marsh

Snowy Egrets Foraging, Fighting, Landing And Lifting Off

By |September 25th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These nine Snowy Egret photos are just a fraction of the images I took of a small flock of these snowy, white birds with golden slippers yesterday morning on the marshes of Farmington Bay WMA.

White-faced Ibis On The Wing Over The Marsh At Farmington Bay WMA

By |September 24th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this White-faced Ibis on the wing over the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA photo last week and at first I thought the bird was too small in the frame but the more I look at it the more I like it.

Remarkably Symmetrical Molt In A Ring-Billed Gull

By |September 22nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Not only was this Ring-billed Gull in molt it was molting in a remarkably symmetrical pattern which I found interesting. Because the gull was in flight the symmetry was very visible.

Rough-legged Hawk On A Snowy Day At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |September 14th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I didn't see or photograph as many Rough-legged Hawks last winter as I have in previous years but I did have a close up, extraordinary experience with one who was expelling a pellet on a snowy, foggy day at Bear River MBR.

Mirage As Seen From Bear River MBR Auto Tour Route

By |September 2nd, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah, Weather Phenomena|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Whatever this mirage was, it got my attention and I felt I had to stop and take photos of this naturally occurring optical phenomena, I mean I don't see things like this everyday!

Poof: Utah’s Merlins Could Disappear

By |August 13th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Conservation, Environment, Merlins, Montana, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In my experience Merlins are already hard to find in the state of Utah but because of our climate crisis they could become even more difficult to locate or they might even disappear from the state altogether.

Female And Male Black-necked Stilts

By |July 21st, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-necked Stilts, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These two Black-necked Stilt photos were taken 9 days ago at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and I thought they could easily show the difference between the female and male of this species.

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. 

American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt Chicks at Bear River MBR

By |July 13th, 2019|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-necked Stilts, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent part of my morning yesterday photographing American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt chicks from the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and it was a blast watching these young shorebirds.

Snowy Egret In Flight Over The Green Marsh At Bear River MBR

By |July 8th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Sometimes the simplicity of an image is what draws me in and keeps me happily satisfied with it and that is what I enjoy about this photo of a Snowy Egret in flight over the marsh at Bear River MBR, the simplicity.

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.

Goofy Looking Upside Down Displaying Male Brown-headed Cowbird

By |July 5th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This photo of a displaying male Brown-headed Cowbird in a goofy upside down pose is not a good photo technically but I absolutely love the behavior it shows.

Angry Birds – Featuring A Western Grebe

By |July 3rd, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I know that is probably anthropomorphizing but I do allow myself to giggle about birds I think look "angry" and if any of them do this Western Grebe certainly does. 

American Avocet Chicks Have Hatched At Bear River MBR

By |June 26th, 2019|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I was tickled to finally see some American Avocet chicks on the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, I've been waiting to see these little puff balls this year!

White-faced Ibis With A Red Invertebrate Of Some Kind

By |June 25th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It seems I also photographed an odd, little hitchhiker on the lore and bill of the White-faced Ibis when I took these photos.

Killdeer Nesting In Last Year’s Ashes

By |June 24th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Killdeer, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Both the female and male Killdeer incubate so there is no way for me to tell what the gender of this Killdeer is but it stayed on the scrape while I photographed it and didn't move.

Highlights Of My Bird Photography Trip Yesterday to Bear River MBR

By |June 3rd, 2019|Categories: American Avocets, American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Double-crested Cormorants, Long-tailed Weasels, Snowy Plovers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When a bird photography trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge starts with me spotting not just one but two Snowy Plovers out on the flats I just know the day is off to a great start and that is what happened yesterday morning.

Five Male Yellow-headed Blackbird Images From The Marsh At Bear River MBR

By |May 29th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I wanted to share a five image series of a male Yellow-headed Blackbird that I photographed in the marshes of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge this morning that I took the second week of May.

Male Ring-necked Pheasant And Midges At Bear River MBR

By |May 13th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-necked Pheasants, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't know if the Ring-necked Pheasants eat the midges but I know that many of the other birds at the refuge do so I like to think of midges as bird food on the wing.

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.

Solitary Great Blue Heron Looking Over The Marsh At Bear River MBR

By |April 27th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

It really is a simple Great Blue Heron photo with the marsh, a stationary wading bird, vibrant spring growth and water at the top of the frame but it is also a very calming image for me because for a few seconds time stood as still as the heron.

Two Merlins Were My Best Finds Of The Day At Bear River MBR

By |April 24th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There isn't a single day in the field where I take my eyesight and my keen spotting abilities for granted and yesterday those attributes netted me not one but two Merlins while I was at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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.

Spring Western Grebes At Bear River MBR – Time For Their Courtship Displays

By |April 15th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

These elegant black and white Western Grebes are beautiful while they feed, preen, rest and stretch but they are even more striking when they dance across the water while performing their courtship ceremony.

Spring Gathering Of Tree Swallows At Bear River MBR

By |April 9th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Tree Swallows were the most numerous of the swallows I saw and at the far northwest part of the auto tour route I found bunches of them resting in a stand of phragmites so I decided to get out, set up my tripod and photograph them from across the water.

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.

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