Loons and Grebes

Common Loon vs Fishing Lure

By |February 12th, 2025|Categories: Common Loons, Environment, Fishing Line Dangers, Salt Lake County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Discarded fishing lures and other tackle can injure, strangle, and kill birds. I don't know how the story ended for this hooked Common Loon.

Cell Phone Issues This Week Made Me Want To Scream

By |January 24th, 2025|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Humor, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week, I decided to switch my cell phone carrier and get a new phone because my ancient one wouldn’t work at all on the new network. What I didn’t know...

Common Loon: The 2025 ABA Bird of the Year

By |January 3rd, 2025|Categories: Common Loons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday, the American Birding Association announced that the Common Loon is the 2025 ABA Bird of the Year, and I was so excited. I love these striking loons!

ABA Birding Magazine – December 2024 – My Clark’s Grebe Cover

By |December 28th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My Clark's Grebe photo graces the cover of the ABA's Birding Magazine December 2024 edition, and I wanted to share the cover along with what I wrote about it.

Pied-billed Grebe – Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage Comparison

By |February 18th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week, I took a photo of a Pied-billed Grebe in breeding plumage at my local pond. Today, I decided to do a comparison with one in nonbreeding plumage.

Pied-billed Grebe – From A Distance And Up Close

By |January 28th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was out enjoying some sunshine yesterday morning, I photographed an adult Pied-billed Grebe from a distance and up close at one of my local ponds.

Plastic Netting Will Kill This Pied-billed Grebe

By |December 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 |December 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.

Eared And Horned Grebe Nonbreeding Plumage Comparison

By |November 11th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bird ID, Birds, Box Elder County, Eared Grebes, Horned Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning, I wanted to share an Eared and Horned Grebe nonbreeding plumage comparison. Why? Because, at this time of year, I can see both species.

Interesting Pied-billed Grebe Faux Crash-Dive Behavior

By |November 1st, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had a great time observing and photographing a Pied-billed Grebe exhibiting Crash-dive behavior at Bear River MBR from the auto tour loop on Monday.

Bathing Western Grebe Giggles

By |October 20th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning, a bathing Western Grebe gave me the giggles. Amidst global turmoil and my own personal struggles this year, I needed those laughs.

Late Summer Baby Pied-billed Grebes

By |September 20th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my most recent trip to Bear River MBR, I had a huge thrill. I found four baby Pied-billed Grebes still in their striped juvenile plumage in the marsh.

Springtime Grebe And Avocet Portraits

By |May 3rd, 2023|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am sharing two springtime portraits that I took last week at Bear River MBR. The first is a Western Grebe, the second, an American Avocet.

Migrating Common Loon Photos

By |April 22nd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Loons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I went through more of the Common Loon photos that I have taken since the beginning of this month. I wanted to share more images of these beautiful birds.

Crazy About Common Loons

By |April 15th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Loons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I didn't go out looking for Common Loons. But I found two and they were fighting, calling, preening and getting up close and personal with me.

More Urban Common Loon Photos

By |April 12th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Loons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had two mornings to photograph a Common Loon at a local pond. These photos are from the second morning and they show more action from the striking loon.

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