Ruddy Turnstone Chicks Grow Up Fast
What is really fascinating to me is that within two days of fledging Ruddy Turnstone chicks embark on their first migration to their wintering grounds.
Breeding and Nonbreeding Forster’s Terns
The differences in breeding and nonbreeding plumage of Forster's Terns is enough that some bird watching and bird photography novices might even think that they are two different species of terns.
Royal Terns Courting in Florida
The "Circling" courtship behavior of Royal Terns was one that I found interesting because as the male circled the female she moved too and kept her sides facing him.
White Ibis in a Lagoon – Getting Down & Dirty for the Low Angle Photo
I was able to take a nice series of low angle images of this White Ibis in the blue lagoon by staying still as it hunted for food with my lens about an inch or two above the water.
Spring Means Nesting Birds and Chicks – Please Give Them Space
Why? Because the image is never as important as the well being and safety of my subject, especially when it comes to nests and chicks.
Age Related Color Morphs of Little Blue Herons
Little Blue Herons start off their lives with white plumage, then look piebald with blue and white fathers and finally look more "blue" as adults.
Listening for Long-billed Curlews
The first of March always makes me think of and listen for Long-billed Curlews, our largest shorebird of North America.
Marbled Godwit and Friends on Exposed Mudflats
In 2009 I photographed this foraging Marbled Godwit and friends on exposed mudflats of a Fort De Soto County Park lagoon.
Greater Yellowlegs in Florida and Utah
I expect to see Greater Yellowlegs soon because they are one of the first shorebirds to migrate through Utah on their way to their breeding grounds.
Possible Eastern and Western Willet Split in 2017
The question regarding this proposal is... Willet happen?
Strolling Yellow-crowned Night Heron – Thinking Back on Brighter, Warmer Days
This morning my mind drifted back to June of 2009, to a bright, warm day on the Gulf coast of Florida and a strolling Yellow-crowned Night Heron that I photographed as waves churned up behind it.
Ruddy Turnstone – ABA Bird of the Year 2017
A few days ago the ABA announced the 2017 Bird of the Year as the Ruddy Turnstone and I couldn't be any happier because shorebirds were my "spark" birds that propelled me into the world of bird photography.
Paying Attention to the Birds Beyond My Subject – The Surprise Curlew Behind the Reddish Egret
I kept this photo of the Reddish Egret with the surprise curlew in the background not because it is a great image but to remind myself to look beyond the subject in front of me.
Black Skimmer in a Fog over the Gulf of Mexico
Whenever I view this photo of a lone Black Skimmer in flight on a foggy Gulf shore I feel a wave of joy and peaceful feelings wash over me.
Sunrise ~ Sunset
I feel worried for the future and I am filled with angst right now and I know I am not alone. However; I do know that even when times are difficult life is good. The sun rises after every sunset.
Comparing Adult Ring-billed and California Gulls
For most of the year Ring-billed and California Gulls are some of the most common gulls here in northern Utah and for some people it might be challenging to tell them apart.
Courting Black Skimmers on North Beach, Fort De Soto
On a hazy, windy day in May of 2008 I was able to sand crawl on my belly close enough to some Black Skimmers to watch and photograph them courting.
It is Tricolored Heron Not Tri-colored Heron
I must admit I get a little bonkers though when I see images of birds where the name posted for the species in the photo is incorrect, for instance, it is Tricolored Heron not Tri-colored Heron.
Juvenile Roseate Spoonbill on Florida’s West Coast
I photographed this juvenile Roseate Spoonbill in May of 2008 from inside a lagoon at Fort De Soto's north while the immature spoonbill and a few adults preened and rested on the shoreline.
2000 Posts about Birds, Wildlife and Nature at On The Wing Photography
Today I am celebrating having published 2000 posts on birds, wildlife and nature at On The Wing Photography and sharing the stories behind the images along with the journeys I take to find my subjects.
Laughing Gull Sliding Across the Water
Of the images I took that day on the beach, and there were tons of them, this image of a Laughing Gull sliding across the water as it chased a fish in the shallow waves was one of my favorites.
Sea Oat Silhouette with Flaming Clouds at Sunrise
When I lived in Florida one of my great joys was to be at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach before the sun rose over the horizon and to be there even before the first bit of color touched the clouds.
Close Up American Herring Gull In Flight With A Sea Urchin
I was able to lock on to the Herring Gull in flight with a sea urchin in its bill when it was close enough to me to fill the frame, it was almost too close at that point.
Great Egret With The Catch Of The Day That Didn’t Get Eaten
The Great Egret struggled to swallow the large fish and even though it readjusted the fish in its bill several times it never swallowed the fish before it dropped it into the lagoon and flew off.
Willet and Me – Until After Election Day
I'll be out photographing birds like this Willet foraging in the Gulf of Mexico, other wildlife and the beauty of nature.
Juvenile Brown Pelican Portrait on the Shore of the Gulf
It was wonderful to be close to the juvenile Brown Pelican and to be able to take portraits of it plus I also enjoyed being able to see all the fine details of its plumage, the texture of its bill and look into its dark eyes.
Elegant Forster’s Tern in flight with a touch of added canvas
I've always loved this image of a Forster's Tern in flight because the pose is wonderful and the tern looks elegant against the gray of a distant storm cloud.
Red-breasted Merganser floating on the Gulf of Mexico
I photographed this Red-breasted Merganser floating on the Gulf of Mexico on an April morning from the shoreline at Fort De Soto, Florida in April of 2008.
Wood Stork in Flight over Fort De Soto
When I lived in Florida there were times that I would see Wood Storks at Fort De Soto and once in a while I would get lucky and find them in flight.
Gulf Shore Yellow-crowned Night Heron
I did see and photograph this adult Yellow-crowned Night Heron standing on a grassy sand dune overlooking the Gulf of Mexico in beautiful, soft light.