Focusing On Winter Redheads
Why were the mallards sticking close to this Redhead? That was because she was diving down into the pond and bringing up aquatic vegetation to feed on and the mallards were stealing bits of it from her.
Drake Hooded Merganser Photos
Yesterday started off dreary but later in the afternoon I was able to get out in the field and I had a blast taking photos of a spiffy drake Hooded Merganser for a little while.
Common Mergansers – What’s In A Name?
Sometimes I wonder how birds get their names, especially the birds with "Common" in their names such as Common Mergansers.
Why Do These Drake Common Goldeneyes Look Different?
Both of these drake Common Goldeneyes were photographed on January 7, 2018, but they don't look quite the same.
Male Red-breasted Merganser On A Snowy Day In Northern Utah
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.
Diving Common Goldeneye Drake Photos
Primarily I focused on a drake Common Goldeneye that was busy foraging for food and that kept diving under the surface of the water close enough to take frame filling images of him.
Angry Looking Redhead Drake
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
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
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.
Photographing A Common Goldeneye Drake While Breaking Some Rules
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.
Hen Common Goldeneyes In Flight And This Site Is On The Wing Too
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.
First Winter Drake Common Goldeneye Landing On A Pond
I got lucky when a first winter drake Common Goldeneye flew towards me while coming in for a landing on the pond in sweet late afternoon light.
First Winter Common Goldeneye Drake Mid-dive In Northern Utah
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.
Back View Of A Drake Common Merganser In Salt Lake County
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.
Drake Common Goldeneyes In A Brief Territorial Dispute
The drake Common Goldeneyes didn't have any physical contact that I could see because that often happens under the water but the drake in the back seemed intent on making the one in the front leave the area.
Hen Redhead With White Feathers On Her Face
Over the years that I have spent time photographing at my local pond I have seen a few odd ducks including hen Redheads with white feathers on their faces where they should be a soft brown and they pique my interest every time I view them through my lens.
Common Mergansers Lifting Off In Sweet Golden Light
I'm fortunate that I live near two ponds here in Salt Lake City where I can find Common Mergansers at this time of the year and I appreciate being able to photograph them so close to home.
Drake Redhead Photos Taken in Different Lighting Conditions
I enjoy viewing the image of the drake Redhead on the snowy January morning just as much as the drake Redhead photo on a clear February afternoon, they both show the ducks doing what ducks do no matter what the weather is doing.
First Winter Drake Common Goldeneye Close Up & Close To Home
This first winter Common Goldeneye drake had no issues with getting close to me as I photographed it on a chilly December afternoon.
Drake Lesser Scaup in Salt Lake County
The drake Lesser Scaup did come in close enough to be able to take a few images of it where it almost filled the frame before a man and his dog walked by and caused the scaup to make a hasty retreat to the middle of the pond.
Drake Redhead Flapping His Wings On a February Afternoon
I've been seeing Redheads at my local pond over the winter but most of the time they have stayed on the other side of the pond so having this one up a bit closer and flapping his wings was a delight.
Drake Redhead Courtship Display
I'm glad that I made the trip down to the pond because I was able to photograph a drake Redhead exhibiting courtship display behavior several times as he tried to impress the hen that was nearby.
Common Goldeneye Drake With A Crayfish – We Were Both Lucky Ducks
It is hard to figure out who is the lucky duck here, the Common Goldeneye for catching the crayfish or me for seeing the duck with the crayfish and photographing it.
Drake Common Merganser In Flight In Northern Utah
One of the drake Common Mergansers I saw yesterday flew over the pond and past me close enough for me to take two photos of it up close in the late evening light.
Common Mergansers Landing & Lifting Off
I'm over the moon that I was able to photograph these Common Mergansers landing and lifting off from the pond yesterday and I am pleased with the photos I took.
Focusing On Male Common Goldeneyes
I spent fifty-five minutes primarily focusing on male Common Goldeneyes yesterday afternoon and I am very happy with the images I took of these beautiful diving ducks.
I Spotted My First of Season Common Merganser
While at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge two days ago I spotted my first of the season Common Merganser from the auto tour route.
Winter Redhead Drakes in Northern Utah
Redhead drakes are more colorful than the hens and I always enjoy having them in my viewfinder because of their cinnamon colored heads, their bright orange eyes and their tri-colored bills.
Ruddy Duck Hen in Golden Evening Light
The Ruddy Duck hen was photographed at a pond close to where I live during the evening hours and I loved the golden light on the bird and on the water.
Photographing Common Mergansers at Farmington Bay
I spent time photographing a few Rough-legged Hawks but my personal choice for birds of the day were the Common Mergansers I observed and photographed.