There is something so magical yet quite indescribable about visiting a wetland as the sun retires for the day, especially when the backdrop is a mesmerizing sunset loaded with color.
Add to it a chorus of squabbling Canada geese and a few flocks of migrating tundra swans in the background and you have the age-old recipe of a very enchanting evening, to say the least.
Oh, how I love a good sunset, and one that is played out on a stage like what I had tonight at the Farmington Bay great blue heron rookery is nothing short of captivating.
It wasn’t a grand sunset by any stretch of the imagination, small but perfectly filling the skyline right behind the heron rookery.
In fact, last night’s sunset over the Great Salt Lake was quite a bit more impressive in size and shape, and why I hiked nearly 4 miles roundtrip to try and capture it over the receding waters of the lake.
But tonight’s sunset was, however, big enough for me to capture some incredible images of the Farmington Bay great blue heron rookery in a way most people never get to see.
I won’t go into the details on how to photograph a sunset as I covered that in a blog post on my photography website for those interested.
My hope here is to help others find and hold onto a great appreciation for nature in all its glory by encouraging people to get out and enjoy places like the Farmington Bay great blue heron rookery at sunset, or any other time one can visit for that matter.
When you look around Farmington Bay, houses and the next segment of the Legacy Highway are being built just outside its borders.
This piece of ground is literally all that is left of open space and wildlands in this part of the county.
Farmington Bay is a vital and very important piece of wildlife habitat for the Wasatch Front, not only because of the thousands of acres of wetlands it protects for migratory birds but also for the opportunity it gives for bird watching, outdoor photography, nature walks, and a place for getting away from the asphalt and steel jungle for a few moments if for nothing else, something we all need from time to time if truth be told.
I love nature and getting out and enjoying a day outdoors, capped with a colorful sunset is what I would call a perfect day, to say the least.
We are very fortunate to have the great blue heron rookery at Farmington Bay, a place where bird watchers and photographers alike can come and enjoy nature in a variety of ways.
I regularly come to Farmington Bay to watch and photograph the great blue herons, but when I see soft clouds hanging over the horizon as evening approaches, my mind always goes into sunset mode like it did tonight.
I can’t explain it and, unfortunately, a camera can’t fully capture it, but a colorful sunset behind the great blue heron rookery at Farmington Bay just has to be experienced in person to get the full effect.
For the next several months, the great blue heron rookery will be quite active as herons are now just starting to use the structure with adult birds pairing up and sorting out who gets which nesting platform.
And before we know it the sound of great blue heron chicks calling for food will be filling the airways as another breeding season is now underway.
For those interested in bird watching and nature, I offer you to head on over to my subscribe page and sign up for email notifications for future blog posts about places such as the Farmington Bay great blue heron rookery.
We also have a small but growing YouTube channel where we occasionally post short video updates about the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and other places when conditions allow.
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