{"id":66237,"date":"2020-03-06T09:56:05","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T16:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=66237"},"modified":"2025-09-11T06:48:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T11:48:21","slug":"i-heard-my-first-of-season-greater-yellowlegs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/06\/i-heard-my-first-of-season-greater-yellowlegs\/","title":{"rendered":"I Heard My First of Season Greater Yellowlegs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GreaterGreater Yellowlegs foraging in shallow water \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days ago I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge enjoying the grand views, the birds, the peace, the sounds of nature, and the solitude I find there. I needed to spend time there. Things have been hectic for me lately and a visit to the refuge helps to calm me in the midst of the craziness of life.<\/p>\n

It wasn’t terrifically birdy yet because we are in between winter and the start of spring migration but that doesn’t mean I didn’t find some first of the year birds. I heard but didn’t see my first of the year Savannah Sparrows and even though I looked hard I couldn’t spot them. I adore the sweet calls of those sparrows.<\/p>\n

I also heard but didn’t see my first of year Greater Yellowlegs and although their calls aren’t as melodic as those of Savannah Sparrows it was still music to my ears.<\/p>\n

Listen to the calls of a Greater Yellowlegs here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Greater Yellowlegs pass through Utah on their way to their breeding grounds, they breed from southwestern Canada northward into Alaska. They migrate through Utah earlier than some other shorebirds. I wish I could have seen and photographed the yellowlegs two mornings ago but hearing them was a delight.<\/p>\n

I photographed this Greater Yellowlegs in August of 2018 at the refuge as it foraged in the shallow waters of the marsh. At that time I was also able to take some photos of it lifting off to avoid an avocet with an attitude that seemed dead set on chasing it away. After about 3 or four charges by the avocet the yellowlegs took off and flew far away into the marsh.<\/p>\n

I hope that the next time I go to the refuge I will be able to hear and see some Greater Yellowlegs.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I also heard but didn’t see my first of year Greater Yellowlegs and although their calls aren’t as melodic as those of Savannah Sparrows it was still music to my ears.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155346,"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":[124,27,1148,596,26],"tags":[4004,2304,4136,4105,4094,958,1735,6197,274,5690,3996,4095,373,5127],"class_list":["post-66237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-greater-yellowlegs","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-calls","tag-foraging","tag-greater-yellowlegs","tag-marsh","tag-reflections","tag-shallow","tag-shallow-water","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-tringa-melanoleuca","tag-water","tag-wetlands","tag-winter","tag-yellowlegs"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/greater-yellowlegs-reflection-mia-mcpherson-7093.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-hel","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":53656,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/08\/20\/greater-yellowlegs-landing-lifting-off-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":66237,"position":0},"title":"Greater Yellowlegs Landing & Lifting Off At Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Because of the avocet's determination to chase off this Greater Yellowlegs I was able to photograph it lifting off from the water with water still dripping from its feet and with the shorebird's head framed by its wings.","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":"Greater Yellowlegs lifting off, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, 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still, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/lesser-yellowlegs-pond-mia-mcpherson-2666.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/lesser-yellowlegs-pond-mia-mcpherson-2666.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/lesser-yellowlegs-pond-mia-mcpherson-2666.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/lesser-yellowlegs-pond-mia-mcpherson-2666.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39075,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/30\/trio-of-greater-yellowlegs\/","url_meta":{"origin":66237,"position":3},"title":"Trio of Greater Yellowlegs","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 30, 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