I came across this juvenile American white pelican early one morning in a ditch close to the Great Salt Lake. I liked the diffused light and the dark background which set off the pelican and its reflection.
Male yellow-headed blackbirds are striking looking birds with their black and bright yellow plumage. One of the images I had envisioned of this species was in its spring habitat where the blackbird would stand out against the green surroundings. So, I was happy to see this blackbird fly into a pack of reeds and show up a few moments later. It stayed for a few seconds before darting back into the reeds, but that was enough for me to fire a couple of shots.
An yellow-headed blackbird in northern Utah rests among dried rushes as it returns back to its breeding area in early spring. Birds lose much of their body weight during migration and need a lot of food to recoup their lost energy. The availability of food, such as the insects or seeds, is critical to their survival at this point. Here, I could see the blackbird was busy consuming newly hatched midges, gnats and flies in the rushes.
