Birds

I sit on the front swivel seat of a drift boat gliding across the smooth water of Newton Reservoir. The sun begins to send morning rays of brilliance over the Cache Mountains.

Spring is a critical time for reproduction in many animals, the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources uses that time to conduct their annual spring surveys of lekking sage-grouse.

A bird of the prairie and countryside, the western meadowlark releases songs synonymous with spring grasslands flush with balsam root, lupine, death camas, larkspur, prairie smoke, and wind tossed grasses that shimmer in morning sun.

Spring, though, again, is the moments. When our eyes flutter awake with birdsong; when light comes before alarms; when we begin to manifest all we longed for during the dreamt night.

For many of us who love the outdoors, the first half of March is a least favorite time of year. But if we close our eyes and listen, nature still can brighten the dingy days.

Utah biologists have been studying the state’s most elusive bird to learn more about its behavior and how to protect it in harsh mountain environments.

Across my years of exploring the majestic outdoors with young children, I’ve experimented with nature journaling.

When we’re out enjoying Utah’s backcountry in wintertime, we should always resist the temptation to have a close encounter of the wild kind.

I continue to be astonished by how much there is to appreciate and to learn from our surroundings. It’s amazing to see how just a little preparatory investigation can turn fleeting everyday moments into lifelong learning memories.

The Bridgerland Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count is always hosted on the first Saturday on or following December 14th, and we have been contributing Cache Valley, Utah data to the National Audubon database since 1956.