{"id":64134,"date":"2020-02-12T06:34:42","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T13:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=64134"},"modified":"2025-07-23T14:39:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T19:39:45","slug":"will-grebes-nest-this-year-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/02\/12\/will-grebes-nest-this-year-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Grebes Nest This Year At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WesternWestern Grebes on nest \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a> three days ago I realized that in just a few weeks the Clark’s and Western Grebes will be returning to the marshes for their breeding season.<\/p>\n

But I also remembered that due to the water level being dropped drastically and for prolonged periods of time in a few of the units closest to the auto tour route for phragmites mitigation, prescribed burns and dike maintenance for several years in a row we haven’t been seeing as many grebes at the refuge.<\/p>\n

We also haven’t seen many young grebes at the end of the nesting season.<\/p>\n

The fact is that we haven’t been seeing many Clark’s or Western Grebes at all on the refuge during the time period that they are normally here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n

With the water levels dropped for prolonged periods at the refuge the grebes haven’t been able to nest on the units closest to the auto tour route because they build their nests in emergent vegetation that is surrounded by water and they build their nests by using mounds of plant material.\u00a0 Without water to surround their nests the eggs and young grebes are subject to higher rates of predation.<\/p>\n

The lack of water for several years, for whatever reason, has forced the grebes to find other locations to nest in other than the units we have seen them nest in during previous years at the refuge.<\/p>\n

So, I have to wonder, will there be water in the units closest to the auto tour route this year or will the water levels be dropped again this nesting season? I also wonder if there is water in those units this year will there be enough emergent vegetation for the grebes to use to build their nests?<\/p>\n

I plan to find out.<\/p>\n

I found the grebes in my photo above in June of 2108 at the refuge.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Clark\u2019s Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Western Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

I want to clarify that I am not saying that phragmites mitigation is a \u201cbad\u201d thing, phrags are invasive and they do need to be controlled. I also fully support the highly qualified and skilled staff at the refuge.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge three days ago I realized that in just a few weeks the Clark’s and Western Grebes will be returning to the marshes for their breeding season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150753,"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":[4051,699,4073,8671,8673,877,707,8672,4094,4075,3976,4998,8670,8669,4941,3996,4014],"class_list":["post-64134","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-adults","tag-aechmophorus-occidentalis","tag-breeding-season","tag-dike-maintenance","tag-emergent-vegetation","tag-grebe","tag-grebes-2","tag-lack-of-water","tag-marsh","tag-nest","tag-nesting","tag-nests","tag-phragmites-mitigation","tag-prescribed-burns","tag-rushes","tag-water","tag-western-grebe"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/western-grebes-on-nest-mia-mcpherson-9197.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-gGq","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":101210,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/29\/clarks-and-western-grebe-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":64134,"position":0},"title":"Clark’s And Western Grebe Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On my trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge last week I was delighted to see and hear both Clark's and Western Grebe species from 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":"Spring Clark's Grebe close up, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/clarks-grebe-spring-mia-mcpherson-5961.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/clarks-grebe-spring-mia-mcpherson-5961.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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morning I am sharing two springtime portraits that I took last week at Bear River MBR. The first is a Western Grebe, the second, an American Avocet.","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Springtime Western Grebe portrait, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-grebe-portrait-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-2171.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-grebe-portrait-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-2171.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-grebe-portrait-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-2171.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2024","format":false,"excerpt":"On my most recent trip to Bear River MBR, I stopped my Jeep on the west side of the auto tour loop to take a few images of a pair of Clark's Grebes.","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":"Pair of Clark's Grebes on the last day of winter, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-adult-pair-mia-mcpherson-0776.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-adult-pair-mia-mcpherson-0776.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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