breeding plumage

Fun Photographing Reddish Egrets In Florida

By |January 25th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had so much fun photographing Reddish Egrets when I lived in Florida and could see them nearly every time I went to Fort De Soto County Park's north beach.

Tricolored Herons In Florida Habitats

By |January 19th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Roosevelt Wetlands, Tricolored Herons, Weedon Island Preserve|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I lived in Florida Tricolored Herons were among my favorite wading birds to photograph and I found them in many different types of habitats.

Hooded Merganser Drake – A One Day Opportunity

By |January 5th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Hooded Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In December I had eight minutes and twenty-four seconds to photograph this Hooded Merganser drake and every time I have gone to the local pond after that I have looked for him to be there again.

Drake Hooded Merganser Photos

By |December 10th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Hooded Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday started off dreary but later in the afternoon I was able to get out in the field and I had a blast taking photos of a spiffy drake Hooded Merganser for a little while.

Focusing On An Adult Black-crowned Night Heron

By |July 19th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was glad to focus on the Black-crowned Night Herons I saw that morning because of late I have seen fewer of them than I have on past years which has meant fewer opportunities to photograph them. 

Adult Double-crested Cormorant Showing The Electric Blue Lining Of Its Mouth

By |July 7th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Double-crested Cormorants, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

During the breeding season even the inside of the mouths of Double-crested Cormorants show changes, the lining inside their mouths turns into a deep, electric or cobalt blue.

White-faced Ibis Perched On Cattails

By |May 3rd, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

I haven't seen or photographed White-faced Ibis perched in the nearly ten years that I have lived here so I was thrilled to have my first opportunity to do so yesterday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

I’m On The Look Out For Caspian Terns

By |April 23rd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Caspian Terns, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The day I came home from camping in the West Desert the first bird calls I heard were from several Caspian Terns in flight overhead that were squabbling and diving at each other.

White-faced Ibis With A Wet Head At Bear River MBR

By |April 22nd, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This White-faced Ibis had been feeding in the shallow water and had gotten its head soaking wet right before I photographed it and the ibis was in the process of getting ready to shake the water from its head feathers.

American White Pelican Foraging By Itself

By |April 16th, 2019|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my visit to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge last week I didn't see large numbers of American White Pelicans but at this time of the year that is understandable because many of them are probably nesting on Gunnison Island right now.

Hoping For More Photos Of Eared Grebes This Season

By |April 6th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Eared Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have plenty of photos of Clark's, Western and Pied-billed Grebes but few of Eared Grebes and I am hoping that this breeding season I will be able to have more of these small grebes in my viewfinder.

Early Franklin’s Gull at Bear River MBR on March 6, 2018

By |March 6th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Davis County, Franklin's Gulls, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I had the Sandhill Crane and the Ring-billed Gulls in my view finder I heard a call and it only took a second for my brain to figure out that I was hearing a Franklin's Gull which surprised me because it was at the refuge much earlier than I have ever seen one there before.

Drake Common Goldeneye Flapping His Wings On The Jordan River

By |February 2nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Jordan River Parkway Trail, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

During the winter I'm able to see some of the ducks that I don't see during the breeding season here in northern Utah on the Jordan River including Common Goldeneyes.

Hen and Drake Hooded Mergansers With and Without Prey

By |January 14th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Hooded Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The birds I photographed the most yesterday were a pair of Hooded Mergansers that were actively foraging for prey most of the time I had them in my viewfinder.

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Photographing A Common Goldeneye Drake While Breaking Some Rules

By |January 6th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

By sharing these photos today my intention is to show that there are times when photographic rules can be broken because the appeal of images or the lack of appeal is all about the individual tastes of the photographer taking the photos and those of the people that view them.

Back View Of A Drake Common Merganser In Salt Lake County

By |December 9th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this photo two winters ago on the local pond and I liked it because even though the view of the drake Common Merganser was taken of its back the merganser turned his head and gave me a great view of his eye.

White-faced Ibis in Breeding and Nonbreeding Plumage

By |May 19th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

In just a few weeks the White-faced Ibis that are in breeding plumage right now will begin to molt into their nonbreeding plumage and I thought this might be a good time to show some of the differences.

Male American Goldfinch in Breeding Plumage – Small in the Frame

By |May 11th, 2018|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Imagine a bird whose bright yellow feathers rival the rays of the sun then add a black forehead, ebony eyes, black and white wings and you have a male American Goldfinch in breeding plumage. Feathered sunshine.

Foraging American Avocets in Breeding Plumage

By |April 30th, 2018|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Eight days ago it was sunny and bright and I was out having fun photographing a pair of foraging American Avocets in breeding plumage at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah.

Photographing Yellow-rumped Warblers in Cluttered and Clean Habitats

By |April 29th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Salt Lake County, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When it comes to small birds like Yellow-rumped Warblers I prefer photographing them in clean habitats over cluttered habitats because the small birds stand out better when the background isn't so messy.

White-faced Ibis – Birds Of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |April 24th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

White-faced Ibis are abundant at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge during their breeding season and they can be easily seen from the 12 mile, self-guided auto tour route feeding in the water impoundments or flying in loose flocks overhead.

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