Mockingbirds, Thrashers, Catbirds, Starlings and Pipits

Sage Thrashers, Northern Mockingbird, White-crowned Sparrow and Wild Rose Hips

By |September 22nd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Mockingbirds, Sage Thrashers, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The birds I photographed on the wild rose bushes were adult and immature Sage Thrashers, an adult White-crowned Sparrow and one beautiful Northern Mockingbird.

Focusing On Juvenile Gray Catbirds Learning To Be On Their Own

By |August 14th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a lot of fun photographing adult Gray Catbirds earlier this year and photographing the juveniles learning to be on their own has been equally fun and entertaining.

Birds & More Birds in The Wasatch Mountains

By |August 10th, 2018|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Bullock's Orioles, Cedar Waxwings, Gray Catbirds, Lark Sparrows, Lazuli Buntings, Morgan County, Song Sparrows, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In the past week I have photographed so many birds in a Wasatch Mountain canyon that I thought I would share a group of them in a photo gallery.

Gray Catbird, Willows and Sunshine

By |July 3rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have truly been enjoying being able to photograph Gray Catbirds this spring and summer because they are challenging to get out in the open, because I think they are dashing in appearance and their songs always delight me.

Gray Catbirds with Black Twinberry Honeysuckle Berries

By |June 26th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Close up, Gray Catbirds, Habitat, Shrubs, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm going to keep trying to obtain better photos of the Gray Catbirds with the Black Twinberry berries and perhaps before long the catbirds will bring their young to feast on these berries too!

Trio of Gray Catbird Photos – They are the Cat’s Meow

By |June 23rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Gray Catbirds aren't flashy and except for the spot of cinnamon colored feathers under their tails they are mostly an overall gray with a black cap. While their appearance isn't dazzling the variety of songs they sing certainly can be.

Gray Catbird Plus Blooming Hound’s Tongue Photos

By |June 9th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I enjoyed my time yesterday morning photographing the Gray Catbird and the Hound's Tongue in bloom but I really wish I had been as happy with my catbird photos as I am the wildflower images.

Some of the Birds That People Love to Hate

By |March 11th, 2018|Categories: American Crows, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Common Ravens, Double-crested Cormorants, European Starlings, Fish Crows, Florida, House Sparrows, Laughing Gulls, Mallards|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Okay, that is enough for now, there are more birds that people love to hate but I can only deal with so much of it before I feel the need to get out and photograph all the birds I see, even those that other people despise.

Looking For The First Of The Year Sage Thrashers To Arrive

By |March 9th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I can barely wait to see my first Sage Thrasher of the year warming up on a rock in front of the Great Salt Lake, scurrying along on the ground, perched on top of sage or rabbitbrush singing or displaying.

Adult and Juvenile European Starlings in Fall Plumage

By |October 25th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, European Starlings, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have an alternate title for this post which is "Invasive European Starlings perched on invasive Russian Olives" because both the birds in this post and the trees are not native but introduced.

First of Season Merlin – Odd Behavior and Possible Explanation

By |October 13th, 2017|Categories: American Pipits, Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Merlins, Montana, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spotted my first of the season Merlin yesterday morning out on the flats at Farmington Bay yesterday morning and it truly delighted me.

American Pipits On The Rocks

By |September 19th, 2017|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been hearing American Pipits on the wing for a while now and yesterday I was happy to photograph several pipits while they perched on some rocks in northern Utah.

Gray Catbird singing in a Stand of Willows in the Wasatch Mountains

By |June 2nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Gray Catbirds are related to mockingbirds and thrashers and are in the family Mimidae and all of them are noted for their vocalizations and their ability to mimic a wide variety of bird songs and calls and human made sounds.

Mixture of Spring Birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |April 13th, 2017|Categories: American Pipits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, House Sparrows, Marsh Wrens, Red-winged Blackbirds, Savannah Sparrows, Utah, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was so happy to photograph this mixture of spring birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge that I had a hard time picking out which birds and which photos to share.

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!

Migrating American Pipits in Utah – Pipits Everywhere!

By |October 14th, 2016|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

American Pipits are migrating through Utah in large numbers right now and yesterday morning at Farmington Bay they seemed to be everywhere!

American Pipits at Farmington Bay

By |September 12th, 2016|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

American Pipits will soon be migrating through the Salt Lake Valley and I will hear their flight calls along the causeway to Antelope Island and the fields at Farmington Bay WMA.

Sage Thrasher in Golden Light

By |March 6th, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I didn't get to see Greater Sage Grouse on my recent trip to southern Utah but I did get a few brief looks at another sagebrush obligate when a single Sage Thrasher popped up into view.

An Adult Sage Thrasher with Prey on Public Land

By |January 14th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Sage Thrashers, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This adult Sage Thrasher with prey was photographed on public lands in Tooele County in one of the canyons of the Stansbury Mountains last July.

A Constellation of European Starlings and a Bison

By |January 9th, 2016|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, European Starlings, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm quite used to seeings birds and bison in close proximity on Antelope Island State Park not just during the warmer months but during the winter too.

An American Pipit with a spider and the boulder behind it

By |November 13th, 2015|Categories: American Pipits, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was able to get a few images of an American Pipit with a spider two days ago while photographing the Peregrine Falcon from the Antelope Island causeway.

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