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Ring-necked Duck And An Odd Lesser Scaup

By |2024-01-27T12:13:16-06:00January 20th, 2024|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Lesser Scaups, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seven days ago I found a Ring-necked Duck and an odd Lesser Scaup drake at my local pond. The scaup puzzled me and I wondered if he might be a hybrid.

Drake Ruddy Duck In Early Breeding Plumage

By |2024-01-20T03:52:38-06:00January 19th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been paying a lot of attention to a drake Ruddy Duck at my local pond because he has gone into breeding plumage earlier than is normal for this species.

Fun With A Goofy Immature Ring-billed Gull

By |2024-01-16T04:52:20-06:00January 16th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm always ready for fun, and this goofy, immature Ring-billed Gull provided a bit of fun for me yesterday afternoon at one of my snowy local ponds.

Common Mergansers And Remote Controlled Harassment

By |2024-01-15T05:09:41-06:00January 15th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Harassment, Miscellaneous, Salt Lake County, Utah, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed these Common Mergansers at my local pond three years ago today. I will explain why I only had a few minutes with the mergansers at my local pond.

California Gull – A Misnamed Gull Species

By |2024-01-13T11:41:19-06:00January 13th, 2024|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As I photographed a winter California Gull at my local pond two days ago, I thought about how these gulls are a misnamed species for the umpteenth time.

White-faced Ibis Do Overwinter At Bear River MBR

By |2024-01-08T05:11:05-06:00January 8th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On New Year's Day, I photographed two small flocks of White-faced Ibis at Bear River MBR. It isn't unusual at all for this ibis species to overwinter at the refuge.

Herring Gull In Flight Close Up

By |2024-01-06T04:55:52-06:00January 6th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Herring Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three years ago today, I drove the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR alone. One of the birds I photographed that winter morning was this close-up adult Herring Gull in flight.

Winter Great Blue Heron On Thin Bear River Ice – Utah Is On Thin Ice Too

By |2024-01-05T04:58:20-06:00January 5th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this Great Blue Heron almost two years ago, walking gingerly on the thinning ice of the Bear River. I was on my way to the auto tour loop at the refuge when I spotted this heron.

Fun Drake Mallard At Bear River MBR

By |2024-01-13T03:19:59-06:00January 4th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Mallards, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On New Year's Day morning, I had fun photographing a drake Mallard from the auto tour loop of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge as he lifted off from the marsh.

Ruddy Duck Drake – What A Difference 20 Days Makes

By |2024-01-19T04:15:38-06:00December 18th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Just 20 days can make a big difference in the way this Ruddy Duck drake looks. His bill is a lot bluer now than it was when I first saw him at my local pond.

Murmuration Of European Starlings On The Wing

By |2023-12-16T03:55:57-06:00December 16th, 2023|Categories: Birds, European Starlings, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I wasn't the only person who noticed the huge murmuration of European Starlings at my local pond yesterday morning; other people stopped and admired them too.

Drake Common Goldeneye Landing

By |2023-12-10T04:22:49-06:00December 10th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today, I am sharing a simple photo of a drake Common Goldeneye coming in to land on my local pond early in the morning. I took this image a few days ago.

California Gull In Winter Plumage

By |2024-01-13T04:10:07-06:00December 8th, 2023|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was at my local pond three days ago, I was happy to photograph this California Gull in winter plumage that had just landed on the water.

Plastic Netting Will Kill This Pied-billed Grebe

By |2023-12-07T06:10:27-06:00December 7th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Environment, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Plastic netting will kill this Pied-billed Grebe unless myself or someone else can capture the grebe and remove the netting. The grebe will starve to death.

Immature Pied-billed Grebe Being Chased And Other Grebe Behaviors

By |2023-12-02T03:51:38-06:00December 2nd, 2023|Categories: Pied-billed Grebes, San Juan County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week, I photographed an immature Pied-billed Grebe being chased by an adult at my local pond. I observed some other interesting grebe behaviors as well.

Frosty Northern Harrier In Utah

By |2023-11-29T04:39:08-06:00November 29th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This photo of a frosty Northern Harrier was taken almost five years ago. Although the harrier is small in the frame, I still find the image visually appealing.

First Of Season Common Goldeneye

By |2023-11-28T04:33:03-06:00November 28th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago, I found my first-of-season Common Goldeneye drake at my local pond. I didn't have my camera with me, so I wasn't able to photograph him.

Winter Black-crowned Night Heron In Flight

By |2023-11-27T04:28:58-06:00November 27th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While going through my archives this morning, I found this photo of a Black-crowned Night Heron in flight. It was taken in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA in 2021.

Canada Geese In Falling Snow

By |2023-11-25T03:52:03-06:00November 25th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I desperately needed a bird break so I went down to my local pond. While I was there I photographed Canada Geese and American Coots in falling snow.

Fall Redhead Drake Photos

By |2023-11-23T04:00:29-06:00November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On a cold morning two days ago, I had two Redhead drakes in my viewfinder at my local pond. the light was lovely and so were the ducks.

Drake Hooded Merganser Memory

By |2023-11-21T04:45:56-06:00November 21st, 2023|Categories: Birds, Hooded Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Once upon a chilly December evening, I had a blast photographing a stunning drake Hooded Merganser in gorgeous light at an urban pond close to home.

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