Hawks, Eagles, Ospreys and Vultures

Immature Rough-legged Hawk With Its Jackrabbit Prey

By |February 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My best bird of the day was a juvenile Rough-legged Hawk standing on a jackrabbit in the snow that I spotted next to the road.

Rough-legged Hawk, Lichens and Snow

By |February 6th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I photographed this Rough-legged Hawk on a snow and lichen covered rock the light was decent and brought out the colors of the hawk and the orange lichen covering the rocky outcropping it was perched on.

Moon Set Over the Snowy Promontory Mountains and a Deceased Golden Eagle

By |January 24th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Further down the road I spotted a dark lump on the shoulder and my heart sank because I immediately realized that the lump was a deceased Golden Eagle.

Rough-legged Hawk on a Designated Parking Sign

By |January 23rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Many of the birds here in the Salt Lake Valley find a place to roost in the evening and overnight frost begins to accumulate on their feathers like it did on this Rough-legged Hawk on a parking sign.

Photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay

By |January 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Almost three years ago today I spent time photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay that was hunting in a snowy field while using a nest box as a perch to watch for prey.

Frustrations of Bird Photography at Below Freezing Temps – Heat Waves Suck

By |January 7th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every single image I took yesterday was way softer than they would have been had it not been for those heat waves coming up the side of the pickup. To say I was disappointed is putting it lightly.

Looking at 2016 in the Rear View Mirror or My Photographic Year in Review

By |December 31st, 2016|Categories: American Barn Owls, American Bitterns, American Pipits, Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Davis County, Double-crested Cormorants, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Horned Owls, High Uintas, Hybrid Geese, Idaho, Leucistic, Montana, Peregrine Falcons, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Salt Lake County, Short-eared Owls, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wayne County, Western Bluebirds, Wilson's Phalaropes, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wow, today is the last day of the year 2016. This is my photographic year in review from Utah, Idaho and Montana!

First year Red-tailed Hawk Close Up in a Snow Storm

By |December 26th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This first year Red-tailed Hawk close up in the snow storm was a reminder of how much our birds and wildlife have to struggle to get through the harsh winter.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks – Photographing Raptors Near Interstates

By |December 1st, 2016|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are natural perches along the access roads right next to the interstate and if I am lucky I can find raptors perched there on occasion too.

Interesting Ferruginous Hawk Horizontal Take Off – It Made Me Laugh

By |November 16th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have to say that when I viewed this image on my monitor of the Ferruginous Hawk taking off from the power pole yesterday that I laughed out loud.

Partially Leucistic Adult Red-tailed Hawk in Flight – A Rare and Wonderful Sight!

By |November 15th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Leucistic, Rarities, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the partially leucistic Red-tailed Hawk lifted off from the power pole I was able to capture photos of it in flight and I was stunned by the beauty of the hawk, pictures do not do this bird justice.

Juvenile Northern Harrier Female in Flight Over Farmington Bay

By |November 9th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday at Farmington Bay I was pleased to photograph this juvenile Northern Harrier female in flight as she went past me while I sat in a mobile blind.

My First of the Season Rough-legged Hawks

By |October 27th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I went to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday hoping to see and photograph my first of the season Tundra Swans and Rough-legged Hawks, I dipped on the swans but found at least 5 of the hawks.

An Unexpected Barn Owl at Farmington Bay

By |October 22nd, 2016|Categories: American Barn Owls, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I spent time photographing a cooperative yet unexpected Barn Owl at Farmington Bay, unexpected simply because Barn Owl are primarily nocturnal and I saw it during the day.

Birds of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge – Celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week

By |October 9th, 2016|Categories: American Avocets, American Barn Owls, American White Pelicans, Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Black-necked Stilts, Box Elder County, Redheads, Rough-legged Hawks, Sandhill Cranes, Tree Swallows, Tundra Swans, Utah, Virginia Rails, Western Grebes, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This is National Wildlife Refuge Week and in celebration I wanted to do a pictorial essay that includes some of my images of the Birds of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Esther the Eaglet – Cover Photo

By |October 1st, 2016|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I like that Esther the Eaglet is written with children in mind and that it might inspire the children who read it to become rehabilitators, biologists, ornithologists, nature lovers, birders, environmentalists or even bird photographers like myself.

Red-tailed Hawk Nesting Maintenance Behavior in the Fall

By |September 27th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I enjoyed seeing the Red-tailed Hawks yesterday and observing their nesting maintenance behavior in the Fall, I don't see it very often so it makes it special to me.

Farewell to the Swainson’s Hawks – I’m Looking Forward to Rough-legged Hawks

By |September 25th, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though I am saying a fond farewell to the Swainson's Hawks I'm also looking forward to Rough-legged Hawks gracing my life for another season.

Perched Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in Low Light

By |September 10th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Swainson's Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been meaning to post images of this sub-adult Swainson's Hawk in low light for about a year now and I am finally getting around to it.

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