wetlands

Great Blue Herons Aren’t Really Blue – So What’s Up With Their Name?

By |November 10th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The name "Great Blue Heron" has always seemed off to me because these large herons are much more gray than they are blue.

Drake Gadwalls Are Elegant Dabbling Ducks

By |October 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Gadwalls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't have nearly enough Gadwall photos in my portfolios and I honestly don't know why that is the case since they are year round residents here in northern Utah.

Immature Great Blue Heron – With And Without The Hand Of Man

By |October 22nd, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Is one of these immature Great Blue Heron images more visually appealing than the other? That depends on the personal tastes of the person viewing them.

Glowing Snowy Egret In A Ray Of Morning Light

By |October 17th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The stark contrast of the white plumage of the Snowy Egret against the darkness of shadows on the vegetation and water made the egret appear to glow.

In Every Sunset There Is A Promise And A Gift From Nature

By |August 23rd, 2020|Categories: Beaverhead County, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Throughout my life I have liked to think that every sunset has a promise and a gift from Nature in it. The promise that the sun will rise again in the morning.

Adult Male American Avocet Stretching His Wings

By |April 20th, 2020|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Six years ago in early April I went to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and photographed this male American Avocet stretching his wings while his head was low to the water.

My First Of Year Snowy Egret Sightings

By |April 17th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I spotted my first of the year Snowy Egret at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge when two egrets flew out of a ditch on the way to the auto tour loop.

I Heard My First of Season Greater Yellowlegs

By |March 6th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Greater Yellowlegs, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I also heard but didn't see my first of year Greater Yellowlegs and although their calls aren't as melodic as those of Savannah Sparrows it was still music to my ears.

Winter Great Blue Heron On Ice

By |March 1st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This may have been my last chance this winter to photograph a Great Blue Heron on ice so I am glad I took photos of it as it landed and cautiously walked around on the ice.

Resting Adult Black-crowned Night Heron

By |February 25th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

About two weeks ago I was able to photograph two Black-crowned Night Herons, one was immature and the other was an adult.

Sub-adult Bald Eagle Resting In Marsh Habitat

By |February 24th, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did find a sub-adult Bald Eagle resting on the ice on the last leg of the refuge loop and even though it was at a distance I wanted to photograph it because of the marshy habitat it was in. 

Great Blue Herons Seeking Shelter From Winter’s Wind

By |February 10th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Great Blue Herons were hunkered down in the rushes with the warmth of the sunlight on them but they still looked cold.

Photographing A Great Blue Heron Flying In Dense Fog

By |February 3rd, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These Great Blue Heron images also help me to "see" what this species would have looked like as they lived their lives in primordial swamps, estuaries and marshes hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Great Blue Herons In Heavy Fog At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |January 28th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These foggy Great Blue Heron photos are probably the foggiest images in my portfolio and despite that I truly like how they turned out.

Tricolored Herons In Florida Habitats

By |January 19th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Roosevelt Wetlands, Tricolored Herons, Weedon Island Preserve|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I lived in Florida Tricolored Herons were among my favorite wading birds to photograph and I found them in many different types of habitats.

Photographing Great Blue Herons On The Frozen Marshes Of Bear River MBR

By |January 8th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spent time focusing on photographing Great Blue Herons on the frozen marshes of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

My First Birds of 2020 – American Crows In A Grocery Store Parking Lot

By |January 2nd, 2020|Categories: American Crows, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I always get excited about what the first bird will be that I see at the beginning of the new year and for two years in a row now my first birds of the year have been American Crows.

An Immature Rough-legged Hawk Hunting For Prey At Bear River MBR

By |December 21st, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago when I stopped counting Rough-legged Hawks while at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge the number had topped out at fifteen.

Split Second Eye Contact With An Immature Northern Harrier

By |December 20th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two frames later the immature Northern Harrier tilted its head, looked directly towards my lens, and seemed to eyeball me and my gear.

Resting Ruddy Duck In A Fog

By |November 17th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ruddy Ducks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm really glad I looked at these ducks in the fog and decided to take photos of them even though I was looking towards the sun instead of away from it like I typically do when photographing birds.

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.

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