falcon

Female Merlin On International Women’s Day

By |2024-03-08T04:27:58-07:00March 8th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Merlins, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I found and photographed this female Merlin at my local pond last month, and she seemed to be the perfect bird for me to share on International Women's Day.

Surprise Merlin Photos – Two Merlins In A Pear Tree

By |2024-02-15T04:48:47-07:00February 15th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Merlins, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was at one of my local ponds yesterday morning when a gorgeous adult female Merlin flew in and landed on a tree not far from where I stood behind my tripod.

Bird Battle: Belted Kingfisher vs. Merlin

By |2023-10-15T04:08:15-06:00October 13th, 2023|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Merlins, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Little did I know that on my last trip up into the Wasatch Mountains, that I would witness a battle between a Belted Kingfisher and my first-of-season Merlin.

Female American Kestrel Get Off My Lawn Look

By |2023-02-12T08:09:44-07:00February 12th, 2023|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I viewed this American Kestrel photo my first thought was if this isn't a "get off my lawn look" then I have never seen a get off my lawn look from anyone.

Female American Kestrel On A Tree Top

By |2023-01-13T04:29:29-07:00January 13th, 2023|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent a few moments photographing a gorgeous female American Kestrel on a tree top yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA.

My 2022 Year In Review

By |2023-11-10T04:24:07-07:00December 31st, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Box Elder County, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Horned Grebes, Morgan County, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On this last day of the year it is time for my annual 2022 Year in Review post. In some ways 2022 has been great for me and in others not so good.

Christmas Day American Kestrel

By |2022-12-25T05:45:40-07:00December 25th, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Salt Lake County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this Christmas Day American Kestrel in 2020 at Farmington Bay WMA. That Christmas Day was bright and sunny, today isn't going to be at all.

Adult Male Prairie Merlin At Bear River MBR

By |2024-02-15T03:52:05-07:00January 28th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One of the birds I photographed yesterday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was an adult male Prairie Merlin that I spotted on a fence post close to the road.

Stretching Male American Kestrel In A Russian Olive

By |2021-12-28T07:30:40-07:00December 28th, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On the 3rd of December I spotted a small, colorful shape from a distance in a Russian Olive tree and knew immediately that I had found a male American Kestrel.

Merlin On A Large Wooden Post At Bear River MBR

By |2021-12-07T05:48:47-07:00December 7th, 2021|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I spotted a Merlin perched on a large wooden post way out in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah.

Merlin Memories

By |2024-02-15T03:57:43-07:00October 12th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I noticed in my Facebook memories that four years ago this morning was when I found my first of season Merlin out on the mudflats at Farmington Bay WMA.

Subadult Peregrine Falcon

By |2021-05-24T05:52:59-06:00May 24th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Peregrine Falcons, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week before I found the Rock Wren I wrote about I also found a subadult Peregrine Falcon perched on a wooden post in the West Desert.

Winter Female American Kestrel Photos

By |2021-02-03T11:58:23-07:00February 3rd, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was able to take female American Kestrel photos from the causeway to Antelope Island State Park twice.

Male American Kestrel Chest Plumage Variation

By |2024-01-15T10:12:54-07:00January 24th, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two recent posts on Facebook inspired me to write about male American Kestrel chest plumage variation and to share six images of male kestrels photographed here in Utah.

Five Bird Photos From Christmas Day 2020

By |2020-12-26T07:05:35-07:00December 26th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Much to my delight I was able to photograph some birds on Christmas Day at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday morning.

Female American Kestrel With Her Prey

By |2021-03-10T08:06:38-07:00December 11th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I had one minute with a beautiful adult female American Kestrel and her partially eaten prey at Farmington Bay WMA.

Female American Kestrels On The Same Post Ten Years Apart

By |2022-06-06T03:44:39-06:00December 7th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was only going to share this image today but as I processed this photo I thought about all the times I have photographed American Kestrels on this same exact post over the years.

Merlin And American Kestrels – Two Falcon Species In A Day

By |2024-02-15T04:05:11-07:00November 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.

Adult Peregrine Falcon In Red Rock Country

By |2021-05-24T06:41:16-06:00March 11th, 2020|Categories: Bicknell Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Birds, Peregrine Falcons, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

It isn't everyday that I can take photos of a Peregrine Falcon in Red Rock Country so I'm very glad I spotted this one and was able to get a few images it.

Male American Kestrels At Bear River MBR

By |2021-12-29T04:24:56-07:00January 7th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While this male American Kestrel struggled to maintain his grip on the thin branches of the Tamarisk I struggled to keep him in my viewfinder.

Female American Kestrel On A Crabapple Tree Near The Jordan River

By |2024-02-15T15:54:03-07:00December 17th, 2019|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was delighted when I spotted this female American Kestrel perched high on a crabapple tree next to a road near the Jordan River and pleased that she stuck around for a few photos.

Poof: Utah’s Merlins Could Disappear

By |2024-02-15T03:54:23-07:00August 13th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Conservation, Environment, Merlins, Montana, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In my experience Merlins are already hard to find in the state of Utah but because of our climate crisis they could become even more difficult to locate or they might even disappear from the state altogether.

Two Merlins Were My Best Finds Of The Day At Bear River MBR

By |2024-02-15T03:42:42-07:00April 24th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There isn't a single day in the field where I take my eyesight and my keen spotting abilities for granted and yesterday those attributes netted me not one but two Merlins while I was at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Male American Kestrel In A Tree At Farmington Bay

By |2021-12-28T05:31:30-07:00February 11th, 2019|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took a long series of photos of this male American Kestrel in a tree at Farmington Bay WMA back in January and decided that I liked these two photos of the kestrel the best.

Male American Kestrel Turning In Flight – Small In The Frame

By |2022-12-10T08:49:01-07:00October 30th, 2018|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I would have enjoyed having this male American Kestrel closer to me as it turned in flight than it was yesterday morning I found that I liked this frame with the tiny falcon turning in flight being small in the frame too.

Lesson Learned – Make Sure To Upload Before Reformatting

By |2021-05-24T06:49:03-06:00January 24th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Peregrine Falcons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I lost those Peregrine Falcon images because I had other things on my mind and prematurely reformatted my memory card.

Surprise Peregrine Falcon With Prey On A Brisk Winter Morning

By |2024-03-14T06:26:27-06:00January 5th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Peregrine Falcons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Finding and photographing the surprise Peregrine Falcon with prey was one of the brightest spots of my day.

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