Landing Drake Mallard
I don't often have the opportunity of taking photos of ducks that are flying straight at me while coming in for a landing which is exactly what this drake mallard did.
Mallard Ducklings – Signs of Spring
I haven't seen many chicks yet this spring but yesterday I saw a Mallard hen with her ducklings swimming behind her on a local pond and I had to aim my lens at them.
Cinnamon Teal, Short-eared Owl & Red-Tailed Hawk – A Nice Mixture of Birds
It felt great to photograph a nice mixture of birds yesterday and and to be out enjoying the beautiful scenery of northern Utah. Life is good.
Showcasing Manky Mallard Portraits – They Are Oddly Beautiful
Some people might call these manky mallards homely, weird or even downright ugly but I prefer thinking of them as oddly beautiful and believe they are worthy of being showcased once in a while.
Pair of Mallards Mating in February
Mallards form pairs in the fall and courtship can seen during the winter and seeing them mating in February isn't all that unusual.
Photographing Common Mergansers at Farmington Bay
I spent time photographing a few Rough-legged Hawks but my personal choice for birds of the day were the Common Mergansers I observed and photographed.
Drake Gadwall Flapping His Wings on a Winter Day
Several of the Gadwalls were tipping their heads under the water to feed when this drake started to flap his wings before settling back down on the water.
Possible Name Change for Ring-necked Duck to Ring-billed Duck
In 2017 one of the proposals submitted to the AOS is to rename Ring-necked Ducks to Ring-billed Ducks and I personally am all for the name change!
Common Goldeneyes Have Started Their Courtship Displays
I'm seeing plenty of goldeneyes around right now and I have also begun to see the male Common Goldeneyes performing their courtship displays.
Mallard Hen Caught in a Ring-billed Gull Feeding Frenzy
I noticed a Mallard hen and was watching and photographing her when the gulls swarmed around her like bees do honey and caught her immediately after a Ring-billed Gull grabbed her bread right out of her bill.
Hidden Face On A Domestic Mallard
Ten days ago I photographed a manky mallard at my local pond and when I pulled images of it up on my monitor I discovered that it has a hidden "face" and once I saw it I couldn't un-see it. Do you see it?
Common Merganser hunting close up in Salt Lake County, Utah
Two days ago I was surprised by being able to photograph a Common Merganser hunting close to the shoreline of a nearby pond in Salt Lake County.
Male Common Goldeneye in Breeding Plumage on the Jordan River
I photographed this male Common Goldeneye in breeding plumage on the Jordan River in Salt Lake County, Utah in low light on a cold morning.
Redhead Drakes
This Redhead drake photographed at the refuge in his breeding plumage sure stood out well from the water that was reflecting the spring growth of rushes and phragmites.
Common Goldeneyes plus one Common Raven
I had fun photographing the Common Raven and the Common Goldeneyes yesterday and even though the cold temps made my fingers numb, these birds were the highlight of my day.
Red-breasted Mergansers Are Back In Utah
Red-breasted Mergansers do not breed in Utah, they breed much further north in Alaska, across northern Canada to New Newfoundland and the Great Lakes of Michigan but they do migrate through this area.
Birds of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge – Celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week
This is National Wildlife Refuge Week and in celebration I wanted to do a pictorial essay that includes some of my images of the Birds of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
Northern Shoveler Drake and Hen
This beautiful Northern Shoveler drake in breeding plumage was photographed in one of those no hunting areas on New Years Day 2015 at Farmington Bay.
Red-breasted Merganser floating on the Gulf of Mexico
I photographed this Red-breasted Merganser floating on the Gulf of Mexico on an April morning from the shoreline at Fort De Soto, Florida in April of 2008.
Wood Duck Hen with Duckling
On the day I photographed this Wood Duck hen with her duckling the duckweed covered the surface.
Mallard Hen with Duckling at Bear River MBR
Because I was close I wasn't able to get a single image with all of the ducklings and the hen in the frame so I focused on the Mallard hen and with one duckling resting right behind her.
Mallard Drake Portrait Salt Lake County, Utah
I was able to take a Mallard drake portrait of one of the ducks that were close and loved how this showed the blue green iridescence.
Whirlpool of Feeding Northern Shovelers on the Great Salt Lake
It is interesting to see this whirlpool effect of Northern Shovelers on the surface of the Great Salt Lake and to hear the sounds of their bills dabbling in the water.
Redhead Hen on the Bear River
I photographed this Redhead hen yesterday morning at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge as she floated on the Bear River.
Flock of Northern Shovelers feeding on the Great Salt Lake
Last December on the way off of Antelope Island I saw huge flocks of Northern Shovelers feeding on the Great Salt Lake and liked how they appeared through my viewfinder.
Canvasback drake on a frigid February morning
When I came across the Canvasback drake on a frigid February morning at a pond near where I live I simply had to get a few images of him.
Greater Scaup drake in Autumn
Last autumn I was able to get up close to a drake Greater Scaup at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and I'm hoping that I see more of them this year.
Drake Northern Pintail at Farmington Bay on a January Day
I've been thinking about this upcoming winter wondering if we will get a normal amount of snow and of course about the birds I will see on cold mornings at Farmington Bay.
Redhead Drake at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
The Redheads at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge are getting closer to being in their breeding plumage which they normally show from October through June.
Drake Mallards in Breeding and Eclipse Plumage
Yesterday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I was able to photograph a Mallard drake as it lifted off from the water on the south side of the auto tour loop.