Birds

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

Black-capped Chickadee Plus the Colors of Autumn

By |September 19th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Black-capped Chickadees, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Typically I would prefer that all of the body of this Black-capped Chickadee was free of the out of focus elements in front of it but visually the abstract jumble of Autumn colored leaves stimulates my eyes and my brain.

Focusing on Ruby-crowned Kinglets in the Wasatch Mountains

By |September 17th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spent time focused on photographing Ruby-crowned Kinglets in a Wasatch Mountain Canyon in a thicket of hawthorn and chokecherry trees.

Winter Canada Geese – Longing For Cooler, Smoke and Wildfire Free Days

By |September 16th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I've spent a lifetime appreciating these large geese and when I have lived in locations where Canada Geese weren't present I have missed hearing them calling overhead or seeing them floating by on the water.

Molting Juvenile Spotted Towhee

By |September 14th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Spotted Towhees, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

This time of the year male and female Spotted Towhees have finished raising their broods and their young are learning how to be on their own but they do look a touch ragged as they molt into their adult plumage.

Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay Portrait in the Stansbury Mountains

By |September 13th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

It isn't often that I am able to get close enough to a Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay that my only option is to take closeup portraits of them yet that is precisely what happened to me two days ago.

Let’s Talk Turkey About Wild Turkeys In A West Desert Canyon

By |September 12th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed a small flock of Wild Turkeys yesterday in the West Desert of Utah, specifically in a canyon of the Stansbury Mountains. I just never know when turkeys will show up and I am glad they did yesterday because I didn't photograph many other birds.

Roadside Green-tailed Towhee Photos

By |September 11th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Green-tailed Towhees, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I was able to photograph a Green-tailed Towhee foraging next to a gravel road up in a Wasatch Mountain Canyon, getting these birds out in the open can be a challenge so I was excited that this towhee was in the clear.

Juvenile Osprey with a Tiger Trout in the Wasatch Mountains

By |September 10th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Ospreys, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday the "unexpected" bird was a juvenile Osprey in the Wasatch Mountains. I'd say it was unexpected because I'd been photographing songbirds and wasn't expecting to see North America's "Fish Hawk" in the same area.

House Wrens Foraging in the Wasatch Mountains

By |September 8th, 2018|Categories: Birds, House Wrens, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was delighted to find two House Wrens foraging in a brush pile in the Wasatch Mountains not long after sunrise. This time of the year the wrens aren't singing like they do in the spring so I have to rely more on my eyes and not on a combination of my eyes and ears to locate them.

Late Summer Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk With The Colors Of Fall

By |September 6th, 2018|Categories: Cooper’s Hawks, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I know, I could grumble about not being able to photograph the young Cooper's Hawk taking its prey down just feet away from my Jeep but you know what? Being there to see nature in action was enough for me.

Warbling Vireo With Autumn Colors In Northern Utah

By |September 4th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I looked up and spotted a Warbling Vireo not only out in the open plus it had gorgeous fall colors in the background. I locked focus onto the vireo and started taking images in a long burst!

Female or Immature Wilson’s Warbler Foraging in Box Elder County

By |September 3rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Wilson's Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

This female or immature Wilson's Warbler isn't a photographic lifer for me but it is the first time I have gotten a decent image of one, most of the time I've gotten blurry images of them of just a small part of the bird.

Black-capped Chickadee Foraging Near A Western Tent Caterpillar Tent

By |August 31st, 2018|Categories: Birds, Black-capped Chickadees, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I heard a familiar call, caught a flash of black, gray and white and spotted a Black-capped Chickadee land right in front of a Western Tent Caterpillar tent while calling out a clear "chickadee-dee-dee" to another chickadee that was nearby.

Immature American Robins Foraging in Chokecherry Trees

By |August 30th, 2018|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Smith and Morehouse Reservoir, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There was plenty of bird activity where chokecherry trees lined both sides of the gravel road, the most numerous birds foraging on the chokecherries were American Robins and many of them were immature birds.

Yellow Warbler Photos – My Wasatch Mountain Feathered Gold Rush

By |August 29th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've had such an amazing time this year photographing Yellow Warblers in the Wasatch Mountains and I've enjoyed learning more about them and their behaviors since early May.

Lazuli Buntings In Serviceberry Trees – Fattening Up Before Migration

By |August 26th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Lazuli Buntings, Morgan County, Shrubs, Trees, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Over the past couple of weeks I have been able to photograph male, female and immature Lazuli Buntings as they have been gorging on the fruits of Serviceberry trees to fatten up before their migration.

My Rare Baltimore Oriole Sighting In Northern Utah

By |August 24th, 2018|Categories: Baltimore Orioles, Birds, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I didn't go up into the Wasatch Mountains yesterday thinking I would find a rare bird but that is precisely what happened after I spotted a beautiful male Baltimore Oriole fly into a serviceberry bush in Morgan County.

A Glimpse Into What Could Happen to Bear River MBR With Less Water Flowing Into It

By |August 23rd, 2018|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Long-billed Dowitchers, Tundra Swans, Utah, Video, Wilson's Phalaropes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Water levels have been dropped in some units at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge for dike maintenance and this made me think of what might happen in the future due to climate change and if more dams are built on the Bear River and how the reduction of water reaching the refuge might be a huge issue

Creekside Adult Song Sparrow – Photographed To Preserve a Memory And Nothing More

By |August 22nd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Song Sparrows, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

As I sat creekside in my Jeep an adult Song Sparrow flew in, landed and began hopping around looking for food for breakfast in the vegetation floating on the water at the edge of the creek.

Immature Yellow Warbler Foraging in a Cocklebur at Bear River MBR

By |August 21st, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

This spring and summer I have photographed Yellow Warblers primarily in mountainous riparian habitat so when I spotted one foraging in a Rough Cocklebur two days ago in the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I was happy to take photos of it.

Greater Yellowlegs Landing & Lifting Off At Bear River MBR

By |August 20th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Greater Yellowlegs, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Because of the avocet's determination to chase off this Greater Yellowlegs I was able to photograph it lifting off from the water with water still dripping from its feet and with the shorebird's head framed by its wings.

Female and Male American Goldfinches Lifting Off From Musk Thistles

By |August 19th, 2018|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the female American Goldfinch lifted off I liked the eye contact I had with her and how graceful she looked when she raised her wings, when I saw this image on my camera LCD I just had to smile.

Juvenile Barn Swallow Portraits

By |August 18th, 2018|Categories: Barn Swallows, Birds, Morgan County, Portraits, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'd driven up into a Wasatch Mountain canyon and was waiting for the sun to rise over the mountains when I spotted several juvenile Barn Swallows perched on a fence right next to the road in lovely morning light.

Go to Top