Common Raven – My First Of Year Bird 2024
My first bird of the year for 2024 was a Common Raven I found yesterday morning on my way out to the auto tour loop of Bear River MBR.
My first bird of the year for 2024 was a Common Raven I found yesterday morning on my way out to the auto tour loop of Bear River MBR.
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.
Last Monday, when I photographed this American Pipit at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in frosted grasses, I had several thoughts whirling around in my mind.
Yesterday morning, I was beyond thrilled to take several Wilson's Snipe portraits in frosty grasses while I was on the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR.
When I photographed this Female Brewer's Blackbird a few days ago she was the focus of attention for four nearby males that were displaying on the frosty grass.
I took these two male Brewer's Blackbird portraits yesterday at my local pond. In one the blackbird was displaying, in the other he just looked funny to me.
I spent a little bit of time yesterday taking American Robin photos on frosty grass. The robins were feasting on ripe crabapples that have fallen to the ground.
I stopped to take photos of an adult male Rough-legged Hawk perched on a driftwood snag over the Bear River when I was leaving Bear River MBR four days ago.
This morning I'm sharing a simple singing Song Sparrow photographed on a late October morning. Or is it truly all that simple?
This morning I am sharing photos of a Song Sparrow I found yesterday morning high in the mountains where the temps were so low that frost had formed overnight.
I had five minutes of bird bliss yesterday morning at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge when I was able to take immature light morph Rough-legged Hawk portraits.
While I was at Bear River MBR on Tuesday I stopped to photograph and listen to the ice that has piled up on the west side of the auto tour route.
Yesterday morning I spent part of my time focusing on taking American Coot photos in the marshes and wetlands of Farmington Bay WMA. I adore these goofy birds.
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge can be a great location to take winter Great Blue Heron photos out on the frozen marshes and wetlands during January.
For the second year in a row the first bird I photographed in the New Year was a Rough-legged Hawk and both were photographed at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
Yesterday I spent some time up in the Wasatch Mountains where I found and photographed my first of year Uinta Ground Squirrels with frost on the ground.
I have a backlog of raptor images I took earlier this week but I wanted to share one of a species that some people hate or many bird photographers prefer to ignore, the European Starling.
I saw a few harriers on the wing yesterday at Farmington Bay WMA and I was able to take a few photos of a female Northern Harrier that still had frost on her nape.
These two Song Sparrow photos are a reminder to me that sometimes having man made objects in my photos isn't such a bad thing, it is just a matter of personal tastes.
It isn't too late to see and photograph White-faced Ibis at Farmington Bay WMA in northern Utah because there are still a few of them hanging around despite the frigid temps during the nights and mornings.
Many of the birds here in the Salt Lake Valley find a place to roost in the evening and overnight frost begins to accumulate on their feathers like it did on this Rough-legged Hawk on a parking sign.
On the last day of 2015 I photographed this Song Sparrow without a tail on Antelope Island State Park during the early morning while frost still clung to branch the sparrow was perched on.
After they burn the phragmites it doesn't take long for life to go back to normal for some of the birds like this Killdeer in a burned area.
I remembered this image I took a few years ago of frosty trees at Farmington Bay and how it quietly says "winter".
The first great opportunity I had with them this year was this male Rough-legged Hawk perched on a stump at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge in Box Elder County.
American Kestrels are year round residents in Utah and when the cold sets in they are less skittish and will allow closer approaches.
I know a lot of people are suffering because of the heat of summer so I though I would post an image of a male American Kestrel perched on a frosty Rabbitbrush.
I have mentioned in recent posts that winter can be harsh in the Salt Lake Valley in posts with images I had taken at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area so I wanted to share these two images taken there yesterday.
What I like about this image is the pose of the Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), the warm tones of the background, the detail and colors
I get very excited about small things at times, a colorful sunrise, the sight of a shooting star, the first spring crocus and in the fall; the first time I see frost.