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

My Happy Place Part 1

I have a file of 350 pictures that I have taken at Farmington Bay that I used to create a DVD slideshow to show at the Farmington Bay Nature Center. I was looking through those pictures tonight and decided to share them. It will be in several posts because there are so many of them. I think you will see why Farmington Bay is my Happy Place, or at least one of my top 5 happy places.

One of the many Scout groups I have worked with over the years. These guys were pulling weeds and planting Salt Grass in the berms at the Nature Center parking lot.

A Killdeer luring us away from it's nest

A view of Antelope Island from Goose Egg Island

Even the bugs are beautiful

I think they are all very optimistic

Buffleheads

Salicornia Utahensis Utah Pickleweed grows in the alkaline soil of the Great Salt Lake wetlands and is just as colorful in the fall as the oak-brush on the mountains

White-faced Ibis

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Barn Owl

Eared Grebe

This Great Egret stayed well into January a few years ago 

Long-billed Dowitchers

American Avocet

 

Ring-necked Pheasant

I hope you all enjoy these pictures of one of the most beautiful places I know.

Birding the Bay with Belle

I went out to Farmington Bay early this morning and took along my trusty side-kick Belle my little Papillon who has become my constant companion. The lighting was not very good so pictures are poor quality but we had a great time.

List of birds seen:
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Loggerhead Shrike
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewers Blackbird
Great Blue Heron
Prairie Falcon
Northern Rough-legged Hawk
Song Sparrow
Marsh Wren
Starling
Ring-necked Pheasant
Ruddy Duck
Lesser Scaup
Mallard
Northern Pintail
American Coot
Pied-billed Grebe
Common Merganser
American Wigeon
Green-winged Teal
Tundra Swan
Canada Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
Lots of Gulls
Ring-billed
California etc.
I am not very good with Gulls, I need go out with someone who is a Gull expert to help me.
Here are some pictures from today's birding

Northern Harrier

Assorted Gulls

Ice Skating Coots

If my feet were that big in proportion to my body I think I would fall flat on my face if I tried to run

Pied-billed Grebe

Tundra Swans

Lesser Scaup Drake

Lesser Scaup Duck

Hotdogs on a Stick? 

Assorted Ducks

Red-tailed Hawk

Ruddy Ducks 

Ring-necked Pheasant

Reflection

Belle hot on the trail of a vole

Eagles on the ice