Charadrius vociferus
Killdeer are brown and tan above, white below and they have two dark chest bands, large heads, big eyes and short, stout bills.
The first bird I photographed yesterday morning at Bear River MBR was this Killdeer in soft morning light. Truthfully, I am glad my first bird was a Killdeer.
Since moving to Utah, I have seen and photographed Killdeer in every month of the year. It was no surprise that I found several at Bear River MBR last Monday.
Last week, I photographed this Killdeer on a boat ramp at Farmington Bay WMA. It's such a simple image, and that's probably why I like it so much.
Last week, in the Kamas Valley in Summit County, Utah I was pleased to take Killdeer photos in a wet meadow with pink clovers and piles of cow manure.
Yesterday morning, after blowing, shoveling, and scraping about nine to ten inches of snow, I went looking for birds and found a Killdeer in a spring snowstorm.
Yesterday morning I drove up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge where the second bird that I photographed was a young Killdeer in the early light of dawn.
While I was at Bear River MBR two days ago I stopped and took a long series of photos of three Killdeer near the entrance to the auto loop.
I had my best opportunities to take close up photos of Killdeer that I have ever had and I took full advantage of each chance I had with them.
Birds that we might think are too delicate to survive the freezing temps, howling winds and driving snow can and do surprise us with their strength and tenacity.
Both the female and male Killdeer incubate so there is no way for me to tell what the gender of this Killdeer is but it stayed on the scrape while I photographed it and didn't move.
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.
I spent my morning yesterday driving on the very muddy auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and the birds that I photographed the most were Killdeer, it seemed like I saw them everywhere.
Last week when I took my Mom to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge we were fortunate to see and photograph Killdeer mating while on the auto tour route.
A few nights ago I opened the door to check out the cloud cover and weather conditions before going to bed and for the first time since I moved to Utah I heard a flock of calling Killdeer flying past in the pitch black night.
Killdeer chicks are precocial and active soon after hatching and will leave the nest as soon as their down dries.
It is breeding season for Killdeer at Bear River MBR and for all of Utah.
After they burn the phragmites it doesn't take long for life to go back to normal for some of the birds like this Killdeer in a burned area.
I believe that the first shorebirds I ever noticed as a very young girl were Killdeer and I think I noticed them mostly because they were so noisy.
I have found trying to capture a Killdeer in flight a difficult endeavor because they fly fast and are hard to track but yesterday I did just that.
I wanted to share a sampler of bird images that I have taken over the past week in Davis and Box Elder Counties.
There are a few similar species that occur in Utah and surrounding states that could be confused with Mountain Plovers.
Yes, poop happens. If there are birds there is poop. That is the straight poop... I mean scoop!
Last week I photographed a Killdeer bathing at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in Davis County, Utah.
Last week I wrote about Long-billed Curlews having a Territorial Encounter but earlier that same morning I had another wonderful photographic encounter thanks to a scruffy looking, rain soaked Coyote waking up at the top of a ridge.
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!
As a "Nature" photographer one of my goals is to create images that show the bird or animal's natural habitat within the frame
One of the habits I have developed after becoming a serious bird photographer is observing and learning about bird behavior and the habitats
Throughout the year you can see and photograph many different species of Plovers on Fort De Soto’s beaches, tidal lagoons and spartina marshes.