Osprey
Courtesy & Copyright Molly Orton
Cache Valley Wild Bird Photo Contest 2021
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday September 27, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at the Benson Marina and Railroad Trail.

 
September 27, 2025 Trip Report

Fourteen people of mixed ages and experience joined us at the Benson Marina for the September BAS trip. We parked at the marina and walked across the cement bridge finding American White Pelicans, Western and Clark’s Grebes and one of the resident Great Horned Owls along the way. We walked about a mile to the old railroad bridge across the reservoir before returning the same way that we came. Forster’s Terns were still plunge diving, Pied-Billed Grebes submerging and White-crowned Sparrows singing. A total of 26 species were found. Some other highlights include Northern Harrier and American Kestrels.

Trip leader Dawn Holzer (dawnholzer80@gmail.com, 435-799-1991)

***** Future Events & Trip Reports *****

January 25 – First Dam and USU Water Lab
February 22 – Trapper Park and Logan River Icon Trail
March 22 – Wellsville Reservoir
April 12 – Sue’s Pond – Logan River Wetlands and Shorebird Playa
May 17 – Third Dam/Spring Hollow
June 21 – Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area
July 19 – Tony Grove
August 23 – Amalga Barrens
September 27 – Benson Marina and Railroad Trail
October 25 – King Nature Park and Green Canyon
November 22 – Hyrum Reservoir and State Park
December 6 – Lundstrom Park Trail

***** Background, the Benson Marina and Railroad Trail *****

eBird:
Birdlist for the Benson Marina: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L165064/bird-list
Recent Checklists for the Benson Marina and Railroad Trail: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L165064/recent-checklists
Media Images for the Benson Marina and Railroad Trail: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L165064

Birdlist for the the Railroad Trail at Benson Marina: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1560543/bird-list
Recent Checklists for the Benson Marina and Railroad Trail: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1560543/recent-checklists
Media Images for the Benson Marina and Railroad Trail: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L1560543

Signed waivers required for all participants. Complete form, print results and bring printed waiver to meeting point.

Cinnamon Teal Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge 05-11-2020
Courtesy & Copyright Chris Crook
Cache Valley Wild Bird Photo Contest 2021
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday November 22, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at the Hyrum Reservoir and State Park.

Meet at the southwest corner of the Smith’s Marketplace parking lot (750 N. Main Street) at 8 AM for carpooling to our destination. We will be visiting both the main campground area and the day beach area. Bring a spotting scope and/or tripod with a camera if you have one as we will be viewing birds from a distance. There is a $20 entrance fee/vehicle or State park pass required on Saturdays. We will probably have several passholders with us, so be sure to bring it along if you have one and carpool with those who don’t. We will mostly be birding from the paved parking areas. Depending on what we see at the far end of the lake we may walk along a sandy beach for a short distance. Common Loons, possible Pacific Loon, and several kinds of ducks are likely. Bald Eagle, Pied-billed Grebes and unusual gulls are also possible. We will be back in town by 10 AM.

If driving yourself plan to meet us at the boat launch parking lot overlooking the west end of the lake (405 W 300 S, Hyrum) at about 8:20AM.

Trip leader Dawn Holzer (dawnholzer80@gmail.com, 435-799-1991)

***** Future Events & Trip Reports *****

January 25 – First Dam and USU Water Lab
February 22 – Trapper Park and Logan River Icon Trail
March 22 – Wellsville Reservoir
April 12 – Sue’s Pond – Logan River Wetlands and Shorebird Playa
May 17 – Third Dam/Spring Hollow
June 21 – Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area
July 19 – Tony Grove
August 23 – Amalga Barrens
September 27 – Benson Marina and Railroad Trail
October 25 – King Nature Park and Green Canyon
November 22 – Hyrum Reservoir and State Park
December 6 – Lundstrom Park Trail

***** Background, the Hyrum Reservoir and State Park *****

eBird:
Birdlist for the Hyrum Reservoir and State Park: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L168383/bird-list
Recent Checklists for the Hyrum Reservoir and State Park: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L168383/recent-checklists
Media Images for the Hyrum Reservoir and State Park: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L168383

Signed waivers required for all participants. Complete form, print results and bring printed waiver to meeting point.

Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) Courtesy US FWSDave Menke, Photographer
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday Dec 6, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at the Lundstrom Park Trail.

Birds at Lundstrom Park Trail include Cache Valley resident passerines, hawks, and waterfowl. eBird sightings for this time of year include White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Merlin, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Cedar Waxwings.

Meet at the southwest corner of the Smith’s Marketplace (750 North Main Street, Logan) parking lot at 8:00 AM to carpool to our destination from there. We will plan to return around 10:00 AM.
Trip leader Dawn Holzer (dawnholzer80@gmail.com, 435-799-1991)

***** Future Events & Trip Reports *****

January 25 – First Dam and USU Water Lab
February 22 – Trapper Park and Logan River Icon Trail
March 22 – Wellsville Reservoir
April 12 – Sue’s Pond – Logan River Wetlands and Shorebird Playa
May 17 – Third Dam/Spring Hollow
June 21 – Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area
July 19 – Tony Grove
August 23 – Amalga Barrens
September 27 – Benson Marina and Railroad Trail
October 25 – King Nature Park and Green Canyon
November 22 – Hyrum Reservoir and State Park
December 6 – Lundstrom Park Trail

***** Background, the Lundstrom Park Trail *****

eBird:
Birdlist for the Lundstrom Park Trail: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1178813/bird-list
Recent Checklists for the Lundstrom Park Trail: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1178813/recent-checklists
Media Images for the Lundstrom Park Trail: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L1178813

Signed waivers required for all participants. Complete form, print results and bring printed waiver to meeting point.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica)
Courtesy US FWS, Donna Dewhurst, Photographer
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday January 25, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at First Dam.

Trip Report:
We had a hardy 6 souls show up to brave the brisk canyon winds this morning. A nice assortment of old and young, seasoned and new birders. I created a trip report to post on eBird and will do that each time. We saw a good assortment of ducks at First Dam (Common Merganser, Gadwall , Ring-Necked Duck and both species of Goldeneyes). We did not spend a whole lot of time there due to the biting winds and 20 degree temperatures. We retreated to the USU Water Lab and were rewarded with no wind and a great show put on by American Dippers foraging under water right in front of us.
Trip leader Dawn Holzer (dawnholzer80@gmail.com, 435-799-1991)

***** Future Events & Trip Reports *****

January 25 – First Dam and USU Water Lab
February 22 – Trapper Park and Logan River Icon Trail
March 22 – Wellsville Reservoir
April 12 – Sue’s Pond – Logan River Wetlands and Shorebird Playa
May 17 – Third Dam/Spring Hollow
June 21 – Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area
July 19 – Tony Grove
August 23 – Amalga Barrens
September 27 – Benson Marina and Railroad Trail
October 25 – King Nature Park and Green Canyon
November 22 – Hyrum Reservoir and State Park
December 6 – Lundstrom Park Trail

***** Background, First Dam *****

eBird:
Checklist for First Dam: https://ebird.org/printableList?regionCode=L353707
Recent Checklists for First Dam: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L353707/recent-checklists
Media Images for First Dam: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L353707
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at First Dam

First Dam Reservoir, Places to Bird in Cache County, Utah Birds, http://www.utahbirds.org/counties/cache/FirstDam.htm

Signed waivers required for all participants. Complete form, print results and bring printed waiver to meeting point.

Background
First Dam and its surroundings, with so much open water, have traditionally been the first place to visit in the year. The Stilt recorded the following from 2009: “First Dam is sure to offer up Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes as well as other wintering waterfowl.”

eBird reports the following First Dam sightings as of 7 January 2025.
Check out eBird for additional sightings: