A pair of avocets forage on the Great Salt Lake in Utah as fall approaches. In spring and summer, avocets are in their breeding plumage and their neck and breast feathers turn rusty brown. Here, the avocets have taken on their wintering plumage and their feathers have turned white.
A flock of avocets feed at evening in the Great Salt Lake, Utah. The birds are starting to lose their breeding plumage.
An avocet searching for food at evening on the Great Salt Lake.
A coyote scours the Great Salt Lake coast looking for foraging shorebirds. Most Americans see coyotes are seen as pests, and a threat to livestock and pets. In reality though, they are a critical part of the ecosystem and keep many small animal, bird and rodent population in check.
Western Spotted Orb Weaver Feeding on a Green Darner
A female western spotted orb weaver spider feeds on a green darner dragonfly caught in its web. My wife and I saw this dragonfly getting stuck in the web and the spider was on it in an instant. It moved away as I set up my camera, but came back in a few seconds once it realized I was not a threat. Spiders use different kinds of web materials for different parts of the web as well as tying up its prey as seen here.
