{"id":51645,"date":"2018-04-14T04:55:51","date_gmt":"2018-04-14T10:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=51645"},"modified":"2025-03-09T05:41:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-09T10:41:25","slug":"snowy-egrets-have-migrated-back-to-northern-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/04\/14\/snowy-egrets-have-migrated-back-to-northern-utah\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowy Egrets Have Migrated Back To Northern Utah"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult Snowy Egret in flight over Farmington Bay – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/5000, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

My friend and fellow photographer David Eccles mentioned on Facebook that he has seen some Snowy Egrets back in northern Utah and that has me excited for opportunities to photograph these snow white wading birds while they are here for their breeding season.<\/p>\n

When I lived in Florida I saw Snowy Egrets year round and that kind of spoiled me but here in Utah they leave for the winter and come back to the marshes and wetlands surrounding the Great Salt Lake for their breeding season. I see them most often at Farmington Bay WMA and at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.<\/p>\n

The Snowy Egret above was photographed in September of 2011 at Farmington Bay WMA<\/span><\/a> not long before the egrets headed south for the winter. The egret had muddy legs and feet from foraging where the water level had been dropped by the staff at the WMA. The yellow feet of this species can’t be seen through that mud!<\/p>\n

We can thank the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for saving these birds from extinction, their numbers were severely decimated in the late 1800\u2019s and early 1900\u2019s because their plumes were highly sought after during that time period to be used as decorations on ladies hats. Their plumes sold for nearly twice the amount that gold sold for. The MBTA protected these egrets and other migratory birds from becoming extinct by over hunting so they avoided the fate of the Passenger Pigeons. I can’t imagine North America without these wading birds.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Snowy Egret photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I lived in Florida I saw Snowy Egrets year round and that kind of spoiled me but here in Utah they leave for the winter and come back to the marshes and wetlands surrounding the Great Salt Lake for their breeding season. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_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":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1022,697,255,26],"tags":[4004,743,351,4120,6452,4052,4122,4005,4094,610,530,4018,3988,313,4095],"class_list":["post-51645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-snowy-egrets","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-egret","tag-egrets","tag-egretta-thula","tag-farmington-bay-wma","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-great-salt-lake","tag-marsh","tag-marshes","tag-migration","tag-sky","tag-snowy-egret","tag-wading-birds","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/snowy-egret-adult-flight-mia-mcpherson-8004.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-dqZ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":106258,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/09\/15\/late-summer-snowy-egret-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":51645,"position":0},"title":"Late Summer Snowy Egret Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This past Monday I focused on taking Snowy Egret images after taking photos of a Virginia Rail and Lesser Yellowlegs at a near empty pond At Farmington Bay.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close up adult Snowy Egret at Farmington Bay, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/snowy-egret-pond-mia-mcpherson-3645.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/snowy-egret-pond-mia-mcpherson-3645.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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2023","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the first birds I photographed this autumn was this fluffed-up Snowy Egret glowing in a natural spotlight in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowy Egret in morning light at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/snowy-egret-marsh-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-1077-Copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/snowy-egret-marsh-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-1077-Copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/snowy-egret-marsh-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-1077-Copy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/snowy-egret-marsh-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-1077-Copy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":106501,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/09\/24\/snowy-egret-in-a-natural-spotlight\/","url_meta":{"origin":51645,"position":3},"title":"Snowy Egret In A Natural Spotlight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When this Snowy Egret emerged from the shadows and into the sunlight yesterday morning, I briefly forgot to breathe. The egret appeared to be glowing.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowy Egret stepping into the light, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/snowy-egret-in-spotlight-mia-mcpherson-6585.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/snowy-egret-in-spotlight-mia-mcpherson-6585.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/snowy-egret-in-spotlight-mia-mcpherson-6585.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/snowy-egret-in-spotlight-mia-mcpherson-6585.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9784,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/10\/12\/snowy-egret-with-muddy-legs\/","url_meta":{"origin":51645,"position":4},"title":"Snowy Egret with muddy legs","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This adult Snowy Egret with muddy legs that were so dirty it covered up its \"Golden Slippers\".","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowy Egret with muddy legs at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-egret-utah-mia-mcpherson-8000.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-egret-utah-mia-mcpherson-8000.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-egret-utah-mia-mcpherson-8000.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-egret-utah-mia-mcpherson-8000.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":24365,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/05\/23\/snowy-egrets-on-the-gulf-coast\/","url_meta":{"origin":51645,"position":5},"title":"Snowy Egrets on the Gulf Coast","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm hoping to add images of Snowy Egrets to my portfolio this summer that might be taken at Farmington Bay WMA or up north at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowy Egret in flight with clouds in the distance, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-egret-flight-mia-mcpherson-2041.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-egret-flight-mia-mcpherson-2041.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-egret-flight-mia-mcpherson-2041.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/snowy-egret-flight-mia-mcpherson-2041.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\/51645","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=51645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}