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 American Coot on thin ice - Nikon D200, tripod mounted, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 320, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light Some images are simply too funny not to share. Even with those huge feet this American Coot (Fulica americana) couldn’t stay in top of the ice at a pond near where I live in Salt Lake County, Utah. Any wonderful captions come to mind? Mia More American Coot images           It has been a very weird winter here in Utah, there hasn’t been much snow at all in the Salt Lake Valley and temperatures have been warmer than normal. For a few weeks it has felt like spring. This week I saw a report of butterflies already flitting around and the trees I see have buds that look like they are ready to burst open. Birds that I normally expect to photograph in the winter have been scarce, for instance the Bald Eagles at Farmington Bay WMA where last year I could count hundreds on any given day in February and this year I’ve been lucky to see more than 4 at a time. So I’ve found myself wishing for the arrival of “spring birds” on more than one occasion because bird photography has been rather slow the last few weeks.
Swimming Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) ~ Salt Lake County, Utah Today I went out to Antelope Island State Park not expecting much because it has been very slow out there for bird photography lately and for the most part I was correct. But at the marina I saw some dark shapes in the sky flying very rapidly. I realized they were Cormorants as soon as my lens could focus on them! My FOY (first of the year) Double-crested Cormorants! There were four of them and they were too far away to get decent images but I felt like dancing because in my mind they are “spring birds“. Hooray!
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) in flight ~ Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area, Utah Just about a mile away from the park entrance I caught sight of a bird in flight and wondered what it was. My first instinct was “American Avocet” but it seems a little early for them. But I was right on the ID and saw not just one but two of them in flying along the causeway. Wow, more “spring birds“! Oh yeah, I’m ready for the birds of spring. Mia (These images were taken previously, not today) More American Avocet images   8 comments  American Avocets, Double-crested Cormorants, Farmington Bay WMA, Salt Lake County, Spring, Utah  american avocets, bird photography, birding, birds, double-crested cormorants, Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area, flight, mia mcpherson, Phalacrocorax auritus, Recurvirostra americana, salt lake county, Spring, swimming, utah, wildlife photography It is my belief that even birds that people consider too common, plain, drab, or boring can be photographed in ways that create visually compelling images, for instance when I am photographing American Coots I look for colors and patterns that will compliment or be in contrast to thier dark plumage, appealing settings, great action or an interesting pose. American Coots are the most widely distributed members of the Rail family in North America and are very abundant in habitats with open water. Some bird photographers pass up on photographing American Coots because they aren’t colorful and are common but if you have been following my blog for any length of time you know that if it has feathers and it is a bird, I’ll photograph it. These members of the Rail family have large, lobed greenish feet, red eyes, very dark bodies with ivory colored bills topped by a reddish shield. They are often in the presence of ducks and are at times they are mistakenly labled a “duck” by people not familiar with birds. Coots can make a lot of noise and while they are gregarious they will often chase each other around in displays of aggression which is great fun to watch and photograph.
American Coot (Fulica americana) small in the frame American Coots are difficult to expose correctly because of thier very darks bodies and thier very white bills, it can be a challenge to get details in the black without blowing out the whites in the bill. Paying attention to the angle of light and deciding whether to use negative or positive exposure compensation is critical when considering what settings to use when photographing these birds. I photographed the American Coot in the image above on a very chilly winter day at a pond near where I live. The shades of white in the water were caused by snow on the bank of the pond and the golden tones were from the colors of the dried cattails along the shore. I decided to compose this image with the American Coot small in the frame because I felt the water was dramatic and was as visually stimulating as the bird itself.
Earlier I mentioned that I look for great action when photographing American Coots, I feel that the action can convey not only a sense of movement but lends a bit of excitement too. When I photographed the bird in this image I had been concentrating on bird that were close to where I was sitting with my tripod in front of me when I heard the Coots making sounds that indicate a squabble might happen soon so I zoomed back and got prepared for some action. I saw one of the birds sneaking up on another and when the lead bird took off running across the top of the water I started tracking the bird that was doing the chasing and created a series of images of this Coot “walking on water”. Make that “running”. I didn’t even mind the out of focus Pied-billed Grebe in the frame because it was so out of focus and not intersecting with the main subject plus I also liked the feeling of depth the Pied-billed Grebe added to the image.
