Lark Sparrows Have Returned to Antelope Island
For the past week I have been anxiously awaiting my first sighting of Lark Sparrows and yesterday I finally saw them.
West Desert Medley of Birds
Yesterday was a delight in the West Desert because there were plentiful birds to photograph including this male Spotted Towhee singing on its territory.
California Gulls on a Clear April Morning
The California Gulls and the Marbled Godwit came in close and I decided to do some portrait images of the gull.
Sage Thrasher Bilateral Wing Display and Courtship Behavior
Yesterday I had my best opportunities thus far this year to photograph Sage Thrasher courtship behavior and bilateral wing displays on Antelope Island.
Western Grebe Weed Ceremony Behavior
Western and Clark's Grebes at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge have returned and I have been hoping to photograph some of their mating behaviors again.
Black-tailed Jackrabbit with odd colored eyes
This Black-tailed Jackrabbit was near the first one and as I photographed it I realized that its eye color was odd because they are much paler and has a slight greenish hue to them.
Common Loons and Loony Weather
When I thought about our loony weather it reminded me of loons, specifically Common Loons because there have been many reports of them here this past week.
Brewer’s Blackbird – A Common Bird in Steep Decline
Brewer's Blackbirds are a target species of the “Bye bye Blackbird” USDA Wildlife Services Program, a program that uses DRC-1339, an avicide.
Black-tailed Jackrabbit after snow storm
I don't have as many Black-tailed Jackrabbit images as I would like, I need to change that.
Two Second Skirmish on a Greater Sage-Grouse Lek
The two second Greater Sage-Grouse skirmish was over but only for a few seconds before these two males started back up again.
Updating my Wildlife Galleries
I've been pretty busy lately and one of the projects that has kept me burning the midnight oil is moving my images from the old galleries to my new ones.
Nesting Sage Thrashers – In a Rush to Reproduce
Yesterday I had my first opportunity to photograph a Sage Thrasher with nesting materials in its bill on Antelope Island State Park.
Listening for Willets
I have often written how I long to hear the first Long-billed Curlew in the spring but I feel I should mention that I also anxiously await the first calls of migrating Willets too.
Yellow-headed Blackbird Male Just Before Lift Off
To my delight the mechanical sounding calls of male Yellow-headed Blackbirds buzzed over the marshes of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning.
Eastern Kingbird on the road to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
I only have time for a quick post this morning and decided to post one of the migrant kingbirds I look forward to seeing every year, an Eastern Kingbird.
Chukar in Gold
Before my recent trip to Capitol Reef National Park and photographing grouse in Wayne County I photographed this Chukar on Antelope Island State Park.
White-tailed Prairie Dog in golden evening light
The White-tailed Prairie Dogs I saw and photographed last week in Wayne County, Utah seemed more active in the evening than mornings.
Long-billed Curlew calling in flight
Long-billed Curlews will nest on the island in the grasses soon but before then I look forward to watching their courtship displays both on the ground and in the air.
Mesmerizing Mating Displays at a Greater Sage-Grouse Lek
I will share more Greater Sage-Grouse images from this lek soon but as usual I came home from this trip exhausted and it will take me a few days to get through all the images I took.
Greater Sage-Grouse and One Stunning Mountain Bluebird
I was stunned and amazed to find not just one Greater Sage-Grouse leks but TWO!
Greater Sage-Grouse and White-tailed Prairie Dogs
Greater Sage-Grouse and White-tailed Prairie Dogs
Day 2 in Wayne County
Travelogue: Day 2 and a new campsite
Journey to Capitol Reef National Park
A Capitol Reef National Park view
Return of the Tree Swallows
Not only are Tree Swallows colorful and beautiful they are bug-zapping machines and keep the number of flying insects down.
Morning light on Flaming Gorge
How could anyone look at this view of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the red sandstone cliffs being lit by the morning sun and not feel joy?
Sage Thrashers and the Rapidly Disappearing Sea of Sage
Can the disappearance of Sagebrush Seas be stopped? Yes, it could be but we need lawmakers that believe in science and act on it.
Partially Leucistic Black-billed Magpie
Last week I photographed some Black-billed Magpies on Antelope Island State Park and one of them was partially leucistic
Extreme Close Up of an American Bison
Looking at this bull's eye made me think of how long bison have been roaming the planet and how we almost pushed them to extinction.
Grumpy looking Burrowing Owl
I'm not saying that the Burrowing Owl I photographed yesterday was grumpy, just that it looked that way.
A female Northern Harrier in flight
But... things seem to be leveling out now much like this female Northern Harrier in flight that I photographed along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park in northern Utah in mid January.