Supplemental Plumage – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Highlights Of My Bird Photography Trip Yesterday to Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-27T07:07:20-05:00June 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: adult, American Avocet, American White Pelican, Asian Carp, Black-crowned Night Heron, carp, Charadrius nivosus, close up, Double-crested Cormorant, fish, flats, hunting, immature, Long-tailed Weasel, male, marsh, mate, Mustela frenata, Nannopterum auritus, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, preening, Recurvirostra americana, road, Snowy Plover, splashing, standing up, Supplemental Plumage, watching over, weasel, weasels|

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.

An Extreme Variation of Supplemental Plumage in an American White Pelican

By Mia McPherson|2023-08-16T03:40:15-05:00July 29th, 2016|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American White Pelican, black feathers, crown, extreme, marsh, nape, neck, pelican, pelicans, plumage phase, summer, summer plumage, Supplemental Plumage, unusual, variation, wetlands|

Two days ago while on the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR an American White Pelican caught my eyes because of its unusually dark crown, nape, and neck plumage.

American White Pelican in summer plumage

By Mia McPherson|2021-04-09T18:58:05-05:00July 4th, 2016|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American White Pelican, Bear River, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelican, pelicans, river, summer, summer plumage, Supplemental Plumage, water|

I wanted to share an image of an American White Pelican in summer plumage today because summer is upon us and today marks America's Independence Day.