Short-eared Owl Preening Session
I was able to see and photograph a long Short-eared Owl preening session where I could see the owl's ear canal, uropygial gland and some extremely interesting and twisted poses.
An Intriguing and Very Tame Northern Harrier
While I have been photographing Short-eared Owls in northern Utah I have come across this intriguing and very tame Northern Harrier over and over in the same location.
Male Long-billed Curlew on Antelope Island
The Long-billed Curlews on Antelope Island are fascinating subjects to photograph and observe or anywhere for that matter.
Adult Intermediate Morph Swainson’s Hawk
This Swainson's Hawk was right next to the road the entire time I photographed it and I was able to get a series of it it where the hawk nearly filled the frame from top to bottom.
Merlin in Southwestern Montana
Last September I was able to observe and photograph a Merlin in southwestern Montana over a period of several days.
Turkey Vulture in Box Elder County – Nature’s Picker Uppers
When I photographed this Turkey Vulture in Box Elder County last summer it flew from the post it had been perched on and landed a bit further away where it quickly began cleaning its bill
Western Meadowlark in Snow – Stretching, Preening and Resting
I had a great time photographing a Western Meadowlark in snow yesterday on Antelope Island State Park near the White Rock Bay campgrounds.
Trumpeter Swan Cygnets and Preening, Pin Feathers and Molt
In my last post on the Trumpeter Swan Cygnets On Elk Lake I mentioned that the cygnets spent a lot of time preening and part of the reason they do is they are molting.
Flurry of Snowies in August
There was lots of bird activity yesterday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and a flurry of Snowy Egrets kept things interesting early in the morning.
Preening Great Blue Heron
I picked this Great Blue Heron image to post today because when I took the photo it was bright and sunny.
Preening Cliff Swallow and a short video of the flock
The Cliff Swallows at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge are busy catching bugs and building nests but they do take time out to preen and fluff like this one did yesterday.
Curlew on a Bison Pooh Perch
Yesterday this Long-billed Curlew preened, fluffed, shook and called on a pile of pooh.
First of the Year Sage Thrasher on Antelope Island!
I was absolutely delighted to spot a pair of Sage Thrashers on Antelope Island yesterday because I have been anxiously awaiting their arrival since they left last fall.
Trumpeter Swans of the Centennial Valley
One of the locations I am daydreaming about is the Centennial Valley of Montana and the birds I find there.
Preening juvenile Brown Pelican in Florida
It rained most of the day here so I looked at a few Brown Pelican images taken in December in Florida where it was much sunnier in 2008.
Winter Wanderers – Rough-legged Hawks
I have started seeing Rough-legged Hawks again in northern Utah and that has me excited. I have seen them in Utah County and Davis County but I haven't gotten any quality photos of them yet
Preening Brewer’s Blackbird
I have been seeing plenty of blackbirds lately at Farmington Bay WMA and a few days ago I photographed this preening Brewer's Blackbird on a fence post.
Centennial Valley Cinnamon Teal
Things were "just ducky" earlier this month in the Centennial Valley of Montana and this Cinnamon Teal seemed to be enjoying the warm late afternoon light.
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.
Six years ago today – Pelicans, Godwits and Dowitchers
Six years ago today I was sand crawling on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico at Fort De Soto's north beach photographing pelicans, godwits and dowitchers plus other birds.
Peek-a-boo Kestrel
I have always liked this American Kestrel image because of the pose and how the female kestrel appears to be peeking at me while she preened.
Chukars on Antelope Island State Park
After seeing few Chukars on Antelope Island State Park over the winter it is a delight to see them perching on rocks, preening, calling and warming up in the first rays of sunlight on the island again.
Long billed Birds and Preening
Preening in birds is essential for keeping their feathers clean, arranged correctly and for some birds it is a way to distribute oils from the uropygial gland which helps to keep the feathers clean and healthy.
Roseate Spoonbills on a foggy Florida morning
As soon as I crossed the north beach footbridge I spotted several Roseate Spoonbills in the tidal lagoon on my right. There were adults and a few juveniles, some were resting while others preened.
First winter male Common Merganser
Yesterday morning I spotted a lone Common Merganser at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area nearly hidden in some phragmites and when we came around the corner the bird seemed to have disappeared but after a bit it came out from its hiding spot and gave us quite a show.
Autumn Horned Lark
Summer has changed to autumn and the behaviors of the Horned Larks that have been seen through the summer but have been difficult to get close to.
Sage Thrashers Aplenty
There are Sage Thrashers aplenty on Antelope Island State Park right now and they have been thrashing, dashing and singing their little hearts out the last three trips I have made out to the island.
Great Blue Herons In Florida And Utah
Great Blue Herons are year round residents in both Florida and Utah although conditions during the winter months can be starkly different for these large wading birds in the two locations and climates.
Dunlins in breeding and nonbreeding plumage
Dunlins exhibit a vast difference between nonbreeding and breeding plumage, so different that a novice birder might mistakenly believe that they were two different species.