American Avocets

A few bird images from this past week

By Mia McPherson, on April 13th, 2013%

Male Long-billed Curlew calling

Because of fluctuating weather I have only gotten out to photograph three times this past week, on the days I didn’t get out I know I was having withdrawals because it is spring migration and I’m excited to see my first of years birds and to photograph the ones that have already returned.

Last Saturday the weather was a bit on the gloomy side but we went to Antelope Island anyway to meet up with Steve Creek who was camping on the island and visiting from Arkansas. Before seeing Steve I took this image of a male Long-billed Curlew calling. The bills of male Long-billed Curlews are shorter than the bills of females.

Steve didn’t stay in Utah as long as he hoped because our weather turned nasty with a storm front coming in and rain/snow in the forecast. The winds got pretty bad ahead of that front.

Male Mountain Plover

The highlight of the week was when I spotted a pair of Mountain Plovers on Antelope Island State Park, they are rare to Utah and they were lifer birds for me. I sent in my report to the Utah Bird Records Committee along with a few images.

Who knew that sighting a tiny shorebird could cause such an uproar?

Anyway, I took loads of images of the pair of Mountain Plovers that I am very happy with. I suspect there are more of these beautiful shorebirds in Utah this time of the year but they might be located in areas that are under birded or inaccessible to the general public.

Great Egret stalking prey

Yesterday at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge I saw a few first of year birds for me, two Great Egrets, a few Snowy Egrets and Clark’s Grebes delighted me. I also spotted a Rough-legged Hawk from a distance, all the Roughies will soon be gone.

American Avocet in flight

Black-necked Stilts and American Avocet numbers are on the increase at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge and their calls are filling the air. This one flew past me and seemed to beg me to take pictures of it. Okay, the bird didn’t beg, I simply could not resist taking images of it.

American Avocets mating

Speaking of “not being able to resist”, these two American Avocets couldn’t resist courting and mating yesterday. I wish they had been a bit closer but I feel lucky to have gotten the images I did of them because they mate very quickly. You can’t blink while they are mating or you will miss it.

I’m hoping the weather this upcoming week is better so I can experience more of the wonders of migration.

I tripped yesterday in a parking lot which literally brought me to my knees. My knees are scraped up and bruised and although I was embarrassed by my lack of grace, I’ll be fine.

Even though I only got out to photograph birds three times this week each of the days I did get out were very memorable!

Have a great Saturday.

Mia

*Please do not pin my images on Pinterest, Tumblr or any other pinning site, that is a violation of Copyright Laws. Feel free to share the link to my posts but not the images directly.

Some of the Birds I love at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge

By Mia McPherson, on February 6th, 2013%

One of my favorite locations to photograph birds in northern Utah is Bear River National Wildlife Refuge. I’ve selected some of the birds there that delight and entertain me while I observe and photograph them.

Eastern Kingbird

There are several different species of Flycatcher that visit the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, among them the ones I see most often during the warmer months are the Eastern Kingbirds…

Western Kingbird

and Western Kingbirds. Both of them look rather dapper in my opinion.

Male Black-necked Stilt

There are also many shorebirds the pass through or nest on the refuge, Black-necked Stilts nest on the refuge…

American Avocet

as do American Avocets. Both of these shorebirds appear rather elegant in looks and movements.

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Herons are common wading birds at the refuge and despite their name, they aren’t strictly nocturnal. Black-crowned Night Herons are year round residents…

Snowy Egret in flight

but Snowy Egrets are not, they migrate to the refuge. This Snowy Egret is showing the peachy-colored lores seen during the breeding season.

Barn Owl flying in the snow

Barn Owls are year-round residents of the refuge and although they are primarily nocturnal they do fly during the day when the weather is bitter cold and there is heavy snow cover on the ground and they will fly later at dawn and earlier at dusk when they have chicks to feed. This one was flying during the day as the snow fell.

Swainson’s Hawk

Swainson’s Hawks are also migratory birds and they are seen on the refuge during the warmer months. Their diet consists primarily of insects like grasshoppers and there aren’t many of those around during the cold months in Utah.

American White Pelican

American White Pelicans also nest on the refuge and come into to feed on fish in the fresh water impoundments.

Male Yellow-headed Blackbird

Yellow-headed Blackbirds, with their mechanical sounding call, can be found perching in cattails, reeds, phragmites and other vegetation as they forage for food. I was tickled to get this male in this pose.

Western Grebe

The most common found grebes on the refuge are Pied-billed, Clark’s and Western although Eared and Horned Grebes are also spotted there at different times of the year.

Tundra Swan

Tundra Swans by the thousands call the refuge home during the winter and can be seen flying overhead, swimming in open water or standing on ice. This adult shows a stained head and neck.

Marsh Wren

The sound of Marsh Wrens can be heard all over the refuge, they may be tiny but their voices aren’t.

Cinnamon x Green-winged Teal hybrid

All types of ducks can be found on the refuge during different seasons of the year. It pays to keep a look out for unusual ducks, you never know when a hybrid might be seen like this Cinnamon x Green-winged Teal.

