Northern Shovelers

Northern Shovelers are medium sized, dabbling ducks with very long bills which are wider at the base. Males in breeding plumage have black bills, iridescent green heads, white breasts and chestnut flanks, they are much duller in nonbreeding plumage. Females are gray-brown with olive-yellow bills.

Ducks On The Wing Over The Marsh At Bear River MBR

By |2024-01-03T03:24:19-07:00March 12th, 2022|Categories: American Wigeons, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Green-winged Teals, Mallards, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this photo of ducks on the wing over the marsh on my most recent trip up to the wetlands of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Remembering Higher Water In The Great Salt Lake

By |2021-11-29T05:36:40-07:00November 29th, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Conservation, Davis County, Green-winged Teals, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I came across this photo of a Green-winged Teal with Northern Shovelers in the surf of the Great Salt Lake that I took in December of 2011 yesterday. It was a punch in the gut.

Drake Northern Shoveler Landing On A Chilly Pond

By |2021-11-26T05:52:03-07:00November 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am sharing a simple photo of a drake Northern Shoveler landing on a chilly pond that I took in early December of last year.

Drake Northern Shoveler In Flight

By |2024-02-22T03:53:33-07:00April 29th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It isn't easy to photograph some birds on the wing so I was thrilled yesterday to photograph a drake Northern Shoveler in flight.

World Wetlands Day 2021

By |2024-03-13T04:38:39-06:00February 2nd, 2021|Categories: American Bitterns, American Coots, Bald Eagles, Barn Owls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Black-crowned Night Herons, Blue-winged Teals, Brewer's Blackbirds, Centennial Valley, Cinnamon Teals, Common Checkered-Skippers, Common Mergansers, Conservation, Eight-spotted Skimmers, Environment, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Greater Scaups, Green-winged Teals, Halloween Pennants, Hooded Mergansers, Least Sandpipers, Lesser Scaups, Long-tailed Weasels, Marsh Wrens, Montana, Moose, Muskrats, Northern Harriers, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Pectoral Sandpipers, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-breasted Mergansers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Reddish Egrets, Redheads, Ruddy Ducks, Rusty Blackbirds, Sandhill Cranes, Scarlet Skimmers, Snowy Egrets, Spotted Sandpipers, Tricolored Herons, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Utah, Variegated Meadowhawk, White-faced Ibises, Wildflowers, Wilson's Phalaropes, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

February 2nd is World Wetlands Day to raise global awareness about the critical role of wetlands for people, wildlife and our planet.

Northern Shovelers Feeding On Glover Pond

By |2023-08-31T05:51:28-06:00December 21st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Utah, Video|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Early in December while at Farmington Bay WMA I was able to photograph and take videos of Northern Shovelers feeding on Glover Pond.

Northern Shoveler, The Rising Sun And Fog

By |2021-04-29T12:23:55-06:00November 16th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago there was a little bit of fog at Farmington Bay WMA while the sun was coming up over the Wasatch Mountains which set up the conditions I needed to take this Northern Shoveler photo.

Some Of The Birds Seen At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge During The Month of May

By |2024-02-09T08:22:42-07:00May 19th, 2019|Categories: American Avocets, American Bitterns, American Coots, American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Blue-winged Teals, Box Elder County, Brown-headed Cowbirds, California Gulls, Cinnamon Teals, Clark's Grebes, Cliff Swallows, Forster's Terns, Killdeer, Long-billed Dowitchers, Marsh Wrens, Northern Shovelers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Ruddy Ducks, Savannah Sparrows, Tree Swallows, Utah, Western Grebes, White-faced Ibises, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

May is a time of renewal at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and as the marsh begins to green up the migrant birds return and along with the year round residents their songs and calls can be heard over the wetlands.

Birds On The Wing At Farmington Bay

By |2021-04-08T11:50:26-06:00February 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Ring-necked Pheasants, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though my primary focus was on photographing Bald Eagles I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to take photos of the other birds I saw on the wing at Farmington Bay that morning.

Dabbling Duck Shuffle – Plus White Geese Become Gray Geese

By |2024-03-11T05:44:26-06:00July 8th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Cinnamon Teals, Gadwalls, Northern Shovelers, Snow Geese|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A few more changes in the Fifty-Eighth Supplement to the AOS Check-list have to do with dabbling ducks and "white geese".

Northern Shoveler Drake and Hen

By |2021-04-27T04:09:38-06:00October 2nd, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This beautiful Northern Shoveler drake in breeding plumage was photographed in one of those no hunting areas on New Years Day 2015 at Farmington Bay.

Whirlpool of Feeding Northern Shovelers on the Great Salt Lake

By |2021-04-29T12:30:09-06:00February 2nd, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It is interesting to see this whirlpool effect of Northern Shovelers on the surface of the Great Salt Lake and to hear the sounds of their bills dabbling in the water.

Flock of Northern Shovelers feeding on the Great Salt Lake

By |2024-03-03T11:36:38-07:00November 10th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last December on the way off of Antelope Island I saw huge flocks of Northern Shovelers feeding on the Great Salt Lake and liked how they appeared through my viewfinder.

The Great Salt Lake is D(r)ying and Utah’s Water Crisis

By |2022-08-29T14:27:36-06:00April 26th, 2015|Categories: American White Pelicans, Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-necked Stilts, Box Elder County, Brine Flies, Conservation, Davis County, Eared Grebes, Environment, Franklin's Gulls, Northern Shovelers, Tundra Swans, Utah, Wilson's Phalaropes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One thing I know for certain is that we can't drink dust.

Bird Images From New Years Day

By |2021-04-29T05:07:23-06:00January 2nd, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was chilly but bright yesterday morning and there were bluebird skies overhead and Antelope Island State Park beckoned and I of course heeded that call.

Wild and Wonderful – Antelope Island State Park – The Birds

By |2024-03-05T11:36:58-07:00January 25th, 2012|Categories: American Kestrels, American White Pelicans, Antelope Island State Park, Barn Owls, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Brewer's Blackbirds, Burrowing Owls, California Gulls, Chukars, Common Ravens, Davis County, Great Horned Owls, Green-winged Teals, Horned Larks, Killdeer, Long-billed Curlews, Northern Harriers, Northern Shovelers, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons, Rough-legged Hawks, Sage Thrashers, Utah, Western Meadowlarks, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This is the third post in my series about Wild and Wonderful Antelope Island State Park, I've saved the best (and longest) for last. The Birds! Okay, maybe they aren't the best thing about Antelope Island State Park, but I am a bird photographer and they are what I am most passionate about!

Things are getting Ducky in Utah!

By |2024-01-03T05:12:29-07:00October 1st, 2011|Categories: Birds, Buffleheads, Cinnamon Teals, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Gadwalls, Greater Scaups, Mallards, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Red-breasted Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake Valley|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Another wonderful change that I have been seeing is that a variety of duck species have been arriving at the Great Salt Lake

Northern Shovelers blasting off

By |2021-11-29T05:45:55-07:00February 11th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning when we had almost reached Antelope Island I spotted a huge flock of Northern Shovelers blasting off from the water

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