Birds

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

Immature Red-tailed Hawk Harassed By A Northern Harrier

By |December 4th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I found an immature Red-tailed Hawk in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday and spent 28 minutes photographing it including when a Northern Harrier harassed it.

First Winter Common Mergansers In Flight

By |December 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Some winters here in the Salt Lake Valley I see quite a lot Common Mergansers while in other years I only see a few. I'm hoping that this winter I will see plenty of these beautiful, sleek diving ducks.

Frosty Female Northern Harrier In Flight

By |December 1st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I saw a few harriers on the wing yesterday at Farmington Bay WMA and I was able to take a few photos of a female Northern Harrier that still had frost on her nape.

Landing Drake Common Goldeneye

By |November 29th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm anxious to start photographing the ducks I see close to home during the winter here in the Salt Lake Valley and from what I understand a few Common Goldeneyes have shown up.

Photographing An Immature Ferruginous Hawk Hunting For Breakfast

By |November 28th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning not long after sunrise I spent some time photographing a light morph, immature Ferruginous Hawk hunting for its breakfast.

Focusing On Adult Male Rough-legged Hawks

By |November 27th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ten days ago I found and photographed this adult male Rough-legged Hawk as it perched on a Russian Olive tree at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge when I was heading home.

Adult American Robin Gobbling Down A Crabapple – Thanksgiving 2020

By |November 26th, 2020|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Leucistic, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

You might wonder why I decided to use an American Robin photo on my Thanksgiving post today and I will explain how I picked this image.

Cozy Red-tailed Hawks And Finches Galore

By |November 23rd, 2020|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Box Elder County, Pine Siskins, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning the first birds I spotted and photographed was a pair of adult Red-tailed Hawks side by side on a rocky ledge in early morning light.

Time To Keep An Eye On The Sky For Bald Eagles

By |November 21st, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I could see a Bald Eagle being chased by a gull in the sky and my heart skipped a beat because I know it is time for me to keep an eye on the sky for Bald Eagles again.

Photographing An Immature Great Blue Heron At Farmington Bay

By |November 19th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I spotted an immature Great Blue Heron resting at the edge of the water at Farmington Bay WMA and couldn't resist taking photos of it.

Drake Green-winged Teal At Bear River MBR

By |November 18th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Green-winged Teals, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was able to take close up photos of a drake Green-winged Teal paddling away from me at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

You Know You Are A Gull Lover When…

By |November 17th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

You take photos of ten species of birds and the twelve photos of a Ring-billed Gull in flight are the images you are the most excited to view when you get home.

Looking Back On Photographing A Rare Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk

By |November 16th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Leucistic, Rarities, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though it is now four years later I still look for this striking leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in Tooele County and hope to find and photograph it again one day.

Adult Male Belted Kingfisher Close Up With Prey

By |November 15th, 2020|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was looking through images I had taken this summer and decided to share a close up of a male Belted Kingfisher with prey that I photographed in the Wasatch Mountains this summer.

If You Used this Search Term: How Much To Feed A Juvenile Brown Pelican

By |November 14th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Brown Pelicans, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Please, please, find an authorized and licensed bird or wildlife rehabilitator in your area immediately.

Merlin And American Kestrels – Two Falcon Species In A Day

By |November 13th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Any time I can see and photograph two falcon species in a single day is a great day and yesterday I photographed a Prairie Merlin and several American Kestrels.

Great Blue Herons Aren’t Really Blue – So What’s Up With Their Name?

By |November 10th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The name "Great Blue Heron" has always seemed off to me because these large herons are much more gray than they are blue.

Winter Has Arrived Along With Many Opportunities To Photograph Birds

By |November 9th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Hooded Mergansers, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the weather turns colder, the clouds gather, and the snow falls I still have plenty of birds to photograph here in northern Utah.

The Winds Of Change Affect My Access To Some Mountain Canyons

By |November 8th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I always feel a sense of sadness when I can't get to those mountain canyons and the birds that live there all year long when they close those gates for the winter.

How An American Oystercatcher Ruined A New Pair Of Pants

By |November 6th, 2020|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today's post is about an American Oystercatcher image taken in 2009 at Egmont Key in Pinellas County, Florida and the story behind it.

Male Short-eared Owl Perched At The Edge Of A Sagebrush Sea

By |November 5th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I am always looking for Short-eared Owls in northern Utah because they are year round residents here but they are nomadic which means I don't always see them.

An Immature Light Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |November 4th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The highlight of my morning yesterday was when I spotted an immature light morph Ferruginous Hawk perched on a cedar post in the West Desert.

Adult Female Northern Harrier On The Wing Over Farmington Bay WMA

By |November 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It has been too long since I have had a Northern Harrier in my viewfinder although I'm now excited because I know that fall and winter are great seasons for me to find and photograph them.

Male Cassin’s Finch Eating a Mountain Mahogany Seed

By |November 2nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cassin's Finches, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This male Cassin's Finch did pop out into the open with a mahogany seed in his bill and even though he was in the shade I took a few photos of him.

Brewer’s Blackbird Males Are Colorful In The Right Light

By |November 1st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In the right light Brewer's Blackbird males are very colorful because their feathers glow with blue, green, and purple iridescence.

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