Birds

Birds that I find in the field, photograph and share the stories behind the images.

Loggerhead Shrike On A Wild Rose In Front of The Dying Great Salt Lake

By |November 16th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Had I taken these Loggerhead Shrike photos four to five years ago the background wouldn't have been dry lake bed. It would have shown water. Precious, life-giving water.

Singing Townsend’s Solitaire Surrounded By Tiny Bugs

By |November 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Townsend's Solitaires, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I was thrilled to listen to and photograph a singing Townsend's Solitaire as it perched on a juniper surrounded by tiny flying bugs.

American Goldfinches In Winter Plumage

By |November 11th, 2021|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I spent some time with American Goldfinches in their winter plumage in my viewfinder and had fun photographing them.

Orange Variant Male House Finch Photos

By |November 10th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, House Finches|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I had the opportunity to take a nice long series of an orange variant male House Finch while it ate the seeds of a greasewood.

Immature Black-billed Magpie Portrait At Sunrise

By |November 9th, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was looking through my archives yesterday when I came across this immature Black-billed Magpie portrait taken at sunrise on Antelope Island State Park.

Drought-stricken Douglas Firs – How It Is Affecting The Birds That Eat The Seeds

By |November 7th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was out in the sky island mountains of the West Desert of Utah a few days ago I was again met with virtual silence in and around the Douglas Firs that are there.

How I Found My First Of Season Rough-legged Hawks

By |November 6th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Common Ravens, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a very memorable first of year sighting of these Rough-legged Hawks. The kind where you sit there wondering if you really saw what you saw.

My First White-throated Sparrow Sighting In Utah

By |November 5th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-throated Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I found my first White-throated Sparrow in Utah, photographed it, and when I pointed it out to a friend this sparrow became a lifer for them.

Three Canada Geese On An Autumn Morning

By |November 4th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I photographed three Canada Geese lifting off from Glover Pond at Farmington Bay and it brought memories from November of 2008.

Eurasian Collared-Dove Without A Collar

By |November 1st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Eurasian Collared-Doves, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this Eurasian Collared-Dove last week at Farmington Bay and noticed that it didn't have the dark collar usually seen on this species.

Happy Halloween From The Headless Hawk

By |October 31st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Our eyes can play tricks on us and that is what happened with this "headless" Red-tailed Hawk that I photographed last October at Farmington Bay WMA.

Resting Western Grebe With Reflections Of Fall Colors

By |October 30th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I went to Farmington Bay WMA yesterday morning where one of the birds I photographed was this resting Western Grebe with reflections of fall colors.

Semipalmated Plover Images

By |October 29th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Semipalmated Plovers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While rifling through my archives I came across some of my Semipalmated Plover photos that I took on the north beach at Fort De Soto County Park in 2008.

Well Crap – Another Cloudy Day

By |October 27th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I selected this hatch year Great Blue Heron photo to share today because it showed the young bird taking a crap on the flats of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Ring-billed Gull In Flight And Erratic Autumn Weather

By |October 25th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Changing weather is what was happening when I photographed this Ring-billed Gull last month flying over the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA.

My Growing Concerns Over This Years Crop Of Douglas Fir Seeds Because Of Our Drought

By |October 24th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My trip out into the sky island mountains of the West Desert last week caused my concerns about this years crop of Douglas Fir seeds to grow.

It Is Time To Look And Listen For Tundra Swans In Northern Utah

By |October 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I noticed in my Facebook memories that I saw and heard my first of season Tundra Swans at Bear River MBR on this date in 2015 and that made me happy.

White-faced Ibis Close Up

By |October 21st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'd almost forgotten about this White-faced Ibis close up photo that I took at the end of last month in the wetlands of Farmington Bay WMA.

Immature White-crowned Sparrow Photos In Fall

By |October 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was way up north in Box Elder County three days ago I had the opportunity to take immature White-crowned Sparrow photos with fall colors in the frames.

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