I Heard Barred Owl Calls Last Night
Last night, around 9 p.m., I listened to Barred Owl calls. Before Utah birders get excited, I heard those calls courtesy of my niece, Kristal, from Virginia.
Young Male Downy Woodpecker
I thought this young male Downy Woodpecker, with bits of suet on his bill, was a striking bird, and that's why I decided to share this photo today.
Lesser And Greater Yellowlegs Comparison
On Monday, I photographed both Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs foraging in a shallow duckweed-covered pond at Farmington Bay WMA early in the morning.
Spring Male Yellow-headed Blackbird Portraits
When I was up in northern Utah two days ago there was a male Yellow-headed Blackbird that was so close that all I could do was take portraits of him.
Red-naped Sapsucker Photos
This morning I wanted to share a few Red-naped Sapsucker photos I have taken while in gorgeous alpine forests of Idaho and Utah.
Say’s Phoebe – A Bird I Listen For In March
The calls of a Say's Phoebe are among the sounds I listen for in March and they are the first members of the tyrant flycatcher family I see each year in northern Utah.
European Starling – My First Of Year Bird 2021
The first bird I saw in 2021 was a European Starling perched on a power line on the road to my local grocery store about 8:15 am yesterday morning.
Calls And Songs Of Townsend’s Solitaires
I know where in the mountains to find Townsend’s Solitaires by seeing them, hearing them and by knowing their preferred habitat.
An American Robin Who Briefly Fooled My Ears
And I then had an "Ah ha" moment. No wonder I thought I was hearing a Cedar Waxwing when in actuality it was the American Robin calling out because of a predator that I did not see.
Hearing Thousands Of American Goldfinches Flying Overhead
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
Every time I've gone up into the Wasatch Mountains lately I have been searching and listening for Cedar Waxwings to observe and photograph.
Photographing Willow Flycatchers
Once I'm in Willow Flycatcher habitat the next thing I do is to listen for them. I often hear Willow Flycatchers before I see them because they can blend into their habitat well.
Virginia Rails – Marsh Birds
Today I wanted to focus on Virginia Rails because I don't find them out in the open very often, they are such secretive marsh birds.
I Heard My First of Season Greater Yellowlegs
I also heard but didn't see my first of year Greater Yellowlegs and although their calls aren't as melodic as those of Savannah Sparrows it was still music to my ears.
My First Of Year Sandhill Crane Sightings
I was delighted to hear the Sandhill Cranes calling yesterday. Their bugling calls touch me and remind me that I am every bit a part of nature as the cranes are.
Adult Uinta Ground Squirrel Close Up In The Wasatch Mountains
I didn't get any photos of the Uinta Ground Squirrels while I was up in the canyons last week and I will need to fix that soon because I adore these furry, dark-eyed ground squirrels.
I’m On The Look Out For Caspian Terns
The day I came home from camping in the West Desert the first bird calls I heard were from several Caspian Terns in flight overhead that were squabbling and diving at each other.
Red-breasted Nuthatches and Their Nesting Cavities
Right now Red-breasted Nuthatches should be looking for or excavating nesting cavities here in northern Utah which means I should take a trip up to the back roads in the mountains soon and see if I can locate some closer to home than Idaho or Montana.
Sandhill Cranes In Flight During Spring Migration
The last couple of times I have gone to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and further north of there I have been so happy to hear and see, even if from a long distance, the return of our Sandhill Cranes.
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.
Low light Tree Swallow in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho
Last year I was able to spend time photographing this male Tree Swallow in low light in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho and even though the light wasn't the best I still liked the resulting images.
Song Sparrow In Box Elder County, Utah – Bird Sounds of Spring
I was trying to photograph some Red-tailed Hawks when I heard a song close to me and realized it was a Song Sparrow before I even located the bird and put my lens on it.
American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, Swainson’s Hawks – Spring Migrants On The Wing
We still have our winter birds and the spring migrants have begun their journey north so my bird photography is likely to pick up and get exciting soon if the clouds will give me a break.
Male Yellow-headed Blackbird Displaying at Bear River MBR
When I photographed this male Yellow-headed Blackbird displaying at Bear River MBR it was a beautiful May morning and all the birds there were singing.
American Pipits at Farmington Bay
American Pipits will soon be migrating through the Salt Lake Valley and I will hear their flight calls along the causeway to Antelope Island and the fields at Farmington Bay WMA.
American Robin in the Targhee National Forest
I was trying to photograph flickers, wrens and sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho earlier this month when the American Robin in the photo above appeared and softly called.
Migrating House Wren at Bear River MBR
Last August I was a bit surprised to see a House Wren at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge from the auto tour loop around the marshes there.
Piping Plover on a Shell Covered Beach in Florida
I took this image of the Piping Plover on a shell covered beach right after the sun came up when the light had that sweet golden tone to it
Dreaming of Sandhill Cranes
Last night I only had dreams about Sandhill Cranes but it won't be long before I will be seeing and hearing them for real. I can barely wait.
Why Do They Call Them Laughing Gulls?
Laughing Gulls are quite noisy when they are in a flock but I never minded listening to them, in fact they often made me laugh.