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Surprise Cooper’s Hawk in the Wasatch Mountains

By |April 28th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Cooper’s Hawks, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are days when one bird can "make" the day great for me as a bird photographer, yesterday that bird was a Cooper's Hawk in a Wasatch Mountain canyon east of Salt Lake City.

Turkey Vultures aka Turkey Buzzards

By |April 27th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I grew up calling Turkey Vultures by the name "Turkey Buzzards" and every once in a blue moon I still unintentionally slip and call them by their nickname instead of their proper common name.

Loggerhead Shrike Allofeeding Courtship Behavior Plus a Close Up

By |April 25th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Loggerhead Shrike did fly in and brought prey to feed the presumed female, during the mating season the males will allofeed the females as part of their courtship behavior. I've never been able to photograph allofeeding behavior before so I was tickled pink.

White-faced Ibis – Birds Of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |April 24th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

White-faced Ibis are abundant at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge during their breeding season and they can be easily seen from the 12 mile, self-guided auto tour route feeding in the water impoundments or flying in loose flocks overhead.

American White Pelican in Definitive Alternate Plumage aka Breeding Plumage

By |April 23rd, 2018|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday was my first opportunity this year to be able to take quality images of American White Pelicans in Definitive Alternate Plumage or as it is better known, breeding plumage.

Adult White-crowned Sparrow Perched On A Budding Tree

By |April 21st, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago after I photographed the female American Kestrel eating her prey on a lichen-covered rock I was able to take a few photographs of a single adult White-crowned Sparrow that was perched on a budding tree.

Our Western Kingbirds Have Returned To Northern Utah

By |April 20th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Utah, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did see a Western Kingbird two days ago but the only photos I have of that bird were taken on a barbed wire fence and I have more of those type of images than I know what to do with and nothing about those images were appealing, unique or all that interesting.

Snowy Egrets Have Migrated Back To Northern Utah

By |April 14th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I lived in Florida I saw Snowy Egrets year round and that kind of spoiled me but here in Utah they leave for the winter and come back to the marshes and wetlands surrounding the Great Salt Lake for their breeding season.

Horned Lark With Redstem Filaree – Birds & Wildflowers

By |April 12th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Horned Larks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph a male Horned Lark on Antelope Island State Park that included Redstem Filaree in the photos and I was delighted, that pop of bright color sure says "spring" to me.

Adult Turkey Vulture in flight close up – Almost Too close

By |April 11th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the third Turkey Vulture lifted off I expected it to go north like the other two vultures had but instead it flew south and very close to where I was at the side of the road in a vehicle being used as a mobile blind, almost too close.

Female Yellow-bellied Marmot and Her Five Pups

By |April 10th, 2018|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The most fun I had yesterday wasn't photographing my feathered friends instead it was while I photographed a female Yellow-bellied Marmot and her five delightful pups.

Long-billed Curlew Foraging on Antelope Island

By |April 7th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four days ago I was able to take my first photographs of Long-billed Curlews this year on Antelope Island State Park and although I was disappointed in the quality of most of the images I took I enjoyed seeing these large sandpipers again.

Antelope Island Pronghorn Buck Sniffing The Wind

By |April 5th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Pronghorn, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I always enjoy taking photos of the pronghorns on Antelope Island State Park and appreciate the fact that they are approachable and far less skittish than the pronghorn I have encountered in quite a few other locations.

Photos Of Owls In Flight

By |April 3rd, 2018|Categories: American Barn Owls, Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Centennial Valley, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spend a lot of time in the field looking for, observing and photographing owls and obtaining photos of them in flight can often be frustrating when I have the opportunity but very fulfilling when I accomplish my goal.

Signs of Spring: Yellow-bellied Marmots

By |April 1st, 2018|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I get excited to see and photograph my first Yellow-bellied Marmots of the years, sunning on rocks, scurrying along a hillside, nibbling on fresh spring grasses or calling out an alarm because a raptor is flying overhead.

Springtime Yellow-headed Blackbird Male

By |March 29th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yellow-head Blackbirds made their presence known at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge two days ago by displaying and because of their odd mechanical calls that sound like a rusty metal gate opening and closing.

Tundra Swans Of Bear River MBR On The Wing

By |March 26th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seeing a few flocks of Tundra Swans in flight two days in northern Utah was a reminder that these big, white swans have already begun their migration to their breeding grounds on the tundra of northern Canada and Alaska.

Red-tailed Hawk Perched on a Sagebrush Covered Hillside

By |March 24th, 2018|Categories: Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

It is the time of year when Red-tailed Hawks begin to nest, by now most of them here in northern Utah have already selected a mate so they find a nesting location and start to collect nesting materials as the days grow longer and warmer.

Photographing a Male Northern Flicker Excavating a Nesting Cavity

By |March 23rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Nesting Birds, Northern Flickers, Targhee National Forest, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I dug into my archives and picked these Northern Flicker photos from May of 2015 to share today because I saw a Northern Flicker yesterday and thought of how they will soon start excavating their nesting cavities to rear their young in.

Long-billed Curlews – Shorebirds of the Great Basin

By |March 22nd, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Long-billed Curlews, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was one year ago today that I saw and heard my first Long-billed Curlews of the year and this morning as I sit here knowing there are cloudy skies outside I am wondering if the curlews have returned to northern Utah today as well.

Calling Pied-billed Grebe – It Is Breeding Season For These Grebes

By |March 21st, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I noticed one Pied-billed Grebe carrying vegetation in its bill which I presume it was gathering to build its floating nest at a small pond at Farmington Bay WMA and later on I heard the call of a Pied-billed Grebe, located the grebe and photographed it as it called.

Killdeer Calling in Flight at Night

By |March 19th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Killdeer, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A few nights ago I opened the door to check out the cloud cover and weather conditions before going to bed and for the first time since I moved to Utah I heard a flock of calling Killdeer flying past in the pitch black night.

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