Loons and Grebes

Common Loon vs Fishing Lure

By |February 12th, 2025|Categories: Common Loons, Environment, Fishing Line Dangers, Salt Lake County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Discarded fishing lures and other tackle can injure, strangle, and kill birds. I don't know how the story ended for this hooked Common Loon.

Cell Phone Issues This Week Made Me Want To Scream

By |January 24th, 2025|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Humor, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week, I decided to switch my cell phone carrier and get a new phone because my ancient one wouldn’t work at all on the new network. What I didn’t know...

Common Loon: The 2025 ABA Bird of the Year

By |January 3rd, 2025|Categories: Common Loons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday, the American Birding Association announced that the Common Loon is the 2025 ABA Bird of the Year, and I was so excited. I love these striking loons!

ABA Birding Magazine – December 2024 – My Clark’s Grebe Cover

By |December 28th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My Clark's Grebe photo graces the cover of the ABA's Birding Magazine December 2024 edition, and I wanted to share the cover along with what I wrote about it.

Pied-billed Grebe – Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage Comparison

By |February 18th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week, I took a photo of a Pied-billed Grebe in breeding plumage at my local pond. Today, I decided to do a comparison with one in nonbreeding plumage.

Pied-billed Grebe – From A Distance And Up Close

By |January 28th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was out enjoying some sunshine yesterday morning, I photographed an adult Pied-billed Grebe from a distance and up close at one of my local ponds.

Plastic Netting Will Kill This Pied-billed Grebe

By |December 7th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Environment, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Plastic netting will kill this Pied-billed Grebe unless myself or someone else can capture the grebe and remove the netting. The grebe will starve to death.

Immature Pied-billed Grebe Being Chased And Other Grebe Behaviors

By |December 2nd, 2023|Categories: Pied-billed Grebes, San Juan County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week, I photographed an immature Pied-billed Grebe being chased by an adult at my local pond. I observed some other interesting grebe behaviors as well.

Eared And Horned Grebe Nonbreeding Plumage Comparison

By |November 11th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bird ID, Birds, Box Elder County, Eared Grebes, Horned Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning, I wanted to share an Eared and Horned Grebe nonbreeding plumage comparison. Why? Because, at this time of year, I can see both species.

Interesting Pied-billed Grebe Faux Crash-Dive Behavior

By |November 1st, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had a great time observing and photographing a Pied-billed Grebe exhibiting Crash-dive behavior at Bear River MBR from the auto tour loop on Monday.

Bathing Western Grebe Giggles

By |October 20th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning, a bathing Western Grebe gave me the giggles. Amidst global turmoil and my own personal struggles this year, I needed those laughs.

Late Summer Baby Pied-billed Grebes

By |September 20th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my most recent trip to Bear River MBR, I had a huge thrill. I found four baby Pied-billed Grebes still in their striped juvenile plumage in the marsh.

Springtime Grebe And Avocet Portraits

By |May 3rd, 2023|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am sharing two springtime portraits that I took last week at Bear River MBR. The first is a Western Grebe, the second, an American Avocet.

Migrating Common Loon Photos

By |April 22nd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Loons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I went through more of the Common Loon photos that I have taken since the beginning of this month. I wanted to share more images of these beautiful birds.

Crazy About Common Loons

By |April 15th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Loons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I didn't go out looking for Common Loons. But I found two and they were fighting, calling, preening and getting up close and personal with me.

More Urban Common Loon Photos

By |April 12th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Loons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had two mornings to photograph a Common Loon at a local pond. These photos are from the second morning and they show more action from the striking loon.

My 2022 Year In Review

By |December 31st, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Box Elder County, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Horned Grebes, Morgan County, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On this last day of the year it is time for my annual 2022 Year in Review post. In some ways 2022 has been great for me and in others not so good.

Immature Clark’s Grebe And A Mystery

By |November 2nd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I came across an immature Clark's Grebe on Monday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. I took photos of the grebe because I could see something on its fluffy neck.

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