Birds that I find in the field, photograph and share the stories behind the images.
Long-billed Curlews
On my trip last week to Montana I saw quite a few Long-billed Curlews.
Mountain Bluebird female – Hopping into Monday
Some times when I am photographing I capture my subjects in funny poses and I think I did exactly that with this Mountain Bluebird female.
Red-naped Sapsuckers of Clark County, Idaho
It was a Sapsuckery trip to Montana and Idaho last week, with Red-naped and Williamson's Sapsuckers at their nesting cavities
Dark morph Swainson’s Hawk In Flight
This dark morph Swainson's Hawk was on a hillside that we came upon while leaving the Centennial Valley to head back to Utah.
The Magical Sapsucker Tree in Clark County, Idaho
A month ago I photographed a pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers excavating a nesting cavity in Idaho and this past week I spent several days photographing them again.
Please Take Nothing But Pictures Leave Nothing But Footprints
The Fourth of July is just a day away and soon many campgrounds, parks and beaches will be filled with people celebrating and sadly leaving trash behind.
American White Pelican and a cloudy sky
If you ever get to Utah be sure to try to spend a morning or even a full day at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge because there is always something great going on there!
Western Meadowlark on the wing
The smaller a bird is the harder it is to get flight shots of them and track them with a long lens so I was very happy to get this Western Meadowlark on the wing.
American Kestrel Male On Frosty Rabbitbrush
I know a lot of people are suffering because of the heat of summer so I though I would post an image of a male American Kestrel perched on a frosty Rabbitbrush.
One serious looking Red-tailed Hawk
I love the stare of raptors because they always appear so serious, intense and they have a no-nonsense look to their eyes like this Red-tailed Hawk has.
Six years ago today – Pelicans, Godwits and Dowitchers
Six years ago today I was sand crawling on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico at Fort De Soto's north beach photographing pelicans, godwits and dowitchers plus other birds.
Adult Burrowing Owl and the Great Salt Lake
Burrowing Owls are one of my favorite subjects to photograph and to get one perched with the Great Salt Lake in the background was wonderful.
Head angles – Less than perfect head angles can be compelling
I believe that even without what some may consider "the perfect head angle" that we can create interesting and compelling avian images.
San Rafael Swell – State Park or National Monument designation in the future?
I also felt trepidation about the San Rafael Swell area because nothing within this state that is filled with stones is written in stone except the ancient pictographs and petroglyphs.
Longing for Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
It is raining here in the valley this morning and snow is falling in the high country in the middle of June so I am sitting here dreaming of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
Brown Pelican Double-decker
It's Monday and I didn't have any idea what to post this morning so I opted to present this image of two Brown Pelicans flying double-decker style over the Gulf of Mexico.
Reddish Egrets – Wading birds that delight
The Reddish Egret is one of my favorite wading birds. Standing still they are a delight to the eyes and while hunting they can perform amazing turns, twists, gallops and appear to be dancing.
Western Kingbird up close, almost too close!
Three days ago I was caught off guard when this Western Kingbird flew in and hovered up close to me, almost too close actually.
American Oystercatcher in sea foam
Just a simple post of an American Oystercatcher about to be awash in sea foam at Fort De Soto's north beach taken back in September of 2008.
Portrait of a male Long-billed Curlew and a Western Kingbird display
Yesterday morning I had Western Kingbirds and Long-billed Curlews in my viewfinder on Antelope Island State Park.
Six-pack of Birds
It was delightful to have light and a six-pack (plus) of birds out on Antelope Island yesterday to test my new Nikon D7100.
Something’s Fishy – Osprey with a Flounder
A simple but fishy post today of an Osprey that flew over my head at Fort De Soto County Park taken 5 years ago in Florida.
American Avocets at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is one of my favorite places to visit during the summer to observe and photograph nesting birds and take in the beauty of the refuge.
Still on a Lifer Streak – American Dipper with prey
Yesterday I photographed another lifer! An American Dipper with prey at Cascade Springs in the Heber Valley of Utah.
House Wrens – Nesting Behavior
For a few days now I said I was going to do a post about the House Wrens I photographed at the same nesting tree as the Williamson's Sapsuckers, here it is.
Bald Eagle lift off
While in southwestern Montana last week I did see several Bald Eagles and this adult was most obliging as it perched on a conifer in the light of the rising sun.
Least Flycatcher
Today I am posting what I believe to be a Least Flycatcher that was perched in an evergreen along a road in Idaho.
Wonderful Lifers – Williamson’s Sapsuckers at their nesting tree
I could barely contain myself because in my viewfinder was a gorgeous red, yellow and black colored male Williamson's Sapsucker.
An Osprey with its feet entangled by filamentous algae
I photographed this Osprey at Lettuce Lake Regional Park from the observation tower, the Osprey had tried to catch a fish but came up with just the filamentous algae in its talons.
Western Grebe about to submerge
I often try to capture the eye of a bird diving into the water at the moment just before the eye submerges below the surface. I was able to succeed with the Western Grebe.