Sapsuckers, Bluebirds and Nuthatches and the Magical Sapsucker Tree
Two years ago today I was in the Targhee National Forest of Clark County, Idaho photographing birds at what I called the "Magical Sapsucker Tree".
Two years ago today I was in the Targhee National Forest of Clark County, Idaho photographing birds at what I called the "Magical Sapsucker Tree".
The gray skies are getting old and I'm suffering from cabin fever and wishing for some bright bluebird skies to get out to photograph birds and to be able to relax and soak in nature.
Short-eared Owls are nomadic so the places where I saw and photographed these male Short-eared Owls last year may or may not have owls this breeding season.
As the weather warms up I admit that I'm itching to hit the road to go camping, to get away from the city, the news and to immerse myself in natural surroundings.
Wow, today is the last day of the year 2016. This is my photographic year in review from Utah, Idaho and Montana!
There are natural perches along the access roads right next to the interstate and if I am lucky I can find raptors perched there on occasion too.
This photo shows the sub-adult Red-tailed Hawk in flight in the glow of the evening light just a split second after it had lifted off from a perch further away.
When I found this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk on a lichen covered boulder in Idaho I took a little over 160 frames of it.
When I go on trips to Montana and Idaho it is primarily about finding and photographing birds but the places I visit are so beautiful that I feel I have to photograph the scenic views too.
I photographed these two Red-tailed Hawks near old route 91 in Idaho which runs close to Interstate 15, part of the road is still paved and part of it is gravel.
I spent some time in the Centennial Valley of Montana yesterday and the best bird of the morning was this adult Prairie Falcon photographed on a cattle chute with a white cloud in the background.
I was able to fire a burst of shots showing the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk taking off from a conifer and liked the second and third shots in the series the most.
I do love the look I was getting from the sub-adult Red-tailed Hawk just before it flew away to land on a perch on the other side of the railroad tracks
The scientific name is Tragopogon dubius but this forb has many common names including Yellow Salsify, Yellow Goatsbeard, Western Salsify, Wild Oysterplant and my favorite Western Goatsbeard.
Sometime very soon I will need to smell the sagebrush, hold it in my hands and breathe.
Good morning! I am writing this morning from a campsite that is on OUR Public Lands just outside the Targhee National Forest in Clark County, Idaho.
The Targhee National Forest is a wonderful place to find and photograph birds and wildlife including this Red-tailed Hawk juvenile in flight.
At times the male Cassin's Finch looked like he was on alert but I can't be sure why, it might have been because of the other finches nearby or that he was keeping an eye out for predators in the sky.
I was trying to photograph flickers, wrens and sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho earlier this month when the American Robin in the photo above appeared and softly called.
I'm pretty sure the American Badger at her den has cubs, they can have anywhere from one to five!
The male Short-eared Owl in Clark County, Idaho was a beauty even in the poor light.
I liked this image of a Tree Swallow near Modoc Creek because of the eye contact, head turn, colors and the pattern of the conifer needles in the background.
I photographed this rainy day Red-tailed Hawk in Clark County, Idaho last year as it perched on an old pole with glass insulators on it
I photographed my favorite nesting tree in the Targhee National Forest and this Northern Flicker nesting cavity.
These images from different times of the year show Mountain Bluebird plumage development stages from not long after fledging to adulthood.
Seeing and photographing this Red-breasted Nuthatch was such a thrill for me that I want a repeat performance!
In early May I found this American Robin perched near Modoc Creek, Idaho and I liked the simplicity of of the background and the robin's pose.
These Spotted Sandpiper images are from my last trip to Idaho and were taken near a creek in the Targhee National Forest.
I am heart-broken about losing the Magical Sapsucker Tree but I am glad to have found a few more where the chicks are thriving and are safe so far.
Being in the right place at the right time can be awesome like last year being in the Targhee National Forest when a cow Moose and calf walked down a hill.