nonbreeding plumage

Reddish Egret In A Lagoon With Clouds Reflecting On The Water

By |2022-10-02T11:10:31-06:00January 20th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It has been nearly ten years since I took this photo and it remains one of my favorite Reddish Egret photos because of the clouds reflecting on the still waters of a lagoon at Fort De Soto County Park.

Ruddy Duck Drake In Nonbreeding Plumage

By |2021-11-24T09:36:17-07:00January 17th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ruddy Ducks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though this drake Ruddy Duck is small in the frame I liked this image because of the silky blue water, the small wake behind the duck, the direct eye contact and how some of the blue of this drake's bill is visible.

Spotted Sandpiper On The Gulf Coast – Thinking Back On Warmer Days

By |2021-05-07T15:38:00-06:00January 7th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Spotted Sandpipers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I'm thinking back on warmer days where I took photos of Spotted Sandpipers on the Gulf Coast as they scurried among those oyster beds looking for food and somehow I feel just a little bit warmer looking at this photo and the howling wind doesn't seem quite so loud.

California Gull On Ice In Salt Lake County

By |2021-12-11T07:02:37-07:00January 4th, 2019|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

While photographing a California Gull on ice two days ago I was reminded of how well these gulls survive the bitter cold we have here at times during the winter even when the ponds, lakes and rivers freeze over.

Autumn American Goldfinch and Rose Hips

By |2021-07-04T08:05:46-06:00November 23rd, 2018|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Box Elder County, Finches and Allies, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week I left home well before the sun came up, sat on my rear end for over five hours, traveled over 230 miles and the only decent image I took was of this American Goldfinch perched on a wild rose surrounded by scarlet rose hips.

My First Plus My Most Recent American Pipit Photos

By |2023-11-04T03:32:58-06:00November 15th, 2018|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I enjoy these tail-bobbing American Pipits every bit as much today as I did the morning I first saw them near Goose Egg Island at Farmington Bay but since I moved to Utah I can see and photograph them more often.

American Pipits and Fall Migration

By |2021-03-04T04:20:38-07:00October 5th, 2018|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

American Pipits aren't flashy birds, in fact some people might think they are rather plain or dull colored. I am always happy to have them in my viewfinder and to hear their flight calls in the breeze.

White-faced Ibis in Breeding and Nonbreeding Plumage

By |2021-09-13T03:36:47-06:00May 19th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

In just a few weeks the White-faced Ibis that are in breeding plumage right now will begin to molt into their nonbreeding plumage and I thought this might be a good time to show some of the differences.

Photographing Yellow-rumped Warblers in Cluttered and Clean Habitats

By |2021-09-04T04:30:08-06:00April 29th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Salt Lake County, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When it comes to small birds like Yellow-rumped Warblers I prefer photographing them in clean habitats over cluttered habitats because the small birds stand out better when the background isn't so messy.

American Goldfinch in Winter Plumage

By |2024-02-18T06:39:43-07:00January 27th, 2018|Categories: American Goldfinches, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed a couple of American Goldfinches that morning too, as usual I heard the finches well before I spotted them foraging in some vegetation next to the auto tour route.

Salt Lake County Winter California Gull Portrait

By |2021-12-11T07:29:23-07:00January 25th, 2018|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago this California Gull flew in and was so close to me that I felt I had to take portraits of it because the gull looked so handsome against the blue of the water.

Treasury of American Goldfinches at Bear River MBR

By |2024-03-01T08:28:46-07:00November 28th, 2017|Categories: American Goldfinches, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I found a small flock of American Goldfinches foraging on the auto tour route at Bear River MBR and I was able to capture a few images of them before they took off in a rush.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Goldfinch & American Tree Sparrow in Northern Utah

By |2022-05-13T12:28:20-06:00October 30th, 2017|Categories: American Goldfinches, American Tree Sparrows, Birds, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent time photographing primarily small birds yesterday in northern Utah which included Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, American Goldfinches and American Tree Sparrows.

Adult and Juvenile European Starlings in Fall Plumage

By |2024-03-17T05:21:36-06:00October 25th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, European Starlings, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have an alternate title for this post which is "Invasive European Starlings perched on invasive Russian Olives" because both the birds in this post and the trees are not native but introduced.

White-faced Ibis at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2023-11-07T08:38:04-07:00August 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.

Breeding and Nonbreeding Forster’s Terns

By |2022-09-13T03:46:36-06:00April 26th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Florida, Forster's Terns, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The differences in breeding and nonbreeding plumage of Forster's Terns is enough that some bird watching and bird photography novices might even think that they are two different species of terns.

Ring-billed Gull In Earlier Than Normal Definitive Alternate Plumage

By |2021-10-25T13:54:30-06:00January 17th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I start seeing some Ring-billed Gulls in breeding/Definitive Alternate Plumage in February but I sure didn't expect to see this one on the third day of January, I was quite surprised by it.

Ruddy Turnstone – ABA Bird of the Year 2017

By |2021-05-17T06:44:42-06:00January 8th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

A few days ago the ABA announced the 2017 Bird of the Year as the Ruddy Turnstone and I couldn't be any happier because shorebirds were my "spark" birds that propelled me into the world of bird photography.

Eye Color Variation in California Gulls

By |2024-03-03T11:03:22-07:00December 19th, 2016|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The typical eye color for California Gulls is a very dark brown that appears almost black in most cases but there can be variations in their eye color.

Comparing Adult Ring-billed and California Gulls

By |2023-12-05T05:45:33-07:00December 5th, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For most of the year Ring-billed and California Gulls are some of the most common gulls here in northern Utah and for some people it might be challenging to tell them apart.

It is Tricolored Heron Not Tri-colored Heron

By |2020-01-19T04:22:27-07:00November 27th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Tricolored Herons|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I must admit I get a little bonkers though when I see images of birds where the name posted for the species in the photo is incorrect, for instance, it is Tricolored Heron not Tri-colored Heron.

California Gull Hovering Over The Bear River in Winter

By |2021-12-11T07:35:02-07:00November 18th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this California Gull hovering over the Bear River with the snow covered Promontory Mountains in the back ground while it looked for prey in the open water below.

Late Migrating American Avocets in Utah

By |2021-04-29T04:25:53-06:00November 12th, 2016|Categories: American Avocets, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Most of the American Avocets have migrated away from northern Utah but most years we can have a few stragglers that haven't migrated by this time of the year

Laughing Gull Sliding Across the Water

By |2016-12-07T12:05:29-07:00October 25th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Of the images I took that day on the beach, and there were tons of them, this image of a Laughing Gull sliding across the water as it chased a fish in the shallow waves was one of my favorites.

Migrating American Pipits in Utah – Pipits Everywhere!

By |2021-12-05T05:00:33-07:00October 14th, 2016|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

American Pipits are migrating through Utah in large numbers right now and yesterday morning at Farmington Bay they seemed to be everywhere!

Close Up Herring Gull in Flight with a Sea Urchin

By |2021-01-10T16:49:01-07:00October 7th, 2016|Categories: Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Herring Gulls, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was able to lock on to the Herring Gull in flight with a sea urchin in its bill when it was close enough to me to fill the frame, it was almost too close at that point.

White-faced Ibis foraging at Farmington Bay WMA

By |2022-09-01T04:32:04-06:00September 28th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

There were Snowy Egrets, juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons, Great Blue Herons and this White-faced-Ibis foraging at Farmington Bay to photograph.

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