Dark morph Swainson’s Hawk In Flight
This dark morph Swainson's Hawk was on a hillside that we came upon while leaving the Centennial Valley to head back to Utah.
On The Road – Montana morning June 29
Life is good
A Montana Mountain Home – I could live there
If I could pick a place to escape the craziness of modern life this place in the Centennial Valley of Montana would be at the top of my list.
Longing for Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
It is raining here in the valley this morning and snow is falling in the high country in the middle of June so I am sitting here dreaming of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
Comforting and Changing Scenery – Centennial Valley, Montana
I know. We never know when things in our lives will change but I had come to depend of seeing that dear old barn on each journey through the Centennial Valley of Montana.
Bald Eagle lift off
While in southwestern Montana last week I did see several Bald Eagles and this adult was most obliging as it perched on a conifer in the light of the rising sun.
Male Short-eared Owl in evening light
The nicknames for Short-eared Owls are many and include Evening Owl, Mouse-hawk, Marsh Owl, Bog Owl and Flat-faced Owl but I just call them Shorties in the field.
Goofy look from a Short-eared Owl in Montana
Most of the time the birds and animals I photograph look majestic, elegant or their poses convey action but some times they look just plain goofy.
Fracking does not belong in our National Wildlife Refuges
Oil and gas companies want to come in our National Wildlife refuges to explore for oil and natural gas, they want to exploit; not preserve and protect, the resources found within the boundaries of our National Wildlife System.
I didn’t have a rosy dawn but I can share one
Back to thinking about nature, birds, photography and the amazing, wild places that await me.
Great Horned Owl juvenile in Montana
I especially like the combination of old wood and owls, in this photo a juvenile Great Horned Owl is perched on an external structural beam of an old granary in Glacier County, Montana.
The Centennial Valley of Montana beckons to me
The Centennial Valley says "home" to me with the expansive views it offers of not only the valley but the Centennial Mountains and the Lower Lake and beyond. I find peace there.
1000 posts at On The Wing Photography and still going strong
Today I reached the 1000 posts mark for my blog here at On The Wing Photography. In those 1000 posts I've covered a lot of birds, animals and locations.
Short-eared Owls photographed in fog and evening light
Both images are appealing to me because I enjoy the foggy softness of the female Short-eared Owl image and the warm, golden tones of the male Short-eared Owl photo.
Pair of Great Horned Owls with their eyes on the Montana Sky
As I photographed them I saw both Great Horned Owls turn their alert eyes to the sky and although I remember looking up into the sky myself I recall I didn't see anything but the much keener eyes of the owls probably did.
An adult Swainson’s Hawk and its young in Montana
I can barely wait until spring when the Swainson's Hawks will migrate back from South America to fill the skies here with their beauty.
Short-eared Owl in Glacier County, Montana
Two years ago I photographed this male Short-eared Owl in Glacier County, Montana on a fence post on the perimeter of some CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) land on an August evening.
Ferruginous Hawk in flight and chicks in a nest
Ferruginous Hawks are the largest hawk in North America which are only found in Canada and the United States and recent DNA analysis suggests that Ferruginous Hawks may be closer to Eagles in taxonomy than that of a hawk.
Missing Montana’s Great Horned Owls
Great Horned Owls and old wood just seem to go together, the warm tones of the wood are a great compliment to the same tones in the plumage of Great Horned Owls.
Scruffy sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk
Seriously, I wish I understood more about molting with many of the raptors including Swainson's Hawk and perhaps if I ever find some free time I will attempt to study molt patterns more closely.
Adult Red-tailed Hawk and Photoshop
I wouldn't license this Red-tailed Hawk image for print because it has been altered but I like the image without the wires.
Yellow-bellied Marmot raspberry
The Yellow-bellied Marmots are already in their burrows for the winter but with any luck I will see more this coming spring.
Red-tailed Hawks – Mates for Life
For several years now I have been observing and photographing a mated pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the Centennial Valley of southwestern Montana that have a favorite perch that I often see them on.
Red-tailed Hawk perched above Elk Lake, Montana
This past September I spotted an adult Red-tailed Hawk perched high on a rocky canyon wall as it looked out over the cold waters of Elk Lake in Beaverhead County, Montana.
Young Great Horned Owl is a Tiger of the Sky in the making
I love the descriptive name "Tiger of the Sky" when referring to Great Horned Owls, they are fierce, fearless and ferocious and the young owl in the image above is a 'Tiger in the Sky" in the making.
Photographers Beware – Another Way Our Images are Being Stolen
These developers are scum and Google needs to step up to the plate and make sure the apps have legitimate licenses for the images in the apps or disallow the thieves from ever putting them on Google Play.
Stained and Unstained Sandhill Cranes
A few days ago I saw quite a few Sandhill Cranes starting at just past the Visitors Center for Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, in one of the farmer's fields I saw 11 of them feeding in the freshly tilled soil.
White-crowned Sparrow on a rusty wire fence
In the Centennial Valley of Montana at this time of the year I see plenty of White-crowned Sparrows of the interior west sub-species and although most of them that I see are juveniles there are also adults hanging around foraging too.
Red-tailed Hawk on the red rocks of the Centennial Valley – Finally!
Since my first visit to the Centennial Valley of Montana on June 18, 2010 I have wanted to photograph a bird; preferably a raptor, on the reddish orange lichen covered rocks found throughout the valley. On this last trip that finally happened!
I don’t know why I like this image
Perhaps sometimes we like what we like in an image without a reason that we can put a finger on.