Birds

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

Common Goldeneyes in Northern Utah

By |December 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The number of birds in a specific location can increase and decrease substantially from one day to the next and that happened with Common Goldeneyes at my local pond in northern Utah when their numbers increased considerably.

Feisty, Pugnacious And Aggressive – Why I Enjoy Photographing American Coots

By |December 12th, 2017|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While observing American Coots I can see that they are feisty, pugnacious and aggressive in their behaviors and they don't seem to take any guff from each other.

Female and Male American Kestrel Comparison

By |December 10th, 2017|Categories: American Kestrels, Bird ID, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've seen people struggle with seeing the differences between male and female American Kestrels and I hope this simple comparison will help.

December for Utah and Florida Great Blue Herons – What a Difference

By |December 9th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The lives of these Great Blue Herons sure are different when you compare December in Utah to December in Florida.

Perched male Red-naped Sapsucker in Idaho’s Targhee National Forest

By |December 4th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Red-naped Sapsucker was perched on a dead aspen branch near the nesting cavity where I photographed a chick being fed by the adults in mid July.

Nemesis Birds – Bushtit Photos

By |December 3rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Bushtits, Daggett County, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Ophir Canyon, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Bushtits are a nemesis bird for me, I have only had a few opportunities to photograph these tiny, frenetic birds and I have yet to get high quality images of them.

Treasury of American Goldfinches at Bear River MBR

By |November 28th, 2017|Categories: American Goldfinches, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I found a small flock of American Goldfinches foraging on the auto tour route at Bear River MBR and I was able to capture a few images of them before they took off in a rush.

For The Love Of All That’s Birdy, There Is No Such Thing As A Seagull

By |November 26th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

One of the things that make my feathers ruffle though is when I see people post a bird photo and call it a "seagull" because there is no such thing as a seagull.

Wondering How the Lone Surviving Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile Is Doing

By |November 25th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been thinking a lot about the lone surviving Red-tailed Hawk from the nest that blew down because of strong winds earlier in June.

Bear River MBR Clouds, Marshes, Sunshine and an Immature Western Grebe

By |November 23rd, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning found me at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, a wild and wonderful place that I am very thankful for because of the birds there, the spectacular scenery and the refuge I find within its boundaries.

Resting Pied-billed Grebe on Silky Looking Water

By |November 20th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

The Pied-billed Grebe was a bit too far away to take frame filling images of it but I was okay with that because I feel that the visual appearance of the silky water is just as important as the bird in these photos.

Side By Side Prairie and Peregrine Falcon Comparison

By |November 18th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are other differences in plumage between Prairie and Peregrine Falcons that show in my photos but by using just their heads it is possible to make a quick ID in the field.

Wondering If “My” Canada x Snow Goose Hybrid Will Be Back This Winter

By |November 15th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Hybrid Geese, Salt Lake County, Snow Geese, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been wondering if "my" Canada x Snow Goose hybrid will be back this winter, if it will show up at the same pond and if I will be able to photograph it again.

Winter Redhead Drakes in Northern Utah

By |November 14th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Redhead drakes are more colorful than the hens and I always enjoy having them in my viewfinder because of their cinnamon colored heads, their bright orange eyes and their tri-colored bills.

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