birds of prey

Great Horned Owl Mystery – Things That Go Hoot In The Night

By |September 4th, 2024|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Arkansas, Birds, Great Horned Owls, Sebastian County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning, while it was still pitch dark outside, I heard a bird call. Then, I heard a Great Horned Owl hooting. I soon had a mystery on my hands.

Mississippi Kite Photos From Tishomingo NWR

By |June 15th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Johnston County, Mississippi Kites, Oklahoma, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday, I finally took some Mississippi Kite photos that I'm happy with during a trip to Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge. They are such striking raptors.

My Mom Would Have Been 92 Today

By |May 17th, 2024|Categories: Eastern Cottonwood, Miscellaneous, Oklahoma, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My mom would have been 92 today. I miss her terribly, but she is with me in so many ways. She was also with me when I went to Tishomingo NWR last Saturday.

Barred Owls Side By Side Plus A Short Video Of Them

By |April 16th, 2024|Categories: Barred Owls, Birds, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Video|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago, my friend Steve Creek and I had an amazing experience with a mated pair of Barred Owls next to a road at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge.

Barred Owl Portraits In Early Morning Light

By |April 14th, 2024|Categories: Barred Owls, Birds, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I was thrilled to take early morning Barred Owl portraits at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in east central Oklahoma with my friend Steve Creek.

Save Owls By Not Using Rodent Poisons

By |April 3rd, 2024|Categories: Barred Owls, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Horned Owls, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Since spring's arrival, people will be spending time outdoors, and more people will be seeing rats in their yards and gardens. Owls eat rats and other rodents.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk In Spring At Bear River MBR

By |March 24th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

About two years ago, I photographed this immature Red-tailed Hawk near the Bear River, on my way out of the auto tour loop of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Female Merlin On International Women’s Day

By |March 8th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Merlins, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I found and photographed this female Merlin at my local pond last month, and she seemed to be the perfect bird for me to share on International Women's Day.

Great Horned Owl Chick In Coastal Florida

By |March 5th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Florida, Great Horned Owls, Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This image of a Great Horned Owl chick resting near its nest on the coast Florida in lovely afternoon light brings back wonderful memories for me. It was 2008.

Young Bald Eagle On The Road

By |February 17th, 2024|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Bald Eagle photo isn't my best image of this species, and that is alright with me. I took the photo five days ago on the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR.

Surprise Merlin Photos – Two Merlins In A Pear Tree

By |February 15th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Merlins, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was at one of my local ponds yesterday morning when a gorgeous adult female Merlin flew in and landed on a tree not far from where I stood behind my tripod.

Young Red-tailed Hawk Up Close

By |February 10th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The day I photographed this young Red-tailed Hawk, I took 135 images of the immature raptor in just a little over a minute at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Bald Eagle On A Leaning Post Plus Trees With The Earth Shadow And Belt Of Venus

By |January 31st, 2024|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was up at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday, I photographed a Bald Eagle on a leaning post, plus trees with the Earth Shadow and Belt of Venus.

Rough-legged Hawk On A No Swimming Sign

By |January 24th, 2024|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While looking for a photo to share this morning I found this immature Rough-legged Hawk on a No Swimming Sign with the snowy Wasatch Mountains in the background.

I Am Missing This Cooperative Rough-legged Hawk

By |January 9th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Once upon a time, and not so long ago, I could count on seeing this light-morph Rough-legged Hawk at a specific area of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge tour route.

Northern Harrier – My First Raptor of 2024

By |January 7th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first raptor I photographed in 2024 was this young male Northern Harrier that I found near the refuge auto tour loop at Bear River MBR on New Year's Day.

American Herring Gull In Flight Close Up

By |January 6th, 2024|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three years ago today, I drove the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR alone. One of the birds I photographed that winter morning was this close-up adult Herring Gull in flight.

Christmas Day Young Northern Harrier On The Wing

By |December 25th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On this Christmas morning, I am sharing a photo of a young female Northern Harrier in flight that I took exactly three years ago at Farmington Bay WMA.

Rough-legged Hawk In Dense Fog

By |December 19th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Some bird photographers might not share a photo like this Rough-legged Hawk in dense fog that I took two years ago today at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Immature Female Northern Harrier

By |December 12th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Environment, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Habitat, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I am sharing three photos of an immature female Northern Harrier that I took ten years ago at Farmington Bay WMA.

Frosty Northern Harrier In Utah

By |November 29th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This photo of a frosty Northern Harrier was taken almost five years ago. Although the harrier is small in the frame, I still find the image visually appealing.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |November 24th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four years ago today, I found this gorgeous dark morph Ferruginous Hawk perched on a juniper fence post in the West Desert. I spotted it from about a mile away.

Red-tailed Hawk In Front Of The Wasatch Mountains

By |October 19th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took a few long distance photos of this Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay WMA because of the fall colors in the Wasatch Mountains in the background.

Autumn Sharp-shinned Hawk Portraits

By |October 14th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The last bird I photographed yesterday at Farmington Bay WMA was a surprise Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew in so close I could only take portraits of her or him.

Red-tailed Hawk On A West Desert Weather Station

By |October 9th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A West Desert weather station wasn't the prettiest perch, but that is where I found this handsome Red-tailed Hawk last week when I went looking for birds.

Red-tailed Hawk Pre-Lift Off

By |March 15th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It's been about four years since I photographed this rufous Red-tailed Hawk in in a pre-lift off pose way up in northern Utah. This pose can be hard to capture.

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