Male Belted Kingfisher in Winter at Farmington Bay WMA
Belted Kingfishers are year round residents in northern Utah but my best opportunities to photograph them at Farmington Bay WMA are during the winter.
Winter Common Mergansers – A Visual Break From The Summer Heat
Back in February there was still snow on the ground, ice on the water and Common Mergansers were at Farmington Bay WMA and some were sporting their breeding plumage.
Pied-billed Grebe with Prey at Farmington Bay – West Davis Corridor Impacts
In just a little over two weeks birders, hunters and bird photographers should have access to more of Farmington Bay WMA than we have had since March. Or will we?
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant & Monarch Butterfly In Flight
Photographing birds while they are flying can be challenging and photographing Monarch Butterflies in flight can be just as challenging to do too.
Adult Ring-billed Gull Hovering Over The Marsh At Farmington Bay
I photographed this Ring-billed Gull last November as it hovered over the autumn colored marsh and I really like the resulting photo. The pose, the light, the setting, the contrast in colors all work well for my tastes.
Juvenile Burrowing Owl VS a Juvenile Peregrine Falcon
Eight years ago today I didn't know that it would be the last time I'd photograph the Burrowing Owl family together and that a juvenile Peregrine Falcon would have a part in that.
Fleeting Moments With An Immature Black-chinned Hummingbird
Two days ago I had a few fleeting moments with an immature Black-chinned Hummingbird that flew in and landed close to me and I relished every second with it.
Antelope Island Willow Flycatcher Perched on a Twig
All summer long I have heard Willow Flycatchers up in some of the Wasatch Mountain Canyons but had been unable to capture quality images of them.
Black-chinned & Rufous Hummingbirds, White-lined Sphinx Moths and Monarch Butterflies
Rocky Mountain Bee Plants are blooming all over the Salt Lake Valley right now and those beautiful, spider-like flowers are attracting hummingbirds, moths, butterflies, bees and a host of insects.
Great Blue Herons and the Great Salt Lake
It does seem odd though to see Great Blue Herons hanging around the Great Salt Lake after the chicks have fledged like this immature heron I photographed yesterday near the causeway.
Shorebirds Are On The Move – Fall Migration
Shorebirds begin their fall migration early and for those of us who live in the Great Salt Lake ecosystem that means looking for them in the marshes around the lake and on the lake itself.
Time for Antelope Island’s SpiderFest!
Today is the day for SpiderFest on Antelope Island State Park, a celebration of the interesting spiders that live on the island.
Two-headed Juvenile Western Kingbird? A Mere Optical Illusion
This image kind of looks like I photographed a two-headed juvenile Western Kingbird but it is really an optical illusion.
Black-billed Magpie Juvenile Perched on a Sign on Antelope Island
There was a tribe of juvenile Black-billed Magpies on Antelope Island State Park yesterday down near White Rock Bay that were wandering around in the area near the Buffalo Point trailhead
Water Dance of Leucistic Eared Grebes on the Great Salt Lake
I will probably never see and photograph so many leucistic Eared Grebes again in my life time as I did yesterday on the Great Salt Lake.
Mule Deer Doe with a Western Spotted Orbweaver & Webs on Her Face
I can't resist photographing birds or wildlife up close so I swung my lens around and focused on the face of the Mule Deer and laughed out loud because she was covered in spiderwebs.
Thousands & Thousands of Wilson’s Phalaropes over the Great Salt Lake
I know how blessed I am to be able to see and photograph the spellbinding spectacle of thousands and thousands of Wilson's Phalaropes lift off and take flight en masse
No Willet Split Plus Other Nerdy Bird News
Just because Willets weren't split this year doesn't mean they won't be split in the future, who knows what changes will be made a year from now.
Juvenile Eastern and Western Kingbirds – Their Ranges Overlap Here in Utah
The ranges for these two species of kingbirds overlap here in northern Utah but I see more of the Western Kingbirds than I do the Eastern Kingbirds.
Buck Pronghorn Close Up On Antelope Island – Worth the Gnat Bites?
My best photos of the day were of a buck Pronghorn that was very close to the dirt road I was on, he was so close I had trouble keeping all of his head in the frame.
Red-winged Blackbird Male on a May Morning
Even though it is late May there are still male Red-winged Blackbirds displaying and singing their little hearts out here in northern Utah and that is what this male blackbird was doing.
Male Yellow-headed Blackbird Portraits
I was surprised yesterday to be able to take portraits of male Yellow-headed Blackbirds because they normally fly away from me instead of flying towards me.
Winking Great Horned Owl in a Hay Barn
Two days ago I photographed one of the adult Great Horned Owls at the hay barn on Antelope Island State Park that appeared to be winking.
Photographing Lark Sparrows on Antelope Island
Lark Sparrows are only in Utah during their breeding season so whenever I have the opportunity to photograph them and their bold facial patterns I am thoroughly delighted.
Lark Sparrow with an Ant on Antelope Island
The day I photographed this Lark Sparrow with an ant on the boulder right next to it the light wasn't the best for bird photography but when I reviewed the images and saw the ant I knew I had to keep this photo.
Barn Swallow Nesting Season Has Begun
Barn Swallows have returned for the nesting season here in northern Utah and if they aren't already building nests they will be constructing them very soon.
Burrowing Owls with Wildflowers on a Windy Day
It was challenging to photograph these Burrowing Owls and wildflowers yesterday in the windy conditions but I am glad I had the opportunity because the wildflowers won't last all that long.
My First of Year Swainson’s Hawk and April Snow on Antelope Island
My best find of the day was my first of the year Swainson's Hawk about two thirds of the way down the island perched in some trees near a freshwater spring.
Female and Male Western Meadowlarks – A Glimpse into Their Mating Behaviors
Three days ago while out on Antelope Island State Park under cloudy skies I was able to observe a glimpse into the mating behaviors of a pair of Western Meadowlarks.
Burrowing Owl At Its Burrow On A Cloudy Day
I photographed this Burrowing Owl adult at its burrow earlier this week not too long after a huge bank of clouds moved over Antelope Island State Park.