Photographing Winter Birds
I spent a couple of hours yesterday photographing winter birds at Farmington Bay WMA and closer to home in the morning and afternoon.
Happy New Year’s Day 2021
It is a chilly 29°F where I live in northern Utah on New Year's Day 2021 and from my living room window I can see that it is foggy outside.
Christmas Day Bird Photos Thru The Years
Today I wanted to share some of the Christmas Day bird photos I have taken through the years out in the field and close to home.
Adult Eared Grebe At Bear River MBR Plus A 4.2 Aftershock
The light yesterday morning was a little bit funky because of high, thin clouds overhead but I took a few photos of the birds that I was able to get close to including one of the Eared Grebes.
Will Grebes Nest This Year At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge?
When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge three days ago I realized that in just a few weeks the Clark's and Western Grebes will be returning to the marshes for their breeding season.
Bathing Adult Pied-billed Grebe Splashing Water
The Pied-billed Grebe dunked its head then slapped its wings against the water vigorously which caused the icy water to fly in all directions.
Molting Immature Clark’s Grebe Shaking Its Feathers
Our Clark's and Western Grebes will be leaving here soon and except for a few downy feathers on this one's forehead it looks like it is ready to take on its first migration.
Angry Birds – Featuring A Western Grebe
I know that is probably anthropomorphizing but I do allow myself to giggle about birds I think look "angry" and if any of them do this Western Grebe certainly does.
Spring Western Grebes At Bear River MBR – Time For Their Courtship Displays
These elegant black and white Western Grebes are beautiful while they feed, preen, rest and stretch but they are even more striking when they dance across the water while performing their courtship ceremony.
Hoping For More Photos Of Eared Grebes This Season
I have plenty of photos of Clark's, Western and Pied-billed Grebes but few of Eared Grebes and I am hoping that this breeding season I will be able to have more of these small grebes in my viewfinder.
Preening Western Grebe At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Migrating Western Grebes are already being reported at Utah Lake, Bountiful Pond and Farmington Bay WMA and before too long they will be found at other locations here in northern Utah.
Pied-billed Grebe And A Crayfish
The slow chase was soon to change and before I knew it both Pied-billed Grebes started running across the water and the grebe with the crayfish started racing across the water with the crayfish dangling from its bill.
Bird Gatherings – Pied-billed Grebes, Great Egrets And More
It is winter here but the birds know that spring is around the corner and more gatherings like the ones I saw two days ago will happen again and I hope I am able to slow down and enjoy it.
Pied-billed Grebe With Crayfish Being Chased Across The Water
This image of a Pied-billed Grebe with a crayfish in its bill running across the water is one of those photos where I wish I could show the second grebe just outside of the frame chasing after it.
Back Side Views Of A Bathing Pied-billed Grebe
There were some images of the bathing Pied-billed Grebe I did like because they showed a view of the grebe I don't share all that often, the back side of the grebe. They have cute little bottoms, so why not?
Some Of The Joys Of Photographing Birds Close To Home
I spent some time at one of the local ponds yesterday afternoon and came home with photos that made me smile and for a little while I forgot about the long hours I spent getting skunked on the road earlier in the day.
Head On Western Grebe Adult
My friends Amy and Bruce Barker saw a Western Grebe at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge a few days ago and that has gotten me excited, I always miss the grebes during the winter.
Calling Pied-billed Grebe – It Is Breeding Season For These Grebes
Two days ago I noticed one Pied-billed Grebe carrying vegetation in its bill which I presume it was gathering to build its floating nest at a small pond at Farmington Bay WMA and later on I heard the call of a Pied-billed Grebe, located the grebe and photographed it as it called.
Photographing Pied-billed Grebes With Crayfish – Oh What Fun Can Be Had
The funniest photo I took yesterday, the one that made me laugh out loud the hardest, was when a crayfish landed on the Pied-billed Grebe's head after the bird shook it hard.
Pied-billed Grebes With Flying Crayfish – See Food On The Wing
Three afternoons ago I captured images of not just one flying crayfish in the air but two of them because of the Pied-billed Grebes capturing and consuming the freshwater crustaceans.
Brief But Aggressive Encounter Between Pied-Billed Grebes
This aggressive encounter between the two Pied-billed Grebes only lasted a few seconds and if I hadn't been paying attention I would have missed photographing it.
Bear River MBR Clouds, Marshes, Sunshine and an Immature Western Grebe
Yesterday morning found me at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, a wild and wonderful place that I am very thankful for because of the birds there, the spectacular scenery and the refuge I find within its boundaries.
Resting Pied-billed Grebe on Silky Looking Water
The Pied-billed Grebe was a bit too far away to take frame filling images of it but I was okay with that because I feel that the visual appearance of the silky water is just as important as the bird in these photos.
Pied-billed Grebe With Prey
It can be especially fun to watch these small grebes catch a fish to eat and then see the other Pied-billed Grebes nearby try to steal the fish away from it because of the action that can occur.
Clark’s Grebes Rushing in September at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
I was positively amazed to see the Clark's Grebes rushing across the water this late in the year, personally I've never seen them rush past the end of July.
Pied-billed Grebe with Prey at Farmington Bay – West Davis Corridor Impacts
In just a little over two weeks birders, hunters and bird photographers should have access to more of Farmington Bay WMA than we have had since March. Or will we?
Water Dance of Leucistic Eared Grebes on the Great Salt Lake
I will probably never see and photograph so many leucistic Eared Grebes again in my life time as I did yesterday on the Great Salt Lake.
Mixture of Spring Birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
I was so happy to photograph this mixture of spring birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge that I had a hard time picking out which birds and which photos to share.
Clark’s and Western Grebes Return to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
I'm happy that the Clark's and Western Grebes have returned for their breeding season at the refuge and I look forward to photographing them while they are here.
Western Grebe Family at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
When I came across this Western Grebe family image that I took at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I knew this was an image that made me think of spring.