Pink Floyd, the Chilean Flamingo that escaped from the Tracy Aviary and lived among the Gulls at The Great Salt Lake from about 1988-2005
The Great Salt Lake is one of the major bird areas in North America, giving millions of migrating waterbirds and shorebirds a resting place on their way. In addition, the Bear River Bird Refuge (located on the northeast arm of the lake) was the first national migratory bird refuge.
The Great Salt Lake Bird Festival is coming up May 14-18. You can find the field trip schedule here.
The Stop Legacy Highway site provides a month-by-month calendar identifying the different bird species and their usual arrival period. I’m pretty sure Dr. Seuss had a hand in naming a few of these birds. Phalaropes, Godwits and Dowitchers? Totally Seuss.
Birds. Birds. Birds. I just got dorkier, I know.
March
Snowy Plover
Canada Geese
April
Curlew
May
(National Wetlands Month)
Eared Grebe
Red Necked Phalarope
American Avocet
Black Necked Stilt
Willet
Marbled Godwit
Dowitcher
Yellow Headed Blackbird
June
Western Grebe
July
Wilson's Phalarope
August & September
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
Common Kingfisher
Killdeer
Double-Crested Cormorant
Common Tern
October
Golden Eagle
November
Tundra Swan
Trumpeter Swan (rare)
December
Bald Eagle
January & February
Northern Harrier
Rough Legged Hawk
Other possible sightings
(not sure on time frame)
American White Pelican
Black Tern
Red Headed Duck
Sora
Burrowing Owl
White Faced Ibis
Battle Bunny 
I took a bird watching class in college so I’m pretty sure I just out dorked you there. And uh, I also took fencing. Zing!
If you’re looking for a great book about the Bear River Bird Refuge and Utah ecology I recommend the book Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams. But don’t take my word for it!
I emailed their volunteer coordinator yesterday to see if I could get involved here and there. I haven’t heard back, but I might try to recruit you to go with me once. 🙂 Also, thanks for the recommendation. I was actually going to do some research to find a good book on local birds. That book sounds prrrfct. Also, thanks for taking fencing and being dorkier than me.
Speaking of dorky, I think I’ve taken about 100 pictures of birds since I’ve been in Australia. Every bird that I’ve seen is bizarre or beautiful or just plain adorable. Also, LOTS of bats!
P.S. Godwits and Dowitchers are both great names for a band.
Ooooh, I would LOVE to volunteer there. Hooray!
Pingback: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge « Letters to Kristin
Thanks so much for the lovely photos. I could look at such things all day…well, I’d rather be out birding, but this is good when one can’t get out!