Yesterday I saw on the news that it snowed a bit in the high Uintas and closer to home at Snowbird in the Wasatch Mountains thanks to the cold front that passed through northern Utah. That doesn’t mean that winter is upon us but it did remind me that summer will come to an end in just a little more than 30 days.
Snowy Egret with Promontory Mountains in the background – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Thinking about the end of summer made me feel a touch sad because this summer I haven’t spent as much time with birds as I would have liked. 2020 was weird because of the pandemic and so far 2021 has been just as bad but we have had extreme drought conditions, many more days of excessive heat, and almost endless wildfire caused smoke-filled skies.
I feel like I only have a little over a month to make up for time not spent in the field this summer. There have been many missed opportunities and I know I can’t make up for that.
The reports of snow in the mountains made me think of this Snowy Egret photo I took in August of 2017 with the Promontory Mountains in the background. The egret was photographed at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on a relatively clear day. By now the Snowy Egrets have raised their young and their chicks have fledged. I haven’t been to the refuge in quite some time because of extremely low water conditions. I plan on driving up there soon to take a slow trip around the auto tour route to check it out.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Snowy Egret photos plus facts and information about this species.
Very nice. I am hoping to go next week when the air clears.
What an absolute stunner. I hope that you do get a lot more time with birds this summer. Any birds.
Hi sweetie! The phot is so beautiful! It looks like a ballarinia in movie! Great shooting I love this photo! Hope you are getting lots of rain! Love ya’s
please discuss field marks for juvenile.
That Snowy Egret shot is so beautiful I would almost sell my soul for it. But the news that you got at least some snow on the mountains could hopefully be redemption of a different sort 😉 – for the water table, streams and rivers next summer if you’re lucky ❄🌨🌨🏔 which hopefully will lead to many more of those fabulous photos.
Great shot of a juvenile.
I hope your beautiful mountains get many deep snows this year so you reap the benefit of snow melt next Spring. Your Utah Birding has been so impacted by smoke this year …I hope there will be many good photography days ahead for you. Your Snowy Egret photo is beautiful!