Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area

Winter Herring Gulls In Utah

By |2021-01-03T07:51:23-06:00January 3rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Herring Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Winter Herring Gulls have arrived in northern Utah and I am excited that I will have opportunities to photograph this gull species again.

2020 Photographic Year In Review

By |2024-04-04T16:03:29-05:00December 31st, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Bushtits, Common Loons, Cooper’s Hawks, Desert Tarantulas, Eastern Kingbirds, Elk, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ferruginous Hawks, Golden Eagles, Gray Catbirds, Great Blue Herons, Green Herons, Green-tailed Towhees, Merlins, Mountain Bluebirds, Nashville Warblers, Northern Harriers, Pine Siskins, Red Foxes, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Red-tailed Hawks, Ring-billed Gulls, Rusty Blackbirds, Short-eared Owls, Townsend's Solitaires, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, West Desert, Wild Turkeys, Wildflowers, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This is my 2020 photographic year in review. I'm selecting some of my favorite photos from 2020 and a few that just make me happy to see them.

Second Winter Black-crowned Night Heron

By |2022-05-07T04:20:29-05:00December 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning at Farmington Bay I found and photographed a second winter Black-crowned Night Heron at the edge of the frozen marsh.

Immature Great Blue Heron On Christmas Day

By |2021-04-17T17:42:54-05:00December 28th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One of my Christmas Day gifts from Mother Nature was the chance to photograph an immature Great Blue Heron in a field.

Which Bird Do These Feet Belong To?

By |2024-02-24T06:00:14-06:00December 27th, 2020|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

What we can see are greenish, lobed feet and a dark, rounded body. With just those two identification features can you guess which bird these feet belong to?

Five Bird Photos From Christmas Day 2020

By |2020-12-26T07:05:35-06:00December 26th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Much to my delight I was able to photograph some birds on Christmas Day at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday morning.

Christmas Day Bird Photos Thru The Years

By |2024-03-05T14:21:20-06:00December 25th, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Goldeneyes, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Golden Eagles, Long-eared Owls, Pied-billed Grebes, Pinellas County, Red-tailed Hawks, Roseate Spoonbills, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I wanted to share some of the Christmas Day bird photos I have taken through the years out in the field and close to home.

Great Blue Heron Resting On A Goose Nest

By |2024-01-30T03:35:07-06:00December 22nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I found this Great Blue Heron resting on a man made goose nest yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA I knew I wanted to photograph it.

Northern Shovelers Feeding On Glover Pond

By |2024-03-28T06:20:25-05:00December 21st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Utah, Video|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Early in December while at Farmington Bay WMA I was able to photograph and take videos of Northern Shovelers feeding on Glover Pond.

Hunting Barn Owl In Flight Over The Frozen Marsh At Farmington Bay WMA

By |2021-07-08T16:00:10-05:00December 20th, 2020|Categories: Barn Owls, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

During the winter there are times I am able to photograph Barn Owls in flight during the day when the snow is deep and the temps are bitter cold.

Wild Utah Mink Tests Positive For Coronavirus

By |2023-10-02T16:46:36-05:00December 15th, 2020|Categories: American Badgers, American Mink, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Long-tailed Weasels, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm concerned for our wild American Mink and have begun to wonder of the coronavirus could be passed to the other native mustelids here in Utah.

Still Life – Great Blue Heron And Its Reflection

By |2021-04-17T17:46:35-05:00December 14th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Great Blue Herons are very patient hunters and there are times when they are hunting that they move so slowly that it is barely perceptible.

Seeing All Birds – European Starling On A Frosty Perch

By |2021-04-20T13:56:06-05:00December 12th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, European Starlings, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have a backlog of raptor images I took earlier this week but I wanted to share one of a species that some people hate or many bird photographers prefer to ignore, the European Starling.

Female American Kestrel With Her Prey

By |2021-03-10T08:06:38-06:00December 11th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I had one minute with a beautiful adult female American Kestrel and her partially eaten prey at Farmington Bay WMA.

