{"id":45049,"date":"2017-02-19T06:36:19","date_gmt":"2017-02-19T13:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=45049"},"modified":"2024-09-05T04:27:59","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T09:27:59","slug":"american-white-pelicans-sandhill-cranes-swainsons-hawks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/02\/19\/american-white-pelicans-sandhill-cranes-swainsons-hawks\/","title":{"rendered":"American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, Swainson’s Hawks – Spring Migrants On The Wing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AmericanAmerican White Pelican flight over Bear River – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I have heard reports of spring migrants arriving in Utah and honestly after our dreary weather I am getting anxious to see them myself.<\/p>\n

By this time of the year I have usually seen my first of the year American White Pelicans so I need to keep my eyes on the sky overhead and on the water too.<\/p>\n

In the early spring both the American White Pelican and Tundra Swans can be seen so I have to pay closer attention to the big white birds at Bear River MBR, Farmington Bay WMA and Salt Creek WMA to make sure I don’t assume I am seeing one or the other of these two species and make a mistake in identification. I do get excited to see them both on the same body of water.<\/p>\n

\"ThreeThree Sandhill Cranes in flight – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

A few days ago I saw and heard my first of the year Sandhill Cranes. I feel their calls<\/span><\/a> deep in my heart and they can even make my eyes leak when I see them dancing, prancing and displaying. There is something about these large birds that simply resonate within me.<\/p>\n

The Sandhill I saw flying the other day was way off in the distance in low light and for a bit I thought it was an eagle or a heron until I saw the stiff wing beats I associate with these cranes. I am so happy to already have them back in Utah.<\/p>\n

\"OneOne serious looking Swainson’s Hawk – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

There have also been reports of Swainson’s Hawks, one sighting was even reported very close to where I live. This would be very, very early for Swainson’s Hawks to return but with our climate changing the way it is I wouldn’t be surprised to see one flying overhead. I know I will be looking for them.<\/p>\n

We still have our winter birds and the spring migrants have begun their journey north so my bird photography is likely to pick up and<\/em> get exciting soon if<\/em> the clouds will give 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 in their galleries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We still have our winter birds and the spring migrants have begun their journey north so my bird photography is likely to pick up and get exciting soon if the clouds will give me a break. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":131527,"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":[3,124,5270,27,1148,450,206,26,2486],"tags":[3966,4259,2663,4200,2304,3823,3132,779,4052,4122,4169,5703,4154,4,706,153,4518,6057,4034],"class_list":["post-45049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-white-pelicans","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-bicknell-bottoms-wildlife-management-area","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-sandhill-cranes","category-swainson-hawks","category-utah","category-wayne-county","tag-american-white-pelican","tag-antigone-canadensis","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-swainsoni","tag-calls","tag-crane","tag-cranes","tag-displaying","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-hawks","tag-migrants","tag-pelecanus-erythrorhynchos","tag-pelican","tag-pelicans","tag-raptors","tag-sandhill-crane","tag-spring-migrants","tag-swainsons-hawk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/sandhill-cranes-flight-mia-mcpherson-6708.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-bIB","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":50948,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/02\/11\/american-avocets-american-white-pelicans-and-sandhill-cranes-have-returned\/","url_meta":{"origin":45049,"position":0},"title":"American Avocets, American White Pelicans and Sandhill Cranes Have Returned","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm excited that the American Avocets, American White Pelicans and Sandhill Cranes have returned to northern Utah because I look forward to seeing and photographing them again.","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 White Pelican scooping up food from the water, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, 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Bird Refuge This Week","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 26, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I posted a juvenile Wilson's Phalarope and today I am posting an assortment of others birds I photographed the same day at Bear River NWR.","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sandhill Crane right after the sunrise, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-adult-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\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-adult-mia-mcpherson-7067.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Avocets","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/american-avocets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Virginia Rail and its reflection at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/virginia-rail-adult-mia-mcpherson-1903.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/virginia-rail-adult-mia-mcpherson-1903.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/virginia-rail-adult-mia-mcpherson-1903.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/virginia-rail-adult-mia-mcpherson-1903.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45369,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/06\/winter-clashes-with-spring\/","url_meta":{"origin":45049,"position":3},"title":"Winter Clashes With Spring – Seasonal Changes Make Bird Photography Interesting","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Winter is clashing with spring right now in northern Utah and those seasonal changes can make bird photography interesting.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black Mustard with Western Kingbird, Box Elder County, 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2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I love what I do, I love my subjects and it doesn't matter if I find them close to home or further away. 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