{"id":8095,"date":"2013-04-13T06:58:23","date_gmt":"2013-04-13T12:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=8095"},"modified":"2025-11-17T06:15:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T12:15:04","slug":"a-few-bird-images-from-this-past-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/04\/13\/a-few-bird-images-from-this-past-week\/","title":{"rendered":"A Few Bird Images From This Past Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CallingMale Long-billed Curlew calling<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of fluctuating weather I have only gotten out to photograph three times this past week, on the days I didn’t get out I know I was having withdrawals because it is spring migration and I’m excited to see my first of years birds and to photograph the ones that have already returned.<\/p>\n

Last Saturday the weather was a bit on the gloomy side but I went to Antelope Island anyway to meet up with Steve Creek<\/span><\/a> who was camping on the island and visiting from Arkansas. Before seeing Steve I took this image of a male Long-billed Curlew calling. The bills of male Long-billed Curlews are shorter than the bills of females.<\/p>\n

Steve didn’t stay in Utah as long as he hoped because our weather turned nasty with a storm front coming in and rain\/snow in the forecast. The winds got pretty bad ahead of that front.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Mountain Plover<\/span><\/p>\n

The highlight of the week was when I spotted, pointed out, and photographed a pair of Mountain Plovers on Antelope Island State Park. Mountain Plovers\u00a0 are rare to Utah and they were lifer birds for me. I sent in my report to the Utah Bird Records Committee along with a few images.<\/p>\n

Who knew that sighting small shorebirds could cause such an uproar?<\/p>\n

There were people trying to take credit for the rare birds that I<\/strong><\/em> found and identified and birders getting nasty about bird photographers. It was ugly.<\/p>\n

Anyway, I took loads of images of the pair of Mountain Plovers that I am very happy with. I suspect there are more of these beautiful shorebirds in Utah this time of the year but they might be located in areas that are under birded or inaccessible to the general public.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Egret stalking prey<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge I saw a few first of year birds for me, two Great Egrets, a few Snowy Egrets and Clark’s Grebes delighted me. I also spotted a Rough-legged Hawk from a distance, all the Roughies will soon be gone.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Avocet in flight<\/span><\/p>\n

Black-necked Stilts and American Avocet numbers are on the increase at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge and their calls are filling the air.\u00a0 This one flew past me and seemed to beg me to take pictures of it. Okay, the bird didn’t beg, I simply could not resist taking images of it.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Avocets mating<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking of “not being able to resist”, these two American Avocets couldn’t resist courting and mating yesterday. I wish they had been a bit closer but I feel lucky to have gotten the images I did of them because they mate very quickly. You can’t blink while they are mating or you will miss it.<\/p>\n

I’m hoping the weather this upcoming week is better so I can experience more of the wonders of migration.<\/p>\n

I tripped yesterday in a parking lot which literally brought me to my knees. My knees are scraped up and\u00a0bruised and although I was embarrassed by my lack of grace, I’ll be fine.<\/p>\n

Even though I only got out to photograph birds three times this week each of the days I did get out were very memorable!<\/p>\n

Have a great Saturday.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my bid photos in their galleries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even though I only got out to photograph birds three times this week each of the days I did get out were very memorable!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":139465,"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":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[451,511,124,27,362,199,2188,7646,26],"tags":[1634,2190,4272,5828,5350,4808,4809,351,363,4132,2189,4133,5841,275,1902,2191,4177,274,313],"class_list":["post-8095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-avocets","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-great-egrets","category-long-billed-curlews","category-mountain-plovers","category-rarities","category-utah","tag-american-avocet","tag-anarhynchus-montanus","tag-ardea-alba","tag-avocet","tag-avocets","tag-curlew","tag-curlews","tag-egrets","tag-great-egret","tag-long-billed-curlew","tag-mountain-plover","tag-numenius-americanus","tag-plover","tag-plovers","tag-rare","tag-rarity","tag-recurvirostra-americana","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-wading-birds"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mountain-plover-mia-mcpherson-6581.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-26z","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":101253,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/31\/spring-long-billed-curlew-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":8095,"position":0},"title":"Spring Long-billed Curlew Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I spotted and pointed out this Long-billed Curlew foraging and calling in the grasses of the north end of Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Alert male Long-billed Curlew in soft morning light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-spring-mia-mcpherson-6441.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-spring-mia-mcpherson-6441.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-spring-mia-mcpherson-6441.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-spring-mia-mcpherson-6441.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8152,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/04\/20\/a-simple-long-billed-curlew-post\/","url_meta":{"origin":8095,"position":1},"title":"Simple Long-billed Curlew Post","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This is just a simple Long-billed Curlew post with images I took not long before I discovered the Mountain Plovers on April 10th on Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew about to lift off, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/long-billed-curlew-lift-off-mia-mcpherson-5617.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/long-billed-curlew-lift-off-mia-mcpherson-5617.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/long-billed-curlew-lift-off-mia-mcpherson-5617.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/long-billed-curlew-lift-off-mia-mcpherson-5617.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4785,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/04\/14\/long-billed-curlews-a-territorial-encounter\/","url_meta":{"origin":8095,"position":2},"title":"Long-billed Curlews – A Territorial Encounter","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 14, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday on Antelope Island State Park I witnessed and photographed a territorial encounter between two Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) males that occurred while a female was nearby.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew Appeasement behavior on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-fight-mia-mcpherson-3803.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-fight-mia-mcpherson-3803.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-fight-mia-mcpherson-3803.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-fight-mia-mcpherson-3803.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8503,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/06\/01\/the-candlestick-birds-long-billed-curlews\/","url_meta":{"origin":8095,"position":3},"title":"Candlestick Birds – Long-billed Curlews","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been enjoying seeing Long-billed Curlews for several weeks now in northern Utah. These large shorebirds birds are also called \"Candlestick birds\" and \"Sickle Birds\" because of their long bills.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew in a field of Cheatgrass, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/long-billed-curlew-mia-mcpherson-7367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/long-billed-curlew-mia-mcpherson-7367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/long-billed-curlew-mia-mcpherson-7367.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/long-billed-curlew-mia-mcpherson-7367.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8366,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/05\/16\/male-long-billed-curlew-in-flight\/","url_meta":{"origin":8095,"position":4},"title":"Male Long-billed Curlew In Flight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week; while fighting off a bloodsucking cloud of no-see-ums, I was able to photograph this male Long-billed Curlew as it flew past me.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Long-billed Curlew flying over Antelope Island, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-flying-mia-mcpherson-5425.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-flying-mia-mcpherson-5425.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-flying-mia-mcpherson-5425.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-flying-mia-mcpherson-5425.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45849,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/29\/long-billed-curlews-the-candlestick-birds\/","url_meta":{"origin":8095,"position":5},"title":"Long-billed Curlews – The Candlestick Birds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I saw quite a few Long-billed Curlews yesterday wandering in the spring grasses and this time I was able to get nice images of them. Nicknames for Long-billed Curlews include \"sicklebird\" and \"candlestick bird.\"","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew in the midst of preening, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/long-billed-curlew-preening-mia-mcpherosn-0722.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/long-billed-curlew-preening-mia-mcpherosn-0722.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/long-billed-curlew-preening-mia-mcpherosn-0722.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/long-billed-curlew-preening-mia-mcpherosn-0722.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\/8095","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=8095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}