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Category Archives: Birding

Includes all posts that are related to birds, birding, etc.

US Magnesium: Light Metals, Heavy Subject

- Lake Level: 4198.2 ‘ -
- 32 Miles Round-Trip -

As I write this I am sitting on a blanket on the hood of my car in the boat launch area at Ogden Bay. It is three o’clock in the afternoon and the sun is glaring down on me, warming my skin. Other than the click-clack of the train cars rolling by in the not too far off distance, it is quiet.

Dragonflies by the dozen flutter overhead, with the occasional butterfly flitting around the sunflowers that grow wild along the dirt road. The phragmites seem taller than usual and are choking out other plants and taking over empty playa. The runners from these plants spread like spider webs along the dried Lake bed. The Lake and the surrounding marshlands always seem to change; it never ceases to amaze me at just how quickly this happens. Read the rest of this entry →

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Flying Over Great Salt Lake: A Bird’s-Eye View

- Lake Level: 4197.6′ -
- 7.2 Miles Round-Trip -
- About 265 miles flown –

I remember when I started to see birds.

It was not long after I started at The Nature Conservancy, when taking over our 4^th grade education program forced me to become an amateur naturalist. I began to see them, to hear their calls, to listen to the beat of their wings, to know where they were most likely to be found – first at the Preserve, and then…everywhere.

They gave a new depth to the world I inhabited but never quite saw.

Seeing birds, I saw my childhood home with new eyes.

Exploring the Lake this summer has done much the same thing. It has given me a sense of place in the very place where I should have had it all along – my home. Read the rest of this entry →

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Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge: Finding Refuge in Change

- Lake Level: 4198.0′ -
- 138 Miles Round-Trip -

A couple of weeks ago I relaxed on-board the Avalon after a cool dip in the Lake with friends. She made her way back and forth toward the harbor in the cool night breeze gently blowing through my hair and filling the sails. The seasons have begun to change and summer is coming to a close. As the stars slowly appeared in the night sky I reflected on my life. From where I sat on the boat I looked up at the millions of stars poking through the black abyss of the universe. I was awestruck by their magnitude and comforted by knowing they are always there.

This summer has been a whirlwind of outings, gatherings, hiking, boating adventures and writing. I have met new people and traveled new places. I love it here. Here at the Lake. I feel at peace. On average I think I have been out on the Lake or in the marsh between two and three times a week. All summer long. The marsh has continued to call to me and I have slowly learned to love the millions of birds that come here to nest and forage each year. Read the rest of this entry →

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Mighty Phragmites: Some Plants are Bullies!

- Lake Level: 4198.4′ -
- 64 Miles Round-Trip -

Phragmites — you see it along the highway, streams and rivers, and it is found at almost every lake or wetland along the Wasatch Front. It is portrayed as a beautiful plant — swaying to and fro in the breeze — as the news stations give their evening news reports.

However, once you understand what this plant is — it isn’t very pretty – especially if you’ve ever been stuck in it. Read the rest of this entry →

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Bear River Bay: Spurring it On!

- Lake Elevation Level 4198.3’ -
- 126 Miles Round-Trip -

I went out to the Willard Spur last week with R. Jefre Hicks, President of the Utah Airboat Association to help with their Annual Spring Airboat Run and cookout.

Even though I have been out to the Spur and into the waters of Bear River Bay countless times during the last few years, I still find it magical. It’s always different. It’s always new.
Read the rest of this entry →

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Farmington Bay: Skimming on Shallow Water

- Lake Level: 4198.4′ -
- 55 Miles Round-Trip -

From the middle of Farmington Bay, it’s impossible to know where the Lake ends and the sky begins. The only way to distinguish the horizon is by the birds. In one part of the blue they are flying, while in the other they stand in mere inches of water, gracefully watching, waiting, dining.

It’s another world out there. A vast expanse of shallow water provides just the right conditions for avocets, stilts, ibis and gulls to build floating nests and feed. I sat surrounded by them, stunned into silence by how close, and how many, they were.

I’ve never been before. You’ll hear that a lot – this is a summer of “firsts” for me.

But on Friday, June 3, I was not the only one experiencing a first. Read the rest of this entry →

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Kay’s Creek: Making the Acquaintance of Willets

- Lake Level: 4197.2′ -
- 80 Miles Round-Trip -

I cannot see Great Salt Lake from the banks of Kay’s Creek. But I can feel her magnetic pull, silently drawing life to her waters and wetlands along her shorelines. First, the birds heed the call. Without fail, people who seek them follow – binoculars, spotting scopes, and bird lists in hand.

I sit now at the edge of the Creek, having just finished leading a tour for The Great Salt Lake Bird Festival. I saw birds that flew over 5000 miles from southern Chile, and met people that live as far away as Connecticut.

Such is the draw of the Lake in every season, but especially in spring.

Read the rest of this entry →

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Avatars by Sterling Adventures

What is Summer of Salt?

If you have ever thought of Great Salt Lake as a dead sea, this blog is for you.

Maybe you know that the Lake is a haven for wildlife - millions of birds from all over the world stop here to rest, dine on brine shrimp and brine flies, or raise their young before they migrate to warmer climates. But the Lake is not just for the birds, bugs and shrimp.

The Lake is an invaluable resource for people, too.

Whether you seek solitude or adventure, a livelihood or an escape - the Lake has provided for the people on her shores for thousands of years - and is right at your fingertips.

This summer, join us as we explore both the nature and people of Great Salt Lake.
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Distance Traveled

2524.6 Miles Driven

34 Nautical Miles Sailed

1 Mile Swam
Help us tell the story of Great Salt Lake!

We anticipate driving more than 4000 miles this summer, and between the rising cost of gas, numerous carwashes, and continual stocking our survival kit, we can't do it without you!

Contribute to Summer of Salt!
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About Nicole Anderson

I recently graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in History. During my undergraduate years I have completed three internships: Friends of Great Salt Lake, Utah Rivers Council, and most currently with Bear West Environmental Consultants. I am certified as a Utah Master Naturalist in Watersheds. I'm a volunteer speaker for The Nature Conservancy.

I am looking for full-time employment. I hope to find work where I can make our environment a better and healthier place to live.

I have written:

New Adventure Rockies Rocky Mountain Region Guest Writer June 20, 2011
Danger Cave: Exploring a Forgotten Culture, from:NewWest.net

Patterns of Change: Documenting Habitat, as well as Bird and Human Use in Bear River Bay: Particularly the Great Salt Lake Minerals Proposed Expansion Area, from www.keepthelakegreat.org.

nma9999@xmission.com