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World Wetlands Day And Utah’s Abysmal Protections Of Them

By |2024-02-02T06:03:36-06:00February 2nd, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Conservation, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Juab County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today is World Wetlands Day, and we need to protect and preserve our wetlands. Wetlands provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and social benefits.

Light Morph Adult Male Rough-legged Hawk In The Wasatch Mountains

By |2022-01-18T05:43:24-06:00January 18th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Rough-legged Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I photographed a light morph adult male Rough-legged Hawk perched in a tree in the Wasatch Mountains.

One Very Cooperative Male Rough-legged Hawk

By |2022-01-06T03:56:07-06:00January 3rd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For the second year in a row the first bird I photographed in the New Year was a Rough-legged Hawk and both were photographed at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Male Rough-legged Hawk Photos

By |2022-04-20T21:21:48-05:00February 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week I photographed a light morph, adult male Rough-legged Hawk in the West Desert of Utah with three different backgrounds.

Merlin And American Kestrels – Two Falcon Species In A Day

By |2024-02-15T04:05:11-06:00November 13th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Any time I can see and photograph two falcon species in a single day is a great day and yesterday I photographed a Prairie Merlin and several American Kestrels.

All Storms Come To An End

By |2023-03-22T07:01:23-05:00November 12th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Juab County, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are times when I feel as if I am riding out a storm due to circumstances or events that are out of my control I remind myself that all storms come to an end. 

Juvenile, Immature And Adult Sage Thrashers

By |2021-03-05T06:00:44-06:00March 9th, 2020|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The comparisons I have made between juvenile, immature and adult Sage Thrashers are basic, there are more ways to determine their age but I wanted to keep the comparisons simple.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk On The Hunt In The West Desert

By |2023-11-24T03:53:53-06:00November 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It has been a long time since I had a dark morph Ferruginous Hawk in my view finder so when I spotted it hovering over a field I knew I had to stop and get photos of it.

White-crowned Sparrow Adult Perched In A Hackberry Tree

By |2022-10-02T05:37:15-05:00October 23rd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this adult White-crowned Sparrow about two weeks ago in northern Utah while it perched on a hackberry tree on a hill with blooming rabbitbrush in the background.

Immature Male Red-winged Blackbird

By |2022-02-24T04:52:00-06:00October 22nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this young male Red-winged Blackbird singing at the top of a Russian olive tree at Farmington Bay WMA nine days ago.

Photographing Autumn Townsend’s Solitaires

By |2021-11-13T08:05:20-06:00October 9th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Townsend's Solitaires, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last Friday as I looked for birds in a few West Desert canyons I was serenaded by the songs and calls of Townsend's Solitaires and while I loved hearing them it was frustrating because they were either too far away or hidden from my view.

Lesser Goldfinch Perched on Greasewood At Farmington Bay WMA

By |2023-09-27T15:28:44-05:00September 29th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Lesser Goldfinches, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Until three days ago I really haven't taken any decent images of Lesser Goldfinches that weren't at bird feeders but that changed when this one landed on a greasewood in front of me at Farmington Bay WMA.

Remarkably Symmetrical Molt In A Ring-Billed Gull

By |2021-09-20T04:33:26-05:00September 22nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Not only was this Ring-billed Gull in molt it was molting in a remarkably symmetrical pattern which I found interesting. Because the gull was in flight the symmetry was very visible.

West Desert Views While Looking For Birds

By |2021-10-10T05:51:16-05:00September 19th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Cooper’s Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I like to share some of the views I see while I am out wandering to look for birds because the scenery and different habitats I see at times are simply spectacular.

Two Willow Flycatcher Photos I Am Happy With

By |2021-05-25T04:14:54-05:00June 5th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Willow Flycatchers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Willow Flycatcher perched out in the open high on a shrub with a clear blue sky in the background and I didn't even mind the foliage and branches behind and above the bird.

Calling Willow Flycatcher – Hearing FITZ-bew Clinched The ID

By |2021-05-25T04:15:52-05:00May 31st, 2019|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Willow Flycatchers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Because of a two part call, FITZ-bew, I had no trouble identifying a flycatcher that I saw, photographed and heard yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains as a Willow Flycatcher.

Close Up Photos Of An Immature Bald Eagle In Flight

By |2021-03-21T17:31:43-05:00February 1st, 2019|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

If I hadn't already been stopped to photograph the blackbird I wouldn't have seen this immature Bald Eagle flying towards me in time to take the photos that I took of it on the wing.

Immature Black-crowned Night Heron In Flight

By |2021-05-05T14:08:20-05:00May 15th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I spotted this immature Black-crowned Night Heron on the wing at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in April I hoped it would fly in closer than it did, still I liked the photos I took of it with a clear blue sky in the background.

Intermediate Morph Swainson’s Hawk In Flight

By |2021-04-15T03:54:17-05:00April 26th, 2018|Categories: Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I was able to photograph several Swainson's Hawks, some perched and others while in flight and of the flight photos I liked this photo the most because of the mountains in the background.

Red-tailed Hawk Perched on a Sagebrush Covered Hillside

By |2024-02-05T03:45:53-06:00March 24th, 2018|Categories: Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

It is the time of year when Red-tailed Hawks begin to nest, by now most of them here in northern Utah have already selected a mate so they find a nesting location and start to collect nesting materials as the days grow longer and warmer.

Juvenile Northern Harrier in a fog at Farmington Bay

By |2021-11-23T04:12:05-06:00February 6th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did spot a juvenile Northern Harrier in the fog resting on a clump of vegetation in the snow covered field on the east side of the road and took a few images of it.

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