nonbreeding plumage

My 2022 Year In Review

By |December 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, Northern Yellow Warblers, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Western Warbling-Vireos|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.

Cloudy And Gray Winter Solstice

By |December 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.

Winter California And American Herring Gull Comparison In Utah

By |November 8th, 2022|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, 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 American Herring Gull comparison and ID feature post.

Glowing White-faced Ibis

By |September 16th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took a photos of a White-faced Ibis glowing in the morning light at Farmington Bay on Monday. This is why I am out and photographing so early in the morning.

Two Phalarope Species At Bear River MBR

By |August 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.

Great Blue Heron Catching Fish At Bear River MBR

By |August 22nd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my last trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I came across this Great Blue Heron and spent only one minute photographing the large wading bird.

White-faced Ibis Resting On A Frozen Marsh

By |January 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 |January 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.

More Horned Grebe Photos From Bear River MBR

By |January 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.

Christmas Day Birds 2021

By |December 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.

Help With Drake Scaup Identification

By |November 28th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Greater Scaups, Lesser Scaups, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every fall and winter when Lesser and Greater Scaups are seen in northern Utah I hear questions about scaup identification.

Ruddy Ducks In Flight

By |November 24th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A few days ago I saw someone say that they rarely saw photos of Ruddy Ducks in flight and I remembered I had a series of them flying past taken 11 years ago.

American Goldfinches In Winter Plumage

By |November 11th, 2021|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I spent some time with American Goldfinches in their winter plumage in my viewfinder and had fun photographing them.

Ring-billed Gull In Flight And Erratic Autumn Weather

By |October 25th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Changing weather is what was happening when I photographed this Ring-billed Gull last month flying over the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA.

White-faced Ibis Close Up

By |October 21st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'd almost forgotten about this White-faced Ibis close up photo that I took at the end of last month in the wetlands of Farmington Bay WMA.

Fall Yellow-rumped Warbler – Urban Birds

By |October 7th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Jordan River Parkway Trail, Salt Lake County, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This has been a weird fall so far and because of that I haven't been out to look for urban birds like this Yellow-rumped Warbler I photographed last year close to home.

Young Pied-billed Grebe In Juvenal Plumage Compared To Adult Plumage Phases

By |September 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

About a week ago I photographed a young Pied-billed Grebe that was still in juvenal plumage on a pond at Farmington Bay WMA.

Franklin’s Gull Flying In A Smoky Sky

By |September 18th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Franklin's Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have a soft spot for gulls so when I had the opportunity two days ago to photograph this Franklin's Gull flying in a smoky sky I was both excited and thrilled.

My First Of Season Spotted Sandpiper Photos

By |May 8th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Spotted Sandpipers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took my first of season Spotted Sandpiper photos yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains as I sat in my Jeep next to a creek.

Winter Adult American Herring Gull Photos

By |January 29th, 2021|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I am sharing two winter adult Herring Gull photos that I took earlier this month from the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Drake Common Goldeneye With Pigment Issues On His Bill

By |December 13th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I got back home and uploaded the images I took of the drake Common Goldeneye I could see that his bill had pigment issues and that it wasn't a white feather stuck on his bill.

Finding Two Uncommon Birds In One Week – Rusty Blackbird And Common Grackle

By |December 5th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Common Grackles, Davis County, Rusty Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Finding two uncommon birds this week at the same olive tree really has me buzzed and to finally see a Rusty Blackbird has made me feel like jumping over the moon.

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