{"id":106588,"date":"2022-09-29T03:45:25","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T09:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=106588"},"modified":"2022-09-29T03:45:52","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T09:45:52","slug":"american-white-pelican-reflections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/09\/29\/american-white-pelican-reflections\/","title":{"rendered":"American White Pelican Reflections"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AutumnAutumn American White Pelican at Farmington Bay \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days ago, as the sun first flooded the marshes with light, I was at Farmington Bay WMA photographing two American White Pelicans float on the water. I love seeing, observing and taking images of these large white birds. These pelicans come to Utah early in the year and some stick around until the marshes freeze over.<\/p>\n

Gunnison Island is home to one of this species’ biggest breeding colonies. Before the Great Salt Lake’s level began to decline, it was an island. The island is now accessible to predators via a land bridge. Predators can destroy the colony of nesting American White Pelicans by feasting on the defenseless and flightless young or by eating the eggs of this species before they hatch.<\/p>\n

I can’t blame the predators for taking advantage of the land bridge to walk over to the island. Nope. Climate change and the over-use of the water from the rivers that feed into the Great Salt Lake is to blame as much as our rising temps are. Let’s also throw in growing crops and lawns in a desert that are better suited to areas with more rainfall.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican White Pelican reflections \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/4000, ISO 400, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

As I photographed these American White Pelicans and their reflections, I couldn’t help but think about their human and climate-induced predicament. I also wondered if my great-grandchildren would still see these large birds soaring on the thermals, feeding on fresh and saltwater fish and resting on the shoreline.<\/p>\n

The word “reflections” in my title may have led some of you to believe that it was referring to the reflections in my pictures. Well, those are great, but I really meant to express my own thoughts about these magnificent pelicans.<\/p>\n

\"Wing

Wing tagged American White Pelican – Purple and white 311, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah<\/p><\/div>\n

Earlier in September, I found a wing-tagged American White Pelican on Glover Pond at Farmington Bay and sent in the information to the USGS Banded Bird reporting site<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Later that evening, I received the information above on that banded pelican. I have been reporting banded and tagged birds for almost two decades now, and I always find the information I get on the banded birds fascinating.<\/p>\n

My hope is that 30 or 40 years from now, there will still be American White Pelicans to band in northern Utah.<\/p>\n

These are simply some of my thoughts and reflections that I had while I observed and photographed these birds.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my American White Pelican photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two days ago, as the sun first flooded the marshes with light, I was at Farmington Bay WMA photographing two American White Pelicans float on the water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":106578,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,27,1022,697,26],"tags":[3966,970,4620,4094,4154,4,706,1984,2504,958,4095],"class_list":["post-106588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-white-pelicans","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-utah","tag-american-white-pelican","tag-autumn","tag-fall","tag-marsh","tag-pelecanus-erythrorhynchos","tag-pelican","tag-pelicans","tag-pond","tag-reflection","tag-reflections","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/american-white-pelican-reflections-mia-mcpherson-7234.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-rJa","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":116734,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/04\/american-white-pelicans-fueling-up-for-fall-migration\/","url_meta":{"origin":106588,"position":0},"title":"American White Pelicans Fueling Up For Fall Migration","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, I was happy to photograph a small flock of American White Pelicans fueling up for their fall migration in the wetlands of Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American White Pelicans fueling up for migration, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/american-white-pelicans-autumn-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1613.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/american-white-pelicans-autumn-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1613.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/american-white-pelicans-autumn-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1613.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/american-white-pelicans-autumn-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1613.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":79091,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/02\/10\/its-isnt-too-early-to-spot-an-american-white-pelican\/","url_meta":{"origin":106588,"position":1},"title":"It’s Isn’t Too Early To Spot An American White Pelican","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"February isn't too early in the year to spot an American White Pelican on the wing in northern Utah. In fact I expect them to start showing up right about now.","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter American White Pelican on the wing, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-in-flight-farmington-mia-mcpherson-3581.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-in-flight-farmington-mia-mcpherson-3581.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-in-flight-farmington-mia-mcpherson-3581.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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First of the Year American White Pelicans","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I drove up to Farmington Bay WMA yesterday morning because it looked like there was going to be some nice light and because the forecast for the next week looks rather dismal for bird photography and I'm so very glad I went because I was able to photograph my first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American White Pelican and Wasatch Mountain reflections, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, 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The Move – Help Out By Reporting Wing Tagged American White Pelicans","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Bird photographers, birders, nature watchers and citizen scientists can help out by reporting all banded birds including our Gunnison Island American White Pelicans.","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American White Pelican Wing Tag 90K - Glover Pond, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, 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