Photographing Bald Eagles At Farmington Bay WMA During An Inversion

By |2021-06-16T11:55:24-05:00December 10th, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Cooper’s Hawks, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Think carefully before you make a trip to Utah to photograph our overwintering Bald Eagles in the valley. The inversions are awful and can be life threatening.

Focusing On A Gray Ghost – AKA Male Northern Harrier

By |2021-04-10T03:51:37-05:00December 9th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I am focusing on an adult male Northern Harrier that I had in my viewfinder for a few seconds yesterday that was on the wing over the marsh.

Diving American Coot – Breaking My Own Rules

By |2021-12-12T17:08:09-06:00December 8th, 2020|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Typically I have a personal rule about having eye contact with my subject and I also want a catch light but to get this coot photo I had to break my own bird photography rules.

Female American Kestrels On The Same Post Ten Years Apart

By |2022-06-06T03:44:39-05:00December 7th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was only going to share this image today but as I processed this photo I thought about all the times I have photographed American Kestrels on this same exact post over the years.

Females And First Winter Male Hooded Mergansers

By |2024-01-17T11:44:12-06:00December 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Hooded Mergansers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

All three of the Hooded Mergansers were close to me because there was a shelf of ice that prevented them from swimming out into the middle of the pond.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk Harassed By A Northern Harrier

By |2021-05-03T03:29:28-05:00December 4th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I found an immature Red-tailed Hawk in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday and spent 28 minutes photographing it including when a Northern Harrier harassed it.

Frosty Female Northern Harrier In Flight

By |2021-04-10T03:57:39-05:00December 1st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I saw a few harriers on the wing yesterday at Farmington Bay WMA and I was able to take a few photos of a female Northern Harrier that still had frost on her nape.

Time To Keep An Eye On The Sky For Bald Eagles

By |2022-07-03T12:33:23-05:00November 21st, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I could see a Bald Eagle being chased by a gull in the sky and my heart skipped a beat because I know it is time for me to keep an eye on the sky for Bald Eagles again.

Photographing An Immature Great Blue Heron At Farmington Bay

By |2022-08-25T07:00:43-05:00November 19th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I spotted an immature Great Blue Heron resting at the edge of the water at Farmington Bay WMA and couldn't resist taking photos of it.

You Know You Are A Gull Lover When…

By |2021-01-03T12:59:54-06:00November 17th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

You take photos of ten species of birds and the twelve photos of a Ring-billed Gull in flight are the images you are the most excited to view when you get home.

Merlin And American Kestrels – Two Falcon Species In A Day

By |2024-02-15T04:05:11-06:00November 13th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Any time I can see and photograph two falcon species in a single day is a great day and yesterday I photographed a Prairie Merlin and several American Kestrels.

Adult Female Northern Harrier On The Wing Over Farmington Bay WMA

By |2021-04-10T03:48:40-05:00November 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It has been too long since I have had a Northern Harrier in my viewfinder although I'm now excited because I know that fall and winter are great seasons for me to find and photograph them.

Brewer’s Blackbird Males Are Colorful In The Right Light

By |2022-06-18T07:24:31-05:00November 1st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In the right light Brewer's Blackbird males are very colorful because their feathers glow with blue, green, and purple iridescence.

Drake Gadwalls Are Elegant Dabbling Ducks

By |2024-03-26T05:26:12-05:00October 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Gadwalls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't have nearly enough Gadwall photos in my portfolios and I honestly don't know why that is the case since they are year round residents here in northern Utah.

Male Lesser Goldfinches And Common Sunflower Seeds

By |2023-09-27T15:46:58-05:00October 29th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Lesser Goldfinches, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday opportunity knocked when several Lesser Goldfinches flew in to knosh on wild sunflowers seeds near a road at Farmington Bay WMA.

Some Shorebirds Migrate Late And They Are Okay

By |2023-10-30T15:30:20-05:00October 25th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Greater Yellowlegs, Utah, Wilson's Snipes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Being concerned about shorebirds in harsh winter weather isn't unusual but despite their delicate appearance these shorebirds are tough.

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