{"id":79531,"date":"2021-02-18T05:34:24","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T12:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=79531"},"modified":"2025-10-09T18:13:04","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T23:13:04","slug":"winter-american-coot-portraits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/02\/18\/winter-american-coot-portraits\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter American Coot Portraits"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FebruaryFebruary American Coot portrait \u2013 Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/4000, ISO 1000, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

After an extremely snowy night and morning I was able to get out yesterday afternoon and take some wintry American Coot portraits close to home.<\/p>\n

This American Coot was so close to me that I wasn’t sure I was going to obtain images of it that were sharply in focus. I was pleased with how crisp the portraits actually especially considering that I forgot to set my ISO lower. The last time I had been out to photograph birds the light was awful so I had raised it to ISO 1000. Normally in brighter conditions I would have it set at ISO 500 or lower. Oops!<\/p>\n

I am happy with the sharpness, the fine feather details, and the close up view of coot’s red eye. The water droplets on the bill of the coot were an lovely bonus.<\/p>\n

\"SnowySnowy American Coot portrait \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/4000, ISO 1000, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When the American Coot moved slightly there was a mound of snow behind its face when I took this portrait. The coot’s dark feathers stood out well from the bright, white background.<\/p>\n

Substantial snowfall took a long time to arrive here in the Salt Lake Valley this winter but when it finally arrived it dumped on us and broke two records.<\/p>\n

Yesterday 11.7 inches of snow fell at the Salt Lake City International Airport<\/span><\/a> which broke the previous record set in 1926.<\/p>\n

The second record we broke here yesterday was the highest snow total all-time in Salt Lake City for the month of February. The previous daily record for the month was 10.9 inches on February 1, 1989. We needed this moisture.<\/p>\n

The snow was beautiful and the storm itself was impressive.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

After an extremely snowy night and morning I was able to get out yesterday afternoon and take some wintry American Coot portraits close to home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":159642,"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":[137,27,709,26],"tags":[4004,4010,4142,2772,2773,4121,10698,1984,4046,4050,4328,8018,16369,373],"class_list":["post-79531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-coots","category-avian","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-coot","tag-close-up","tag-coot","tag-coots","tag-fulica-americana","tag-park","tag-pond","tag-portrait","tag-snow","tag-snowy","tag-urban","tag-willow-pond-park","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-winter-portrait-mia-mcpherson-3710.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-kGL","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":109807,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/01\/24\/two-american-coot-portraits\/","url_meta":{"origin":79531,"position":0},"title":"Two American Coot Portraits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I like these two American Coot portraits that I took at my local pond two years ago. The snowy background on one and the gray in the other set off the coots.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Coot with snowy background, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/american-coot-portrait-snowbank-mia-mcpherson-3734.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/american-coot-portrait-snowbank-mia-mcpherson-3734.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/american-coot-portrait-snowbank-mia-mcpherson-3734.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/american-coot-portrait-snowbank-mia-mcpherson-3734.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44150,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/29\/winter-american-coot-portrait\/","url_meta":{"origin":79531,"position":1},"title":"Winter American Coot Portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"When the birds settled back down on the pond this American Coot walked up onto the shore with the open water behind it and I couldn't resist taking portraits of it.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Coot portrait, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9258.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9258.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9258.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-portrait-mia-mcpherson-9258.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":120144,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/26\/im-still-looking-for-this-leucistic-american-coot\/","url_meta":{"origin":79531,"position":2},"title":"I’m Still Looking For This Leucistic American Coot","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I remember feeling very thrilled when I found this leucistic American Coot on January 2, 2023. I'd been hoping to find a leucistic coot for quite a long time.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Unusual leucistic American Coot, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/american-coot-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-2911.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/american-coot-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-2911.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/american-coot-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-2911.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/american-coot-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-2911.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55009,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/11\/16\/charging-american-coot-portrait-communicating-by-posture\/","url_meta":{"origin":79531,"position":3},"title":"Charging American Coot Portrait – Communicating By Posture","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this American Coot in February when parts of my local pond were frozen which caused a restriction in the space where the coots, ducks, geese and grebes could feed and there were many territorial squabbles to photograph.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Charging American Coot portrait, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-attack-posture-mia-mcpherson-3218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-attack-posture-mia-mcpherson-3218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-attack-posture-mia-mcpherson-3218.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-attack-posture-mia-mcpherson-3218.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":109268,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/01\/03\/leucistic-american-coot-in-salt-lake-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":79531,"position":4},"title":"Leucistic American Coot In Salt Lake County","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 3, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"After shoveling more snow I wanted to go to my local pond to see what was there. My jaw dropped when I found a foraging leucistic American Coot.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Leucistic American Coot in low light, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/american-coot-leucistic-mia-mpcherson-7236.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/american-coot-leucistic-mia-mpcherson-7236.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/american-coot-leucistic-mia-mpcherson-7236.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/american-coot-leucistic-mia-mpcherson-7236.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62047,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/12\/14\/winter-american-coot-close-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":79531,"position":5},"title":"Winter American Coot Close Up","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"When the American Coots come close to me I am also able to take portraits of them that show their red eyes and their ivory colored bills with their reddish-brown frontal shields.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Coot close up in low light, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-close-up-low-light-mia-mcpherson-3138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-close-up-low-light-mia-mcpherson-3138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-close-up-low-light-mia-mcpherson-3138.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-close-up-low-light-mia-mcpherson-3138.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\/79531","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=79531"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79531\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}