wading birds

Photographing Great Blue Herons On The Frozen Marshes Of Bear River MBR

By |2021-04-17T05:17:33-05:00January 8th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spent time focusing on photographing Great Blue Herons on the frozen marshes of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

American Bitterns Can Be Hard To Spot

By |2023-12-18T10:38:54-06:00October 14th, 2019|Categories: American Bitterns, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

American Bitterns can be very hard to spot at times since they blend into their habitat so well because of their cryptic plumage patterns and because they are so skulky.

Snowy Egrets Foraging, Fighting, Landing And Lifting Off

By |2021-05-21T04:23:47-05:00September 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.

Photographing Some Of The Birds I Love In The Wasatch Mountains

By |2024-03-30T18:43:44-05:00August 16th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Black-capped Chickadees, Cedar Waxwings, Great Blue Herons, MacGillivray's Warblers, Morgan County, Summit County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Western Tanagers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As a bird photographer I'm feeling a sense of urgency now that I didn't feel a few weeks ago because as I watch the migrants in the Wasatch Mountains getting ready for their long journeys I know that my time for photographing them this year is quickly running out.

Focusing On An Adult Black-crowned Night Heron

By |2021-05-05T04:45:15-05:00July 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. 

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

By |2021-04-12T12:47:28-05:00July 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.

White-faced Ibis With A Red Invertebrate Of Some Kind

By |2021-10-21T04:45:56-05:00June 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.

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

By |2021-04-17T17:21:46-05:00April 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.

White-faced Ibis With A Wet Head At Bear River MBR

By |2021-09-13T03:39:28-05:00April 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.

Winter Great Blue Heron Photographed Close To Home

By |2021-04-17T17:27:14-05:00February 14th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Great Blue Herons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago on my immature Double-crested Cormorant post I mentioned that prior to photographing the cormorant that I had been taking images of a Great Blue Heron, these two photos are of that heron.

Bird Gatherings – Pied-billed Grebes, Great Egrets And More

By |2022-10-02T10:22:10-05:00January 30th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Egrets, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It is winter here but the birds know that spring is around the corner and more gatherings like the ones I saw two days ago will happen again and I hope I am able to slow down and enjoy it.

White-faced Ibis Overwintering In The Marshes Of Farmington Bay

By |2021-10-25T04:19:25-05:00January 29th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Wading Birds, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the clouds cleared out yesterday morning there were birds to be found and today I am focusing my daily post on the White-faced Ibis that overwinter in the marshes of Farmington Bay WMA that I photographed there yesterday.

Portraits Of A Great Blue Heron With Nesting Material

By |2023-03-03T13:12:14-06:00January 25th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

It felt amazing to have that Great Blue Heron gift us with its presence for those few seconds. You just never know what might happen when you are out looking for birds.

Reddish Egret In A Lagoon With Clouds Reflecting On The Water

By |2022-10-02T11:10:31-05:00January 20th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It has been nearly ten years since I took this photo and it remains one of my favorite Reddish Egret photos because of the clouds reflecting on the still waters of a lagoon at Fort De Soto County Park.

Resting Great Blue Heron With American Coots At The Local Pond

By |2021-04-17T17:34:29-05:00December 4th, 2018|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Great Blue Herons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This photo of a resting Great Blue Heron with American Coots was taken yesterday afternoon when the sun was shining on the same shoreline of my local pond as one of the photos I shared here on my blog yesterday.

Pair of Cattle Egrets at Farmington Bay WMA Plus My Childhood Memories of These Birds

By |2024-03-02T10:18:41-06:00October 11th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Cattle Egrets, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first time I remember seeing Cattle Egrets I was a child who had just moved to interior Florida, I think I was in the second grade at the time or about 7 to 8 years old and these white birds that followed cattle around seemed so fascinating and exotic to me.

Great Blue Heron With Some White Feathers In Its Dark Crown

By |2021-04-17T17:37:28-05:00October 10th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The unusually colored feathers of this Great Blue Heron that I photographed on September 24th of this year caught my eyes because it has some white feathers in its crown where normally all the feathers are dark black.

Snowy Egret Landing Sequence Plus Two Bonus Photos

By |2021-05-21T04:07:50-05:00September 29th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four days ago I was able to photograph a Snowy Egret landing sequence that I liked because of the action of the bird, the setting and the lovely lighting I had at the time.

Snowy Egrets in Flight On A September Morning

By |2021-05-21T04:04:38-05:00September 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.

Stormy Sky With A Great Blue Heron In Flight Over Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2021-04-17T18:17:21-05:00August 4th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Two years ago when I photographed this stormy sky with a Great Blue Heron in flight I also photographed loads of other birds from the auto tour route including wading and shorebirds, geese, ducks, ibis, terns, gulls, rails, pelicans and coots.

Crappy Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron in Flight Photo

By |2021-05-05T04:48:14-05:00July 21st, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've taken my share of crappy photos during the time I have been focused on photographing birds but this photo of a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron crapping in flight may be the crappiest of them all.

Are Great Blue Herons Breeding at Higher Elevations Due to Climate Change?

By |2022-12-12T04:19:45-06:00June 28th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Great Blue Herons, Summit County, Utah, Video|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm wondering now if Great Blue Herons here in Utah might already be adapting to climate change by moving higher up into the mountain valleys and canyons that have suitable food and water supplies to breed and nest.

White-faced Ibis in Breeding and Nonbreeding Plumage

By |2021-09-13T03:36:47-05:00May 19th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

In just a few weeks the White-faced Ibis that are in breeding plumage right now will begin to molt into their nonbreeding plumage and I thought this might be a good time to show some of the differences.

Immature Black-crowned Night Heron In Flight

By |2021-05-05T14:08:20-05:00May 15th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I spotted this immature Black-crowned Night Heron on the wing at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in April I hoped it would fly in closer than it did, still I liked the photos I took of it with a clear blue sky in the background.

White-faced Ibis – Birds Of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2021-10-21T04:45:09-05:00April 24th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

White-faced Ibis are abundant at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge during their breeding season and they can be easily seen from the 12 mile, self-guided auto tour route feeding in the water impoundments or flying in loose flocks overhead.

Snowy Egrets Have Migrated Back To Northern Utah

By |2021-05-21T03:54:01-05:00April 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.

When the S___ Hits the Fan, Go To a Happy Place

By |2018-03-07T06:44:11-06:00March 7th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Egrets, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

The sun hadn't yet come up when I spotted this Great Egret in the tidal lagoon with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the background and it looked like the water was on fire.

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