{"id":115354,"date":"2023-08-23T04:46:11","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T10:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=115354"},"modified":"2023-08-23T04:46:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T10:46:11","slug":"kamas-valley-killdeer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/23\/kamas-valley-killdeer\/","title":{"rendered":"Kamas Valley Killdeer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, in the Kamas Valley in Summit County, Utah I was pleased to take Killdeer photos in a wet meadow with pink clovers and piles of cow manure. <a href=\"\u2013 Nikon D500, f9, 1\/800, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">April Olson<\/span><\/a> and I were headed to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/recarea\/uwcnf\/recarea\/?recid=9908\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Mirror Lake Scenic Byway<\/span><\/a> and we meandered through the Kamas Valley on our way there.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-115349 size-full\" title=\"Killdeer and clover in the Kamas Valley\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870.jpg\" alt=\"Killdeer and clover in the Kamas Valley, Summit County, Utah\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20900%20643%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870-600x429.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870-800x572.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870.jpg 900w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Killdeer and clover in the Kamas Valley \u2013 Nikon D500, f9, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There were at least seven Killdeer in this area, although we did find more farther up the road. While I was surprised to find a <a title=\"Least Sandpiper In Kamas Valley\" href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/20\/least-sandpiper-in-kamas-valley\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Least Sandpiper<\/span><\/a> in this mountain valley, I wasn&#8217;t really surprised at all to find the Killdeer there. I&#8217;ve seen this plover species at these elevations before.<\/p>\n<p>The wet, grassy meadows of this ranchland probably provide these shorebirds with plenty of food.<\/p>\n<p>I enjoyed seeing all of the pink clover in my killdeer images. The Killdeer in this photo was the closest to my Jeep which we were using as a mobile blind.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-115348 size-full\" title=\"Kamas Valley Killdeer and manure\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849.jpg\" alt=\"Kamas Valley Killdeer and manure, Summit County, Utah\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20900%20643%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849-600x429.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849-800x572.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7849.jpg 900w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Kamas Valley Killdeer and manure \u2013 Nikon D500, f9, 1\/1250, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There were also Killdeer standing near or on the piles of cow manure that the cattle had left all over the grassy field. Even the Least Sandpiper stood on top of a pile of poop briefly.<\/p>\n<p>It was fun to share photographing these Killdeer with April in the mountain valley. From where we were parked to photograph these plovers I could see a flock of Sandhill Cranes ahead so we didn&#8217;t stay long with the Killdeer. I wanted and needed to get a Sandhill Crane fix since I had missed out on seeing them earlier in the spring.<\/p>\n<p>Life<em> is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/killdeer-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Killdeer photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, in the Kamas Valley in Summit County, Utah I was pleased to take Killdeer photos in a wet meadow with pink clovers and piles of cow manure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":115349,"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":[27,14263,267,1731,26],"tags":[4004,4144,14277,14276,6652,3747,4109,270,6515,9526,13920,5691,14278,14275,5841,275,11852,274,2315,5434,5271],"class_list":["post-115354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-kamas-valley","category-killdeer","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-charadrius-vociferus","tag-clover","tag-cow-poop","tag-crap","tag-grass","tag-grasses","tag-killdeer","tag-killdeers","tag-manure","tag-mountain-valley","tag-pasture","tag-pink-clover","tag-pink-clovers","tag-plover","tag-plovers","tag-ranchlands","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-summer-3","tag-valley","tag-wet-meadow"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/killdeer-kamas-valley-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-7870.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-u0y","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":115306,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/20\/least-sandpiper-in-kamas-valley\/","url_meta":{"origin":115354,"position":0},"title":"Least Sandpiper In Kamas Valley","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The most surprising and wonderful bird I saw and photographed on Thursday with my friend, April Olson, was a migrating Least Sandpiper in the Kamas Valley.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bird ID&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bird ID","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/bird-identification\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Least Sandpiper in the Kamas Valley of Utah, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-sandpiper-kamas-valley-mia-mpcherson-7890.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-sandpiper-kamas-valley-mia-mpcherson-7890.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-sandpiper-kamas-valley-mia-mpcherson-7890.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-sandpiper-kamas-valley-mia-mpcherson-7890.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115320,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/21\/kamas-valley-western-meadowlark-with-a-grasshopper\/","url_meta":{"origin":115354,"position":1},"title":"Kamas Valley Western Meadowlark With A Grasshopper","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 21, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The first bird I photographed last week from the side of the road in the Kamas Valley was this scruffy Western Meadowlark with a grasshopper.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Western Meadowlark with a grasshopper, Kamas Valley, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/western-meadowlark-grasshopper-messy-mia-mcpherson-7791.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/western-meadowlark-grasshopper-messy-mia-mcpherson-7791.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/western-meadowlark-grasshopper-messy-mia-mcpherson-7791.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/western-meadowlark-grasshopper-messy-mia-mcpherson-7791.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115246,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/18\/kamas-valley-sandhill-crane-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":115354,"position":2},"title":"Kamas Valley Sandhill Crane Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, on the way to the Uinta Mountains, April Olson and I looked for birds in the Kamas Valley. That's where I took these Sandhill Crane photos.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Sandhill Crane in grassy field in Kamas Valley, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sandhill-crane-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8104.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sandhill-crane-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8104.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sandhill-crane-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8104.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sandhill-crane-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8104.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":152404,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/08\/17\/memories-of-sandhill-cranes-in-the-kamas-valley\/","url_meta":{"origin":115354,"position":3},"title":"Memories Of Sandhill Cranes In The Kamas Valley","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"On this day two years ago, April Olson rode with me to the Kamas Valley of Utah, where we photographed a flock of Sandhill Cranes getting ready for fall migration.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kamas Valley Sandhill Cranes getting ready for migration, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sandhill-cranes-pre-migration-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8053.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sandhill-cranes-pre-migration-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8053.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sandhill-cranes-pre-migration-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8053.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sandhill-cranes-pre-migration-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8053.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":90168,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/06\/10\/adult-savannah-sparrow-in-summit-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":115354,"position":4},"title":"Adult Savannah Sparrow in Summit County","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this week I photographed this adult Savannah Sparrow just outside the town of Kamas, Utah before heading up into the Uinta Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Savannah Sparrow in Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-on-a-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-4781.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-on-a-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-4781.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-on-a-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-4781.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-on-a-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-4781.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":112070,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/05\/killdeer-in-a-spring-snowstorm\/","url_meta":{"origin":115354,"position":5},"title":"Killdeer In A Spring Snowstorm","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning, after blowing, shoveling, and scraping about nine to ten inches of snow, I went looking for birds and found a Killdeer in a spring snowstorm.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Killdeer standing in water during a snowstorm, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/killdeer-adult-april-snowstorm-mia-mcpherson-7067.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/killdeer-adult-april-snowstorm-mia-mcpherson-7067.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/killdeer-adult-april-snowstorm-mia-mcpherson-7067.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/killdeer-adult-april-snowstorm-mia-mcpherson-7067.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115354\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}