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We awoke at 5:30 and peeked outside at the freeway below the hill from our motel. It was getting busy. We decided to hurry ourselves for an early start.
We joined the madding crowd on I-15 at 6:20 with our destination 93 miles away--Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge at Brigham City.
This is a photo of our trip through Salt Lake City--it was all a blur! It is a very, very long 93 miles.We arrived at the Visitor's Center (closed today) at 8 am. When we were here a month ago on our way south the Visitor's Center was open, but the Auto Tour Road was closed due to high water. We were apprehensive that it would be closed still as there were still high water alerts on the website. We forged ahead and were rewarded with open gates to the Auto Tour Road AND BIRDS!
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A Bank and Tree Swallow greeted us as well as Barn Swallows and Cliff Swallows
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What a joy to be back in this wonderful bird refuge
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Cinnamon Teal were extremely abundant
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One of many Western Grebes and two Clark's Grebes
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Western and Clark's Grebe together for comparison
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Red-breasted Merganser with Cinnamon Teal and another Merganser photo to verify the ID
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Such a beautiful place to bird and a lone Sandhill Crane
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A Gadwall and a pair of Cinnamon Teal
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An American White Pelican and a female Red-winged Blackbird in distinctive breeding plumage swaying in the wind
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The surrounding mountains form a backdrop; we love the Yellow-headed Blackbirds
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White-faced Ibis were the most abundant of all the birds we saw today, except for the swallows.
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Besides Western Grebes and Clark's Grebes, we saw an Eared Grebe and a Pied-billed Grebe
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A Franklin's Gull and a gazillion more gulls
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An American Avocet and a Black-necked Stilt
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A flying Forster's Tern and Great Blue Heron
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A family of Canada Geese and a Snowy Egret to end the parade of species.
We finished driving the Auto Tour at noon, 4 hours after beginning it and after driving the long 93 miles to get there. We decided that 156 miles and 6 hours driving and looking was enough for one day.
We are hunkered for the night in a motel at Tremonton, Utah. We are 550 miles from home, and hope to accomplish it in 2 days.
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Today Our Eyes Were On
Many wonderful birds and habitat
Mike Denny is right when he says "LIFE IS GOOD!"
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Well you are almost home - we stayed in Tremonton the first night on our way to OK in 2012 - and Bear River Refuge looks the same!
ReplyDeleteVery nice pics - have so enjoyed your blog - thank you for doing that.
Safe travels home, M&ML
Mom and I spent lunch today catching up on your odyssey. We've enjoyed it a lot and wish you both a happy and safe homecoming. I imagine Sophie will be going ballistic when she realizes she's home, again.
ReplyDeleteNext week, Meredith and I willing be out on our first summer trip with our trailer. Just a couple nights on Lake Michigan. The plan is that Tracy will bring Mom for lunch on one of those days.
Thanks for making it a point to share your adventure.