Birding at Farmington Bay Part 2

Canada geese at Farmington Bay

Leaving the Goose Egg Island area, it was only a short drive to the Great Salt Lake Nature Center.  The turnoff to the Nature Center is near the end of Glover Lane.

Road to the Great Salt Lake Nature Center

The road is marked with faded brown signs, and you can see the Nature Center from Glover Lane, so I didn't think this was particularly difficult to find.  However, Glover Lane doesn't have a lot of signage, so do watch for the turn-off.

Great Salt Lake Nature Center

The Great Salt Lake Nature Center has a large parking area, a couple of buildings, vault toilets, and a viewing deck.  Inside the Nature Center you can read information on the local birds, pick up a brochure or two, and view taxidermy mounts of birds.

Barn Owl and Short-Eared Owl

For Tundra Swan Day, the Nature Center also had tissue paper and origami instructions for folding a swan.  This is a nice little one-roomed building and only takes a few minutes to explore.

Ducks and geese adorn the walls of the Great Salt Lake Nature Center.

Being able to view a bird up close makes it easier to identify them in the field at a distance.  There are several quality mounts here, including a tundra swan.  The Nature Center is a great way for children to see the birds up close.

Great Blue Heron Rookery

Just outside the parking area is the Great Blue Heron Rookery.  This nesting site is closed to the public, but you can see the birds and their nests from the Nature Center parking area.  It was fun to see these long-legged birds on their nests.  From the parking area, we walked on a boardwalk trail that is ADA accessible. We wandered past ponds and to observation points, and although I could not always see the birds, I could definitely hear them, as well as croaking frogs. I even saw a muskrat in the water.

Observation deck near the Great Salt Lake Nature Center.

I passed Canada geese feeding in the brush, and also saw several flying overhead.  One called to them from the water, and the group honked back.

Canada geese in flight

One of the birds that was "new" for me on this visit was a redhead duck.  They look a lot like a canvasback, but have a grayer body, and a light bill.  This pair of redheads were swimming along together on one of the ponds.

Redhead ducks at Farmington Bay

The Great Salt Lake Nature Center is open from 8am to 4:30pm on weekdays, and is only open on some Saturdays. The boardwalk and center are very kid-friendly, and it is wonderful to have this expanse of open space so close to Salt Lake City.

Nesting box

From the trails, we could see various styles of nesting boxes.  I wonder who will take up residence in this box this summer?  It was a great day to visit the Great Salt Lake Nature Center, and I plan to make my way here again!

If you go:  From Salt Lake City, drive north on I-15.  Take Exit 322 (this is the Farmington/Lagoon exit).  The off ramp forks.  Take the right fork (the left fork goes to Lagoon).  Continue on the off-ramp until you reach the turn-off to the frontage road.  Turn right onto the frontage road.  This road curves, and you will be heading south parallel to the freeway.  Turn right (west) on 925 S. which is Glover's Lane.  Glover's Lane will take you to the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management area.  If you turn left on 1325 West, you will be on the road that will take you to Goose Egg Island and the Main Dike Road.  Continue on Glover's Lane to reach the Great Salt Lake Nature Center.  Turn left before the end of the road to reach the Nature Center.  You will be able to see it from Glover's Lane. 

To see more birds, including tundra swans, see Birding at Farmington Bay

Birding at Farmington Bay

Great Blue Heron at Farmington Bay

Last Saturday, March 16, was "Tundra Swan Day" at the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.  Since I had not yet managed to see a tundra swan during their migration through northern Utah, I decided to try my luck at Farmington Bay.  This Great Blue Heron posed for photos near the entrance to the refuge.  The water was so still, his reflection was very clear!

Bald Eagle at Farmington Bay

Binoculars are very helpful in viewing the birds at Farmington Bay.  Some Division of Natural Resources (DNR) employees told me the ice on the water had broken up about a week ago, and the birds had a larger range in which to feed.  As I drove toward into the refuge area, I spotted this bald eagle.  Bald eagles winter in Utah, and are quite prevalent in January and February in this area, but this one lingered into March.

Goose Egg Island

My next stop was Goose Egg Island.  This part of Farmington Bay is open year round.  Some areas close during nesting season. Goose Egg Island is not really an island, but a mound formation from which you can view ponds and birds.

Turn-off to the Goose Egg Island parking area.

This dirt road takes you to the parking area on top of Goose Egg Island.  Today there were birders and families here, but there was ample parking, and fortunately it was not too muddy.  From Goose Egg Island I had my first look at a tundra swan.  I also saw Canada geese, American coots, and some northern shovelers.

Two tundra swans as seen from Goose Egg Island.

