The best bird photography opportunity of the day happened when I spotted a Burrowing Owl near its burrow and I took advantage of the nice light to take quite a few images of the owl framed by grasses and blooming Red-stem Filaree.
The first of March always makes me think of and listen for Long-billed Curlews, our largest shorebird of North America.
This year was exceptional for photographing Short-eared Owls in Utah, Idaho and Montana and being able to see them in all the stages of their growth.
I thought the invisible fence made this roadside Swainson's Hawk in rural Montana an interesting subject to share.
I know that this hidden Short-eared Owl fledgling image isn't one of my best because of the grasses in front of its face and the shadow of a stem falling on its left eye but I love it.
Seeing this Pronghorn doe with her fawn three mornings ago brought joy to me and photographing the fawn while it nursed and ran around getting the feel of its long legs made me happy.
The first bird I photographed yesterday morning was a wet Chukar on top of a lichen covered boulder about the time the sun rose above the clouds and mountains to the east.
For weeks I have been seeing White-faced Ibis fly overs and yesterday I had my first opportunity to photograph them for the year at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
The highlight of my morning yesterday was photographing two Yellow-bellied Marmots at Capitol Reef National Park.
There were a number of yearlings in the herd including this Mule Deer yearling that was on a slight ridge who appeared to be looking right at me.
I photographed this adult Bald Eagle at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge early on New Year's Day when the light of dawn was still golden.
This image shows a sunset at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge from September 9, 2015 but every sunrise and sunset on our national lands is a treasure.
It isn't every day that I add a lifer to the list of shorebirds I have seen and photographed but yesterday I did when I saw and photographed a Pectoral Sandpiper.
After a long, hot summer I always look forward to the first day of autumn because it usually means cooler temperatures along with the scenery becoming more colorful as the leaves begin to turn.
Virginia Rails are secretive marsh birds that can be found at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge during the breeding season and the can be very difficult to see let alone photograph.
High up on the Parker Range there was a large stand of Quaking Aspen and just outside of the trees there was a Mule Deer grazing on the green grasses.
I had some fun with this Long-billed Curlew yesterday after the clouds thinned and the sunshine fell consistently on Antelope Island State Park.
This Black-tailed Jackrabbit was near the first one and as I photographed it I realized that its eye color was odd because they are much paler and has a slight greenish hue to them.
I only have time for a quick post this morning and decided to post one of the migrant kingbirds I look forward to seeing every year, an Eastern Kingbird.
This Western Meadowlark was busy yesterday poking its sharp bill through the emerging grasses to find prey in the warming soil.
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.
Raising the glass attached to my camera that is! I'm excited about the photographic opportunities that will present themselves in 2015.
Yesterday was another interesting day on Antelope Island seeing snow-covered Bison, snowy weather, birds and spotting Coyotes at a Mule Deer carcass.
Yesterday morning started out gray and cloudy on Antelope Island and I photographed a few Bison bulls grazing and charging each other.
The light and clouds looked iffy this morning but Antelope Island didn't disappoint when it came to bison and birds plus some dramatic light.
I can not help but to feel a sense of wonder or be enchanted by the wild majesty of the Centennial Valley in southwestern Montana.
I was delighted to find quite a few Sandhill Cranes in the Centennial Valley of Montana last week and this pair was close enough to photograph.
Late last month I posted about Two Moose on the Loose in the Targhee National Forest and today I thought I'd share two more images of the moose.
The amazing birds and animals keep me going back to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge but the scenery and wildness of the area does too.
This dark morph Swainson's Hawk was on a hillside that we came upon while leaving the Centennial Valley to head back to Utah.