bird ID

Bird Identification From A Partial View

By |2021-07-30T06:35:56-06:00July 30th, 2021|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Green-tailed Towhees, Spotted Towhees, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are times I take cruddy photos on purpose when I know that my view of the entire bird is obstructed and that I might only have a partial view of the bird.

American Tree Sparrow In The Wasatch Mountains

By |2022-04-27T07:41:40-06:00March 6th, 2021|Categories: American Tree Sparrows, Bird ID, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I was thrilled to spot and photograph an adult American Tree Sparrow high in the Wasatch Mountains.

Flocks of Phalaropes In Flight – But Which Species?

By |2023-10-13T06:39:40-06:00July 26th, 2020|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Red-necked Phalaropes, Utah, Wilson's Phalaropes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It is the season of phalarope migration here in the Great Basin hub of the Pacific Flyway and one of the best places to view these shorebirds is along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park.

Gray Flycatcher Perched In Fragrant Sumac

By |2022-05-11T04:07:37-06:00September 8th, 2019|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Box Elder County, Gray Flycatchers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As it turns out this flycatcher gave me a wonderful behavioral clue that made identifying it a little easier for me because I watched it wag its tail slowly up and down repeatedly while perched which Gray Flycatchers are known to do.

How I Know That This A Vesper Sparrow

By |2023-03-07T09:03:31-07:00April 26th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Bird ID, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Vesper Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

The first ID features I noticed yesterday with this Vesper Sparrow were the bright, white eyerings and the rufous lesser coverts and I could make my ID from just those two features.

Female and Male American Kestrel Comparison

By |2024-02-18T18:12:01-07:00December 10th, 2017|Categories: American Kestrels, Bird ID, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've seen people struggle with seeing the differences between male and female American Kestrels and I hope this simple comparison will help.

Juvenile Vesper Sparrow in Southwest Montana

By |2023-03-07T07:09:10-07:00December 2nd, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Vesper Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have seen very few juvenile Vesper Sparrows and I have just a handful of images of them so when I spot one in good light I certainly want to do my best to photograph it.

Mountain Plovers – Comparing two similar looking species

By |2024-01-15T10:21:39-07:00April 23rd, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-bellied Plovers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Killdeer, Mountain Plovers, Pinellas County, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are a few similar species that occur in Utah and surrounding states that could be confused with Mountain Plovers.

Different plumage phases of Red-breasted Merganser Drakes

By |2021-06-14T19:15:02-06:00February 4th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-breasted Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Awhile back someone told me that Mergansers don't change their plumage seasonally, which is of course incorrect as all three species of mergansers that live in North America do.

The answer to the Gull and Tern Quiz is…

By |2016-12-07T12:12:15-07:00January 28th, 2013|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Gulls, Herring Gulls, Laughing Gulls, Royal Terns|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The majority of you voted for the correct answer: Juvenile Herring Gull, 1st winter Laughing Gull and Royal Tern

Immature Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Ferruginous and Swainson’s Hawks

By |2024-03-16T05:08:17-06:00January 27th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Davis County, Ferruginous Hawks, Montana, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I thought I would post images of the juvenile Buteos that I see most often in Utah and Montana, they are Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Ferruginous and Swainson's Hawks.

Gull and Tern Quiz

By |2021-08-27T12:35:15-06:00January 26th, 2013|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Gulls|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I came across this image this morning while working up my post Bird images from warmer days and all at 300mm or less and thought it might make a great image for a Bird ID Quiz.

Comparing Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night Herons

By |2021-05-13T06:37:27-06:00January 22nd, 2013|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bird ID, Black-crowned Night Herons, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Utah, Yellow-crowned Night Herons|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The adult Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night Herons aren't terribly difficult to tell apart though the juveniles can be more of a challenge.

The ID of the female duck is…

By |2024-01-13T02:32:17-07:00January 10th, 2013|Categories: Bird ID, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Green-winged Teals, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The answer to the ID quiz is a female Green-winged Teal! Out of 49 people taking the quiz there were 6 votes for Mallard, 8 votes for Blue-winged Teal, 9 votes for Gadwall and 26 votes for Green-winged Teal.

Female Duck ID Quiz

By |2016-12-07T12:12:22-07:00January 8th, 2013|Categories: Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Swans, Ducks and Geese, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this female duck yesterday morning at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah, she was on ice that was covered by frost flowers and was moving towards a group of males that were in open water.

Black-necked Stilts

By |2023-08-28T03:49:55-06:00April 28th, 2012|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-necked Stilts, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Black-necked Stilts have returned from their wintering grounds to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and other locations in Utah. Black-necked Stilts are black and white shorebirds with long pink to reddish legs, thin black bills and lovely red eyes.

Chukars in Western Habitat

By |2021-09-06T04:55:04-06:00March 10th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Chukars are not native to North America, they were introduced as game birds and in some areas they have thrived, one of those locations is Antelope Island State Park in northern Utah.

Rough-legged Hawks

By |2021-11-06T11:09:51-06:00November 13th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Eureka! The Rough-legged Hawks are back from their high subarctic and Arctic breeding grounds and they seem to be showing up in larger numbers than I have seen them since I moved to Utah.

Friday Photos: A Friendly Swainson’s Hawk

By |2021-03-31T17:50:56-06:00June 3rd, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Portraits, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last Friday I came upon this Swainson's Hawk; not just once but twice, perched on signs very close to the road.

Northern Harrier in Low Light

By |2020-03-02T19:14:20-07:00May 16th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't mind the motion blur in these images and because northern harriers hunt by looking down at the ground for their prey I was very happy to get eye contact in both frames.

Shorebirds: Spotted Sandpipers

By |2021-05-07T16:04:25-06:00April 10th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Spotted Sandpipers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Spotted Sandpipers are fun to watch as they walk along the shoreline as they teeter, bob and bounce their rear ends up and down.

Common and Red-breasted Mergansers

By |2024-03-13T10:33:58-06:00March 20th, 2011|Categories: Bird ID, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-breasted Mergansers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Mergansers are considered "diving ducks" and one of the things the three species of mergansers found in North America all have in common are their serrated bills.

Bald Eagles – Age Progression from one to five years old

By |2024-03-14T10:12:34-06:00February 16th, 2011|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A simple guide to aging Bald Eagles by their plumage development, legs and their bills with images showing the age progression.

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