I drove down the dike road to see more birds. The "Unit 1 Dike" to the Turpin parking area is open year round to bicycle and foot traffic.  It closes to motorized vehicles during nesting season.  At the end of the road,  DNR employees had some spotting scopes set up and were on hand to distribute information and answer questions.  They informed me there were about 5000 tundra swans in the area.  I probably saw over 50 on my visit.

Tundra Swans dozing at Farmington Bay

After viewing the swans and seeing more American coots, I headed back to Glover Lane to visit another part of this refuge.  The Great Salt Lake Nature Center is also part of the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, and that is where I headed next.

My bird list for the day:

Red-winged blackbird

Canada goose

bald eagle

great blue heron

tundra swan

northern shoveler

American coot

redhead duck

For info on the Great Salt Lake Nature Center also at Farmington Bay, see Birding at Farmington Bay Part 2.

To see other posts about birding in Utah visit:

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Autumn

Birding in Utah Part 1

Birding in Utah Part 2

Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area website

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Autumn

Great Blue Heron

Since it is National Wildlife Refuge Week we decided to head north to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to see the fall migration.  About a week and a half ago, I checked the bird count on the refuge's website, and saw certain birds were at the refuge in the thousands.  However, days later, oh how things had changed!

Ducks in the distance

The ruddy ducks, northern shovelers, and other birds that had been listed in high numbers had all but disappeared on their journey south for the winter.  We could see a large number of ducks in the distance, but they were keeping to an area we could not access.  Even with our binoculars, we could not positively identify most of the ducks we saw.  Duck hunters were in the area, and some had quite a brace of birds, but they were scarce for us!

Long-billed Curlew

Fortunately, some birds stay at the refuge all year, and other birds were still passing through..  We spotted some birds familiar to us from our previous visit (like flocks of red-winged blackbirds), but also added some new birds to our list like this Long-billed Curlew.  We also saw pelicans flying overhead and sunning on an island in the water.

Clark's grebe

New this time for me was a view of this Clark's grebe.  It differs from the Western Grebe in that the black on its head does not extend below the eye.  Both types of grebe were present in the water.

California gulls

The gulls were everywhere, including lining the roads.  One of the highlights for me was the abundance of Great Blue Herons. They stood on the roadside, often on one long leg.  As our car approached, they would lower their leg and prepare for flight.  We saw at least a dozen during the 12-mile auto-tour loop.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron in flight

We also spotted over a dozen Northern Harriers.  These large predators glide low to the ground over the weeds to spot their prey.  We saw one eating a mouse by the side of the road.

Northern Harrier eating a mouse by the road

Northern Harrier in flight

At one of the observation decks we saw what looked like owl pellets.  They may have been from some other large bird.  Birds cough out these pellets containing the remains of their meal that did not digest.  My husband kicked one open on the decking, and we could see small animal bones leftover from a meal.

Bones in an "owl" pellet.

Near another observation deck, the mud was drying into a beautiful geometric pattern.  The autumn reds and golds of the weeds and grasses contrasted with the deep blue of the sky.

Patterns in the drying mud.

Before we left, we stopped to picnic in the parking area at the beginning of the loop.  A skunk ambled past the restrooms and our vehicle, and began exploring the grasses.  We stayed safely in the van until the skunk was past spraying distance.  If you go visit the bird refuge, keep an eye out for other wildlife.  In the spring we saw otters and a badger. This fall, we saw the skunk.

Skunk takes a stroll

Read more about our spring visit to the bird refuge here.

Also, see Birding in Utah Part 2.

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Autumn

The weather during our October visit was perfect, and the scenery was beautiful.  Even if we were not there during a big migration week, we enjoyed our visit and added several birds to our list.

Admission to the auto-tour route at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is free.  The loop is open year round, but does close at times due to flooding or snow.  It is advised that you call ahead to check the road conditions.  The population here changes constantly.  We are anticipating the return of the tundra swans who pass through the bird refuge every spring and fall.  Bald eagles will be coming soon, too, as the weather gets colder.  Unlike many of the other birds, the eagles come to Utah for the winter.

If you go:  You can reach the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge from Salt Lake City by traveling north on I-15.  Take exit 363, Forest Street in Brigham City. At the end of the off-ramp, turn left and travel west until you reach the auto-tour route.  You will pass the visitor's center just west of the freeway.

Birding in Utah - Part 2

Barn Swallow

Our morning visit to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge began with swarms of swallows flying around us.  As we approached their mud nests, they abandoned their homes and swirled around the area.  I don't know if they were trying to distract us, or were just waiting for us to leave so they could return to their nests.  We saw both barn swallows and cliff swallows.  The cliff swallows had a light colored patch on their heads.

A cliff swallow works on his mud nest.

We saw swallows down near the water getting mud for their construction projects.  These nests were under every eave near bathrooms and under pavilion roofs.

American Avocet

We saw several water birds, including this American Avocet.  The rosy colored head is indicative of breeding season.  In winter, these birds have a white head.

