Marbled Godwits – A Grassland Shorebird
I hope that in 100 years Marbled Godwits will still be on this planet and future generations won't know them only from images like mine.
Female Long-billed Curlew in a Florida lagoon
It has been another very long week so I thought I'd post a female Long-billed Curlew because of her very long bill but unlike the way my week went this curlew is graceful, elegant and serene.
Snowy Plover on a late September morning
I photographed this Snowy Plover one September morning in Florida and it was actually cool that day... for Florida.
Black-bellied Plover in beach habitat
This Black-bellied Plover was standing on a dunelet that wasn't much higher than the sand around it that had sparse short grasses which I found appealing.
Snowy Plovers – North America’s Smallest Plover
A while back I did a post on the Least Sandpiper which is the world's smallest sandpiper so I thought I would do a post about North America's smallest plover, the Snowy Plover.
Missing Fort De Soto
Some days I find myself missing Fort De Soto so much it hurts, the birds I found there and the entire experience of just being there. It is just such an amazing place, how could I not miss it?
Spots before my eyes – Spotted Sandpipers that is
So I finally have images of the breeding plumage of this small shorebird that show the spots that gave this bird the name Spotted Sandpiper!
Ghosts of the Prairie – Mountain Plovers
On April 10th I spotted two Mountain Plovers on Antelope Island State Park after reporting it to the UBIRD birding list many birders and bird photographers sped to the island to see these birds which are a rarity in this area.
Five years ago today at Fort De Soto
Five years ago today I headed to the north beach of Fort De Soto County Park despite knowing that there were looming storms off of the coast hanging just off shore over the Gulf of Mexico and I am glad that I did because the light that day on the beach was exquisite.
Piping Plovers
Piping Plovers are small, sparrow sized shorebirds that are endangered and threatened in most of their range primarily due to human disturbance on their nesting grounds.
And We Have Lift Off!
I wanted to share some bird lift off images today so I rounded up a few that showed different styles of lift offs.
Adult American Oystercatcher among Sea Purslane
I like to include habitat in my images when I am able to do so, especially when the habitat doesn't obstruct the view of my subject or when the habitat helps to define a sense of place.
Wilson’s Phalarope – A Whirligig Bird
In early June while in western Montana there was a pair of Wilson's Phalaropes on a small, privately owned pond near a gravel road foraging for prey that I couldn't resist photographing.
Juvenile Willet looking for prey
It won't be long before I start seeing juvenile Willets that are about the size of the one pictured here.
Candlestick Birds – Long-billed Curlews
I've been enjoying seeing Long-billed Curlews for several weeks now in northern Utah. These large shorebirds birds are also called "Candlestick birds" and "Sickle Birds" because of their long bills.
A Coyote Doing What Coyotes Do – Eating American Avocet Eggs
It was a fascinating experience to see and photograph this Coyote locating and eating the egg and I'm tickled to have witnessed the Coyote's egg carrying behavior plus once again I am very glad to have been in the right place at the right time.
Please… Give Nests And Chicks Respect
Fluffy little chicks are adorable, they make people "ohh" and "aww" and those that hit the ground running not long after hatching are especially appealing to some folks. But they need respect and they need space so we don't endanger them.
Eastern Willet in flight at Fort De Soto
There are two subspecies of Willets which Western and Eastern, here in Utah I only see the Western subspecies but in Florida I could see both during the course of a year.
Willet on Antelope Island State Park
Just a simple Willet image today that I took on Antelope Island State Park earlier this month.
Male Long-billed Curlew in flight
Last week; while fighting off a bloodsucking cloud of no-see-ums, I was able to photograph this male Long-billed Curlew as it flew past me.
Semipalmated Plover Image and a Critique
Besides, to have gotten any lower than the Semipalmated Plover I would have had to have crawled down the burrow of one of those crabs
Spot the Sandpiper on the Seawall
It really isn't too hard to spot this Spotted Sandpiper on the seawall, I just thought it was a catchy title. I saw my FOY (first of year) Spotted Sandpiper this past week and that got me excited.
Bird Sampler for April 28 through May 4, 2013
I wanted to share a sampler of bird images that I have taken over the past week in Davis and Box Elder Counties.
The Willets and Biting Gnats are back on Antelope Island
The Willets are moving into their nesting territory on Antelope Island State Park and I am excited about that. What I am not excited about is that the biting gnats (no-see-ums) are back too.
Gulf Coast Whimbrel
Among the shorebirds I enjoyed seeing and photographing while I lived in Florida were Whimbrels, I could see flocks of 25 or more during the winter along the coast.
Mountain Plovers – Comparing two similar looking species
There are a few similar species that occur in Utah and surrounding states that could be confused with Mountain Plovers.
Simple Long-billed Curlew Post
This is just a simple Long-billed Curlew post with images I took not long before I discovered the Mountain Plovers on April 10th on Antelope Island State Park.
Ruddy Turnstone and a Laughing Gull
Five years ago today I was laying in the warm wet sands of Fort De Soto County Park's north beach as the salty water from the Gulf of Mexico soaked my skin while photographing a Ruddy Turnstone doing what they do best, turning things.
A Few Bird Images From This Past Week
Even though I only got out to photograph birds three times this week each of the days I did get out were very memorable!
More Mountain Plover Images
I wanted to share a few more of the Mountain Plover images I took which are a lifer bird for me as well as being rare in Utah.