Unfortunately, a dead Great Horned Owl was lying in the road on the way down the highway. Live birds seen in and around the grasslands included Red-tailed and Swainson's Hawk, American Kestrel, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Common Nighthawk, Gray Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Bank and Barn Swallow, Black-billed Magpie, Rock Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Wilson's Warbler, Brewer's, Vesper, and Lark Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark. A Coyote was also seen along the highway but scurried off into the higher grass before I could get a photo.
More photos from the Idaho portion of the trip can be found at my Idaho Adventures Photo Album.
We continued south into Utah, got onto I-84 at the town of Snowville, and followed it down to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
Over a thousand Bank Swallows lined the wires just past the visitor center, which was closed on Sundays.
The auto tour route was located about 12 miles west of the visitor center.
Most of the refuge's pools were dry, but the ones that did have water were productive. A Western Grebe cooperated for photos as did American Avocet and California Gull.
Additional notable birds from a large list seen there included Eared Grebe, American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, White-faced Ibis, Green-winged, Blue-winged, and Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Ruddy Duck, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Ring-necked Pheasant, Virginia Rail, Sandhill Crane, Black-necked Stilt, Willet, Short-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Phalarope, Ring-billed Gull, Forster's Tern, Eastern and Western Kingbird, Marsh Wren, Savannah Sparrow, and Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbird. One of the Forster's Terns zipped by the car.
Back out onto I-84, we continued south to Ogden where we stayed at another Motel 6.
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