Startled Horned Lark
While I was focused on the lark a small bird; presumably a sparrow, zoomed past and I captured an image of a startled Horned Lark who reacted by raising his wings and calling while he moved down the rock a bit.
While I was focused on the lark a small bird; presumably a sparrow, zoomed past and I captured an image of a startled Horned Lark who reacted by raising his wings and calling while he moved down the rock a bit.
Yesterday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I was able to photograph several first spring Red-winged Blackbird males.
I was able to take quite a few images of a very cooperative first spring Northern Harrier that was perched on an old post next to the road in Box Elder County.
Yesterday it was the northern Utah Short-eared Owls that made me so very glad that I am a bird photographer and that for a little while I am part of their world.
I was able to take this male Yellow-headed Blackbird portrait because the bird seemed more intent on catching midges than being nervous about me.
I was able to take a Mallard drake portrait of one of the ducks that were close and loved how this showed the blue green iridescence.
These images from different times of the year show Mountain Bluebird plumage development stages from not long after fledging to adulthood.
I was photographing a pair of cranes foraging on the ground when a pair of Sandhill Cranes calling in flight flew over and I took a series of images of them.
My life is great whenever I can photograph a pair of Sandhill Cranes wherever I find them and yesterday I had these beauties in my viewfinder.
This pose made me think "The Long-billed Curlew Scores" but he was really just exhibiting a territorial response to another curlew that was nearby
Seeing these uncommon Western Bluebirds in Tooele County in the Stansbury Mountain Range yesterday is part of why I love bird photography so much.
Seeing and photographing this Red-breasted Nuthatch was such a thrill for me that I want a repeat performance!
I was able to take this male Brewer's Blackbird portrait as it perched next to the road that shows the iridescent colors in his plumage quite nicely.
There isn't much open water right now but in a few places where it is open it attracts waterfowl including this bathing Common Merganser male in breeding plumage.
I photographed this frosty Mule Deer buck in snow on Antelope Island State Park in December of 2013 while he was following a few does through a field of snow-covered mullein.
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.
All of these male Ring-necked Pheasant portraits were taken yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA in the snow at 5°F.
Yesterday I was able to photograph this Mule Deer buck in fog on Antelope Island State Park as he and another buck trailed after some does.
Since the freezing temperatures arrived in my neighborhood I have been listening to a five o'clock Great-tailed Grackle cacophony nightly.
My favorite image from photographing yesterday at Farmington Bay WMA is this high key Northern Flicker image taken near Glover's Pond.
Since the snow has started to fall in the high country of Utah I have started thinking about Greater Sage-Grouse again.
I saw a handsome but battle scarred Mule Deer buck yesterday walking briskly through a field with his head held high near the Bridger Bay campground on Antelope Island State Park.
Yesterday I found a Mule Deer buck in rut following a doe in the marsh next to the Bear River at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge.
Last December on the way off of Antelope Island I saw huge flocks of Northern Shovelers feeding on the Great Salt Lake and liked how they appeared through my viewfinder.
One good bird can "make" a trip and yesterday a male Rough-legged Hawk made my trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge worthwhile.
While working on my new photo galleries I came across this image of a male American Kestrel fluffed up on a cold Utah morning taken back in the winter of 2010.
When I came across the Canvasback drake on a frigid February morning at a pond near where I live I simply had to get a few images of him.
I haven't posted any Common Mergansers lately and today I thought I would because we should start seeing them soon here in northern Utah.
Last week I photographed this male Red-winged Blackbird on the top of a cattail from the side of the road. I was only able to get a few images before this blackbird flew away.
I photographed this male American Kestrel a few days ago at Farmington Bay WMA as it flew out of a nest box.