Eagles, Sandhill Cranes and More

I took my Dad, my brother in law Frank and my niece Abby out to look at eagles at Farmington Bay today, there were at least 200 eagles and I saw a couple of Sandhill Cranes. Other birds seen:

White Crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Tree Swallow 1st of the year
Red-winged Blackbird
Canada Goose
Ruddy Duck
Bufflehead
Northern Pintail
Mallard
Tundra Swan
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Black-billed magpie
Horned Lark
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Common Merganser
Pied-billed Grebe
American Coot
Marsh Wren
Great Blue Heron

Here are a few pictures

Sandhill Cranes

This juvenile Bald Eagle was very tame and allowed people to get closer than I have ever seen an eagle allow people to  to approach them without flying off.

Springtime in the Marsh

Human and animal behavior is not that different. 

I was amused by this couple, Mr. Goose persistence while just getting the cold shoulder

Sunsets My Happy Place Part 4

What is more relaxing, calming, romantic, or beautiful than the splendor of a sunset? I remember sitting on the beach in the Philippines watching the sun set on the Pacific Ocean watching all the shades of red, gold, blue, purple and silver glimmering off the water and changing as the sun sank deeper until it was gone for another day.

Sunsets always make me dream and reflect on life and the beauty of the earth. I find the sunsets at Farmington Bay over the Great Salt Lake no less splendid. Here are some Farmington Bay sunsets I have photographed over the years.

Great Blue Herons

Snowy Egret

Pelicans Heading back to their nests at Gunnison Island after spending the day feeding at the Great Salt Lake wetlands

Tundra Swans and Mallards

Spencer and Rachel

My Happy Place Part 3 Birds and More

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Sometimes while I was taking these pictures I would go out alone and not see another person for hours, I would find a spot and sit and wait for the perfect picture and take in the incredible beauty of these incredible wetlands.

Marsh Wren
I sat in the middle of a thorny greasewood bush for over an hour to get this picture along with some pictures of Ruby-crowned Kinglets that happened to be there that day

Western Kingbird
My Hook Bird

Tree Swallows

Female Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)

Female Ring-necked Pheasant

Rabbit Bush

Great-tailed Grackle
Like the Eurasian Collared Dove, five years ago these birds were not found at Farmington Bay, in the last couple of years they are nesting there and becoming a common sight

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
I got this picture the same time I got the picture of the Marsh Wren above. I was scratched to pieces by the time I was done but it was worth it.

Lark Sparrow

Marbled Godwit

This Male was courting her hot and heavey and she was playing hard to get

This Sun Dog was perfect and lasted a long time one May morning a couple of years ago

This is the only picture I have been able to get of Cattle Egret

The most elegant bird in the marsh
Snowy Egret

Forster's Tern

Goose Egg Island

Short-eared Owl

Barn Swallow

My Happy Place Part 2 More Pictures of Farmington Bay

When I set out to take pictures of Farmington Bay for the slideshow, I wanted to get pictures of birds, the landscape and plants and all seasons of the year. It took three years thousands of pictures and a lot of patience. Here are some more of those pictures.

Loggerhead Shrike

Cattails

Beaver House

Spillway Farmington Creek

Eurasian Collared Dove, five years ago I had never seen one, now they are quite common.

One of the cub scouts watching waterfowl from the deck of the nature center

This scout was picking cheatgrass out of his socks during a work project

Common Yellow-throat, one of the more difficult birds I have photographed

A dust-bow

The deck of the Nature Center

Gadwall in courtship flight

Green-winged Teal

Marsh Wren another difficult bird to photograph

Bulrush and Sunflowers

Common Goldeneye, Gadwall and Hooded Merganser

Western Meadowlark

Female American Kestrel

Willet

Black-necked Stilt