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Thinking Of Summer Birds On A Dreary Winter Day

By |February 12th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the weather forecast looks as dreary as this screenshot shows I find myself day-dreaming about summer birds, warmer days, and cloudless skies.

Male American Kestrel Chest Plumage Variation

By |January 24th, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two recent posts on Facebook inspired me to write about male American Kestrel chest plumage variation and to share six images of male kestrels photographed here in Utah.

Pileated Woodpecker – The 2021 ABA Bird of The Year

By |January 5th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Hillsborough County, Lettuce Lake Regional Park, Pileated Woodpeckers, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

The American Birding Association has selected the Pileated Woodpecker as their Bird of the Year for 2021 and I think it is an excellent choice.

Foraging Autumn Bushtits In Northern Utah

By |October 14th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Bushtits, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seeing and photographing the Bushtits in northern Utah was a gift that I didn't expect yesterday and I am grateful to finally have images of them that I like.

An Immature Red-tailed Hawk Resting In A Tree

By |October 7th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent sometime at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday morning where my best bird of the day was an immature Red-tailed Hawk resting in a tree.

Rock Squirrel Close Up In A Fragrant Sumac Shrub

By |September 28th, 2020|Categories: Rock Squirrels, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Rock Squirrel was grasping a sumac branch and the shrub was so close to me I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to focus on it.

American Robins Foraging On Hawthorn Berries

By |September 21st, 2020|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

American Robins seemed especially abundant yesterday high in the Wasatch Mountains and I was happy to photograph them foraging on the ripe berries of a hawthorn.

Photographing Late Summer Nashville Warblers

By |September 15th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Nashville Warblers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I parked next to a stand of willows to see what birds would come in and it wasn't long before I was busy photographing Nashville Warblers foraging for aphids on the leaves of the trees.

Yellow Warbler And A Hawthorn

By |September 1st, 2020|Categories: Birds, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These bright Yellow Warblers are getting ready for their long, fall migrations and while I am happy to see that they seem to have had a successful breeding season it also felt a touch bittersweet to me.

Adult Cedar Waxwing Resting In A Stand Of Hawthorns

By |August 14th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Stopping to eat my muffins at this location was a great idea because this week on three trips to this spot I've photographed more than just Cedar Waxwings at this location.

Pine Siskin In The Wasatch Mountains

By |August 12th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Pine Siskins, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The bird activity picked up just after the sun rose over the mountains peaks and as I scanned the area for birds I spotted this Pine Siskin almost directly in front of me clinging to a small branch.

Adult Cedar Waxwing With Ripening Serviceberries

By |August 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Cedar Waxwing didn't appear to be on the shrub to eat the serviceberries because all it did was call and look around. Perhaps its young were also in the area.

Adult Male Belted Kingfisher With His Freshly Caught Fish

By |July 4th, 2020|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The male Belted Kingfisher had been perched and without warning dove into the water, caught a fish, returned to his perch, and ate it all within close proximity to where I sat in my Jeep.

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird In The Wasatch Mountains

By |June 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I saw this female Black-chinned Hummingbird land on a willow branch not far from where I sat in a mobile blind and I was delighted to photograph her.

Song Sparrow On A Cloudy Spring Morning

By |May 29th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Song Sparrows, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Song Sparrow didn't let the gray clouds overhead, the moisture in the air or its damp feathers stop it from singing to all the other birds within earshot. I have to admire that.

Hearing Thousands Of American Goldfinches Flying Overhead

By |May 28th, 2020|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have never heard so many American Goldfinches flying overhead for such a long period of time and I was in awe. I still am.

Searching And Listening For Cedar Waxwings

By |May 22nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every time I've gone up into the Wasatch Mountains lately I have been searching and listening for Cedar Waxwings to observe and photograph.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird In A Strong Breeze Plus A Favorite Perch

By |May 13th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the male Broad-tailed Hummingbird had had enough of getting bounced around he took off in a hurry with the wind fluffing up his upper chest feathers and the right side of his colorful gorget.

Nesting Mountain Bluebirds And Other Woodland Birds

By |April 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Chipping Sparrows, House Wrens, Mountain Bluebirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I had a blast photographing a pair of Mountain Bluebirds at a natural nesting cavity at the edge of a forest along with some other woodland birds. 

Focusing On Belted Kingfishers High In The Wasatch Mountains

By |April 25th, 2020|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Morgan County, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent yesterday morning high up in the Wasatch Mountains where part of the time I focused on photographing the Belted Kingfishers that I found in two counties.

Adult And Immature Loggerhead Shrikes

By |March 10th, 2020|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

If I can find a protective head net that actually works I might just venture back out onto the island after the no-see-ums come out because I miss photographing nesting Loggerhead Shrikes.

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