2019-06-03T05:56:43","date_gmt":"2019-06-03T11:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=58333"},"modified":"2025-09-28T11:52:43","modified_gmt":"2025-09-28T16:52:43","slug":"highlights-of-my-bird-photography-trip-yesterday-to-bear-river-mbr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/06\/03\/highlights-of-my-bird-photography-trip-yesterday-to-bear-river-mbr\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlights Of My Bird Photography Trip Yesterday to Bear River MBR"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SnowySnowy Plover on the flats at Bear River MBR – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

When a bird photography trip up to Bear River MBR<\/span><\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Pointing the plovers out? Not so easy.<\/p>\n

The Snowy Plovers were pretty far away but I was over the moon when I found them. I don’t see them as often as I would like and I’ve never seen two individuals together since I moved to Utah. I could have gone home right after seeing them and been as happy as a lark.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican White Pelicans with splashing Asian Carp – Nikon D500, f10, 1\/2000, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

But I didn’t go home after seeing the plovers, I went around the auto tour route.<\/p>\n

While photographing two American White Pelicans fishing together I noticed a group of invasive Asian Carp behind them and for whatever reason the carp went bonkers for a bit and sent water flying and splashing all over the place behind and in between the pelicans. The water is so shallow that the carp even sent mud flying too.<\/p>\n

Most of the American White Pelicans I saw have molted into Supplemental Plumage.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Double-crested Cormorant preening close up – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I was surprised when while I was photographing the pelicans an immature Double-crested Cormorant popped up, got out of the water and proceeded to preen its feathers so close to me that all I could do was take portraits of it. The cormorant must have also need to dry its feathers because it flapped its wings a lot while I took images of it. I like the spiky do that the cormorant had.<\/p>\n

\"Black-crownedBlack-crowned Night Heron adult hunting in the marsh – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I saw several adult and immature Black-crowned Night Herons yesterday morning, I didn’t get great photos of the first one I spotted because there were cattails and rushes that were in my way but I did get a lovely series of images of this adult as it rested and hunted in the marsh.<\/p>\n

\"Long-tailedLong-tailed Weasel on the shoulder of a road – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Later on I was surprised when I saw a Long-tailed Weasel run across the road on west side of the auto tour route, stop and stand up to look around. I don’t see these weasels as often as I would like so I am always delighted when I do.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale American Avocet watching over his mate – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of the auto tour route I noticed an American Avocet female on what I presume is her nest and her mate was standing close by watching over her. A clear view of the female avocet was obscured because of low growing vegetation but the male was in plain view so I photographed him.<\/p>\n

Had it not been for my keen eyes many of the birds and other wildlife I found yesterday would not have been photographed. I spotted more birds than these while I was at the refuge but these are a few of the highlights of the trip up there.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":157481,"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":[451,3,124,27,321,1148,144,1157,266,26],"tags":[4004,1634,3966,4191,6373,1533,6360,4142,149,4432,5672,3970,4067,2416,4062,4094,5653,4173,1162,3956,3957,4292,4154,4019,4177,2326,3978,2688,7268,5258,7269,2774,2775],"class_list":["post-58333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-avocets","category-white-pelicans","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-black-crowned-night-herons","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-double-crested-cormorant","category-long-tailed-weasels","category-snowy-plovers","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-avocet","tag-american-white-pelican","tag-anarhynchus-nivosus","tag-asian-carp","tag-black-crowned-night-heron","tag-carp","tag-close-up","tag-double-crested-cormorant","tag-fish","tag-flats","tag-hunting","tag-immature","tag-long-tailed-weasel","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-mate","tag-nannopterum-auritus","tag-neogale-frenata","tag-night-heron","tag-night-herons","tag-nycticorax-nycticorax","tag-pelecanus-erythrorhynchos","tag-preening-2","tag-recurvirostra-americana","tag-road","tag-snowy-plover","tag-splashing","tag-standing-up","tag-supplemental-plumage","tag-watching-over","tag-weasel","tag-weasels"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/black-crowned-night-heron-marsh-mia-mcpherson-5630.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-faR","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4071,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/01\/20\/friday-photos-feathers-fur\/","url_meta":{"origin":58333,"position":0},"title":"Friday Photos ~ Feathers and Fur","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"For today's Friday Photos I am mixing it up a bit and posting images of Pronghorns, a Black-crowned Night Heron, a Long-tailed Weasel and an American Kestrel. Please enjoy!","rel":"","context":"In "American Kestrels"","block_context":{"text":"American Kestrels","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/falcons\/american-kestrel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-tailed Weasel in summer coat, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/long-tailed-weasel-mia-mcpherson-5703.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/long-tailed-weasel-mia-mcpherson-5703.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/long-tailed-weasel-mia-mcpherson-5703.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/long-tailed-weasel-mia-mcpherson-5703.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46074,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/04\/09\/missing-the-birds-of-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":58333,"position":1},"title":"Missing the Birds of Bear River MBR & Spring Migration","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route is still closed and many of the birders, bird photographers and nature lovers are itching to know what birds are there because after all spring migration is an exciting time at the 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":"Flock of Long-billed Dowitchers in flight, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/long-billed-dowitchers-flock-mia-mcpherson-9688.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/long-billed-dowitchers-flock-mia-mcpherson-9688.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/long-billed-dowitchers-flock-mia-mcpherson-9688.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/long-billed-dowitchers-flock-mia-mcpherson-9688.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48420,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/09\/11\/wading-birds-at-bear-river-mbr-yesterday\/","url_meta":{"origin":58333,"position":2},"title":"Wading Birds At Bear River MBR Yesterday","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I had fun photographing the juvenile Great Blue Heron, juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron and the adult Snowy Egret yesterday at Bear River MBR. I especially loved the clearer skies.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Flying juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron with Promontory Mountains in the distance, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/black-crowned-night-heron-juvenile-flight-promontory-mia-mcpherson-2755.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/black-crowned-night-heron-juvenile-flight-promontory-mia-mcpherson-2755.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/black-crowned-night-heron-juvenile-flight-promontory-mia-mcpherson-2755.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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