ice

Cloudy And Gray Winter Solstice

By |2022-12-22T05:00:28-06:00December 22nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My Winter Solstice was cloudy and gray. I wandered down to my local pond to take in my first day of winter views of the Wasatch Mountains plus a few birds.

First Winter Hooded Merganser

By |2022-12-19T05:52:16-06:00December 19th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Hooded Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago at one of my local ponds I was able to take only a few photos of a Hooded Merganser before it disappeared from my line of sight.

Birds On Ice In Northern Utah

By |2022-12-14T04:20:48-06:00December 14th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Common Ravens, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I'm sharing photos of five bird species that I find on ice during the coldest months of the year in marsh and urban locations.

Bright Winter Light VS A Winter Whiteout

By |2022-12-04T04:41:24-06:00December 3rd, 2022|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this year I photographed a Tundra Swan in bright winter light that today I am comparing to another swan image I took in winter whiteout conditions.

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.

Tree Swallow Nesting In An Aspen

By |2024-03-25T04:59:35-05:00June 8th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While up high in the Uinta Mountains yesterday morning I photographed this female Tree Swallow checking out a nesting cavity in a Quaking Aspen.

Fifteen Tundra Swan Photos For Swan Day 2022

By |2022-03-11T05:07:35-06:00March 11th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This past Monday while I was enjoying the peace and solitude of the auto tour route at Bear River MBR I took hundreds of Tundra Swan photos from inside my Jeep.

Adult Bald Eagle Resting On Ice

By |2023-01-22T19:04:02-06:00March 10th, 2022|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week I took a few adult Bald Eagle on ice photos at Bear River MBR from the west side of the twelve mile auto tour loop at the refuge.

Lesser Scaup Hen And Drake At Bear River MBR

By |2023-09-28T05:18:54-05:00March 3rd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Lesser Scaups, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my last trip up to Bear River MBR I had a brief opportunity to photograph a Lesser Scaup hen next to the auto tour loop as she flapped her wings.

Adult Bald Eagle Resting On An Icy Wetland

By |2022-02-26T05:18:29-06:00February 26th, 2022|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this month I watched as this adult Bald Eagle flew in and landed on an ice shelf to take a rest on the wetlands of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Great Blue Heron On The Bear River

By |2022-11-15T03:37:13-06:00February 23rd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my last trip up to Bear River MBR when I found a Great Blue Heron warming up on the bank of the Bear River I considered not taking any images of it.

Drake Hooded Merganser On The Bear River

By |2022-02-22T05:48:30-06:00February 22nd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Hooded Mergansers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this month I stopped to take photos of a drake Hooded Merganser floating on the Bear River before the sun lit up that part of the refuge.

Trumpeter Swan Photos From Bear River MBR

By |2024-02-19T12:57:46-06:00February 21st, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bird ID, Birds, Box Elder County, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was at Bear River MBR two days ago I was excited to be able to take a nice series of Trumpeter Swan photos on the west side of the auto tour loop.

Canada Geese Are Pairing Up – Signs Of Spring

By |2022-02-15T05:45:41-06:00February 15th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my last couple of trips up to Bear River MBR I have noticed that the Canada Geese have already started pairing up which is a definite sign of spring.

February Tundra Swan Photos Plus Some Very Early Sandhill Cranes

By |2023-02-25T04:22:20-06:00February 11th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Late last month I mentioned that I hadn't yet gotten the Tundra Swan photos that I wanted to take. Yesterday at Bear River MBR I was delighted to remedy that situation.

Winter Great Blue Heron Images

By |2022-02-09T05:54:01-06:00February 9th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge two days ago I was able to take quite a few Great Blue Heron images of four individual herons in the marsh. 

American Coot Entering The Icy Bear River

By |2022-02-06T05:18:12-06:00February 6th, 2022|Categories: American Coots, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was up at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge late last week I photographed an American Coot entering the icy Bear River from the auto tour loop.

Tundra Swans On Ice And Open Water

By |2024-02-07T05:28:44-06:00January 29th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I haven't yet gotten the photos of Tundra Swans this year that I would like to take but that won't stop me from sharing some that I have taken this winter.

White-faced Ibis Resting On A Frozen Marsh

By |2024-01-09T04:07:06-06:00January 22nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my last trip to Farmington Bay WMA earlier this month I found a small flock of overwintering White-faced Ibis that were too far away to photograph.

Four Winter Ring-billed Gull Images

By |2022-01-17T05:48:06-06:00January 17th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I was just as excited to take Ring-billed Gull images as I was to take photos of a delightful Horned Grebe on the marsh at Bear River MBR.

Bear River MBR Common Raven Photos

By |2022-01-15T05:23:15-06:00January 15th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Ravens, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week as I drove slowly around the auto tour route at Bear River MBR I was able to take a short series of Common Raven photos as they played on the ice.

More Horned Grebe Photos From Bear River MBR

By |2022-01-14T06:29:24-06:00January 14th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Horned Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was at Bear River MBR on Tuesday I found and photographed the Horned Grebe that I have been seeing at the refuge since the second day of the New Year.

Focusing On American Coot Photos At Farmington Bay

By |2022-01-11T04:54:43-06:00January 11th, 2022|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spent part of my time focusing on taking American Coot photos in the marshes and wetlands of Farmington Bay WMA. I adore these goofy birds.

Riverbank Red-tailed Hawk Dining Al Fresco

By |2024-01-08T03:21:56-06:00January 9th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I photographed an immature Red-tailed Hawk dining al fresco on the bank of the Bear River on my way back to I-15 to head home.

Winter Great Blue Heron Photos From Bear River MBR

By |2022-01-07T05:58:37-06:00January 7th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge can be a great location to take winter Great Blue Heron photos out on the frozen marshes and wetlands during January.

Winter View Of Bear River MBR And The Snowy Promontory Mountains

By |2022-01-06T06:31:31-06:00January 6th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I took this winter view of Bear River MBR four days ago a winter storm was approaching from the northwest and the clouds were moving in.

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