{"id":2176,"date":"2011-04-07T09:32:51","date_gmt":"2011-04-07T15:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=2176"},"modified":"2026-02-01T12:44:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T18:44:49","slug":"birds-close-to-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/04\/07\/birds-close-to-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Birds – Close To Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AmericanAmerican Robin near the Jordan River –\u00a0 Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 340mm, natural light <\/span><\/p>\n

The weather here in the Salt Lake Valley has been pretty changeable lately, as it is apt to be in early spring. One day it might be in the 70’s and sunny and two days later the lows might be in the upper 20’s and snow will be falling.<\/p>\n

Storms can come in every 24-36 hour which means clouds, rain and or snow.<\/p>\n

Often there are breaks in between the clouds we call “sucker holes”, the sucker holes can last just a few minutes or longer and on cloudy days I can take advantage of the sucker holes by photographing birds close to home when the sun breaks through the clouds.<\/p>\n

Yesterday I did go to check out some new locations that are close to home. I live near the Jordan River Parkway Trail system which supports many species of birds.<\/p>\n

Some of the trees are leafing out now but for the most part many are still bare, there was a nip in the breeze but at least the sun was shining for awhile.<\/p>\n

There are many species of ducks on the water along with Canada Geese. I was seeing Sparrows, Starlings, a few Downy Woodpeckers high in the barren tree branches and plenty of American Robins<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The one in the image above was gracious enough to pose for me for about 7 frames. On another blog post recently I said I needed to focus more on these handsome birds which I did on my walk yesterday morning.<\/p>\n

\"BeltedBelted Kingfisher, small in frame – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light <\/span><\/p>\n

I had heard that there are several pairs of Belted Kingfishers along the Jordan River Parkway Trail and I hoped to find a pair and did! Belted Kingfishers are a nemesis bird for me, they are very wary and take flight very easily on approach plus they are extremely fast flyers.<\/p>\n

That does not make them easy to photograph but they are a challenge and I like to challenge myself. It is usually very easy to tell when kingfishers are about as they seem to chatter a lot. I can tell from long distances when a Belted Kingfisher is nearby. It wasn’t long before I heard the uneven rattling call of the kingfishers.<\/p>\n

I only carried the light weight Nikkor 80-400mm VR with me yesterday because I was not sure how long I’d be walking and with my Nikkor 200-400mm VR\u00a0 plus the matching 1.4x TC it can get mighty heavy to carry.<\/p>\n

Thus I wasn’t able to get shots of the kingfishers that had the birds large in the frame but I was quite happy with the image above despite the bird being small in the frame.<\/p>\n

I really like how the kingfisher is framed by the barren tree branches and how I was able to maneuver to a spot where there would be blue sky behind the bird.<\/p>\n

I will be going back to that location with my 200-400mm VR with the 1.4x TC and trusty tripod to attempt to get more shots of the Belted Kingfishers<\/span><\/a> when ever I get the chance. That is if the weather will cut me a break!<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my bird photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I can take advantage of the sucker holes by photographing birds close to home when the sun breaks through the clouds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":147136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[456,500,27,709,26],"tags":[4004,2427,2432,4021,6577,142,501,4934,4933,3008,4104,6642,5199,4018,502,503,4076,1048,8018],"class_list":["post-2176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-robins","category-belted-kingfishers","category-avian","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-robin","tag-belted-kingfisher","tag-bird-photography","tag-branches","tag-close-to-home","tag-jordan-river-parkway-trail","tag-kingfisher","tag-kingfishers","tag-megaceryle-alcyon","tag-perched","tag-robin","tag-robins","tag-sky","tag-spring-weather","tag-sucker-holes","tag-trees","tag-turdus-migratorius","tag-urban"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/american-robin-utah-mia-mcpherson-1138.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-z6","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47208,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/06\/09\/male-belted-kingfisher-near-the-jordan-river\/","url_meta":{"origin":2176,"position":0},"title":"Male Belted Kingfisher Near The Jordan River","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this male Belted Kingfisher last month as it perched on a thin branch at a small pond close to the Jordan River in Salt Lake County, Utah.","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 perched on a thin branch, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-male-mia-mcpherson-5361.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-mia-mcpherson-5361.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-male-mia-mcpherson-5361.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-male-mia-mcpherson-5361.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":80303,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/04\/female-belted-kingfisher-march-birds-i-look-for\/","url_meta":{"origin":2176,"position":1},"title":"Female Belted Kingfisher – March Birds I Look For","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this female Belted Kingfisher calling from a branch in March of 2017 close to the Jordan River not far from where I live.","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 calling from a branch, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/belted-kingfisher-adult-female-calling-tree-mia-mcpherson-4365.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/belted-kingfisher-adult-female-calling-tree-mia-mcpherson-4365.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/belted-kingfisher-adult-female-calling-tree-mia-mcpherson-4365.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/belted-kingfisher-adult-female-calling-tree-mia-mcpherson-4365.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36257,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/02\/24\/a-female-belted-kingfisher-and-her-rattling-call\/","url_meta":{"origin":2176,"position":2},"title":"Female Belted Kingfisher and Her Rattling Call","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I had my first opportunity to photograph a nearby female Belted Kingfisher in Salt Lake County, Utah and I had fun getting to know her.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Perched female Belted Kingfisher in Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-female-mia-mcpherson-3836.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-female-mia-mcpherson-3836.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-female-mia-mcpherson-3836.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-female-mia-mcpherson-3836.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":108672,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/12\/11\/queenfisher-2023-aba-bird-of-the-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":2176,"position":3},"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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/belted-kingfisher-female-farmington-bay-mia-mcpherson-9262.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":112942,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/26\/missing-my-time-in-the-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":2176,"position":4},"title":"Missing My Time In The Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Belted Kingfishers after mating in the mountains, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfishers-mating-summit-county-mia-mcpherson-4987.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-kingfishers-mating-summit-county-mia-mcpherson-4987.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfishers-mating-summit-county-mia-mcpherson-4987.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfishers-mating-summit-county-mia-mcpherson-4987.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62367,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/01\/03\/high-key-male-belted-kingfisher\/","url_meta":{"origin":2176,"position":5},"title":"High Key Male Belted Kingfisher","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday there was a bit of light in the morning so I went to see if there were any birds that could be photographed at my local ponds and I was delighted when I heard the rattling call of a 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":"High key male Belted Kingfisher perched in a tree, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/belted-kingfisher-male-high-key-mia-mcpherson-8864.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/belted-kingfisher-male-high-key-mia-mcpherson-8864.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/belted-kingfisher-male-high-key-mia-mcpherson-8864.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/belted-kingfisher-male-high-key-mia-mcpherson-8864.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\/2176","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=2176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}