{"id":113164,"date":"2023-05-03T02:52:01","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T08:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=113164"},"modified":"2023-05-03T03:26:22","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T09:26:22","slug":"springtime-grebe-and-avocet-portraits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/05\/03\/springtime-grebe-and-avocet-portraits\/","title":{"rendered":"Springtime Grebe And Avocet Portraits"},"content":{"rendered":"

This morning I am sharing two springtime portraits that I took last week at Bear River MBR<\/span><\/a>. The first is a Western Grebe, the second, an American Avocet.<\/p>\n

\"SpringtimeSpringtime Western Grebe portrait \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When I arrived at the location where the Western Grebe was resting, it appeared to be resting peacefully. After a few minutes, the bird lifted its head and seemed to be preparing to regurgitate a pellet or feather, but ultimately didn’t. However, it did open its bill as if it were about to do so.<\/p>\n

Following that behavior, the black and white waterbird appeared to be observing other nearby grebes, providing me with an opportunity to capture some portraits of it. I liked how clean the water was in the background, the soft blue color, and the intensity of the grebe’s red eye.<\/p>\n

\"SpringtimeSpringtime American Avocet portrait \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike Western Grebes, which I only see during their breeding season, I have seen American Avocets every month of the year in Utah. I’ve even seen flocks of them in December next to the causeway to Antelope Island State Park.<\/p>\n

This male American Avocet was so close to where I sat in my Jeep that I wasn’t sure if my images of it would be sharp. Thankfully, it was just on the good side of the minimum focusing distance of my lens.<\/p>\n

Right now, the American Avocets at the refuge are in their breeding colors. The warm tones of this avocet’s plumage provided a nice contrast to the cool blue hue of the water.<\/p>\n

I enjoyed taking these springtime portraits of these two bird species and my visit to the refuge.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

This morning I am sharing two springtime portraits that I took last week at Bear River MBR. The first is a Western Grebe, the second, an American Avocet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":113158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[451,124,27,1148,26,161],"tags":[4004,699,1634,5828,5350,4053,4142,877,707,4062,4094,4046,4177,274,165,5001,3996,4014,4095],"class_list":["post-113164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-avocets","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","category-western-grebes","tag-adult","tag-aechmophorus-occidentalis","tag-american-avocet","tag-avocet","tag-avocets","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-close-up","tag-grebe","tag-grebes-2","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-portrait","tag-recurvirostra-americana","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-spring","tag-springtime","tag-water","tag-western-grebe","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t