{"id":49425,"date":"2017-11-14T06:13:02","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T13:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=49425"},"modified":"2023-12-17T06:14:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-17T13:14:38","slug":"winter-redhead-drakes-in-northern-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/14\/winter-redhead-drakes-in-northern-utah\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Redhead Drakes in Northern Utah"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CloseClose up of a drake Redhead – Nikon D300, f8, 1\/500, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I haven’t been having a whole lot of luck lately finding birds close enough to photograph or cooperative birds that are out in the open so I have rummaged through my archives to find photos of birds that I haven’t shared before. It seemed fitting to find some ducks to post because there are so many migrating into and through northern Utah right now plus ducks are great birds to photograph.<\/p>\n

Redheads are diving ducks that can be found in northern Utah year round although I find that I have more difficulty locating them during the breeding season.<\/p>\n

Redhead drakes are more colorful than the hens and I always enjoy having them in my viewfinder because of their cinnamon colored heads, their bright orange eyes and their tri-colored bills. Whenever I can get a close up of their heads I am a happy camper because I love seeing all the fine details that are visible.<\/p>\n

The close up photo above was taken at a pond near where I live in Salt Lake County in 2014.<\/p>\n

\"RedheadRedhead drake in breeding plumage – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

But I also enjoy taking images of them when they are further away because I can see all of the patterns in their plumage, their shape and how they look quite lovely floating on water that has different colors on it due to reflections.<\/p>\n

This photo and the one below were both taken at Farmington Bay WMA during the winter in 2015.<\/p>\n

\"RedheadRedhead drake flapping his wings – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When this drake Redhead started flapping his wings I was ready because I had been watching him through my viewfinder. I wish his head was turned a little bit more towards me but I liked the pose I photographed him in.<\/p>\n

I’ve only seen a few Redheads so far this fall, hopefully that will change as the temps drop and the snow begins to fall.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Redhead drakes are more colorful than the hens and I always enjoy having them in my viewfinder because of their cinnamon colored heads, their bright orange eyes and their tri-colored bills. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119110,"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":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1022,697,2460,709,26],"tags":[4004,2461,4053,4142,4753,6230,1129,126,4062,4094,4560,8018,3996,4095,3200,373],"class_list":["post-49425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-redheads","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-aythya-americana","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-close-up","tag-diving-ducks","tag-drakes","tag-duck","tag-ducks-2","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-redhead","tag-urban","tag-water","tag-wetlands","tag-wing-flapping","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-drake-portrait-mia-mcpherson-8960.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-cRb","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62769,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/01\/16\/photographing-winter-redheads-in-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":49425,"position":0},"title":"Photographing Winter Redheads in Northern Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I watched and photographed the Redhead drakes exhibiting Kinked-neck and Head-throw displays but once again they were too far away to get the high quality images I am seeking.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Redhead drakes and hens gathering on a pond, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-hens-and-drakes-winter-pond-mia-mcpherson-3473.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-hens-and-drakes-winter-pond-mia-mcpherson-3473.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-hens-and-drakes-winter-pond-mia-mcpherson-3473.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-hens-and-drakes-winter-pond-mia-mcpherson-3473.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43871,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/12\/redhead-drakes\/","url_meta":{"origin":49425,"position":1},"title":"Redhead Drakes","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This Redhead drake photographed at the refuge in his breeding plumage sure stood out well from the water that was reflecting the spring growth of rushes and phragmites.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Drake Redhead at Bear River MBR in spring, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-drake-green-water-mia-mcpherson-7327.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-drake-green-water-mia-mcpherson-7327.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-drake-green-water-mia-mcpherson-7327.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-drake-green-water-mia-mcpherson-7327.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19426,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/02\/04\/redheads-in-salt-lake-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":49425,"position":2},"title":"Redhead Ducks in Salt Lake County","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 4, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Last February; when there was actually snow on the ground, I photographed a pair of Redhead ducks at a pond near where I live.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Diving Redhead hen, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-hen-diving-mia-mcpherson-8911.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-hen-diving-mia-mcpherson-8911.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-hen-diving-mia-mcpherson-8911.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-hen-diving-mia-mcpherson-8911.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62016,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/12\/11\/focusing-on-winter-redheads\/","url_meta":{"origin":49425,"position":3},"title":"Focusing On Winter Redheads","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Why were the mallards sticking close to this Redhead? That was because she was diving down into the pond and bringing up aquatic vegetation to feed on and the mallards were stealing bits of it from her.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Redhead feeding on aquatic vegetation, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-first-winter-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5615.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-first-winter-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5615.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-first-winter-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5615.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-first-winter-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5615.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14314,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/02\/11\/redhead-drake-portrait\/","url_meta":{"origin":49425,"position":4},"title":"Redhead drake portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The sun came out for a few hours yesterday afternoon so I went to a pond near where I live and photographed some of the ducks including this very confiding Redhead drake.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Redhead drake portrait, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-duck-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9081.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-duck-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9081.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-duck-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9081.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-duck-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9081.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119064,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/12\/17\/resting-redhead-drake-on-an-urban-pond\/","url_meta":{"origin":49425,"position":5},"title":"Resting Redhead Drake On An Urban Pond","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I am sharing a simple photo of a resting Redhead drake that I saw at my local pond two days ago. 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