Utah:The Great Salt Lake & Beyond 2025 - Session 1

Tour Times

Monday Afternoon, May 5 - Saturday Morning, May 10, 2025

• recommend travel days prior and after

• tour times on full days will be from sunrise to sunset

Location

Salt Lake City, Utah (meeting at an agreed location each day)

Species

We will likely have ample opportunities with the following species:

• American Avocet

• Eared Grebe

• Western Grebe

• Black-necked Stilt

• Cinnamon Teal

• Loggerhead Shrike

• Western Meadowlark

• Horned Lark

• Willet

• Rock Wren

• Yellow-headed Blackbird

• Red-winged Blackbird

• Say’s Phoebe

• Western Kingbird

• Cliff Swallow

• Sage Thrasher

• Sagebrush Sparrow

• Brewer’s Sparrow

Possible Species

• Red-necked Phalarope

• Wilson’s Phalarope

• Long-billed Curlew

• Lark Sparrow

• Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay

• Long-billed Dowitcher

• Green-winged Teal

• Blue-winged Teal

• Common Raven

• Great Blue Heron

• Burrowing Owl

• Short-eared Owl

• Barn Owl

• Great Horned Owl

• Savannah Sparrow

• Franklin’s Gull

• Chukar

• Black-billed Magpie

• Bullock’s Oriole

• White Pelican

Weather Dependent Species

• Black Rosy Finch

• Gray-crowned Rosy Finch

• Mountain Chickadee

• Pine Siskin

• Stellar’s Jay

• Clark’s Nutcracker

• Dark-eyed Junco

• Hairy Woodpecker

• Northern Flicker

• Cassin’s Finch

Cost

• $3,000 (Airfare, hotel, meals and transportation and park entrance fees are not included.)

• $750 non-refundable deposit due on signup. Balance of $2,250 due by March 1, 2025

• Free 2 Hour Image Review and Processing Bonus Session after the tour to help with processing questions

Objective

To come home with high-quality and memorable images of the diverse birdlife of Utah.

Description

The Great Salt Lake and surrounding environments are some of the most spectacular settings for bird photography that I have ever visited. Snow capped mountains are in every direction and there are an abundance of birds and habitats to photograph in. The Great Salt Lake can be filled with Avocets, Eared Grebes, Willets and Black-necked Stilts, but this is just the start of your photographic journey at this location. Utah is rich in bird life and we will be spending time photographing in a multitude of habitats. From the Great Salt Lake to nearby marshes, to expanses of sagebrush and to the top of the mountain, each location will bring a new set of birds and new types of photographs to create.

Travel

Fly into Salt Lake City, Utah. (hotel recommendations and exact locations to be given after deposit). You will be responsible for renting your own vehicle and your own transportation and lodging. 

Hotel 

TBD

Schedule

Morning Sessions: we will meet at our agreed upon locations at sunrise, so expect to be up early enough to arrive at our shooting locations and be ready to shoot at sunrise. If we have full sun then we will stop after the light gets harsh and go back to the hotel. If we have cloudy weather then we can stay out much longer and photograph many of the local songbirds. 

Lunch Time: Optional image review session where we will review the images from the morning. We will work on things like processing and composition and I will make suggestions or answer any questions. 

After Lunch: we will have some personal time before our evening sessions.

Evening sessions: we will arrive at our evening locations leaving time for some scouting and preparing for the best light of the day. On cloudy days we will limit our lunch and image review time to shoot as long as possible.

In order to make the most of our time and come home with as many high quality images as possible, expect to leave each day early and come back late.

Meals

Most hotels offer a continental breakfast that opens at 6:00 a.m. but we will often be at our shooting locations before that. Be prepared to bring some snacks or protein bars to hold you over while out in the field. Also bring plenty of water.  Lunch and dinner is with the group, if you desire.

What to Bring 

Photography Gear

• There are a large variety of birds which we will photograph between 400mm-600mm (minimum focal length of at least 400mm lens is required). A prime lens or telephoto zoom would be ideal.

• If you own a telephoto prime and a zoom I highly recommend that you bring both,

• The landscapes are amazing and we will spend time photographing some subjects small in frame. A 70-200, 100-400 or 100-500, or 200-600 can be great for those situations,

• 1.4 teleconverter is optional but highly recommended,

• I recommend bringing a backup camera,

• Bring lots of extra batteries and a rapid charger,

• Bring as many  memory cards with as much storage as you can as it is not uncommon to fill up 320gb or more in a single session,

• I also highly recommend bringing a laptop or other external storage to transfer your images from your memory cards,

Other Gear

• Ground pod (highly recommended), monopod or tripod -  whatever you prefer to shoot with.

• Plenty of garbage bags to store muddy clothes in your car.

• Wet wipes to clean your hands if they get muddy.

Clothes

• Insulated waders 

• Waterproof Coverall or Anorak 

• Muck Boots

Weather

We will be out in all weather conditions and will shoot in the sun, snow or rain. It can be very cold in late April and early May in Utah. Morning temperatures can be at or below freezing on occasion. There can be periods of snow, especially at higher elevations. It can also be quite warm with temperatures getting into the 80’s as well.  I recommend layers so that you can shed them as the temperature warms up. Also, it can be very cold and snowy at the top of the mountain so be prepared with ample warm clothing. 

Physical Activity

Be prepared for mud. Lots of it. The edges of the salt lake and other areas that we will visit are quite mucky and you will get very wet and muddy. We will be photographing many species at water level with the birds so expect to be laying down at the water’s edge and in the mud. For most other species there are only short walks from the car to the best shooting areas. I will provide yoga mats to lay on and also camouflage coverings as needed. We may also go up to the top of some local mountains for some montane species and you may need to walk in snow up there. 

My Responsibilities

I will get you in front of the birds and assist in creating the highest quality photos as possible with each opportunity we have. I will help with obtaining the most pleasing backgrounds and compositions. I will help with field craft techniques and with attracting the birds when needed. I will also put us in the most productive spots to be able to produce high quality photographs of  the highest species diversity possible. I will be there to answer all questions and to help facilitate any other needs you may have.

My Ask

Enjoy yourself as much as possible and get cards full of beautiful photos.  I love to talk birds, cameras and gear. I am here to help so anything that you need, please just ask.

Insurance

Travel insurance is strongly encouraged.