Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
 Bear Lake Refuge was
established in 1968 to protect and mange habitat for waterfowl
and other migratory birds. Surrounded by mountains, it lies in
Bear Lake Valley seven miles from south of Montpelier.
Spring at Bear Lake comes late, with some ice still on the
refuge marsh through late April. The early migrants such as
Canada geese, mallards and northern pintails arrive early March.
From mid-March to early April Spring migration peaks as the ice
slowly recedes and open water begins to show in the pods.
Willets wade through the refuge. |
| Ducks including canvasbacks redheads and lesser
scaup are abundant at this time. Sandhill cranes can
easily be seen, usually as pairs preparing to nest.
April and May see the arrival of thousands of Franklin's
gulls and white-faced ibis. Large numbers of herons,
egrets, bitterns, terns and grebes establish nesting
sites in the marsh. Shorebirds such as the American
avocet and black-necked stilt are some of the last to
arrive.
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in the spring. |
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American Avocet |
During June the early duck broods of mallards and
canvasbacks are already hatching out, quickly followed
by redheads, ruddy ducks, cinnamon teal, shovelers and
gadwalls. As June progresses into July, marsh vegetation
increases in height, making it more difficult to see the
various bird species. White-faced ibis nest on the
refuge in large numbers; watch for their numerous small
feeding flocks flying low over the marsh to flooded
fields around the valley.
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Foster's Tern |
Sandhill cranes nest near the marsh edges, and crane
chicks can be seen if you look carefully. Black and
Forster's terns, as well as Franklin's gulls are
frequently seen overhead feeding on insects and diving
for small fish. Grebes (western, Clark's, pied-billed
and eared) are commonly seen in the canals and ponds.
Double-crested cormorants, California gulls and white
pelicans are also frequently observed within the refuge
marsh. |
Trumpeter Swans have become
a priority. |
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Fall comes early in the high-elevation Bear Lake
Valley. September brings hundreds of sandhill cranes
which gather on the refuge to feed in the refuge grain
fields. Young ducks learn to fly by late September.
Waterfowl, mostly from Canada, pass through the valley
on fall migration from mid-November. Most birds leave
the valley after freeze-up to avoid the snowy, cold
winters- notable exceptions are rough-legged hawks and
bald eagles which winter in the area.
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