Forester’s Tern

Terns and gulls can also been seeing hunting over the water and nesting there as well. This Forester’s Tern in breeding plumage was hunting for small fish.

This is just a small selection of the birds that can be found at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, a location that I treasure.

Mia

Hail Yeah – Storm at Red Rock Lakes Dam

By Mia McPherson, on October 28th, 2012%

Last year in July while camping at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Refuge a storm came in while we were photographing birds at the dam, it looked like it was going to be a bad one so we were going to head back to the camper when a Peregrine Falcon swooped towards the American Avocets and Wilson’s Phalaropes.

Before the storm, a Peregrine Falcon takes an American Avocet as prey

The Peregrine Falcon snatched an American Avocet right out of the shallow water and flew past us with it dangling from its talons. It all happened so quickly that I only got this one clear shot of the falcon.

We wondered if the falcon would come back so despite the impending arrival of the nasty looking storm we sat in the pickup to see if it would.

American Avocets in flight during a storm

And the storm came in fast along with heavy rain and wind. These Avocets were coming in to land in the shallow water.

American Avocets in a hail storm

And shortly after they landed the hail started. I had never wondered what birds do in a hail storm before that day. Larger hail must injure and possibly kill birds when it falls.

The pea sized hail was pounding on the top of the pickup and pelting the parts of my hands and arms that were partially out of the window to take these images. Rain blew in the window and dripped off of my Noodle lens rest and the lens coat covering on my lens was soaked too.

I processed this image different from I normally do, typically I only sharpen the bird and other items they might be standing on to perch, or vegetation close or in front of my subject but with this image I sharpened the entire frame to accentuate the streaks of falling rain.

Facing the storm

When the hail size became smaller the shorebirds seemed to perk up. The tiny bird in front of the Avocets is a Wilson’s Phalarope, there were more of them behind the bush it is in front of. The hail was still coming down hard.

When the hail turns to rain

By this time the hail had turned to rain and the birds began moving around, a few of the Phalaropes took to the air.

American Avocets flying in a driving rain

And the Avocets soon followed. They have such a neat pattern on their backs. When I processed this I noticed that all of the Avocets have their legs close together trailing behind them except the one at the top of the center towards the right whose legs are splayed out from each other. Just something odd I picked up on.

I also sharpened this whole frame to highlight the driving rain.

American Avocets and Wilson’s Phalaropes about to land in the rain

The Avocets weren’t in flight long before they landed again and a few of the Phalaropes landed with them. The Avocets seemed to enjoy the lighter rain because they bathed and splashed in the shallows.

Wilson’s Phalaropes in flight in front of a rainbow

The Phalaropes took off though flying back and forth in front of me, twisting and turning in flight, one second flashing their white undersides and the next their darker top sides. As they flew the sun came out and a rainbow appeared. How great it was to photograph these birds with the colors of the rainbow behind them.

Red Rock Lakes NWR rainbow after a storm

Since I began photographing birds in Florida I have gotten used to getting wet to photograph shorebirds, wringing wet at times but my gear has never been as wet as it was the day I took these images from inside the pickup. Was it worth it? I think so.

Mia

American Avocets in breeding and nonbreeding plumage

By Mia McPherson, on August 22nd, 2012%

American Avocet in nonbreeding plumage – Nikon D200, f8, 1/750, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

I photographed this American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) in nonbreeding plumage as it foraged in Glover’s Pond at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah a few years ago in the month of November.

American Avocet in breeding plumage – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

This image of an American Avocet was taken in August of last year at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana. What a difference there is between the pale grayish head and neck of the nonbreeding Avocet to the apricot to cinnamon colored plumage that a breeding bird displays.

Personally I believe that American Avocets are stunning in any season of the year. (Okay, it isn’t just Avocets I feel that way about, it is all birds)

Mia

More American Avocet images

*I am currently away so I scheduled this post ahead of time, please feel free to share it with your friends & family.

An American Avocet

By Mia McPherson, on June 19th, 2012%

Currently I am considering pursuing legal action against a commercial web site in Layton, Utah that has stolen 4 of my copyrighted images and used them on their site. The process of making a legal claim is daunting to me, however; I feel that I have to stand up and fight for what is legally mine AND protected by law. The unauthorized use and redistribution of our copyrighted images for commercial gain is illegal. The first step is finding an attorney that specializes in Copyright Laws.

I’ve been super busy lately and the extended daylight hours of summer have meant getting up much earlier to be on location before the sun rises. I will do my best to respond to all of the wonderful comments left on previous posts.

Yesterday we were out on Antelope Island State Park, the gnats were still biting but I believe our unseasonably high temperatures are beginning to kill off the little buggers.

American Avocet in sun scorched vegetation – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/400, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 350mm, natural light

There are some American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana) on the island that are great subjects to photograph, I like how the sun-scorched vegetation has the same colors & hues as this shorebird in breeding plumage.

Mia

More American Avocet images