wetlands

Immature Light Morph Rough-legged Hawk in Flight & Landing

By |December 23rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Eight days ago I spent time photographing an immature, light morph Rough-legged Hawk at Farmington Bay WMA in northern Utah.

Immature Rough-legged Hawk – Lift Off, Landing & Lunch

By |December 16th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was able to photograph an immature Rough-legged Hawk lifting off, landing and lunching at Farmington Bay WMA in northern Utah.

Female and Male American Kestrel Comparison

By |December 10th, 2017|Categories: American Kestrels, Bird ID, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've seen people struggle with seeing the differences between male and female American Kestrels and I hope this simple comparison will help.

Bear River MBR Clouds, Marshes, Sunshine and an Immature Western Grebe

By |November 23rd, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Winter Redhead Drakes in Northern Utah

By |November 14th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Pied-billed Grebe With Prey

By |November 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Stretching Green Heron at Sawgrass Lake Park

By |November 8th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Florida, Green Herons, Pinellas County, Sawgrass Lake Park|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Green Heron was photographed from and elevated boardwalk at Sawgrass Lake Park, it had been preening when I walked slowly up to it and when it stretched its wing I took this image.

Differences in Photographing Greater Yellowlegs in Florida and Utah

By |October 29th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Greater Yellowlegs, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are big differences in the ways I photograph Greater Yellowlegs here in Utah than there were when I photographed them in Florida.

Autumn Brewer’s Blackbirds

By |October 23rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I always have fun photographing Brewer's Blackbirds even though they are a challenge to expose properly, it is precisely that challenge that keeps me on my toes.

Franklin’s Gulls at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |October 14th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Franklin's Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Franklin's Gulls are only here in northern Utah during the breeding season, during the winter they spend their time along the west coast of South America.

First of Season Merlin – Odd Behavior and Possible Explanation

By |October 13th, 2017|Categories: American Pipits, Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Merlins, Montana, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spotted my first of the season Merlin yesterday morning out on the flats at Farmington Bay yesterday morning and it truly delighted me.

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Fall Colors on the Refuge Plus a Unique Forster’s Tern Experience

By |October 4th, 2017|Categories: American Coots, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Forster's Terns, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There were birds that I photographed including this Yellow-rumped Warbler who perched out in the open with the fall colors of curly docks in the background.

Autumn Pine Siskins at Farmington Bay WMA

By |September 22nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pine Siskins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this photo of two Pine Siskins in the autumn of 2015 as they perched together on a wild sunflower at Farmington Bay WMA where they appeared to be having a tiff over the seeds.

Adult and Immature Song Sparrows

By |September 21st, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Song Sparrows, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was able to photograph and adult Song Sparrow eating while perched at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge early in the morning.

Male Belted Kingfisher in Winter at Farmington Bay WMA

By |September 16th, 2017|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Belted Kingfishers are year round residents in northern Utah but my best opportunities to photograph them at Farmington Bay WMA are during the winter.

American White Pelican Dumping a Load in Flight

By |September 12th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I focused on this bird I didn't know I'd be photographing an American White Pelican dumping a load while flying over the marshes at the refuge with the Promontory Mountains in the background.

Is This American White Pelican Flying With Its Bill Full?

By |September 9th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I just don't know but I do know I have never seen an American White Pelican in flight with its bill looking like this ever before and I have photographed them hundreds of times in flight.

Clark’s Grebes Rushing in September at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |September 7th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Franklin’s and Ring-billed Gulls Flying in Smoky Skies

By |September 6th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Franklin's Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did take some nice Franklin's and Ring-billed Gull photos in flight over the water of the marshes at the refuge despite the smoky sky.

Winter Common Mergansers – A Visual Break From The Summer Heat

By |August 30th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Back in February there was still snow on the ground, ice on the water and Common Mergansers were at Farmington Bay WMA and some were sporting their breeding plumage.

Juvenile American White Pelican at Bear River MBR

By |August 28th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the young American White Pelicans are old enough to leave the island they fly to areas like Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to learn how to catch fish on their own before they migrate in the fall.

Pied-billed Grebe with Prey at Farmington Bay – West Davis Corridor Impacts

By |August 27th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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?

One Funny Looking American White Pelican Photo

By |August 26th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

To me it looks like this American White Pelican was doing an impression of a floating, domestic white turkey because when the pelican was facing me nearly head on the length of pelican's long bill seemed to disappear

White-faced Ibis at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |August 2nd, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was calling me yesterday morning and I answered that call and photographed several White-faced Ibis from the auto tour route.

Perched Gray Flycatcher Eating A Damselfly

By |June 27th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Gray Flycatchers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As I watched the Gray Flycatcher it flew towards me, snatched a damselfly from mid air then landed on a dead branch not too far away and proceeded to eat it while I photographed the bird.

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