Listening To A Marsh Wren Serenade
I spent a few minutes with a singing Marsh Wren that I spotted in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge last week. The tiny wren wasn't close so pointing him out was no easy task.
I spent a few minutes with a singing Marsh Wren that I spotted in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge last week. The tiny wren wasn't close so pointing him out was no easy task.
What caught my attention was this adult male Short-eared Owl perched on a bush way out in the distance in the middle of a rancher's field.
Two days ago while on Antelope Island I photographed a male Horned Lark that seemed to have a big attitude which was really about him defending his territory.
The second bird I photographed yesterday morning on Antelope Island State Park was an adult Sage Thrasher in gorgeous early morning light.
I was hoping to find my first of the year Swainson's Hawks yesterday but instead I spotted my first of year Ospreys.
I haven't found my first of season Swainson's Hawk yet but I expect that to change any day now as spring migration is almost in full swing.
My dreams were filled with blooming wildflowers and me taking photos of them in the field so it seemed appropriate to share a few wildflower photos this morning.
Around the middle of March while photographing nesting hawks I spotted a bit of movement and saw this Yellow-bellied Marmot resting on a cliff.
Yesterday morning I was able to photograph a spring Turkey Vulture warming up in the morning light from a rural road in Box Elder County.
I thought this male Mountain Bluebird photographed on the Aquarius Plateau in Wayne County, Utah positively glowed in the early morning light.
Finding Greater Sage-Grouse away from their leks isn't easy. It takes sharp eyes, keen observation skills, plus knowing what to look for.
It is Black-billed Magpie nesting season on Antelope Island State Park and throughout their breeding range in western North America.
This adult male Yellow Warbler photo taken in the Wasatch Mountains a few years ago reminds me that any day now I could see and hear these bright yellow birds.
A little birdie told me that Tree Swallows returned to the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge about the middle of this month.
Last week I spotted and photographed a mated Red-tailed Hawk pair on the branches of a tree in front of a cliff in early morning light.
I could grumble and complain about waking to find fresh snow outside this morning because it is the second day of spring. I won't because we are in a drought.
I took a few American Robin photos yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains in two counties and two very different settings.
I found and photographed this Pronghorn buck in Utah's West Desert after photographing birds at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge in April of 2019.
I spent a few minutes photographing Sandhill Cranes twice yesterday, once not long after sunrise and then later in the morning.
The last time I was up in the Wasatch Mountains I found a Wild Turkey tom displaying next to some old farm equipment for the nearby hens.
Some days start off the wrong way and when they do I look for things that soothe me. Views of mountains calm me down so today I am sharing a simple view of some West Desert mountains.
Red-tailed Hawk nesting season has started in northern Utah and I found a few pairs yesterday morning that have already gotten busy with nest building.
Spring birds I look forward to seeing and hearing include Long-billed Curlews which should be arriving in northern Utah any day now.
March means spring to me and there are signs of spring that I look for. The first of year sighting of a White-tailed Prairie Dog is a sign of spring for me.
Yesterday afternoon I received an email from the UBird Google group with a first of the year Turkey Vulture sighting and that got me excited.
This Saturday, March 13th, is Swan Day here in Utah. It is a day to celebrate these large, white, beautiful birds that spend time here during the winter.
Earlier this month I had a brief opportunity to photograph a Common Raven on a gate at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on a bright, beautiful morning.
The calls of a Say's Phoebe are among the sounds I listen for in March and they are the first members of the tyrant flycatcher family I see each year in northern Utah.
When I spotted this immature Bald Eagle high in the Wasatch Mountains three days ago I hoped at some point to get photos of it in flight.
On my last visit to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I heard the unmistakable song of a Marsh Wren singing and throughout the morning I heard more of their songs.