American Coot (Fulica americana) with tilted head I also mentioned that I look for interesting poses when photographing Coots and sometimes that includes the head angle of the subject. I know some pro photographers would “wish” that the bird’s head in the frame above was tilted a few degrees downward and to the left side of the frame to convey better direct eye contact between the subject and viewer but I sort of think that is splitting feathers and I simply do not feel that I “must” always have the subject looking directly at me. I can clearly see the eye here and because the bird is looking up I can imagine it was looking at something in the sky and for me that adds interest and doesn’t subtract from the overall appeal of the image.
American Coot (Fulica americana) in silky waters Some of the features I like most about the image above is the silkiness of the water, the profile view of the head of the bird and how the ripples in the water distorted the reflections of the snow and vegetation to create a wonderful contrast from the plain colored bird not only in the colors but in textures and swirly patterns.
American Coot (Fulica americana) standing on bronze colored ice and water This American Coot was standing on thin ice near the shoreline and just the mere weight of the bird pushed the ice slightly under the water, just enough that the stand of cattails was reflected on all of the water’s surface visible in this frame. Because the warm bronzy tones of the water are in contrast with the dark plumage of the bird the Coot stands out very well from the setting. Even “Plain Jane” birds can sparkle in the right light, setting or pose. Don’t you agree? Mia More American Coot images 
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) Reflections This morning I did something I haven’t done in awhile, I put a sweatshirt on because the morning had a slight nip in the air and it reminded me that fall will be here soon. I’m looking forward to the crisp cool air after all the summer heat but most of all I am looking forward to the birds I have missed seeing during the hottest part of the year, one of those birds are the Pied-billed Grebes. When the heat arrives here in Utah I just do not see the Pied-billed Grebes frequently and I get to missing the saucy, feisty little grebes but as cooler temperatures prevail I begin to see them far more often. Pied-billed Grebes are the widest ranging of the grebes of North America and what they lack in size they make up for with big attitudes. They sure don’t hesitate to chase much larger birds out of their territories. An interesting fact about Pied-billed Grebes is that they only migrate at night. I’ve seen them flap their wings when they are agressively chasing other birds but I have never seen them in flight. Also; their legs are placed so far back on their body that walking is extremely difficult for them, I have only seen them walking on the shoreline a few times. Here in Utah they will migrate south only after the ponds and lakes freeze completely over. The image above was taken after the frost had turned the vegetation surrounding this pond a warm golden color, it sure made for delightful colors reflected on the water’s surface that compliments the shades of browns of the grebe very nicely. Some people call them “drab little birds” but I find their subtle coloring very appealing plus I love to watch these small grebes and the funny things they do. Mia More Pied-billed Grebe images
Stretching adult Clark’s Grebe (Aechmorphus clarkii) This spring and summer I’ve a little been disappointed by how few Clark’s Grebe images I have been able to take. One of the places I know about where I know I can find them rushing (looks like a water ballet), nesting, feeding their chicks and watching the juveniles ride on the adult’s back has been closed twice for weeks at a time. Once was due to roads flooding in the spring and now it is closed to finalize some road construction.
Clark’s Grebe (Aechmorphus clarkii) with midges floating on the water I was able to take some picture of Clark’s Grebes this spring and summer but what I really missed was watching them interact with each other and with the Western Grebes I can usually find in the same location. I hope that there are still some around by the time those roads open up in September! Mia More Clark’s Grebe images  Leave a comment Clark's Grebe, Salt Lake County, Utah adult, Aechmophorus clarkii, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, bear river national wildlife refuge, bird photography, birds, box, Clark's Grebe, elder county, grebe, grebes, mia mcpherson, midges, nature, non-biting, salt lake county, utah, water, wildlife |
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