Swans, Ducks and Geese

Northern Shoveler, The Rising Sun And Fog

By |November 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.

I’m Looking Forward To Photographing Winter Ducks

By |November 12th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge a few days ago I saw lots of ducks in the marshes and on the water and I realized that I am looking forward to photographing winter ducks again.

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

By |May 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.

Photographing Hen And Drake Cinnamon Teals At Bear River MBR

By |April 25th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Cinnamon Teals, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Later in the morning and on the other side of the auto tour route I was able to take images of a hen Cinnamon Teal surrounded by lush, green spring growth while her mate kept an eye on her from a distance.

Photographing Tundra Swans And Northern Pintails In Low Light

By |March 5th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Pintails, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Our Tundra Swans won't be at the refuge much longer and will soon be winging their way to their breeding grounds in the Arctic and I realize that my opportunities to photograph them before they leave are dwindling.

Birds On The Wing At Farmington Bay

By |February 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.

Focusing On The Tundra Swans And Wetlands Of Bear River MBR

By |February 3rd, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today I spent the morning focusing on and photographing the Tundra Swans and wetlands of Bear River MBR and I have to say that those birds and the marshes bring me such joy that I feel like I have to share them over and over.

Drake Common Goldeneye Flapping His Wings On The Jordan River

By |February 2nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Jordan River Parkway Trail, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

During the winter I'm able to see some of the ducks that I don't see during the breeding season here in northern Utah on the Jordan River including Common Goldeneyes.

Male Red-breasted Merganser On A Snowy Day In Northern Utah

By |January 22nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Red-breasted Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

At first I thought the single Red-breasted Merganser was a female until I noticed the white patches of feathers behind its neck on its sides and then I realized that the merganser was a male because females do not typically have those white patches.

Angry Looking Redhead Drake

By |January 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Redhead isn't "angry" at all but it does look angry to my eyes and this morning I'm feeling about as angry as this duck looks. I'll explain but first I have to give a bit more information about how my mornings start.

Ruddy Duck Drake In Nonbreeding Plumage

By |January 17th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ruddy Ducks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though this drake Ruddy Duck is small in the frame I liked this image because of the silky blue water, the small wake behind the duck, the direct eye contact and how some of the blue of this drake's bill is visible.

Hen and Drake Hooded Mergansers With and Without Prey

By |January 14th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Hooded Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The birds I photographed the most yesterday were a pair of Hooded Mergansers that were actively foraging for prey most of the time I had them in my viewfinder.

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Lone Canada Goose Flying In Front Of The Snow Covered Wasatch Mountain Range

By |January 11th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In the case of this photo of a lone Canada Goose flying in front of the snowy Wasatch Mountains I took the photo because I liked how nicely lit the goose was in contrast to the darker, snow and cloud covered mountains.

Adult And Immature Tundra Swans At Bear River MBR

By |January 10th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I am itching to get back out into the field and one of the places I am most excited to get back to is Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Box Elder County, Utah because of the Tundra Swans that I know are there.

Photographing A Common Goldeneye Drake While Breaking Some Rules

By |January 6th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

By sharing these photos today my intention is to show that there are times when photographic rules can be broken because the appeal of images or the lack of appeal is all about the individual tastes of the photographer taking the photos and those of the people that view them.

2018 Year In Review For On The Wing Photography

By |December 31st, 2018|Categories: Baltimore Orioles, Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, California Gulls, Cedar Waxwings, Northern Mockingbirds, Peregrine Falcons, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Say's Phoebes, Tundra Swans, Wild Turkeys, Yellow Warblers, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

All in all, as 2018 comes to a close I realize how fortunate I am to see all the birds that I do throughout the year as a bird photographer, to be able to do what I love and to love my feathered subjects too.

Hen Common Goldeneyes In Flight And This Site Is On The Wing Too

By |December 27th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Snow and clouds are in the forecast for today and I have decided that today is the day for me to migrate On The Wing Photography over to the new server that I mentioned a while back.

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Christmas Goose

By |December 25th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Cackling Geese, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm happy that I was able to photograph birds on Christmas Eve in decent light and that somehow to me this is more than "just" a goose, it is a Christmas Goose and who am I to look a gift goose in the bill?

Flying Canada Goose With The Snow Covered Wasatch Mountains In The Background

By |December 20th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The light was best when the geese flew in front of the snow-covered Wasatch Mountains which is when I photographed this flying Canada Goose with its wings above its body.

First Winter Common Goldeneye Drake Mid-dive In Northern Utah

By |December 12th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Swans, Ducks and Geese, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I like this image because I was able to capture the eye of this diving first winter drake Common Goldeneye just as it is about to go below the surface of the pond but I also like what is going on with the water in this frame too.

Peek-a-boo ~ Landing Canada Goose Peeking Through Its Wings

By |December 11th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Swans, Ducks and Geese, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One photo that made me laugh as soon as I saw it on my camera's LCD screen, a peek-a-boo Canada Goose peering at me through its wing tips as it came in to land on the pond.

Back View Of A Drake Common Merganser In Salt Lake County

By |December 9th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this photo two winters ago on the local pond and I liked it because even though the view of the drake Common Merganser was taken of its back the merganser turned his head and gave me a great view of his eye.

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