Posted Sunday, March 7, 2004

03/25 — Bridget Olson, Wildlife Biologist at Bear River Refuge conducted a Waterbird/Raptor Survey and found the following birds and conditions: About 60,000 ducks, 2,000 shorebirds and 13,000 marsh birds. These counts are considerably up from the last two years but way down from the long-term average from the last 10 years for this time of year. New arrivals last week: Black-necked Stilt, Baird's Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Franklin's Gull, and Clark's Grebe. 35% of the birds observed were from the auto-tour route. The majority of the swans have already departed. Eared Grebe migration seems to be a little later than normal.

• Tundra Swan, 477
• Canada Goose, 294
• Mallard, 1,312
• Northern Pintail, 6,014
• Green-winged Teal, 4,181
• Cinnamon Teal, 3,588
• N. Shoveler, 10,750
• Gadwall, 4,266
• Wigeon, 6,708
• Canvasback, 3,666
• Redhead ,8,968
• Scaup spp. 4,740
• C. Goldeneye, 2,143
• Bufflehead, 3021
• Ring-necked Duck, 5
• Ruddy Duck, 883
• Pied-billed Grebe, 4
• Eared Grebe, 9
• Western Grebe, 2
• Clark's Grebe, 9
• American White Pelican, 41
• DC Cormorant, 339
• Great BlueÊHeron, 27
• Cattle Egret 11
• Black-crowned Night Heron, 2
• Snowy Plover, 3
• Killdeer, 31
• Black-necked Stilt, 2
• American Avocet, 1,682
• Long-billed Curlew, 5
• Baird's Sandpiper, 1
• Franklin's Gull, 33
• Ring-billed Gull, 225
• California Gull, 674
• Coot, 12,012
• Sandhill Crane, 5
• Bald Eagle, 2
• Northern Harrier, 7
• Peregrine Falcon, 1