Birds

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

Ruby-crowned Kinglets – Challenging Subjects

By |September 1st, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Morgan County, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ruby-crowned Kinglets always seem to be on the move and blend into their habitat well which makes them challenging subjects to photograph.  I love the challenge of photographing small birds though.

Photographing Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Siblings

By |August 31st, 2019|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent 26 minutes yesterday photographing juvenile Red-tailed Hawk siblings and had a blast watching them preen, lift off, flying, scratching, resting and landing.

Photographing A Male Downy Woodpecker In A Chokecherry Tree

By |August 29th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Downy Woodpeckers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I noticed the Downy Woodpecker moving towards the front part of the tree I changed my focus to it and waited to see if he would come out into the open and when it did I was ready to takes images of him.

Cooling Winter Views Of The Great Salt Lake

By |August 25th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I live in such a beautiful state and even though birds are my primary focus as subjects the natural world that surrounds me is endlessly fascinating, stunning and I hope I never lose the sense of wonder I feel when I see it.

Immature Northern Flicker In The Wasatch Mountains

By |August 24th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Northern Flickers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This immature Northern Flicker was one of the last birds I spotted and photographed three days ago while up in the Wasatch Mountains and I was happy that she stayed long enough for me to take a nice series of images of her.

Calling Black-capped Chickadee Perched In The Open

By |August 23rd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Black-capped Chickadees, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago this Black-capped Chickadee and several other others were moving through a willow thicket in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains where I had been focusing on photographing warblers, tanagers, and vireos.

Focusing On MacGillivray’s Warblers In The Wasatch Mountains

By |August 20th, 2019|Categories: Birds, MacGillivray's Warblers, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm seeing more MacGillivray's Warblers this season than I have in previous years but I am still challenged by how quickly these warblers move and by how they can seem to disappear so quickly.

Juvenile Dark-eyed Junco High In The Uinta Mountains

By |August 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Dark-eyed Juncos, High Uintas, Mirror Lake Highway, Summit County, Uinta National Forest, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was in the high Uinta Mountains near Washington Lake when I spotted this young Dark-eyed Junco and I was able to take a few images of it before it flew away.

Pre-migration Lazuli Buntings Fattening Up On Fruit

By |August 17th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Lazuli Buntings, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today I was up in the Wasatch Mountains photographing pre-migration Lazuli Buntings fattening on the fruits of serviceberries and most of them were either immature or female buntings.

Photographing Some Of The Birds I Love In The Wasatch Mountains

By |August 16th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Black-capped Chickadees, Cedar Waxwings, Great Blue Herons, MacGillivray's Warblers, Morgan County, Summit County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Western Tanagers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As a bird photographer I'm feeling a sense of urgency now that I didn't feel a few weeks ago because as I watch the migrants in the Wasatch Mountains getting ready for their long journeys I know that my time for photographing them this year is quickly running out.

Molting American Goldfinch Feasting On Musk Thistle Seeds

By |August 14th, 2019|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today I went up into the Wasatch Mountains and for about three minutes I photographed a molting American Goldfinch feasting on Musk Thistle seeds.

Poof: Utah’s Merlins Could Disappear

By |August 13th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Conservation, Environment, Merlins, Montana, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In my experience Merlins are already hard to find in the state of Utah but because of our climate crisis they could become even more difficult to locate or they might even disappear from the state altogether.

Picture This: Utah Could Lose Our Mountain Bluebirds

By |August 12th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Conservation, Environment, Idaho, Mountain Bluebirds, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Our current climate crisis could mean Utah might lose our Mountain Bluebirds and it is not just us, it is Idaho, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming that will also be affected if action isn't taken now.

Imagine Utah Without California Gulls

By |August 11th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Conservation, Davis County, Environment, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ah, Mia, it is just a bird. No, it isn't just a bird. Because California Gulls aren't the only birds at risk of disappearing from the skies, shorelines and waters of Utah.

Immature Black-billed Magpies Flocking In The Wasatch Mountains

By |August 9th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was delighted to photograph the few immature Black-billed Magpies that were close to me and to observe those who were further away foraging and chasing each other around in a field dotted with wildflowers, grasses and sage.

Photographing Young Spotted Sandpiper Chicks

By |July 31st, 2019|Categories: Birds, Nesting Birds, Spotted Sandpipers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was able to get back out into the field yesterday and I had a marvelous time photographing young Spotted Sandpiper chicks and learning more about their behaviors near a creek in the Wasatch Mountains.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird Sipping Nectar From A Lanceleaf Figwort

By |July 30th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Just a short post today with a photo of a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird getting nectar from an unknown wildflower, or at least it is unknown to me.

Juvenile Song Sparrow Perched In A Thicket

By |July 28th, 2019|Categories: Morgan County, Song Sparrows, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

The light wasn't great when I took this image of a juvenile Song Sparrow perched in a thicket last year but these little ones don't seem to spend a lot of time in the open right after they fledge so I was happy with the photo.

Tiny Spotted Sandpiper Chicks Learning About Their World

By |July 24th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Spotted Sandpipers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was excited and enchanted by seeing and photographing at least two Spotted Sandpiper chicks yesterday morning near a creek up in the Wasatch Mountains.

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