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.
Juvenile Dark-eyed Junco, Trial Lake and Mirror Lake Highway
I was delighted to photograph a lovely, little Dark-eyed Junco juvenile perched in a conifer near Washington Lake which is not too far from Trial Lake and the Mirror Lake Highway.
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.
Short-eared Owl On An Old Juniper Fence Post
I loved taking photos of birds on those old fence posts like this male Short-eared Owl that was looking down to the ground for prey.
When the Birds are Slow In Utah There is Always Great Scenery
Finding birds was very challenging yesterday in the canyons of the Stansbury Mountains but it wasn't hard to find beauty in the scenery.
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.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Giving Me the Eye
This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk may have looked like it was giving me the eye when I photographed it but it was actually looking for one of its parents to bring it some food.
Canada Geese and How Their Calls Signal a Change of Seasons For Me
There are lots of Canada Geese near where I live in part because of the grassy golf course that is not too far away and because of the Jordan River and several small ponds that are just down the hill.
Immature Song Sparrow Sporting a Messy Look
Birds aren't always neat looking, feathers wear, birds molt and young birds transitioning from their juvenal plumage into adult plumage can look quite disheveled or messy.
Male Black-necked Stilt Watching Over His Offspring At Bear River MBR
Thousands upon thousands of Black-necked Stilts make the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah their home during their breeding season.
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.
Dreaming of Tundra Swans & Winter
Some Tundra Swans migrate from the arctic tundra using the Great Basin hub of the Pacific flyway and huge flocks of them spend the winter here.
White-faced Ibis at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was calling me yesterday morning and I answered that call and photographed several White-faced Ibis from the auto tour route.
Female and Juvenile Yellow Warblers – Yellow Gold in the Wasatch Mountains
I have my ears and my eyes to thank for finding the Yellow Warblers and their young foraging near a creek in a canyon.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Rousing While Lifting Off
As a bird photographer who spends enormous amounts of time in the field with my feathered subjects I am able to see avian behaviors that other people don't see who aren't focused on birds.
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
Rehabilitated Burrowing Owl Flying Free
Two days ago I watched and photographed as April Olson who is a volunteer at Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah release a rehabbed Burrowing Owl and it was very exciting for me because I've never been to a release before
One Serious Looking Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile and a Survivor Too
I was pleased and relieved to see the surviving Red-tailed Hawk juvenile perched on a corral close to the edge of the road and looking well fed and healthy.
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
Red-naped Sapsucker in the Uinta Mountains
This male Red-naped Sapsucker was photographed last year in the high Uintas, a mountain range that is east of Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Mountains I can see from where I live.
Eight-spotted Skimmer & Variegated Meadowhawk
I enjoyed photographing the Eight-spotted Skimmer and Variegated Meadowhawk while also taking photos of Red-tailed Hawk juvenile.
Photographing a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk – Remembering to Breathe and Relax
I needed time out with the birds yesterday and this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk helped me to relax, breathe and remember that things have a way of working out.
Preening Ring-billed Gull in a Snow Storm
I photographed this preening Ring-billed Gull in a snow storm in January of this year at a pond near where I live and it was pretty chilly that day.
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.
Red-tailed Hawk Fledglings And Some Sad News
I spotted two of the other Red-tailed Hawk chicks that I have been following since early spring and was delighted that they have now fledged and have both learned to fly.