migration

Focusing On A Greater Yellowlegs With A Small Fish

By |2022-04-20T20:57:28-06:00October 24th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Greater Yellowlegs, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'd watched the Greater Yellowlegs foraging and most of the time the prey was too tiny to see but this little fish was a nice catch for the shorebird and for me.

Immature Yellow-rumped Warbler And Damselfly Prey

By |2024-02-26T03:12:58-07:00October 13th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

When I photographed this immature Yellow-rumped Warbler two days ago I couldn't tell what prey it had snagged so I was surprised when I got home and saw that the warbler had snatched a damselfly.

Molting Immature Clark’s Grebe Shaking Its Feathers

By |2024-03-23T04:59:11-06:00October 10th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Clark's Grebes, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Our Clark's and Western Grebes will be leaving here soon and except for a few downy feathers on this one's forehead it looks like it is ready to take on its first migration.

Enchanted By Fall Ruby-crowned Kinglets

By |2021-06-26T11:46:09-06:00October 7th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For a few moments yesterday morning I was absolutely enchanted by a small flock of Ruby-crowned Kinglets in Box Elder County in northern Utah.

Utah’s Yellow Warblers Have Taken Wing For Now

By |2021-05-08T17:11:49-06:00October 6th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I haven't seen a Yellow Warbler in northern Utah for sometime now and it is pretty safe to say that these birds has taken wing and have headed to warmer climes for the winter.

Hatch Year Cooper’s Hawk Resting In Sagebrush

By |2024-03-16T13:00:10-06:00September 23rd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Cooper’s Hawks, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Spotting this immature Cooper's Hawk resting in sagebrush yesterday was the highlight of my morning and even though the setting is messy I like that it shows this young hawk in the habitat this species can be found in.  

Fall Yellow-rumped Warbler In My Viewfinder

By |2021-05-09T15:13:14-06:00September 20th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

For a few brief moments yesterday morning I had a lovely Yellow-rumped Warbler in my viewfinder at Farmington Bay that had perched in a leafy tree and I took full advantage of it being nearby.

Swallow Quartet – Bank, Barn, Cliff And Tree Swallows At Bear River MBR

By |2024-03-25T07:31:43-06:00September 7th, 2019|Categories: Bank Swallows, Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Cliff Swallows, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was glad to be able to photograph Bank, Barn, Cliff and Tree Swallows perched on top of a stand of phragmites near the auto tour route on the refuge in early morning light.

Early Spring American Tree Sparrow

By |2021-03-05T14:28:42-07:00March 19th, 2019|Categories: American Tree Sparrows, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

The last time I wrote about American Tree Sparrows I said that they would be migrating soon and that I hoped I could take a few more photos of them before they migrated and I had that opportunity two days ago.

Migrating Turkey Vultures Are On The Wing

By |2021-02-14T07:21:03-07:00March 9th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I miss seeing and photographing Turkey Vultures during the winter and now I am excited that very soon I'll be seeing them roosting on fence posts, rocky outcroppings, cattle gates, trees, corrals and the ground, riding the thermals, thermoregulating and scarfing up road kill all over the place!

Adult And Immature Tundra Swans At Bear River MBR

By |2024-03-20T09:39:18-06:00January 10th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I am itching to get back out into the field and one of the places I am most excited to get back to is Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Box Elder County, Utah because of the Tundra Swans that I know are there.

Autumn Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler

By |2021-10-07T07:29:31-06:00November 13th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Wood-Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I seem to have missed out on seeing lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers this year during their fall migration, I saw a few back in late September and early October but haven't seen any for some time.

Greater Yellowlegs In Utah During Late Fall and Winter? It’s Not Unusual

By |2021-08-17T05:51:13-06:00November 5th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Greater Yellowlegs, Shorebirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been seeing lots of Greater Yellowlegs recently at Farmington Bay WMA here in northern Utah and that might seem unusual because signs of winter have already shown but it really isn't that unusual at all for this species of shorebirds.

Gunnison Island Pelicans Are On The Move – Help Out By Reporting Wing Tagged American White Pelicans

By |2021-02-10T12:31:19-07:00September 30th, 2018|Categories: American White Pelicans, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Bird photographers, birders, nature watchers and citizen scientists can help out by reporting all banded birds including our Gunnison Island American White Pelicans.

Snowy Egrets in Flight On A September Morning

By |2021-05-21T04:04:38-06:00September 25th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

It has been a while since I photographed Snowy Egrets so having them in my viewfinder yesterday morning was a real treat especially since they will be migrating soon and I will go the winter without seeing them.

Incredible Phalarope Migration Happening Now at the Great Salt Lake

By |2021-07-06T17:20:02-06:00July 19th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Red-necked Phalaropes, Utah, Wilson's Phalaropes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Red-necked and Wilson's Phalaropes have started their fall migration and one of the places where they gather in large numbers is the Great Salt Lake where they show up in the tens of thousands to feed and rest before continuing their journey.

Snowy Egrets Have Migrated Back To Northern Utah

By |2021-05-21T03:54:01-06:00April 14th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I lived in Florida I saw Snowy Egrets year round and that kind of spoiled me but here in Utah they leave for the winter and come back to the marshes and wetlands surrounding the Great Salt Lake for their breeding season.

Tundra Swans Of Bear River MBR On The Wing

By |2024-03-20T09:06:52-06:00March 26th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seeing a few flocks of Tundra Swans in flight two days in northern Utah was a reminder that these big, white swans have already begun their migration to their breeding grounds on the tundra of northern Canada and Alaska.

Killdeer Calling in Flight at Night

By |2024-03-12T07:38:24-06:00March 19th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Killdeer, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A few nights ago I opened the door to check out the cloud cover and weather conditions before going to bed and for the first time since I moved to Utah I heard a flock of calling Killdeer flying past in the pitch black night.

Franklin’s Gulls at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2021-07-25T05:37:55-06:00October 14th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Franklin's Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Franklin's Gulls are only here in northern Utah during the breeding season, during the winter they spend their time along the west coast of South America.

Red-necked Phalaropes – Migration and the Great Salt Lake

By |2021-07-06T17:16:33-06:00October 12th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Red-necked Phalaropes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last month I was able to photograph flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes on the Great Salt Lake when they were migrating through the area.

Shorebirds Are On The Move – Fall Migration

By |2022-09-17T04:37:27-06:00August 10th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Shorebirds begin their fall migration early and for those of us who live in the Great Salt Lake ecosystem that means looking for them in the marshes around the lake and on the lake itself.

Ruddy Turnstone Chicks Grow Up Fast

By |2024-03-18T03:29:13-06:00April 28th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

What is really fascinating to me is that within two days of fledging Ruddy Turnstone chicks embark on their first migration to their wintering grounds.

Late Migrating American Avocets in Utah

By |2021-04-29T04:25:53-06:00November 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

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