Sometimes Great Views Are All I Get
Sometimes I go out to look for birds to photograph and all I get are great views of the scenery, sometimes I am okay with that and sometimes it is very frustrating.
Staring Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk Close Up
I've shared photos of this gorgeous dark morph Swainson's Hawk before and I've written about how I believed it was the darkest, dark morph I had ever seen and to date that still holds true.
I Swear I heard A Willet Calling Two Days Ago
While looking for Sage Thrashers to photograph on Antelope Island two days ago I swear I heard a Willet call. It was just one distant call but my ears perked up right away.
Why Did The Curlew Cross The Road?
The road is nothing more than a sandy track that runs through a grassland area where in past years I have seen Long-billed Curlews displaying, fighting, courting and mating and I hoped to see that yesterday.
More Photos Of The Rufous Red-tailed Hawk Female
I had a great time photographing this beautiful rufous Red-tailed Hawk yesterday morning and I'm glad I had good light when I did.
Spring Killdeer At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
I spent my morning yesterday driving on the very muddy auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and the birds that I photographed the most were Killdeer, it seemed like I saw them everywhere.
Turkey Vultures Have Returned To Northern Utah
I'm itching to get back out into the field because I want to see my first of the year Turkey Vultures on the wing.
Resting Sage Thrasher Plus My Concerns About Biting Gnats
So as of right now I am not sure whether I will be spending time on the island after the biting gnats come out which means if I am going to photograph Sage Thrashers displaying I need to find the thrashers some place else.
Dawn’s Golden Light On A Greater Sage-Grouse Lek
It was 21 degrees and even though my hands became numb because of the biting cold I kept taking image after image of these Greater Sage-Grouse performing their ancient mating ritual, I started well before dawn and didn't stop until the last grouse left the lek.
Singing Male Horned Lark Close Up On Antelope Island
This singing male Horned Lark was close enough to me that I could take portraits of him while he sang two days ago and I believe the reason he was so close was that his urge to find a mate overcame his natural wariness.
Utah’s Long-billed Curlews Have Arrived And Their Calls Are Being Heard
Yesterday when I saw, heard and photographed these Long-billed Curlews while on Antelope Island I was reminded of all the times I have taken photos of these large shorebirds here in Utah, Montana and in Florida and how I have enjoyed having an intimate view of their lives both through my lens and with my eyes.
Resting Black-billed Magpie Close Up On Antelope Island
So far this year the only photo I've taken of the nest building magpies that I have liked is this close up of a resting Black-billed Magpie who was taking a break from looking for nesting materials.
Singing Male Horned Lark And The Great Salt Lake
I was thrilled to photograph this singing male Horned Lark last week because he was high up on a boulder with the Great Salt Lake below and behind him since I don't have many images of this species with the lake in the background.
Marsh Wren Nesting Season Has Begun At Bear River MBR
Marsh Wren nesting season has begun here in northern Utah and in my opinion one of the best places to see, listen to and photograph them is from the auto tour route at Bear River MBR.
Rufous Morph Red-tailed Hawk Taking Flight Photos
By the time I took this next image in the series the Red-tailed Hawk had straightened her legs, her wings were high over her body and she was pushing off from the rock.
I’m Eager To See And Photograph Short-eared Owls
I love photographing the Short-eared Owls while there is still some spring growth around because the warm toned plumage of these owls stands out so nicely from the varying shades of green.
Nature’s Calendar – Spring Sprang A While Ago
The birds we observe, learn from and photograph care naught for the constrictions of our human calendars instead they listen to ancient, instinctual rhythms inside themselves.
Early Spring American Tree Sparrow
The last time I wrote about American Tree Sparrows I said that they would be migrating soon and that I hoped I could take a few more photos of them before they migrated and I had that opportunity two days ago.
Yellow-bellied Marmot Family In Early Spring
The Yellow-bellied Marmot pup spent most of its time exploring the area around its burrow, climbing up and down the rocks, sitting, standing, scratching its fur, looking around and being a marmot pup in the wild where they belong.
Nesting Red-tailed Hawks – Plus Guidelines On Photographing Nesting Birds
I'm happy to see that the rufous female Red-tailed Hawk does have a mate and that they are building a nest to raise their young in, I hope they are successful.
Common Raven Close Ups On The Shoreline of the Great Salt Lake
At first the Common Raven was near the side of the road but it moved down the rocks and got closer to the lake and where it poked around in the rocks.
Royal Tern Splashing And Bathing In A Florida Lagoon
This image of a splashing and bathing Royal Tern in a Florida lagoon was taken nearly ten years ago and I'd never processed it until today.
Double-crested Cormorant In A Snow Storm
One of the birds that caught my attention at my local pond yesterday during the snow storm was an adult Double-crested Cormorant flying in front of a willow tree with lots of snowflakes in the frame.
One Stunning Rufous Red-tailed Hawk – How Finding It Saved My Day
If I hadn't found and pointed out this stunning rufous Red-tailed Hawk yesterday morning I would have basically come home without a single decent image of a bird.
My First Of Year Sandhill Cranes!
I was very excited to spot my first of year Sandhill Cranes yesterday near the causeway to Antelope Island where a pair of the cranes were foraging on the flats of the Great Salt Lake.
Me With An Anhinga Waiting Out A Storm Plus The Story Behind This Image
The story behind the images I took of the Anhinga waiting out the storm isn't a happy or pleasant one but I still liked the images I took.
Adult Bald Eagle at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge
One of my trips out to Fish Springs NWR happened during this time of the year and while I was there so was a gorgeous adult Bald Eagle that perched in the trees near the picnic area not too far from the refuge headquarters.
Migrating Turkey Vultures Are On The Wing
I miss seeing and photographing Turkey Vultures during the winter and now I am excited that very soon I'll be seeing them roosting on fence posts, rocky outcroppings, cattle gates, trees, corrals and the ground, riding the thermals, thermoregulating and scarfing up road kill all over the place!
Close Up Western Meadowlark
This close up of a Western Meadowlark was taken nearly two years ago on Antelope Island State Park while the bird foraged on the ground.
Yellow-bellied Marmot Pup Warming Up On The Rocks
Yellow-bellied Marmots are also called "Whistle Pigs" and "Rock Chucks" so I have to wonder should I call their pups "Whistle Piglets" and "Rock Chucklets" or just call them cute and adorable?