A Black-necked Stilt

The black-necked stilt had bright pink legs!  I enjoyed watching these long-legged birds walk.

Cinnamon Teal

The brightly colored cinnamon teal was a favorite.  It was easy to pick this bird out, even from a distance, because of its rich cinnamon color.  The female on the left is much duller in coloration.

Canadian Geese and Goslings

Driving in to the refuge, we saw several Canadian geese in fields.  As we drove the auto-tour loop, however, we saw families of geese.  They swam away from the shore as we approached, keeping their goslings safely between the parents.  These goslings were much larger than the first ones we saw, and fewer in number.

Franklin's Gull

At first I thought this might be a Bonaparte's gull, but the Franklin's gull has a distinctive red beak.  When we looked through the binoculars, it was clear that this fellow sported the red beak, and therefore, we determined it was the Franklin's gull.  The Franklin's is more common in this area anyway, so it made sense.

American Coot

The American coot looks a lot like a duck, but is not considered to be a duck since it does not have webbed feet.  It has large lobed toes instead.  It is the only all-black bird with a white bill.  We saw several of these, and they became a favorite as they were easy to identify.

California gull

As we drove, we saw several gulls standing on what looked like pieces of wood.  However, as we got closer, we realized the "logs" were really dead carp.  I am not sure why they died.  The water level was lower in this channel, and perhaps these big fish were trapped without enough water.  The gulls were ready for a feast, though!

Western Grebe

During breeding season, the black on the head of a western grebe extends down to its eye, and often below the eye.  It is also identified by its red eye and yellow bill.  The Clark's grebe is similar, but has an orange bill and the black does not extend to the eye.  We saw many western grebes during our drive.  Sometimes they move their necks back so that their heads are practically resting on their backs.  I enjoyed seeing the birds exhibit this behavior.

Western grebe with its head pulled back.

Yellow-headed blackbird.

Yellow-headed blackbirds were everywhere.  The white on the wing was more visible when the bird was in  flight.  I even learned to identify the females which are a lighter brown with a yellow-brown head.  We also saw several red-winged blackbirds.

Red-winged blackbird.

The red patches on the wings are particularly brilliant when these birds are in flight.  

American white pelicans.

I have occasionally seen a pelican, but it was great to see these birds in larger numbers.  We watched them floating  on the water, walking on the shore, and flying in the air.  These are big birds, and it was beautiful to see several of them flying together.

Pelican in flight.

One of the observation decks along the auto-tour route.

Parking is available at several pull-outs along the drive.  The observation deck offered a different perspective of the refuge.  This is a great place to use your binoculars.  The views from the deck were beautiful.

View from an observation deck.

There were lots of mosquitoes, however, and we were always happy to return to the car.  At one point along the drive, we saw a badger look at us, then duck into his burrow.  At another stop, we saw otters swimming in the water.

Otter in the water.

The small killdeer ran along the side of the road.  They were also fun to watch, but blended in well with the dirt and gravel.

Killdeer

I think one of my favorite birds of the day was the snowy egret.  These birds are beautiful. Their white feathers are tufted and soft looking at the back of their heads, and they also scrunch their heads down sometimes, so that their neck almost disappears.  The very best part, however, is the fact that they have big yellow feet.  Really!  Black legs, and big yellow feet.  I wasn't able to get a photo of their feet, as the ones I saw were standing in the water.  However, when they took off in flight, we could see their yellow feet.

Beautiful plumage of a snowy egret

As we finished our auto-tour, we pulled into the parking area by the last observation deck.  I wanted to get a better photo of a white-faced ibis, and one was conveniently posing near the road.  

White-faced ibis

We debated whether or not we should go up on the last observation deck, but we were a bit intimidated by the swarms of bugs.  Also, we felt like we had seen a wide variety of birds, including two great blue herons that we enjoyed watching take off, but were unable to photograph.  The consensus was everyone was tired and hungry, and it was time to finish our tour.  As I looked out the passenger window, however, I spotted a big bird trying to blend in with the grasses.  It stood with its head pointing up, like a weed, and held really still.  I had no idea what it was, so I pointed it out to my passengers.  One of them said, "American bittern."  Sure enough, as we double checked the guidebooks, there it was.  An American bittern.  I had never even heard of this bird before!  And now I have seen one.

American bittern.

The American bittern has green legs.  If you look closely at the photo, you can see them.  We had a great time birding, and hope to return to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge again.  Since it is only a bit more than an hour from Salt Lake, I plan to return to see migrating birds this fall.  I am also going to try some other birding sites in Utah.  We saw a few other birds that day that I did not capture in photos, such as the eastern kingbird, mallard ducks, and a cowbird.  Overall, it was a great experience and a fun family activity.

For more information about the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and useful tips for birding, check out my other blog post, Birding in Utah - Part 1.