Definitive Basic Plumage

Pied-billed Grebe – Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage Comparison

By |2024-02-18T05:05:26-06:00February 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 |2024-01-28T05:08:16-06:00January 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.

Drake Ruddy Duck In Early Breeding Plumage

By |2024-01-20T03:52:38-06:00January 19th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been paying a lot of attention to a drake Ruddy Duck at my local pond because he has gone into breeding plumage earlier than is normal for this species.

California Gull In Winter Plumage

By |2024-01-13T04:10:07-06:00December 8th, 2023|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was at my local pond three days ago, I was happy to photograph this California Gull in winter plumage that had just landed on the water.

Winter California And Herring Gull Comparison In Utah

By |2023-03-27T03:47:22-05:00November 8th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Herring Gulls, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Since I frequently get asked which is which I thought this would be a good time to do a winter California and Herring Gull comparison and ID feature post.

Pied-billed Grebe Going Into Breeding Plumage

By |2022-01-26T05:25:58-06:00January 26th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was down at my local pond a few days ago I noticed a Pied-billed Grebe that is going into breeding or Definitive Alternate Plumage.

Young Pied-billed Grebe In Juvenal Plumage Compared To Adult Plumage Phases

By |2021-09-26T06:10:07-05:00September 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

About a week ago I photographed a young Pied-billed Grebe that was still in juvenal plumage on a pond at Farmington Bay WMA.

My First Of Season Spotted Sandpiper Photos

By |2021-05-08T05:16:27-05:00May 8th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Spotted Sandpipers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took my first of season Spotted Sandpiper photos yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains as I sat in my Jeep next to a creek.

Winter Common Mergansers

By |2024-03-13T06:09:45-05:00January 16th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday and the day before I was able to observe and photograph winter Common Mergansers at my local pond on both sunny afternoons.

Drake Common Goldeneye With Pigment Issues On His Bill

By |2021-12-11T05:38:59-06:00December 13th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I got back home and uploaded the images I took of the drake Common Goldeneye I could see that his bill had pigment issues and that it wasn't a white feather stuck on his bill.

Ruddy Duck Drake In Nonbreeding Plumage

By |2021-11-24T09:36:17-06:00January 17th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ruddy Ducks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though this drake Ruddy Duck is small in the frame I liked this image because of the silky blue water, the small wake behind the duck, the direct eye contact and how some of the blue of this drake's bill is visible.

White-faced Ibis in Breeding and Nonbreeding Plumage

By |2021-09-13T03:36:47-05:00May 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.

American Goldfinch in Winter Plumage

By |2024-02-18T06:39:43-06:00January 27th, 2018|Categories: American Goldfinches, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed a couple of American Goldfinches that morning too, as usual I heard the finches well before I spotted them foraging in some vegetation next to the auto tour route.

Ring-billed Gull In Earlier Than Normal Definitive Alternate Plumage

By |2021-10-25T13:54:30-05:00January 17th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I start seeing some Ring-billed Gulls in breeding/Definitive Alternate Plumage in February but I sure didn't expect to see this one on the third day of January, I was quite surprised by it.

Late Migrating American Avocets in Utah

By |2021-04-29T04:25:53-05:00November 12th, 2016|Categories: American Avocets, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Most of the American Avocets have migrated away from northern Utah but most years we can have a few stragglers that haven't migrated by this time of the year

Trumpeter Swan Cygnets and Preening, Pin Feathers and Molt

By |2024-02-19T14:14:45-06:00September 18th, 2015|Categories: Beaverhead County, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Trumpeter Swans|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In my last post on the Trumpeter Swan Cygnets On Elk Lake I mentioned that the cygnets spent a lot of time preening and part of the reason they do is they are molting.

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