{"id":55867,"date":"2019-01-30T05:51:40","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T12:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=55867"},"modified":"2025-03-03T04:00:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T10:00:40","slug":"bird-gatherings-pied-billed-grebes-great-egrets-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/01\/30\/bird-gatherings-pied-billed-grebes-great-egrets-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Bird Gatherings – Pied-billed Grebes, Great Egrets And More"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GatheringGathering of Pied-billed Grebes – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days ago I saw and photographed 123 Pied-billed Grebes in an area at Farmington Bay WMA that was probably less than the length of a city block, this photo show only 24 of the grebes, the other 99 were out of the frame. With my bird camera set up there wasn’t a way for me to photograph them all at one time and for whatever reason I didn’t think to pull out my landscape camera and take photos of them all and I really wish I had.<\/p>\n

I’ve seen these large gatherings of Pied-billed Grebes before although it has usually happened in the month of February. Groups of grebes can be called a “water dance”, these grebes weren’t dancing though, they seemed to mostly be resting.<\/p>\n

At my local pond during the month of February I see Pied-billed Grebes conditioning their wings to be able to take longer flights, I’ve wondered if that is to get ready to take off for their nesting grounds because they sure don’t nest at the pond. I even took my dream photos of Pied-billed Grebes in flight at that pond. Why were they dream photos? Because Pied-billed Grebes usually only fly at night.<\/p>\n

I now wonder are these grebes at Farmington Bay doing the same thing but in larger numbers?<\/p>\n

It was amazing to see so many of these small grebes in one location and now I wish I had spent more time with them two days ago.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Egret in flight over the marsh at Farmington Bay – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the gathering of the Pied-billed Grebes there was also a large gathering of Great Egrets in the same area. While seeing nine Great Egrets together in Florida might not be considered a large gathering of them out here in the desert West during the middle of winter it is. Great Egrets aren’t as common here as Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets or Black-crowned Night Herons but I see them now and then all year long.<\/p>\n

Seeing nine at once was a delight for me. A noisy air boat caused all of the Great Egrets to take flight and that is when I took this image of one flying over the winter marsh. The sky in this frame looks a bit nasty because of our infamous winter inversion that most of our lawmakers care little about.<\/p>\n

The Great Blue Herons are already gathering on the rookery nearby even though the marsh is still icy, spring isn’t so far away now and they know it.<\/p>\n

Other birds were also gathered in the same area including California and Ring-billed Gulls and American Crows. I was disappointed that the air boat scared away the crows before I could really get locked on to them. I now regret not having taken images of the crows the first time I went past them, I despise those kind of regrets. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.<\/p>\n

It is winter here but the birds know that spring is around the corner and more gatherings like the ones I saw two days ago will happen again and I hope I am able to slow down and enjoy it.<\/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":"

It is winter here but the birds know that spring is around the corner and more gatherings like the ones I saw two days ago will happen again and I hope I am able to slow down and enjoy it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141123,"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":[27,1022,697,362,135,26],"tags":[4272,743,351,4052,6949,363,877,707,771,6948,4009,4166,6951,313,3996,5992,6950,373],"class_list":["post-55867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-great-egrets","category-pied-billed-grebes","category-utah","tag-ardea-alba","tag-egret","tag-egrets","tag-flight","tag-gathering","tag-great-egret","tag-grebe","tag-grebes-2","tag-inversion","tag-matsh","tag-pied-billed-grebe","tag-podilymbus-podiceps","tag-skewer","tag-wading-birds","tag-water","tag-water-dance","tag-wedge","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pied-billed-grebes-two-dozen-mia-mcpherson-5847.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-ex5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6408,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/23\/a-rare-sight-to-see-standing-pied-billed-grebes\/","url_meta":{"origin":55867,"position":0},"title":"Rare Sight to See – Walking And Standing Pied-billed Grebes","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It was an unusual experience to see these Pied-billed Grebes standing upright and walking on the edge of this pond, some might even consider it rare.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Standing Pied-billed Grebe adult, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4888.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4888.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4888.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4888.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4672,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/03\/23\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile\/","url_meta":{"origin":55867,"position":1},"title":"Pied-billed Grebe Juvenile","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"As I observed and photographed this Pied-billed Grebe juvenile it preened some, did a few stretches and fluffed up it feathers.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffed up juvenile Pied-billed Grebe at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-mia-mcpherson-6643.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-mia-mcpherson-6643.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-mia-mcpherson-6643.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-mia-mcpherson-6643.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5346,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/07\/19\/pied-billed-grebe-this-bird-is-a-tease\/","url_meta":{"origin":55867,"position":2},"title":"Pied-billed Grebe ~ This Bird is a Tease","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 19, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This Pied-billed Grebe; photographed at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah, is a tease. Really, it is.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pied-billed Grebe Wing Lift at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4016.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4016.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4016.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4016.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49416,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/13\/pied-billed-grebe-with-prey\/","url_meta":{"origin":55867,"position":3},"title":"Pied-billed Grebe With Prey","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It can be especially fun to watch these small grebes catch a fish to eat and then see the other Pied-billed Grebes nearby try to steal the fish away from it because of the action that can occur.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pied-billed Grebe about to be chased, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-8367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-8367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-8367.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-8367.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":109913,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/01\/30\/fluffy-butt-pied-billed-grebe\/","url_meta":{"origin":55867,"position":4},"title":"Fluffy Butt Pied-billed Grebe","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 30, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"What bird is cuter than a fluffy butt Pied-billed Grebe? There are probably quite a few birds as cute but this one taken four years ago tickled my fancy today.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffy butt Pied-billed Grebe, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-butt-mia-mcpherson-0181.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-butt-mia-mcpherson-0181.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-butt-mia-mcpherson-0181.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-butt-mia-mcpherson-0181.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":116150,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/20\/late-summer-baby-pied-billed-grebes\/","url_meta":{"origin":55867,"position":5},"title":"Late Summer Baby Pied-billed Grebes","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"On my most recent trip to Bear River MBR, I had a huge thrill. I found four baby Pied-billed Grebes still in their striped juvenile plumage in the marsh.","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":"Four baby Pied-billed Grebes in late summer, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/pied-billed-grebe-babies-mia-mcpherson-0852.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/pied-billed-grebe-babies-mia-mcpherson-0852.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/pied-billed-grebe-babies-mia-mcpherson-0852.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/pied-billed-grebe-babies-mia-mcpherson-0852.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\/55867","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=55867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55867\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}