Pileated Woodpecker – The 2021 ABA Bird of The Year
The American Birding Association has selected the Pileated Woodpecker as their Bird of the Year for 2021 and I think it is an excellent choice.
Five Bird Photos From Christmas Day 2020
Much to my delight I was able to photograph some birds on Christmas Day at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday morning.
Spring And Summer With A Belted Kingfisher Family
I was totally unaware on that April morning that I would be photographing a Belted Kingfisher family for several months.
First Winter Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert
Two years and one day ago I only photographed two birds on a trip out into the West Desert and this light morph Ferruginous Hawk made the trip well worth the journey out into the cold.
Seeing All Birds – European Starling On A Frosty Perch
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.
Photographing Bald Eagles At Farmington Bay WMA During An Inversion
Think carefully before you make a trip to Utah to photograph our overwintering Bald Eagles in the valley. The inversions are awful and can be life threatening.
Female American Kestrels On The Same Post Ten Years Apart
I was only going to share this image today but as I processed this photo I thought about all the times I have photographed American Kestrels on this same exact post over the years.
Finding Two Uncommon Birds In One Week – Rusty Blackbird And Common Grackle
Finding two uncommon birds this week at the same olive tree really has me buzzed and to finally see a Rusty Blackbird has made me feel like jumping over the moon.
Immature Red-tailed Hawk Harassed By A Northern Harrier
I found an immature Red-tailed Hawk in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday and spent 28 minutes photographing it including when a Northern Harrier harassed it.
Focusing On Adult Male Rough-legged Hawks
Ten days ago I found and photographed this adult male Rough-legged Hawk as it perched on a Russian Olive tree at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge when I was heading home.
Cozy Red-tailed Hawks And Finches Galore
Yesterday morning the first birds I spotted and photographed was a pair of adult Red-tailed Hawks side by side on a rocky ledge in early morning light.
Adult Common Raven On A Sign At Bear River MBR
This Common Raven looked to be alone but there was another raven foraging on the ground across the river that this bird could see.
Looking Back On Photographing A Rare Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk
Even though it is now four years later I still look for this striking leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in Tooele County and hope to find and photograph it again one day.
Merlin And American Kestrels – Two Falcon Species In A Day
Any time I can see and photograph two falcon species in a single day is a great day and yesterday I photographed a Prairie Merlin and several American Kestrels.
Veterans Day 2020
Veterans Day is always held on November 11th and is a day set aside to honor all of those who have served our country in war or peace.
Male Short-eared Owl Perched At The Edge Of A Sagebrush Sea
I am always looking for Short-eared Owls in northern Utah because they are year round residents here but they are nomadic which means I don't always see them.
Male Cassin’s Finch Eating a Mountain Mahogany Seed
This male Cassin's Finch did pop out into the open with a mahogany seed in his bill and even though he was in the shade I took a few photos of him.
Dark-eyed Junco And Rabbitbrush
One of the Dark-eyed Juncos that I had in my viewfinder was perched on top of a rabbitbrush with seeds and fluff in its bill that turned its head towards me.
Autumn Pine Siskins – 2020 Is An Irruption Year
My Facebook timeline is buzzing with people posting photos of large numbers of Pine Siskins at their bird feeders across the country.
Adult Bald Eagle At The Edge Of A Forest
I'm not sure why I like this Bald Eagle image as much as I do but I do know that while I am looking at it I feel calm.
Foraging Autumn Bushtits In Northern Utah
Seeing and photographing the Bushtits in northern Utah was a gift that I didn't expect yesterday and I am grateful to finally have images of them that I like.
Kinglets And Turkeys Plus One Scrub-Jay
The Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Wild Turkeys and the Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay made the very bumpy and extremely dusty ride into the mountain canyons well worth taking.
Male Mountain Bluebird Glowing In Early Morning Light
This male Mountain Bluebird seemed to glow in the early morning light which was in sharp contrast with the shadows on the mountains in the background.
An Immature Red-tailed Hawk Resting In A Tree
I spent sometime at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday morning where my best bird of the day was an immature Red-tailed Hawk resting in a tree.
Calls And Songs Of Townsend’s Solitaires
I know where in the mountains to find Townsend’s Solitaires by seeing them, hearing them and by knowing their preferred habitat.
Surprise Immature Osprey In The West Desert Of Utah
I don't know how many times I have said "expect the unexpected" since I began photographing birds while talking to fellow photographers.
Warbling Vireo And Fall Colors In The Stansbury Mountains
When this Warbling Vireo popped into my view I knew if I wanted to photograph it I had to hurry because these small vireos move fast.
American Robins Foraging On Hawthorn Berries
American Robins seemed especially abundant yesterday high in the Wasatch Mountains and I was happy to photograph them foraging on the ripe berries of a hawthorn.
Male Brewer’s Blackbird And Thoughts On Changes
I look at this seasonal change as a personal challenge to grow, to adapt and to meet my bird photography goals. I'm looking forward to the challenges and changes ahead.
Hawk In The West Desert Perched In A Dead Juniper
I don't usually share photos where the main subject is facing away from me but I liked the alert pose of this raptor as it perched in the dead but distant juniper tree.