Goodbye 2014!
As 2014 comes to an end I know I have tons to be grateful for in my personal life, my ever growing passion for bird and nature photography and life in general.
Female Kestrel With Prey On A Snowy Day
I've been seeing plenty of American Kestrels lately but none have been close enough to get nice images of so I pulled this one out of my archives from 2010.
Pied-billed Grebe and still water
Typically by this time of the year the water at Farmington Bay WMA is frozen over but this year it wasn't when I photographed this Pied-billed Grebe 4 days ago.
Winter American Barn Owl On A Gray Day
Still waiting for snow here in the Salt Lake Valley so I am posting another snowy image of a Barn Owl taken in December of 2013.
Quartet of Sparrow Species
Lately I've been able to photograph 4 different sparrow species between Antelope Island State Park and Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
Immature Northern Harrier On The Wing
So I missed out on seeing the Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles and American Kestrels at Farmington Bay WMA this morning but decided to post an older image of an immature Northern Harrier on the wing.
Great Blue Heron stalking prey in morning light
As common as Great Blue Herons are throughout North America I am always happy to photograph these prehistoric looking birds.
Barn Owl on the Wing
Barn Owls are gorgeous with their dark as ebony eyes, beautiful plumage and graceful flight so I find it difficult to suppress my delight when I see them on the wing.
Sometimes I Wonder About the Birds I Photograph
In February of 2011 there was a first year Bald Eagle at Farmington Bay WMA that seemed totally unafraid and unconcerned about the people near it.
Golden Reflections and a Pied-billed Grebe
The golden reflections with just a hint of blue compliment the golden tones of the plumage of the Pied-billed Grebe.
How House Finches moved East
House Finches are fairly common birds throughout the U.S. Mexico and into Central America but they didn't used to be common in the eastern U.S.
Greater Scaup drake at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
This Greater Scaup drake is making the transition into his breeding plumage an was in among American Coots, a resting female scaup, Pied-Billed Grebes and a single Canvasback.
Great Blue Heron hunkered down against winter’s brutal cold
Last December I photographed this Great Blue Heron as it hunkered down against the brutal cold at the edge of the water in a marsh.
Time to look for Northern Shrikes
I write about the raptors I expect to see during the winter in Utah but there are also song birds I keep an eye out for too like this immature Northern Shrike.
Snow Birds – Dark-eyed Juncos
When I lived in Virginia I could almost predict when the first snow would fall because the juncos showed at my feeders up a day or two before the first winter storm.
Downy Woodpecker In The Willows At Farmington Bay
I was delighted to spot this male Downy Woodpecker in the willows the last time I went out to Farmington Bay Bird Refuge.
Pair of Greater Yellowlegs in flight
Shorebirds are still migrating through the Salt Lake Valley and Farmington Bay WMA and there have been quite a few Greater Yellowlegs in the area.
Red-tailed Hawk lifting off
Lately it has been wonderful to see and photograph more birds including raptors. I think the long dry spell that started the end of July might be over finally.
Pied-billed Grebe Shaking it Off
I'm seeing more and more Pied-billed Grebes and that excites me because these little guys might be small but they are tough. They kind of remind me of myself.
Juvenile Dark Morph Harlan’s Hawk
Harlan's Hawks are a subspecies of Red-tailed Hawks that breed in Alaska and northern Canada and spend their winters in the northern Great Plains.
Autumn colors and a resting Clark’s Grebe
Autumn colors have begun to appear and they are delightful when reflected on the water with a nearly black and white subject like this resting Clark's Grebe.
Red-winged Blackbird and a Midge
This male Red-winged Blackbird was photographed yesterday at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
Young Raccoon On A Duckweed Mat
This young Raccoon looks as grumpy as I feel this morning.
Looking ahead to winter
We catch up and share stories of birds we saw in the warmer months and reveal the journeys we have been on.
There are some who can live without wild things
I am a part of the wild things even though my outsides might be adorned with the trappings of civilization my heartbeat still tells me I am wild.
Female American Kestrel On A Frosty Winter Morn
American Kestrels are year round residents in Utah and when the cold sets in they are less skittish and will allow closer approaches.
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.
White-faced Ibis
There were quite a few White-faced Ibis on Glover Pond near the Great Salt Lake Nature Center and I focused on them for a bit.
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.
American Kestrel Lift Off
American Kestrels are a challenge to photograph when they are in flight or lifting off because they move so quickly and in low light it can be even harder.