nonbreeding

European Starling – My First Of Year Bird 2021

By |2021-01-02T06:21:44-07:00January 2nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, European Starlings, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first bird I saw in 2021 was a European Starling perched on a power line on the road to my local grocery store about 8:15 am yesterday morning.

Black-bellied Plover Bathing In A Tidal Lagoon On The Gulf Coast

By |2018-02-15T05:48:25-07:00February 15th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Black-bellied Plovers, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

After taking the quick bath in the tidal lagoon the Black-bellied Plover flew off towards the shoreline of the lagoon to shake and fluff its feathers until they were dry.

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.

Brief But Aggressive Encounter Between Pied-Billed Grebes

By |2021-04-10T04:22:07-06:00December 18th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This aggressive encounter between the two Pied-billed Grebes only lasted a few seconds and if I hadn't been paying attention I would have missed photographing it.

Forster’s Tern With Prey At Bear River MBR

By |2022-09-13T03:54:12-06:00September 10th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Forster's Terns, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have had fun photographing Forster's Terns the last few times I have gone to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, they are graceful, beautiful terns and they challenge my skills.

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.

American Goldfinch Feeding Upside Down in a Snow-covered Field

By |2021-05-09T03:50:19-06:00October 17th, 2016|Categories: American Goldfinches, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

This American Goldfinch feeding upside down on seeds over the snow-covered field has always made me chuckle a bit because of the pose of the finch.

Elegant Forster’s Tern in flight with a touch of added canvas

By |2022-09-13T04:04:45-06:00September 23rd, 2016|Categories: Birds, Florida, Forster's Terns, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've always loved this image of a Forster's Tern in flight because the pose is wonderful and the tern looks elegant against the gray of a distant storm cloud.

Red-breasted Merganser floating on the Gulf of Mexico

By |2023-12-04T05:50:29-07:00September 14th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-breasted Mergansers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this Red-breasted Merganser floating on the Gulf of Mexico on an April morning from the shoreline at Fort De Soto, Florida in April of 2008.

American Avocet Devouring a Tiny Crayfish

By |2021-04-29T13:10:54-06:00August 29th, 2016|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was tickled to photograph this American Avocet as it fed but it wasn't until later that I knew it was devouring a tiny crayfish.

Nonbreeding American Avocet foraging at Bear River MBR

By |2021-04-29T04:09:15-06:00August 1st, 2016|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

The American Avocets look a bit different now than they did earlier in the year because they are now in their paler, less colorful nonbreeding plumage.

Gulf Shore Great Egret with a Loose Head Feather

By |2021-07-29T04:10:04-06:00May 9th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Egrets, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This might be the only image I have in my portfolio that shows a Great Egret with a loose head feather waving above its head at a jaunty angle.

Flock of Northern Shovelers feeding on the Great Salt Lake

By |2024-03-03T11:36:38-07:00November 10th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last December on the way off of Antelope Island I saw huge flocks of Northern Shovelers feeding on the Great Salt Lake and liked how they appeared through my viewfinder.

Wintertime and Pied-billed Grebes

By |2024-01-21T04:02:38-07:00November 2nd, 2015|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

With the forecast of possible snow this week I've been thinking about how much fun it can be to photograph Pied-billed Grebes in the wintertime again.

Displaying Sandwich Terns in low light

By |2016-12-07T12:10:30-07:00November 13th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Sandwich Terns|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

These Sandwich Terns were courting early one morning at Fort De Soto's north beach and even though the light wasn't "sweet" I felt their courtship behavior was interesting.

Black-bellied Plover on a tidal mudflat

By |2016-12-07T12:10:32-07:00November 1st, 2013|Categories: Birds, Black-bellied Plovers, Florida, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I love the light and the mudflat setting I photographed this Black-bellied Plover in on a warm April morning in Florida several years ago.

Black-bellied Plover in beach habitat

By |2016-12-07T12:10:46-07:00September 15th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Black-bellied Plovers, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Black-bellied Plover was standing on a dunelet that wasn't much higher than the sand around it that had sparse short grasses which I found appealing.

Ruddy Turnstone on Driftwood

By |2021-05-17T07:26:44-06:00December 5th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was tickled one morning when I came across this Turnstone in nonbreeding plumage perched on a piece of weathered driftwood just after the sun came over the horizon with the waters of the Gulf of Mexico behind it.

Tricolored Heron – Up close

By |2023-10-06T13:05:05-06:00November 26th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Tricolored Herons|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I photographed this hunting Tricolored Heron I was laying flat on my belly in the shallows where the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico gently lapped the shore.

Caspian Terns

By |2023-05-04T15:33:47-06:00September 10th, 2012|Categories: Caspian Terns, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) are North America's largest tern with a wingspan of 50 inches and weighing in at 1.4 pounds.

Forster’s Terns

By |2022-09-13T03:50:38-06:00April 8th, 2012|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Florida, Forster's Terns, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I moved from Florida to Utah I felt it was fortunate that some of the nonbreeding birds I used to see in Florida during the winter I now get to see in breeding plumage on their nesting grounds.

Shorebirds of Fort DeSoto – Ruddy Turnstones

By |2021-05-17T07:28:15-06:00October 31st, 2010|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One of the easier medium-sized shorebirds to identify on Fort De Soto's beaches and tidal mudflats are the Ruddy Turnstones. The only other turnstone that frequents North America is the Black Turnstone and it occurs on the Pacific coast.

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