flight

Ferruginous Hawk in Tooele County, Utah

By |February 8th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There aren't many people in the west desert of Utah thus the raptors and other birds that live there are not habituated to people so they are very skittish even when using a mobile blind.

Northern Harrier

By |January 31st, 2012|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Northern Harrier displayed interesting behavior, it didn't appear to be hunting but it would dive into the vegetation where it would make a sound that reminded me of parrots chattering.

Rough-legged Hawk Kiting, Being Bit and Eating on the Fly

By |January 19th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Some days are wonderful for bird photography especially when the subject is close, exhibits interesting behavior and the light is in my favor. These images are from an afternoon just like that when I happened across a lovely Rough-legged Hawk on a breezy day.

More Prairie Falcon Fun ~ This time with prey

By |December 28th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Prairie Falcons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week while out photographing I spotted a Prairie Falcon in the midst of a tussle with two Common Ravens in mid air. At times it seemed that the falcon was chasing the ravens and then the tables would turn and it appeared that the ravens were diving at the falcon.

The Bald Eagles are Returning to the Valley

By |December 19th, 2011|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Portraits, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

During the summer months I don't often see Bald Eagles unless I go up into the high country or travel north of Utah to Idaho, Wyoming or Montana but in the Salt Lake Valley many Bald Eagles come in to spend the winter.

More Rough-legged Hawks

By |November 20th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have been very pleased to add so many images of Rough-legged Hawks to my portfolio in just the past week and hopefully these Roughies will stick around until late February of next year so there will be many more opportunities.

Common Raven – Friday Photos

By |November 4th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Common Ravens, Exposure Compensation, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ravens hold a special place in my heart because they are smart (actually brilliant for birds), collectors of things shiny and/or odd, they let you know about their presence with hoarse croaking sounds and they are very amusing to observe and photograph.

Turd Birds; errr… I mean Sage Thrashers

By |October 22nd, 2011|Categories: Davis County, Frustrations in bird photography, Humor, Sage Thrashers, Shrubs, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I can't acquire focus on the Lunatic Sage Thrashers because they don't ever stay still long enough, they race around willy-nilly until dizziness forces me to stop watching them. Think Ricochet Rabbit.

Black Skimmer adult in flight

By |October 12th, 2011|Categories: Black Skimmers, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I could always tell when a flock of Black Skimmers were flying in to Fort De Soto's north beach when I was photographing there because I could usually hear their soft, nasal barking yips or yeps before I saw them.

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Friday Photos – Getting the Whole Picture

By |August 26th, 2011|Categories: Black Skimmers, Brown Pelicans, Fort De Soto County Park, Gulls, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I often forget that by backing up my zoom, swapping my long lens for a wide angle lens or backing up physically I can get the "whole picture".

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One Willet’s defense of its young

By |July 16th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Davis County, Utah, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I observed an adult Willet defending its young from a group of Black-billed Magpies that were near the Willet's chicks.

Short-eared Owls – An interesting surprise

By |June 29th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Soon after that I saw the shape of a larger bird near where the Coyote had gone into the sagebrush which turned out to be an adult Short-eared Owl.

It has only been 4 days? Really?

By |May 19th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Clark's Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Jordan River Parkway Trail, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For days it has been raining (sometimes hailing), cloudy and a miserable gray here in the Salt Lake Valley though it seems like two weeks to this bird photographer.

Northern Harrier in Low Light

By |May 16th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't mind the motion blur in these images and because northern harriers hunt by looking down at the ground for their prey I was very happy to get eye contact in both frames.

Nesting Northern Harrier

By |May 7th, 2011|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Tt was the first time that I have ever seen a Northern Harrier building a nest. It more than made my day!

Burrowing Owls – Loved to Death?

By |March 14th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Burrowing Owls, Davis County, Harassment, Nesting Birds, Utah, Wildlife Ethics & Etiquette|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

What made me sick was that there were three of those people tromping around the owl's burrow. I mean RIGHT up on it. They had no need to be that close but they were.

An amazing encounter…or two with a young Bald Eagle

By |February 17th, 2011|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've found Bald Eagles difficult to approach most of the time which is why a long lens is often needed. But not this one year old bald eagle.

Northern Shovelers blasting off

By |February 11th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning when we had almost reached Antelope Island I spotted a huge flock of Northern Shovelers blasting off from the water

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