Powell Slough Waterfowl Management Area

To get to the Powell Slough Waterfowl Management Area you just need to drive west from UVU until you reach the end of the road. I've been there twice and haven't seen any waterfowl, but I've seen other birds. Last time I brought the camera with me.

The first bird I spotted, aside from Robins and Starlings, was this bright yellow guy. I believe that it's a Bullock's Oriole.

I spotted a timid little bird that I thought was just a house sparrow, but I am now sure that it is a Lincoln's Sparrow.

This Yellow Warbler was much easier to notice. It lived up to it's name, singing non-stop.

The entire area is covered with reeds and I wasn't surprised to find a lot of Red-Winged Blackbirds. They are good at noticing me from a distance and not letting me get close.

Another bird didn't care about distance at all. This Eastern Kingbird followed us around for a while and didn't mind posing.

I can't identify any of the birds in this last picture because of the distance, but I think it's cool. The smaller birds were mobbing the large raptor to keep it away from their territory. It's a lot bigger than they are, but they had an easy time out-maneuvering it.

You don't have to go far to see nature in action.

Birds at Work (part 3)

There are still more birds to get pictures of around Novell campus. I got some of the little sandpiper-like bird and was able to identify it as a Killdeer.

I read that they are named after the noise they make, but this one has always been silent.

I was also able to get a better picture of an American Goldfinch. I saw a lot of these near the Provo River, so I'll have to take the camera there next and try to get better pictures.

The barn swallow chicks have hatched. I wanted to get a better peek at them, but one of the parents caught us and did it's best to scare us or lure us away. I didn't want to stress the poor bird out.

The parent kept a close eye on us as we left.

I also got a good shot of some neighborly cliff swallows.

This is just another robin, but I caught it with its mouth stuffed full of berries.

This is a Red-Winged Blackbird. He hangs out at the marshy pond on the south-east corner of the campus. I've noticed these guys like reeds.

In the same area, I found what is by far the biggest bird I've seen around here. This Great Blue Heron must have been feasting on the plentiful carp in the pond. 

Unfortunately, even staying back and using the camera's full 42x zoom, I made it nervous and it flew away. It had a massive wingspan. I hope I'll see it again soon.

Birds at Work (part 2)

There are still a lot of birds around Novell campus waiting to get their pictures taken. To start off this post, I have some unfinished business to take care of. Here is a male Brewer's Blackbird--one of the really black ones.

Some Barn Swallows were industriously building their nests on some nearby buildings. They must make hundreds of trips to the nearby stream for mouthfuls of mud.

 We heard a pretty song and after trying for a while to get a shot of the source, this little House Finch came out of his tree for a drink.

Strutting across a nearby restaurant was what I at first thought was a crow, but am now sure is a Great-tailed Grackle. I was tipped off by a brown female with the same shape in the grass nearby.

Later in the day I went for another walk and got one clear shot of a little yellow bird. I couldn't decide for a while if it was a female American Goldfinch or Lesser Goldfinch, but finally decided it must be the former because of it's light leg color.

I want a better picture of one of these, and a picture of a male. There is also still some kind of sandpiper I've seen around that I need to get a good shot of. I'll have to keep taking my wife's camera to work until I do.

Birds at Work

During lunch at work I like to go for walks around the area. It's a nice campus with a stream and lots of birds, especially ducks. Now I've been able to photograph and identify some of them. There are others that I still can't identify and some that weren't present today.

The easiest to find and and photograph are the mallards. They are everywhere and are more likely to run towards you for food than to run away. 

Some of these ducks limp. I read that eating too much bread can leave ducks less hungry for nutritious foods and weaken their bodies and bones, so think twice before feeding them.

Brewer's Blackbirds are common and some of them have started acting very aggressive whenever humans pass by. I noticed that I didn't get any pictures of the really black ones, so I'll have to try again later.

The nearby overpass makes a perfect home for Cliff Swallows. I hope I can get some shots of the babies when they are ready to start peeking out.