{"id":112942,"date":"2023-04-26T02:39:43","date_gmt":"2023-04-26T08:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=112942"},"modified":"2026-02-04T06:03:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T12:03:56","slug":"missing-my-time-in-the-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/26\/missing-my-time-in-the-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Missing My Time In The Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been missing springtime in the mountains. There is so much snow up there from this past winter that most of the mountain roads I use are still closed. Those roads might be closed for a long time yet.<\/p>\n

\"BeltedBelted Kingfishers after mating in the mountains<\/span><\/p>\n

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There is still about 90% of the snowpack from this winter yet to melt. Areas where spring growth started last year by now are still snowbound. Last year, I was already photographing nesting Song Sparrows, hummingbirds nectaring on Wax Currants, and Glacier Lilies in bloom. I can\u2019t even get to those locations right now.<\/p>\n

Belted Kingfishers should already be digging their nesting burrows, and I wonder if they can do that when the ground is still frozen solid. The mating Belted Kingfishers<\/span><\/a> in the image above were photographed on April 22, 2020, in the Wasatch Mountains, so I know they should be in nesting mode. The image is crappy, it won’t make it to my galleries, but it “said” what I wanted it to say for this post today.<\/p>\n

I should already be seeing butterflies on wildflowers in the mountains and Uinta Ground Squirrels above the ground. A few weeks ago, I drove up into the mountains, and where I saw Uinta Ground Squirrels last year, I saw several feet of snow still on the ground. No squirrels.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been wondering where the migrant songbirds will nest if the conditions in the mountains are unsuitable and unstable for their nesting needs.<\/p>\n

We needed all the snow, and it will be a temporary reprieve for the Great Salt Lake\u2019s demise. I do have to wonder, though, how still having so much snow in the mountains will affect the birds and wildlife that live their lives up there.<\/p>\n

The effects of nature aren\u2019t always predictable. I should know; I am as much a part of nature as the birds I admire so much. Utah’s mountains are calling to me; it is my nature to listen and go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I have been missing springtime in the mountains. There is so much snow up there from this past winter that most of the mountain roads I use are still closed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":168498,"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":[500,27,1731,26,773],"tags":[4004,2432,6577,4030,195,4070,4109,4934,4933,156,4062,4363,3008,4069,165],"class_list":["post-112942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-belted-kingfishers","category-avian","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-belted-kingfisher","tag-branches","tag-breeding","tag-canyons","tag-female","tag-grasses","tag-kingfisher","tag-kingfishers","tag-low-light-2","tag-male","tag-mating","tag-megaceryle-alcyon","tag-mountains","tag-spring"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfishers-mating-summit-county-mia-mcpherson-4987.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-tnE","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":108672,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/12\/11\/queenfisher-2023-aba-bird-of-the-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":112942,"position":0},"title":"Queenfisher – 2023 ABA Bird of the Year","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The 2023 ABA Bird of the Year was revealed yesterday evening. The bird of the year is the Queenfisher, also known as the female Belted Kingfisher.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Belted Kingfisher on her throne, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/belted-kingfisher-female-farmington-bay-mia-mcpherson-9262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/belted-kingfisher-female-farmington-bay-mia-mcpherson-9262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/belted-kingfisher-female-farmington-bay-mia-mcpherson-9262.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/belted-kingfisher-male-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/belted-kingfisher-male-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/belted-kingfisher-male-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/belted-kingfisher-male-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":75342,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/11\/15\/adult-male-belted-kingfisher-close-up-with-prey\/","url_meta":{"origin":112942,"position":2},"title":"Adult Male Belted Kingfisher Close Up With Prey","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I was looking through images I had taken this summer and decided to share a close up of a male Belted Kingfisher with prey that I photographed in the Wasatch Mountains this summer.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Belted Kingfisher close up with prey, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-male-with-trout-mia-mcpherson-4001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-male-with-trout-mia-mcpherson-4001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Belted Kingfisher bothering a Merlin, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/belted-kingfisher-merlin-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-2553.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/belted-kingfisher-merlin-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-2553.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/belted-kingfisher-merlin-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-2553.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/belted-kingfisher-merlin-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-2553.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Saturday morning I was delighted when a male Belted Kingfisher flew in and perched in front of pussy willow catkins high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Belted Kingfisher in front of pussy willows, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/belted-kingfisher-male-pussywillows-mia-mcpherson-5450.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/belted-kingfisher-male-pussywillows-mia-mcpherson-5450.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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