Monday Medley of Bees, Moths and Hummingbirds
I've compiled a medley of images this morning of bees, moths and hummingbirds that I have photographed this past week to share this morning.
Rufous Hummingbird hovering by Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
This Rufous Hummingbird had a favorite perch that looked out over its favorite patch of Rocky Mountain Bee Plant.
Female Black-chinned Hummingbird and a Bee Plant
The brief appearance of this Black-chinned Hummingbird delighted me yesterday as she fed on the Rocky Mountain Bee Plant.
Great Blue Heron’s flight over Farmington Bay
This Great Blue Heron landed briefly on a willow that was along the road at Farmington Bay but before I could get my exposure set correctly it took flight.
Sunrise Skimmers with sandstone texture
Both versions of this frame of the sunrise Black Skimmers bring back memories from the morning I created this photo of them in their pre-dawn flight.
Hovering Forster’s Tern
Last week I photographed this adult Forster's Tern in flight as it foraged for food above Glover Pond near Farmington Bay WMA.
Red-tailed Hawk on a cold winter day
I photographed this particular Red-tailed Hawk on five different days in Utah County and really enjoyed the cold, crisp mornings I had with it.
Glover Pond with Great Blue Herons and White-faced Ibis
Yesterday I focused on a few wading birds I saw at Glover Pond near the Great Salt Lake Nature Center and that include Great Blue Herons and White-faced Ibis.
Swainson’s Hawk in southwestern Montana
Last week while in Montana and Idaho I was able to photograph this Swainson's Hawk as it lifted off from a grassy slope heading up Monida Hill.
On The Road Again
I never know what treasures I will find or if I will be taking wildlife, scenic or bird images but that is part of the fun.
Black Skimmers – Highly gregarious and unmistakable
Black Skimmers are beautiful and unmistakable, with their long orange/red black tipped bill, white underparts, blackish upper parts and distinctive barking call.
Dark morph Swainson’s Hawk In Flight
This dark morph Swainson's Hawk was on a hillside that we came upon while leaving the Centennial Valley to head back to Utah.
American White Pelican and a cloudy sky
If you ever get to Utah be sure to try to spend a morning or even a full day at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge because there is always something great going on there!
Western Meadowlark on the wing
The smaller a bird is the harder it is to get flight shots of them and track them with a long lens so I was very happy to get this Western Meadowlark on the wing.
One serious looking Red-tailed Hawk
I love the stare of raptors because they always appear so serious, intense and they have a no-nonsense look to their eyes like this Red-tailed Hawk has.
Brown Pelican Double-decker
It's Monday and I didn't have any idea what to post this morning so I opted to present this image of two Brown Pelicans flying double-decker style over the Gulf of Mexico.
Western Kingbird up close, almost too close!
Three days ago I was caught off guard when this Western Kingbird flew in and hovered up close to me, almost too close actually.
Something’s Fishy – Osprey with a Flounder
A simple but fishy post today of an Osprey that flew over my head at Fort De Soto County Park taken 5 years ago in Florida.
Bald Eagle lift off
While in southwestern Montana last week I did see several Bald Eagles and this adult was most obliging as it perched on a conifer in the light of the rising sun.
An Osprey with its feet entangled by filamentous algae
I photographed this Osprey at Lettuce Lake Regional Park from the observation tower, the Osprey had tried to catch a fish but came up with just the filamentous algae in its talons.
Male Short-eared Owl in evening light
The nicknames for Short-eared Owls are many and include Evening Owl, Mouse-hawk, Marsh Owl, Bog Owl and Flat-faced Owl but I just call them Shorties in the field.
Northern Mockingbird Flight Display
I have seen and heard more Northern Mockingbirds this year on Antelope Island State Park than any previous year since I moved to Utah.
Our Black-chinned Hummingbirds are back
Even though the snow has still been flying in some areas of Utah the Black-chinned Hummingbirds have already arrived.
An Aerial Food Fight – Gulls And A Tern
This image was taken on a breezy April morning in 2009 at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach when I saw an aerial food fight occurring over the Gulf of Mexico.
Peregrine Falcon In Flight
Last month while camping near Capitol Reef National Park I was delighted to find a Peregrine Falcon feeding on prey near some Sandhill Cranes in a field that I had been photographing.
Black Skimmers at Fort De Soto Five Years Ago Today
It is really cruddy here in Utah this morning so I thought I would go back in time to a warmer, sunnier day via the magic of some Black Skimmer images I created five years ago today.
Black-billed Magpie in flight over Antelope Island State Park
In all my visits to Antelope Island State Park I don't think there has been a single time when I haven't seen or heard Black-billed Magpies.
Banking American Kestrel female
The term "Banking" in my title doesn't mean this female American Kestrel is heading to the closest ATM or to a local branch of Wells Fargo because this little beauty doesn't care one cent about money!
Breeding and nonbreeding Caspian Terns
Soon Caspian Terns will be back in Utah flying over rivers, ponds, lakes and other freshwater impoundments searching for prey.
Sandhill Crane In Flight
I am keeping it simple this morning with a lone Sandhill Crane in flight over Wayne County that I photographed about two weeks ago while in southern Utah.