My focus is usually birds and animals but as many of you know I also can't resist taking images of the beautiful views I see such as these two views of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge last week.
I had wanted to post this photo of a juvenile Swainson's Hawk last week from Montana but because my cell signal was so cruddy I didn't get this image uploaded.
Early on the second morning when I was in Montana last week I was able to photograph this male Northern Flicker on the side and top of a weathered fence post.
I photographed a Swainson's Hawk family for several mornings while I was in Montana and this is one of the juveniles I focused on.
I don't often have the opportunity to photograph Merlins so I was plenty excited to find one yesterday on the South Valley Road in the Centennial Valley that stuck around for a bit!
I sat with some juvenile Swainson's Hawks yesterday morning for quite some time and it eventually paid off when an adult came in to hand off prey but the young hawk missed.
Yesterday morning I saw a sight that made me ill to see and that is a Barn Owl hung up on a barb wire fence on the south side of the Centennial Valley.
I am enjoying my time in the Centennial Valley especially when I can spend time photographing raptors like this adult light morph Swainson's Hawk.
I am camping in one of my favorite locations in the world right now, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana.
This image was taken last year at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge looking east towards Henry's Lake, Idaho.
It has been a few years since I have seen Short-eared Owls with any regularity and I really miss seeing these beautiful owls.
During the wildflower season is it easy to see why Emerson said that the earth laughs in flowers.
I'm posting this Tree Swallow image that was taken at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in memory of a great friend, Rohn McKee.
To all the wonderful, deserving Dad's out there I'd like to wish you a Happy Father's Day!
This Red-tailed Hawk image was taken last week in the Centennial Valley of Montana just after the hawk lifted off from a power pole.
Uinta Ground Squirrels are the most plentiful mammals I see during the summer months in the Centennial Valley.
On my recent trip to Idaho and Montana I didn't have many opportunities with Wilson's Phalaropes except for one at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge's Lower Lake.
I always think of Sandhill Cranes whenever my thoughts drift to the Centennial Valley of Montana where I always hear their calls, see them in the fields or in flight over the marshes.
Yesterday was bright and sunny in the Centennial Valley and after hearing this White-crowned Sparrow singing I felt like breaking out in song too.
Cassin's Finch males look to me like they have been dipped in raspberry juice and that color is very vibrant especially in sweet light.
It was rainy yesterday evening in southwestern Montana and eastern Idaho but that didn't stop me from getting this image of a wet and bedraggled Swainson's Hawk in the Centennial Valley.
The first bird I photographed on my recent trip to Idaho and Montana was a White-faced Ibis in full breeding plumage.
Sometimes after a period of high activity I simply need to rest and relax or duck out into nature's wild grandeur to refresh.
When I am in the wilderness I wake to coyotes singing, cranes trumpeting and the breeze rustling through the grasses or the trees.
Last week I saw my first of the season Swainson's Hawk not too far from the visitor's center at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge and that got me excited.
Not only are Tree Swallows colorful and beautiful they are bug-zapping machines and keep the number of flying insects down.
I wonder if this juvenile Swainson's made the long migration to South America and if I will see it again in the Centennial Valley of Montana this spring.
Last night I only had dreams about Sandhill Cranes but it won't be long before I will be seeing and hearing them for real. I can barely wait.
One of the locations I am daydreaming about is the Centennial Valley of Montana and the birds I find there.
I can not imagine not being able to raise my lens and see Bald Eagles through my viewfinder as a bird photographer and nature lover.