American Cliff Swallows and Their Young - II.

Both Cliff Swallow parents participate in caring for the young. They work tirelessly, constantly flying back and forth to the nest with insects to feed their rapidly growing offspring. 

 

Generally, life is good.

Who Feeds on Brine Flies on Antelope Island - III

Mostly I photographed Franklin's gulls running through the clouds of brine flies with their open bills to catch as much flies as possible.  In July, I spotted on the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake Red-necked Phalaropes, also feeding on flies to fuel up for their long migration.

This Phalarope was passively snatching flies from the air while standing and resting.  

The clouds of brine flies can be so thick that they interfere with with cameras' autofocus, and it can sometimes be tricky to focus clearly on the birds behind the swarm of brine flies.  Practice helps and so does patience.

Generally, life is good.

Busy Parents

In July, Western Grebes were busy raising their chicks, feeding them and riding the young on their backs.  

Now, the Grebes  have begun to prepare for their night migration.  The young have matured and have grown new flight feathers, they became independent and strong.

 

Generally, life is good.

Western Grebes Feeding Their Chick

 

As I write this, the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge hosts now quiet a few families of Western Grebes.  The parents are busy raising their chicks, feeding them and riding the young on their backs.  

This time, the parent has caught a small fish and watching closely to see if the chick can swallow it.

The parent will always stay with the chick until he is sure that the chick has not dropped a slippery fish into the water.  

This time the feeding went smoothly and the parents are happy, but a few minutes later the parent is back on the hunt for fish to deliver it to the chick. It's never ending job for adult Western Grebes to keep their chicks fed.

Generally, life is good.

American Coot Parents and Their Chicks

 

American Coot chicks have already matured and are independent.  It happened so fast that it's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago the parents were taking care of the young feeding them incessantly.

  

I recently learned why Coot chicks are red.  It's interesting that Coots mothers add pigments to their yolks.  The more eggs mother lays the more pigment she adds.  In this way she effectively paints her chicks by order of age. 

The bond between parents and chicks is very strong.  There was so much tender care and love in the air.

Diving incessantly for food is quiet tiring, but soon the chicks will become independent and parents will be free again.

Generally, life is good.

Female American Coot is Feeding Her Chick

It was a big surprise to stumble upon the Coot family.  The chicks looked so funny with their yellow-orange downy feathers, bare red and black head and stubby red and orange bill.  

Some Coot chicks were more independent but the chick in the photo above couldn't yet feed itself and was fed by its mother.

Opps,  the chick dropped its food. 

Mother immediately dived into the water and emerged from it with algae. The chick  was obviously looking forward to being fed again.

American Coots are omnivores, they eat seeds of marsh weeds, grasses, algae, fish, worms, snails and eggs of other birds.

Life goes on.

Male Forster's Tern is Feeding His Mate

That evening I spent a long time with female Foster's Tern who was waiting to be fed by her mate.  

That evening everything was just perfect, the female was close to the road, the stormy sky created nice gentle colors, and most importantly I could take as many photos as I wanted.  

The female was very persistent and never stopped asking for food.

Life goes on.

Female Forster's Tern is Waiting for Fish

The flooding of the Bear River has attracted numerous waterfowl to the areas that  are not normally found there during dry years. Yesterday I was lucky enough to watch and photograph a Forster's Tern demanding to be fed by its parents as I thought at first.  

I later changed my mind after a comment I received.  This remark made me question whether it was indeed a juvenile or it was an adult female waiting to be fed by her mate.

That is true that during the mating ritual the male starts offering food to the female, eventually feeding her almost exclusively as they become a pair.

 The female is very impatient in anticipation of food.

In the photo above the male Tern offers fish to his mate who was impatiently waiting for it.

Finding fish is a challenge for Terns.  They have to fly at low altitude, scanning for fish that is close to the surface.  

When Tern finds fish it stops in the air and hovers, waiting for the right moment and then drops straight into the water headfirst, hoping that it can close its beak around the fish.  

Life goes on.

Western Grebes. Just Moments - I.

 

In November I was lucky enough to observe and photograph a family of Western Grebes with their babies.  Such luck does not often visit me.

 

Life goes on.