{"id":122167,"date":"2024-02-28T04:13:28","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T11:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=122167"},"modified":"2024-02-28T10:18:34","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T17:18:34","slug":"flock-of-american-avocets-at-farmington-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/28\/flock-of-american-avocets-at-farmington-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Flock Of American Avocets At Farmington Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

On my last trip to Farmington Bay WMA, I was delighted to have a resting flock of American Avocets in my viewfinder. Seeing these shorebirds delights me.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Avocet flock resting at Farmington Bay \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve seen a few avocets over the winter, but not in these numbers. The avocets were resting and preening in the warmth of the rising sun when I found them.<\/p>\n

Even though the avocets were quite a distance from me, I raised my lens to photograph them. And why wouldn’t I?<\/p>\n

I liked how this image showed the vegetation at the edge of the water and the marsh beyond. Oftentimes, I can’t show that when my subjects fill the frame.<\/p>\n

\"FlockFlock of American Avocets at Farmington Bay \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The were about 100 or more avocets altogether, I just couldn’t fit them all in my viewfinder despite how far away I was from them.<\/p>\n

In this photo a Northern Shoveler swam behind the long line of American Avocets<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

It won’t be long before the avocets start to find suitable nesting spots in the marshes that surround the Great Salt Lake. Soon thereafter, little avocets will be running around after their parents in shallow waters finding their own food.<\/p>\n

A flock of these shorebirds can be quite noisy when they want to be, but I love hearing their calls<\/span><\/a>. When their numbers are in the thousands, it can be an auditory and visual treat.<\/p>\n

More of these elegant shorebirds will soon be arriving on spring migration. I know other people are just as excited about that as I am.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

On my last trip to Farmington Bay WMA, I was delighted to have a resting flock of American Avocets in my viewfinder. Seeing these shorebirds delights me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":122159,"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":[451,27,1022,697,26],"tags":[4004,1634,5828,5350,4247,4094,4177,4156,274,3996,4095,373],"class_list":["post-122167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-avocets","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-avocet","tag-avocet","tag-avocets","tag-flock","tag-marsh","tag-recurvirostra-americana","tag-resting","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-water","tag-wetlands","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-avocet-flock-resting-mia-mcpherson-9117.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-vMr","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":113164,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/05\/03\/springtime-grebe-and-avocet-portraits\/","url_meta":{"origin":122167,"position":0},"title":"Springtime Grebe And Avocet Portraits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 3, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Springtime Western Grebe portrait, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-grebe-portrait-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-2171.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-grebe-portrait-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-2171.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/western-grebe-portrait-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-2171.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\/2023\/05\/american-avocet-springtime-mia-mcpherson-2904.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/american-avocet-springtime-mia-mcpherson-2904.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/american-avocet-springtime-mia-mcpherson-2904.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/american-avocet-springtime-mia-mcpherson-2904.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5956,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/08\/22\/american-avocets-in-breeding-and-nonbreeding-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":122167,"position":2},"title":"American Avocets In Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 22, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this American Avocet in nonbreeding plumage as it foraged in Glover's Pond at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah a few years ago in the month of November.","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Avocet in breeding plumage, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-avocet-breeding-mia-mcpherson-2187.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-avocet-breeding-mia-mcpherson-2187.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-avocet-breeding-mia-mcpherson-2187.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-avocet-breeding-mia-mcpherson-2187.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43081,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/11\/12\/late-migrating-american-avocets-in-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":122167,"position":3},"title":"Late Migrating American Avocets in Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Most of the American Avocets have migrated away from northern Utah but most years we can have a few stragglers that haven't migrated by this time of the year","rel":"","context":"In "American Avocets"","block_context":{"text":"American Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stretching American Avocet in non-breeding plumage, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/american-avocet-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-2138.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-avocet-mia-mcpherson-8543.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-avocet-mia-mcpherson-8543.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-avocet-mia-mcpherson-8543.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-avocet-mia-mcpherson-8543.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":86184,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/04\/28\/spring-american-avocets-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":122167,"position":5},"title":"Spring American Avocets At Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"At the end of last month 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