flight

Migrating Sandhill Cranes On The Wing

By |2023-02-25T15:39:53-07:00February 25th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Sandhill Cranes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I heard through the grapevine that Sandhill Cranes have returned to Farmington Bay WMA. Since the cranes are there they might be at other Utah locations too.

Great Blue Heron Slip Slidin’ Away

By |2023-02-16T04:41:36-07:00February 16th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week, I visited Bear River MBR and had a fantastic time capturing photographs of birds sliding on the ice. This included an adult Great Blue Heron.

Bear River MBR: Winter Haven For Tundra Swans

By |2023-02-07T06:42:36-07:00February 7th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had hoped that this morning would be sunny so I could head to Bear River MBR to see, listen to, and photograph Tundra Swans on the marshes.

California Gull Playing With A Stick

By |2023-10-23T03:15:14-06:00January 25th, 2023|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I'm sharing two photos of a California Gull playing with a stick at one of my local ponds that I took during the winter in January of 2021.

My 2022 Year In Review

By |2023-11-10T04:24:07-07:00December 31st, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Box Elder County, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Horned Grebes, Morgan County, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On this last day of the year it is time for my annual 2022 Year in Review post. In some ways 2022 has been great for me and in others not so good.

Immature Ferruginous Hawk In December

By |2023-11-24T03:56:36-07:00December 23rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was overjoyed to see an immature light morph Ferruginous Hawk in my viewfinder four years ago in December while I was out in Utah's West Desert.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk In A Safety Zone

By |2023-12-25T04:00:32-07:00December 4th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

About two years ago, I photographed this immature Red-tailed Hawk resting above a safety zone sign at Farmington Bay WMA on a cold morning.

Male Northern Harrier Photo

By |2022-11-22T05:00:57-07:00November 22nd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'd like this photo of a male Northern Harrier more if there weren't camping trailers from a duck hunting club near the auto loop of Bear River MBR behind him.

Ring-billed Gull Feeding Frenzy Excitement

By |2022-11-16T03:16:36-07:00November 16th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge two days ago I witnessed several Ring-billed Gull feeding frenzies out on the marshes of the refuge.

International Vulture Awareness Day 2022

By |2022-09-03T05:35:50-06:00September 3rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first Saturday of September is International Vulture Awareness Day which is a day to bring awareness to these birds that face a range of threats.

Two Phalarope Species At Bear River MBR

By |2023-10-31T03:17:47-06:00August 30th, 2022|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Red-necked Phalaropes, Utah, Wilson's Phalaropes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago after leaving the auto tour route at Bear River MBR I was able to photograph two phalarope species in a wetlands that were feeding side by side.

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird Feeding On Honeysuckle

By |2022-06-05T05:17:37-06:00May 30th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took these female Black-chinned Hummingbird photos as she fed on the nectar of a honeysuckle last week high in the Wasatch Mountains near an alpine creek.

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird With Honeysuckle

By |2022-05-19T04:55:52-06:00May 19th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Black Twinberry Honeysuckle, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I spotted this tiny female Black-chinned Hummingbird yesterday high in the Wasatch Mountains I hoped she'd begin to feed on some nearby honeysuckle.

Adult Black-crowned Night Heron In Flight

By |2023-09-28T05:18:16-06:00April 29th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Almost a year ago I had this adult Black-crowned Night Heron in my viewfinder as it flew in front of the Promontory Mountains at Bear River MBR.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird And Thoughts About Spring

By |2022-05-18T05:40:50-06:00March 23rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Hummingbirds delight me and this male Broad-tailed Hummingbird did just that when he landed on his favorite chokecherry branch a few years ago in the mountains.

Young Great Blue Heron In Front Of The Promontory Mountains

By |2024-02-01T08:54:10-07:00March 14th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I liked this image of an immature Great Blue Heron flying in front of the snow covered Promontory Mountains even though the heron is small in the frame.

Ducks On The Wing Over The Marsh At Bear River MBR

By |2024-01-03T03:24:19-07:00March 12th, 2022|Categories: American Wigeons, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Green-winged Teals, Mallards, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this photo of ducks on the wing over the marsh on my most recent trip up to the wetlands of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Drake Northern Pintail Lift Off Images

By |2022-11-06T09:39:12-07:00March 8th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Pintails, Utah, Video|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I drove up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning and came home with some drake Northern Pintail lift off images that I am pleased with.

Tundra Swan In Flight In Early Morning Light

By |2022-03-07T05:24:00-07:00March 7th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this Tundra Swan photo on my most recent trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge when I came upon hundreds of these swans on the marsh.

The Golden Eagle – Utah’s Official State Bird Of Prey

By |2022-02-25T05:59:14-07:00February 25th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I would like to celebrate the State of Utah's newly designated official state bird of prey, the Golden Eagle.

Great Blue Herons At The Farmington Bay Rookery

By |2024-01-29T03:45:40-07:00February 18th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The breeding season has begun for the Great Blue Herons at the Farmington Bay rookery and throughout northern Utah.

Winter Ring-billed Gull Images From Bear River MBR

By |2022-01-05T06:14:09-07:00January 5th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago tomorrow I was at Bear River MBR where I took these winter Ring-billed Gull images from the west side of the auto tour loop at the refuge.

Canada Goose In Flight – My First Bird Sighting Of 2022

By |2022-01-02T05:20:56-07:00January 2nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first bird that I could positively identify seeing for 2022 was a Canada Goose flying away from my local pond yesterday morning.

Christmas Day Birds 2021

By |2021-12-26T05:18:25-07:00December 26th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Birds, California Gulls, Common Goldeneyes, Great Blue Herons, Great-tailed Grackles, Mallards, Rough-legged Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did get out to find and photograph birds on Christmas Day at Farmington Bay WMA and then later in the morning I found more closer to home.

Christmas Day Bird Photos Through the Years

By |2021-12-25T06:26:22-07:00December 25th, 2021|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These are all birds I have photographed on Christmas Day through the years and all of them were photographed at Farmington Bay WMA.

Drake Northern Shoveler Landing On A Chilly Pond

By |2021-11-26T05:52:03-07:00November 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am sharing a simple photo of a drake Northern Shoveler landing on a chilly pond that I took in early December of last year.

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