Families: Rallidae, Aramidae, Gruidae
These families include 14 species found in North America. All of them inhabit marsh wetlands where they consume vegetation and small animals but the feeding habits vary greatly. Cranes are often seen due in part to their size but Limpkins are secretive and solitary, rails and soras are skulkers and secretive where coots and gallinules are often found in the open.
About two weeks ago I photographed this American Coot running on water at Farmington Bay WMA.
The light was beautiful yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA and I was able to photograph a few species if birds including this juvenile Northern Harrier flying over the marsh.
Both American Coots and Western Grebes have fascinating red eyes, interesting bills and black & white plumage.
I am always thrilled when a Virginia Rail comes out into the open because typically they are shy, secretive marsh birds.
Virginia Rails are secretive marsh birds that can be found at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge during the breeding season and the can be very difficult to see let alone photograph.
The Sandhill Crane colts at Farmington Bay are as tall as their parents and look just like them except for the markings on their head and the color of their bills and eyes.
Yesterday I posted a juvenile Wilson's Phalarope and today I am posting an assortment of others birds I photographed the same day at Bear River NWR.
I headed up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning and I am very glad I did because of the wonderful birds I saw.
I always think of Sandhill Cranes whenever my thoughts drift to the Centennial Valley of Montana where I always hear their calls, see them in the fields or in flight over the marshes.
Anyone who has worked on their own web site that allows comments knows that there are times you get a strange comment that make you scratch your head.
Last night I only had dreams about Sandhill Cranes but it won't be long before I will be seeing and hearing them for real. I can barely wait.
Early in January I was able to photograph a few American Coots as they walked on ice at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management area and marveled again at how big their feet are.
Yes, I am being slightly anthropomorphic but this is one serious looking Coot.
American Coots are common birds and some folks might find them fairly plain but I like them and enjoy photographing them too.
Harlan's Hawks are a subspecies of Red-tailed Hawks that breed in Alaska and northern Canada and spend their winters in the northern Great Plains.
This Terry Tempest Williams quote strikes a chord within me because I feel very connected to nature and wildness and that connection is with me every day of my life.
I was delighted to find quite a few Sandhill Cranes in the Centennial Valley of Montana last week and this pair was close enough to photograph.
In March of this year I spent several days photographing Sandhill Cranes in southern Utah where the light and the weather could rapidly change.
I believe that even without what some may consider "the perfect head angle" that we can create interesting and compelling avian images.
"Crazy Old Coot" is a term that many of us know and associate with a foolish person, especially an old man.
I am keeping it simple this morning with a lone Sandhill Crane in flight over Wayne County that I photographed about two weeks ago while in southern Utah.
I am back from wandering, camping and photographing in several counties in southern Utah where I was delighted to find some Sandhill Cranes to photograph in Wayne County, Utah.
As Spring Approaches it is a Great Time to be a Bird Photographer in Utah!
Many beginning photographers dream of taking images in far off places of exotic birds and there is nothing wrong with that. But we shouldn’t overlook the advantages of photographing birds close to home.
I wanted to post a funny bird image today because I have the D.W.B. so I selected this American Coot that was scratching in a pond near where I live in Salt Lake County, Utah.
In the meantime I am Limpkin along.
A few days ago I saw quite a few Sandhill Cranes starting at just past the Visitors Center for Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, in one of the farmer's fields I saw 11 of them feeding in the freshly tilled soil.
American Coots aren't thought of as "gorgeous" birds but I do find them appealing and a challenge to expose properly because of the high contrast between the very dark feathers and the whiteness of the ivory colored bill.
This time of the year I start dreaming about the Centennial Valley of Montana and of the birds that call the valley home during the summer.
I haven't had many opportunities to photograph the Harlan's subspecies of the Red-tailed Hawk so I was thrilled yesterday when I spotted a juvenile dark morph Harlan's Hawk feeding on a dead American Coot on the bank of a creek.