Utah Spring migration 3.17.13

Utah is on the flyway for many species of birds that winter on the western side of  American continent and migrate to the northwest for summer.  Friday we went to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, a 74,000 acre site where the Bear River empties into the Great Salt Lake.  Ice isn't entirely out, but migratory birds, anxious to start their northerly trek, have started to arrive.  A marsh at the visitor's center was fairly vibrating with strident croaking of Western Chorus frogs.   Huge numbers of stately Tundra Swans dwarfed all the others; nearly white with long black bills and black legs, they intermingled on the ice and water with Canada geese.  Ducks - Northern shovelers, Common goldeneye, Northern pintail;  Great blue herons; Coots all shared space.  Several Rough-legged hawks hunted from post-perches (they'll be leaving for the north imminently); Bald eagles chose hunting spots closer to open water.    It was hard to put down the binoculars and take up a camera--this is when those long lenses of real photographers pay off!